How Sam Watts and 2wei Made The Traitors' Murderous Score Camp, Cinematic and Fun
At 44 years old, composer Sam Watts crafted the opening theme for The Traitors along with approximately 20 pieces of incidental music, blending orchestral sounds with electronic elements to create a hyperreal atmosphere. His previous credits include Planet Earth and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Inspired by host Claudia Winkleman at the castle, he aimed for a tone that was "dark but fun." Producer Sarah Fay sought a cinematic drama vibe, enlisting Hans Zimmer's Bleeding Fingers for additional compositions. The German duo 2wei, consisting of Simon Heeger and Christian Vorländer, produced covers of Britney Spears' Toxic and Tears For Fears' Mad World, evolving from trailer music to original pieces like Blindside. Last year, a BBC Proms concert showcased the show's music, which Watts believes adds a playful touch to the storyline.
Key facts
- Sam Watts composed The Traitors' opening theme and about 20 incidental pieces, recorded with a full orchestra plus dozens of electronic overdubs
- Watts previously worked on Planet Earth and The Sarah Jane Adventures and was inspired by Bernard Hoffer's Thundercats theme
- Producer Sarah Fay cited Succession and Knives Out as tonal references and commissioned music from Hans Zimmer's Bleeding Fingers
- Watts used trailer-music techniques including the "Braam" invented for Christopher Nolan's Inception
- Hamburg-based 2wei, founded in 2016 by Simon Heeger and Christian Vorländer, made the Toxic and Mad World covers without knowing they would air on the show
- 2wei's break came with a Survivor reworking for the Tomb Raider trailer; their music also appeared in Wonder Woman and League of Legends
- SYML and Damned Anthem also contribute songs to The Traitors
- A BBC Proms concert was devoted to the show's music last year, and hundreds of Spotify playlists compile the score
Entities
Artists
- Sam Watts
- Claudia Winkleman
- Bernard Hoffer
- Christopher Nolan
- Hans Zimmer
- Simon Heeger
- Christian Vorländer
- Britney Spears
- Alicia Vikander
- SYML
- Damned Anthem
- Sarah Fay
Institutions
- BBC
- Bleeding Fingers
- 2wei
- Metro
- Tears For Fears
- Destiny's Child
- Spotify
- BBC Proms
- League of Legends
- Wonder Woman
- Thundercats
- Inception
- Succession
- Knives Out
- Mad Max
- Tomb Raider
- Planet Earth
- The Sarah Jane Adventures
- SYML
- Damned Anthem
Locations
- Hamburg
- Germany
- Los Angeles
- United Kingdom