Best Mixes (1:43:34)
After creating 9 Playlists, and 135 mixed tracks, I'm coming to the end of my own mixes. So I thought I'd put together a playlist of what I think are the 20 best mixes created for my Twin Peaks Extra collection. These include both original mixes, and ones based on mixes heard on the show. The tracks are in no particular order, and all have been posted previously in other Playlists (except #20), but here is a great way to hear what I consider the best all in one place.
Listen to the mix on Mixcloud here. And check out the full size art in the Twin Peaks Archive Extra tab above.
1. Dark Mood Woods (Earle Mix) (5:03)
This is an original mix I made that “Earle-izes” “Dark Mood Woods”, using many of the sounds that became synonymous with the Earle character. The journey to the final episode and the Black Lodge centered around Earle- so it only seems fitting. The idea stemmed from the 2nd soundtrack mix of “Dark Mood Woods/The Red Room”, which features a brief appearance of Earle’s Motif.
Mix includes:
- Dark Forces (Normal Speed)
- Dark Forces
- Earle’s Theme
- Owl Cave
- Dark Mood Woods
- Dark Mood Woods (Studio Version)
- Windom Earle’s Motif
[Originally posted in Mix 4: Windom Earle Mix]
2. Laura Palmer’s Theme (Dream Man Sax Mix) (3:29)
Mix based on the intro of the second soundtrack mix of “Love Theme (Intro)”, using those three elements for a full track.
Mix includes:
- Laura Palmer's Theme
- Solo Percussion 1
- Dance Of The Dream Man (Solo Sax)
[Originally posted in Mix 3: The Dream Man’s Dreamland Mix]
3. Owl Cave (Slow Audrey Mix) (8:00)
Recreation of the mixed and half-speed version heard in two sections of episode 8. I’ve joined them together to create full track. Music editor Lori Eschler really began to create some complex and creative mixes in the second season.
(Blackie gives Audrey a talking to)
(Ben confronts “Prudence”/Jerry harasses Blackie/Ben and “Prudence”)
Mix includes:
- Owl Cave [half-speed]
- Audrey's Dance
- Sneaky Audrey
- Audrey (Audrey’s Investigation)
- Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made Of
[Originally posted in Mix 1: Slow Speed Twin Peaks]
4. Sneaky Audrey (Slow Mix) (5:32)
Recreation of the mixed and half-speed version heard in episodes 9 & 10. Once again, I’ve joined them together to create full track. Another great mix for Audrey’s story.
(Audrey threatens a tied-up Battis [Episode 09])
(Cooper talks to Ben about Audrey being missing, Jean & Nancy give drugged Audrey caramel [Episode 10])
Mix includes:
- Sneaky Audrey [half-speed]
- Freshly Squeezed (Solo Clarinet) [half-speed]
- Unease Motif (The Woods)
- Jean Renault’s Theme (Solo Bass Clarinet)
[Originally posted in Mix 1: Slow Speed Twin Peaks]
5. Sneaky Audrey (Reverse Mix) (6:49)
Episode 9 briefly features a half-speed version of “Sneaky Audrey” played in reverse (Audrey calls Cooper from OEJ’s). This is an original mix I created that envisions that small reverse section as part of a full length, mixed track. Out of all the original mixes I’ve made- I personally like this one the most. I somehow got lucky with this and the pieces just came together to create something wonderful. I could definitely imagine this being used/heard on the show.
Mix includes:
- Jean Renault's Theme (Solo Bass Clarinet)
- Sneaky Audrey (Alternate Version) [half-speed reversed]
- Sneaky Audrey (Solo) [half-speed]
- Sneaky Audrey [half-speed reversed]
- Sneaky Audrey (Solo)
- Sneaky Audrey (Audrey’s Investigation)
- Sneaky Audrey [reversed]
[Originally posted in Mix 2: Night Life In Twin Peaks]
6. Laura Palmer's Theme (Baritone Guitar Punctuation) (Slow Dreamland Version) (4:33)
Mixed and half-speed version heard in episode 12, which I’ve extended to a full track. The match up of the half-speed LPT and Renault’s theme is quite magical. Plus, I’m just a sucker for Renault’s Theme in general, which is one of my favorite tracks when paired with other elements. It appears, in some aspect, in six of these twenty tracks.
(Jean demos his arm-knife to Blackie, Jean talks to Nancy about Blackie)
Mix includes:
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Baritone Guitar Punctuation) [half-speed]
- Jean Renault’s Theme (Solo Bass Clarinet)
[Originally posted in Mix 1: Slow Speed Twin Peaks]
7. Letter From Harold (Mix) (2:58)
Based on the mix heard in episode 16. Note my version omits the portions of White Lodge Rumble & Giant’s Theme heard in the TV version. More of (Badalamenti &) Miss Eschler’s magic.
(Donna & Cooper meet the younger Mrs. Tremond & Donna reads Laura’s last diary entry to Cooper)
Mix includes:
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Letter from Harold)
- Dance Of The Dream Man (Solo Sax)
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Vibraphone)
[Originally posted in Mix 3: The Dream Man’s Dreamland Mix]
8. Audrey’s Prayer (Leland’s Wake Mix) (6:39)
Recreation of the mix heard in episode 17. Beautiful, jazzy, perfect.
(Leland’s wake)
Mix includes:
- Audrey's Prayer (Synth Version)
- Solo Percussion 1
- Audrey's Prayer (Clarinet & Synth)
[Originally posted in Mix 3: The Dream Man’s Dreamland Mix]
9. Unease Motif (The Woods) (Night Life At One-Eyed Jack’s) (4:47)
In my opinion, this is easily one of the best mixes heard on the show. And a mix within a mix to boot! As they used the track “Night Life In Twin Peaks” in the mix, which is in itself a mix created for the original soundtrack.
Unfortunately, the Archive only released the second half of this mix as “One-Armed Man's Theme & Jean Renault's Theme (TV Mix)”, but this is the full mix heard in episode 17. (My mix omits the “dark/nerve” sound from the second half.)
(Hank & Ernie at OEJs, Hank introduces Ernie to Renault. Mountie King enters.)
Mix includes:
- Freshly Squeezed (Solo Bass Clarinet)
- Night Life In Twin Peaks:
Unease Motif (The Woods)
Solo Percussion
One-Armed Man’s Theme (Solo Clarinet Improv)
Jean Renault’s Theme (Solo Bass Clarinet)
Freshly Squeezed (Solo Flute)
- Jean Renault's Theme (Solo Bass Clarinet)
[Originally posted in Mix 2: Night Life In Twin Peaks]
10. Audrey's Dance (OAM & Renault Mix) (4:59)
An original mix dictated by the solo origins of these two tracks. Although eventually used separately, as well as mixed with “Unease Motif” as part of the mix track “Night Life In Twin Peaks”, the clarinet solos that eventually became “The One-Armed Man's Theme” & “Jean Renault’s Theme” started life as alternate solo overlays for “Freshly Squeezed &/or Audrey’s Dance”. Here is what they would sound like as originally envisioned- mixed over the “clean” version of “Audrey’s Dance” (slightly sped-up to match the Freshly Squeezed and Clarinet solos’ speed). My favorite version (official or mixed) of Audrey’s Dance.
Mix includes:
- One-Armed Man’s Theme (Solo Clarinet Improv)
- Jean Renault’s Theme (Solo Bass Clarinet)
- Audrey’s Dance (Clean) [slightly sped up to FS speed]
[Originally posted in Mix 2: Night Life In Twin Peaks]
Note: Name changed from Audrey's Dance (Clarinet & Bass Clarinet)
11. Americana (TV Version) (1:19)
Extended version heard in episode 18. I’m sure many Twin Peaks fans were hoping for this version instead of the shorter version released.
(James rides his bike out of Twin Peaks)
[Originally posted in Mix 5: Extended Twin Peaks]
12. Sneaky Audrey (Extended Clarinet) (2:41)
Original normal speed mix based on (and expanded upon) the half-speed mix heard in episode 9.
Mix includes:
- Sneaky Audrey (Alternate Version)
- Sneaky Audrey
- Freshly Squeezed (Solo Clarinet)
[Originally posted in Mix 3: The Dream Man’s Dreamland Mix]
13. Stolen Pictures (Mix) (3:27)
Recreation of the mix heard in episode 19. Again, some of Lori’s best work.
(Cooper dictates about Earle’s response in newspaper, Audrey gives Cooper the photos she took from Ben, Audrey meets Dennis/Denise)
Mix includes:
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Baritone Guitar Punctuation)
- Freshly Squeezed (Solo Vibraphone)
- Freshly Squeezed (Mid-Tempo Version)
- Freshly Squeezed (Solo Flute)
[Originally posted in Mix 3: The Dream Man’s Dreamland Mix]
14. Dead Dog Farm (Mix) (8:45)
Mixes heard in scenes from episode 19 & 20. Joined together to create one track.
(Coin toss points to Dead dog farm) [episode 19]
(Cooper finds cocaine at Dead Dog Farm) [episode 19]
(Cooper & gang at the Dead Dog Farm stakeout, watch Jean and others through binoculars) [episode 20]
(Jean lectures to Cooper, Denise approaches in RR waitress outfit, Cooper shoots/kills Renault, Hawk certifies Renault’s death) [episode 20]
Mix includes:
- Dance Of The Dream Man (Solo Sax) [half-speed]
- Dance Of The Dream Man (Flute & Synth Bridge) [half-speed, end] (bootleg)
- Unease Motif (The Woods)
- Freshly Squeezed (Fast Cool Jazz Solo Clarinet) [half-speed]
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Baritone Guitar Punctuation)
- Jean Renault's Theme (Solo Bass Clarinet)
- White Lodge Rumble
- Scary sound (bootleg)
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Piano A) TK3 [slowed-down]
- Stair Music (Danger Theme) (Full) (Extracted ending)
[Originally posted in Mix 2: Night Life In Twin Peaks]
15. Laura Palmer's Theme (Baritone Guitar Punctuation) (Freshly Squeezed Flute Mix) (4:46)
Based on the mix heard in episode 20.
(Audrey finds Ben playing war & calls Jerry)
But played out for a full track. The original TV edit version can be heard in MixCloud mix 3. It’s great, but I love the full version as well. These two components work so well together, especially considering that the Freshly Squeezed solos weren’t created to go with LPT.
Mix includes:
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Baritone Guitar Punctuation)
- Freshly Squeezed (Solo Flute)
[Originally posted in Mix 7: Laura Palmer's Theme Mix]
16. Laura Palmer's Theme (Caroline Version) (TV Mix) (3:13)
Recreation of mix heard in episode 21. Wonderful.
(Cooper tells Truman about Caroline Earle)
Mix includes:
- Earle's Theme
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Caroline Version)
- Laura Palmer's Theme
[Originally posted in Mix 4: Windom Earle Mix]
17. Fear Is The Key (Mix) (4:36)
Recreation of mix heard in episode 28. By this point, Lori had really become an expert in using these darker, atmospheric tracks as building blocks that she re-edited, mixed, layered, looped, etc. to create new tracks.
(Earle, listening in on Cooper & Truman, is excited to realize that fear is the key)
Mix includes:
- Owl Cave
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Baritone Guitar Punctuation)
- Unease Motif (The Woods)
- Dark Forces
- Windom Earle's Motif
[Originally posted in Mix 4: Windom Earle Mix]
18. Windom Earle's Motif (Extended Flute Mix) (3:57)
As I said when I posted my “Earle Mix”, for me “Windom Earle’s Motif” is one of, if not the, most interestingly used tracks in the series- not the best track, just the most interesting in the way it was used. When the track was first released, I was disappointed because it wasn't what I was used to hearing in the show. In fact, it was never actually played from start to finish by itself in the series. And the more comedic sounding middle section is only heard twice. After I went back and really studied how it was used in the series, I was happy they released the original as is, because I could go back and recreate the mixes.
My mix combines the many ways “Windom Earle’s Motif” was used into one mix, combined with the various flute tracks. This is much more representative of the “Earle” sound than the original, and is probably the one “Extra” track that I feel is the most essential.
Mix includes:
- Windom Earle's Motif
- Audrey's Walk (Earle's Flute)
- Earle's Theme
- Audrey's Prayer (Earle's Flute)
- Earle's Theme (Pitched-Up)
+ extracted sounds
[Originally posted in Mix 4: Windom Earle Mix]
19. Fire Walk With Me (Trumpet & Sax Combo Mix) (6:47)
These fit together surprisingly well!
Mix includes:
- Fire Walk With Me
- Fire Walk With Me (Saxophone)
[Originally posted in Mix 3: The Dream Man’s Dreamland Mix]
BONUS TRACK:
20. Dark Mood Woods (Bong'a'Cave Mix V2) (12:00)
Last but not least is the only track on here that hasn’t appeared in any of my previous mixes, the reason being that I didn’t create it. Its by fellow TP music fanatic, Qbin. And was featured on one of his mixcloud mixes here. Q somehow manages to take one of the best tracks from the series and make it even sadder and more mysterious. Brilliant work, Q! Thanks for letting me post it.
Mix includes:
- Dark Woods Mood (Studio Version) [Filtered]
- Laura Palmer's Theme (Vibraphone) [one sound]
- Owl Cave
- Owl Cave [half-speed]
Please feel free to leave me some feedback. What are people's favorites?
And things aren't quite done here either. I will post new mixes if I create anything further. And I still plan to post the unreleased bootleg tracks on MixCloud sometime as well.
