‘Devs’ Is Pushing the Boundaries of Music on Television

It’s common knowledge that a good soundtrack can make or break a show. But Alex Garland‘s latest sci-fi endeavor is proving that silence can have just as powerful an effect. In Devs it’s not only the drama’s gorgeous and carefully crafted soundtrack that gives this FX on Hulu show depth. It’s the series’ well-balanced and exacting silence.

As is fitting for anything Garland puts his name on, nothing about Devs‘ musical choices is traditional. It’s become a staple of prestige television to fill scenes with orchestral swells and somber violins. Devs has both of those in spades, but composers Ben Salisbury, Geoff Barrow, and their collaborative group The Insects constantly defy expectation. Beautiful riffs are routinely interlaced with experimental electronics and white noise before plunging into deafening silence.

The lack of sound is so integral to Devs it’s practically its own character. It’s common for high-minded monologues about determinism or gut-wrenching conversations to unfold without a single orchestral note. That silence works its way through your ears and into your psyche. It’s not long before the lack of stimuli has you leaning in, subconsciously soaking in every word. In that way this quiet in the midst of a world filled with so much noise mirrors the cult-like devotion Amaya’s CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) inspires without once uttering a word.

But when Devs‘ soundtrack chooses to speak, it bellows. Typically each episode only features one to three non-original songs. For Episode 1 that means incorporating Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble’s “Regnantem Sempiterna,” FEW’s “The Zoo,” and Broken Bells’ “After the Disco.” Episode 2 stands alone, both beginning and ending with Low’s “Congregation.” And Episode 3 leans further into the deceitful madness with the London production of Hair‘s take on “Aquarius” before ending with The Beacon Sound Choir’s “Fortunate Ones.”

Because these scored moments are so few and fair between, they hit even harder. In Episode 3 seeing Lily (Sonoya Mizuno) fleeing the Amaya campus, confident that she’s tricked Amaya’s security guard and come closer to figuring out what happened to her boyfriend. As she’s on the run “Aquarius” plays. It’s a triumphant tune that perfectly matches Lily’s rare moment of confidence in the face of so much uncertainty. But there’s also a distinct edge of vulnerability haunting her joy. What were the children of the Age of Aquarius in Hair other than peace-loving pacifists trapped in a world fighting an unjust war? In some ways that’s who Lily is and that’s what “Aquarius” signals. Lily may be closer to her goal of finding out what happened to her late boyfriend, but she’s still very much in the fire.

Even Devs‘ more subtle musical cues hold immense weight. In Episode 1 Lily meets up with her ex-boyfriend Jamie (Jin Ha). Their encounter is immediately marked by complicated emotions. He doesn’t understand why she broke up with him. She needs Jamie to find the man she chose over him. As they meet up in a random dive bar, Broken Bells’ “After the Disco” can be heard in the background, a song all about trying to overcome the alluring shine of fiction and finally facing reality. In this moment Jamie starts to see Lily for who she really is. She’s not not the near-perfect love of his life but someone who was never as in love with him as he was with her.

Devs‘ use of sound is complicated. It’s subtle, sad, and melodic one moment before becoming grating and raw the next. It’s a rollercoaster ride that bends and twists emotions and expectations. In that regard Devs‘ music perfectly mirrors this ever-changing show.

New episodes of Devs premiere on FX on Hulu Thursdays.

Watch Devs on FX on Hulu