Daniel Lopatin discusses synth-heavy score for Marty Supreme

Daniel Lopatin, known as Oneohtrix Point Never, sat down with SCORE hosts Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader to unpack his synth-forward score for A24’s film Marty Supreme and trace the threads from vaporwave to contemporary soundtrack work. The interview, released January 9, 2026, focuses on how Lopatin’s electronic palette shapes the movie’s atmosphere and what that means for listeners who care about texture, timbre, and patch design.

The conversation covers Lopatin’s role as a composer for the Safdie brothers and his broader career arc. “Electronic music pioneer Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) joins SCORE to discuss his explosive new score to A24’s MARTY SUPREME, directed by Josh Safdie, as well as his background as a godfather of the late-2000s “Vaporwave” music genre and his ongoing record producing with singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd),” is used to set the episode’s scope. Lopatin and the hosts dig into his early experiments with electronic instruments, the odd corporate job that helped incubate vaporwave aesthetics, and his 2010 release Chuck Person’s Eccojams Vol. 1 as a turning point.

Critics have already taken note of the score’s narrative power. Film critic David Ehrlich described the music this way: “Daniel Lopatin’s synth-driven score is so intricate and voluble that it functions like a second screenplay.” That reaction highlights a practical takeaway for composers and synth collectors: this score is not background filler but a dense, textural contributor to storytelling—an invitation to study arrangement choices, layering, and the use of timbral movement.

Sonically, the Marty Supreme soundtrack leans on influences familiar to the synth community. Listeners will hear shades of Tangerine Dream and Vangelis alongside new age touches and vaporwave-derived processing. A preview of the soundtrack is available for those who want to hear how these references were translated into film scoring language. For patch-cable tinkerers and modular enthusiasts, the album offers concrete examples of how slow-moving filters, evolving LFOs, and space-oriented effects can serve dramatic pacing.

Beyond the score itself, the episode touches on Lopatin’s ongoing production work with Abel Tesfaye and his previous soundtrack work on GOOD TIME, UNCUT GEMS, and Showtime’s THE CURSE, showing how techniques developed in club and experimental settings migrate into cinematic contexts.

The takeaway? Our two cents? Listen closely to the Marty Supreme score for ideas on texture and narrative pacing—then try to replicate one element in your rig, even if it’s just a delay setting or a slow-moving filter envelope. It’s a small exercise that will sharpen your ears and feed your GAS in a productive, musical way.