Nick's ERT #110- The Sound of Space Mountain's Return - with composer Steve Bramson

As Disneyland Paris prepares to restore Space Mountain to its full glory Steve Bramson joins the Season Pass Podcast to take us back to where it all began. Steve composed the original music for Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune which opened at Disneyland Paris in 1995. Now more than 30 years later the attraction is being given a new lease of life and Steve reflects on the music he created for one of Disney's most ambitious and distinctive attractions. Steve reveals how he came to work on Space Mountain and the extraordinary challenge of composing what was one of the first fully synchronised soundtracks for a roller coaster. He explains how he mapped the music to the twists, turns and emotional beats of the ride and how the score had to be flexible enough to accommodate changes in ride timing. He also discusses the influence of John Williams and E.T., the musical techniques he used to create a sensation of propulsion, falling and spinning and what it was like finally riding the completed attraction and hearing his music play as guests experienced it. We talk about the four-part structure of the score, the technical challenges of synchronising music to a roller coaster and the changes that had to be made when concerns were raised about the ride's speed. And with Space Mountain now returning to its original form Steve looks back at a piece of music that has survived for more than three decades and considers what it means to hear that score return to the attraction for which it was written.