Master of sound.
Although it only ran for two seasons, Netflix’s Master of None left its mark. So much so that the vice-president of Netflix Original Series, Cindy Holland, hopes to have the show return for a third season despite controversy surrounding the show’s co-creator and star, Aziz Ansari, who was recently accused of sexual misconduct.
The #MeToo founder Tarana Burke said of the matter: “I don’t have the right to tell that girl how she felt…But I will say this: we need to learn to be very specific and careful about the language we use. Because if you say something is assault, there are legal connotations and ramifications.” Meanwhile the New York Times contested the severity of the claims against the actor with an article titled ‘Aziz Ansari Is Guilty. Of Not Being A Mind Reader‘.
Opinions on Ansari aside, there’s no question that Master of None maintains its importance in the shifting climate of inclusive and thought-provoking television. In addition to a diverse cast which showcased same-sex relationships and addressed a range of issues including ageism, sexism and discrimination in the film industry, Master of None broke new ground with its sonic landscape.
Although we’ve seen countless cases of well-curated soundtracks rife with indie-rock hits and underground bands, rarely does one capture the mood of its evolving plot and characters with such precision as Master of None. The show’s music supervisor, Zach Cowie, along with creators Ansari and Alan Yang, developed an eclectic soundtrack representative of a crate-digger’s archives that seamlessly climatised to the show’s storylines.
With the first season, the genre-blending soundtrack immediately becomes one with the plot, as if the songs and story were instinctually paired rather than carefully selected to suit. Melding contemporary artists with vintage standards, the soundtrack is an aural reflection of New York through the Master of None lens.
In an episode confronting the polar experiences of men and women on a night out, the soundtrack juxtaposes Dev (Ansari) and Arnold (Eric Wareheim) walking through New York at night against Diana’s (Condola Rashad) solo journey home from a bar. As the scenes alternate, the music flickers between Bobby McFerrin’s ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ and ‘Laurie’s Theme’ from John Carpenter’s Halloween score, mirroring the wildly contrasting scenarios.
Another episode, in which Dev and Rachel (Noël Wells) take a trip to Nashville, is entirely backed by country tracks. The use of Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty’s ‘You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly’ to underline a tense fight between Dev and Rachel exemplifies the subtle, satirical comedy which makes the series so brilliant.
Father John Misty even appears onstage in an episode, with his wry love song ‘Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)’ serving as the sonic backdrop for a horrible date. Shortly after, Beach House’s stirring ‘Master of None’ swells as Rachel rejects Dev.
Throughout the season, we’re met with everything from Aphex Twin and The Animals to Serge Gainsbourg, Brian Eno and Jacques Dutronc, each a seemingly intrinsic addition to the scene in which they sit.
With season two, Dev moves to Modena, Italy in the wake of his breakup with Rachel and the soundtrack diversifies further. In an interview with Vulture, Cowie said, “Since we learned how to collaborate so well in the process of season one, I was actually brought in before a lot of scripts were written for season two”.
The first episode of the season is filmed entirely in black and white and the soundtrack follows suit with atmospheric scores repurposed from ‘60s Italian films. The second episode bursts back into colour, visually and sonically, with an influx of Italian disco tracks like Pino D’angio’s ‘Okay Okay’ and Ken Laszlo’s ‘Hey Hey Guy’.
Upon Dev’s return to New York, the soundtrack wanders between the vibe established in season one — through the likes of Sylvester and DJ Larry Devan — and a distinctly Italian-inspired sound. According to Cowie, the mesmeric ‘Amarsi un Po’ by Lucio Battisti was such a centrepiece in the season that the team “became the first people to ever license Lucio’s music outside of Italy” after persistently chasing permission to use it.
The soundtrack encapsulates the atmosphere of unrequited love as ‘Guarda Come Dondolo’ by Edoardo Vianello and ‘Un Anno D’Amore’ by Mina ebb and flow with Dev and Francesca’s relationship. The latter plays as the pair slow dance in Dev’s kitchen while Francesca translates the intimate lyrics in Dev’s ear in an overwhelmingly romantic scene.
Skeeter Davis’ 1964 cover of Milton Kellem’s classic ‘Gonna Get Along Without You Now’, Soft Cell’s ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ and The Walker Brothers’ ‘I Can’t Let It Happen To You’ each prick the exposed nerve endings of a complicated relationship in scenes to which we can all relate.
A pros and cons list, yearning loneliness and tense standoffs are depicted in aching accuracy alongside their musical counterparts in moments which linger long after the credits roll. And let’s not forget the standout cameo from John Legend to cover Michael Jackson’s ‘I Can’t Help It’.
Master of None was and remains a pivotal example of how music can enhance the art of storytelling in unconventional ways. Together, Cowie, Ansari and Yang develop a tangible landscape for the narrative and its characters to inhabit, as if they’ve imagined their very own world into existence. Touching, experimental and memorable; this is how TV should be done.
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