Stranger Things: Two soundtrack albums set for release

The chilling synth-heavy music from Stranger Things was a large part of the first season’s success, and composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein – who are also members of the Austin group S U R V I V E – are back on score duty for the new series. Ahead of the show returning to Netflix on 27 October, the duo will release a 34-track LP of their music from season two to download and stream tomorrow – so that's the soundtrack to your Halloween party sorted. Given that the show swims in the nostalgia of the 1980s, it’s apt that the album will also come out on vinyl and cassette later in the year.

Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers have said this new season will take on a different tone from the first, and it sounds like Dixon and Stein’s music will follow suit. “In Season 2, we're introducing new styles of composition, while still revisiting old themes when appropriate,” the pair said. “We've created new elements that are necessary to support the story, but still want to remain true to the sound of Season 1.”

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, Dixon recalled the Duffer Brothers’ initial pitch to him and Stein when they were approached to write the show’s score. “They were like, ‘Make it scary as fuck… We want to scare the shit out of some little kids ... and adults.’ Especially for some of the more intense scenes, they were like, ‘Just make it go even harder. Make it as crazy as possible.’”

In addition to Dixon and Stein’s score, there’s also a 30 track compilation album set for release on 27 Oct, the same day Stranger Things Season Two is released on Netflix. That double album will feature a range of beloved 1980s hits that have popped up on the show as well as some audio clips from Stranger Things characters. Expect to find tracks by the likes of Toto (Africa), the Bangles (Hazy Shade of Winter), Corey Hart (Sunglasses at Night), and more, along with some songs featuring on the second series that have yet to be announced.

The tracklist for Dixon and Stein’s Stranger Things Season 2 soundtrack is below. You can preorder both the Stranger Things 2 soundtrack and Stranger Things: Music from the Netflix Original series now via iTunes or Apple Music.

01. Walkin in Hawkins
02. Home
03. Eulogy
04. On the Bus
05. Presumptuous
06. Eight Fifteen
07. The First Lie
08. Scars
09. I Can Save Them
10. Descent into the Rift
11. Chicago
12. Looking for a Way Out
13. Birth / Rescue
14. In the Woods
15. Digging
16. Symptoms
18. Soldiers
19. Choices
20. Never Tell
21. She Wants Me to Find Her
22. Shouldn’t Have Lied
23. It’s a Trap
24. Crib
25. The Return
26. Escape
27. We Go out Tonight
28. Connect the Dots
29. The Hub
30. On Edge
31. What Else Did You See?
32. Run
33. Levitation
34. To Be Continued

Stranger Things Season Two is streaming on Netflix from 27 Oct; take a look at Stranger Things Season Two's trailer