‘Swapped’ Composer Siddhartha Khosla Used Music From Every Continent For Netflix’s Animated Adventure – Sound & Screen Film

Netflix’s animated feature Swapped, produced in collaboration with Skydance, presents a world where a bird and a forest creature exchange places, brought to life by a voice cast including Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple, and Tracy Morgan. The film’s musical identity was crafted by composer Siddhartha Khosla, who devised a soundtrack that reflects a richly diverse Earth composed of distinct musical continents.

Khosla’s approach to the film’s score involved conceptualizing an alternative Earth, with each continent representing a different musical ecosystem. This concept aimed to provide director Nathan Greno and producers John Lasseter and Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews with a distinct auditory palette that matched the film’s imaginative setting. According to deadline.com, Khosla shared this vision during an initial Zoom meeting, emphasizing the creation of unique musical languages tailored to each imagined continent.

The composition process incorporated traditional instruments indigenous to various real-world continents, including Indian and English violins, preserving authentic playing styles while unifying them through consistent thematic material. This melding of global sounds culminated in recordings performed by a 90-piece orchestra, blending diverse sonic textures to enhance the film’s alternate reality.

Significantly, the score was mixed at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, utilizing some of the engineers who had previously worked on albums by The Beatles. Khosla involved his family during this phase, allowing his children to witness firsthand the mixing process and meet the engineers, highlighting a personal connection to the production.

The composer also performed onstage at Deadline’s Sound & Screen Film event, showcasing his harmonium skills while wearing a traditional South Asian kurta. This garment reflected a formative moment from Khosla’s youth when he gained confidence through performing Indian music, emphasizing the enduring influence of his cultural heritage on his artistic journey.

Khosla dedicated this public performance not only to his personal history but also in recognition of recent US midterm elections, marking a moment of societal progress that transcended political and racial divisions.

This global musical integration within Swapped’s score demonstrates a broader trend in film composition, where authentic cultural elements are woven into orchestral arrangements to create immersive soundscapes. Khosla’s method of preserving traditional playing techniques while uniting them under thematic coherence suggests a nuanced balance between cultural specificity and narrative unity.

The use of a 90-piece orchestra alongside indigenous instruments indicates a high production value, reflecting Netflix and Skydance’s commitment to quality in their animated projects. Such investment in diverse musical influences aligns with the growing demand for inclusive storytelling in the entertainment industry.

Khosla’s involvement also highlights the increasing visibility of composers from varied backgrounds who bring unique cultural perspectives to mainstream media. His embrace of personal history and cultural identity through music may inspire other composers to similarly integrate heritage into their work.

The mixing at Abbey Road Studios situates the project within a historical continuum of iconic musical productions, potentially elevating the score’s reception and associating it with a legacy of excellence.

While the film’s release and audience response remain forthcoming, the creative process behind the score suggests that Swapped aims to offer not only a visual but also an auditory exploration of cultural diversity. The integration of global instruments and orchestral grandeur reinforces the film’s thematic emphasis on coexistence and transformation.

Future projects from Khosla may build upon this foundation, as the successful blending of traditional and orchestral elements positions him as a distinctive voice in film composition. This work could influence how animated features approach musical storytelling, encouraging further experimentation with cross-cultural soundscapes.

As Netflix continues to expand its animated slate, the collaboration with composers like Khosla who prioritize musical diversity and authenticity will likely shape the sonic identity of its future productions, reflecting evolving audience expectations for cultural representation.