VIA PRESS RELEASE | Gardener Recordings, Universal Television, and Mondo announce a limited vinyl edition of Russian Doll: Seasons 1 & 2 (Music From The Netflix Original Series). Comprised of ten choice cuts from the Emmy-nominated series, the album showcases the exquisite work of composer Joe Wong (To All the Boys, Master of None). Available now exclusively via Mondo, the limited-edition LP was pressed on 140-gram vinyl at GZ Media and features original illustrations by Canadian artist Sara Deck, a frequent Mondo contributor, who has also worked on projects for Marvel, Disney, Universal, and 20th Century Fox.
Russian Doll is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Since. Since premiering on Netflix in February 2019, Russian Doll—which was co-created, written, directed, executive produced by and stars Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne—has captivated audiences and critics alike with its whip-smart writing, Emmy-nominated performances, and compelling use of music to drive its mind-bending plotlines. In its first season, the comedy-drama series follows Nadia (Lyonne), a sharp-witted New York City game developer who is stuck in a time loop, re-living (and dying on) her 36th birthday, day after day. Along the way, she meets Alan (Charlie Barnett), who shares her bizarre situation. Together, they must find a way out of their inexplicable predicament.
Season 2 (which premiered in April 2022) picks up four years later, days before Nadia’s 40th birthday. After a period of relative normalcy, she discovers a wormhole on the NYC subway, whisking her back to 1982—and into the body of her pregnant mother (Chloë Sevigny). Before long, Nadia is caught up in a multi-generational mystery, dating back to World War II-era Budapest. Alan, meanwhile, is shuttled back to 1960s East Berlin, where he experiences post-graduate life through the eyes of his grandmother. As Nadia and Alan each attempt to right the wrongs of the past, their journeys take them farther than they could have ever imagined.
Keeping audiences on their toes are Joe Wong’s transcendent soundscapes. Mirroring the concept of a nesting Russian doll, Wong crafted his cues around a series of leitmotifs, artfully building upon them as the characters face unfathomable challenges and travel through time. Blending live instrumentation with synth-driven melodies, Wong incorporated a diverse selection of sonic elements and pop culture references to reflect each setting, creating a musical palette that feels evocative yet timeless.
Among the highlights are the intrigue-filled “Reset Sweet” and the Eastern European-flavored “Fractured Loop,” both of which feature the talents of harpist Mary Lattimore. Wong’s versatility is also showcased in “Stacked Suite,” a dynamic track in which dramatic, jazz-forward melodies fade into calming atmospheric waves before an ominous refrain of “Death Air” kicks in. “Fanfare,” meanwhile, opens with elegant horns, eventually bleeding into the staccato, electronic notes that are woven throughout the score. Reflecting the series’ emotional twists and turns are several epic, new wave-flavored selections like “Showtime” and “Dream Suite.”
“Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Russian Doll,” says co-creators Lyonne, Lesleye Headland, and Amy Poehler. “You’re in for one hell of a psychedelic and mystical ride through space and time at the hands of our brilliant composer, Joe Wong! Joe is the mastermind behind the indelible soundscape of our show where life, death, and all of the mysteries in between coexist seamlessly. We hope that the music helps move you through heady sequences, creating the expanse to project your own experience and personalize the journey. May you enjoy listening as much as we love making it.”
Adds Spencer Hickman at Mondo, “Russian Doll is undoubtedly one of our favorite shows on Netflix, and the score by Joe Wong is a huge part of that. Deftly mixing beautiful, melancholy piano pieces with pulsating analog beats and synthesizers, the score always feels like a character on screen. Removed from the show, it shines as an outstanding listen and one that—much like the time loops in the story—can be revisited time and time again, sounding fresh with every listen.”
Wong, a Los Angeles-based composer, singer, and songwriter, has worked on a broad range of projects: from the Emmy-nominated Master of None and the immensely popular YA franchise To All the Boys, to the Sundance-winning feature The Pool and the award-winning documentaries Independent Lens and 6 Days to Air. Wong, who also hosts the podcast The Trap Set, released his solo debut, Nite Creatures, in 2020 via Decca/Universal.
Throughout the past two seasons of Russian Doll, Wong has drawn accolades from a multitude of outlets, including Deadline, who praised his “dream-like highlights…[which take] the listener on a journey through life, death, space and time.” IndieWire added that the “use of music to convey a larger, weirder, very Russian Doll vibe is…how the series emphasizes its temporal anomalies for humor and accentuates Nadia’s character in new ways, getting the viewer to emotionally understand the show and its protagonist in a more nuanced light each time.”
