Lakeshore Records has digitally released the original series soundtrack for the PBS documentary series Asian Americans by two-time Daytime Emmy-winning composer Vivek Maddala. The music score reflects the series’ exploration of two centuries of immigration and civil rights experiences by Asian Americans in the U.S. The docuseries aired last month on PBS and is now available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS Video app.
The soundtrack album includes 84 minutes of key moments and themes from the sweeping music score, taking listeners on a stimulating ride that traverses gritty 19th-Century American textures and elegant European romantic motifs; 20th-Century jazz, soul, and rock; and modern-day brooding electronica. Splashes of musical color come from places as varied as Japan, Philippines, Korea, China, and India–all threaded into a cohesive musical fabric that transcends temporal or geographic boundaries.
“The Asian Americans series is a significant work in terms of both the quality of the filmmaking and the importance of the subject matter. I feel incredibly honored to have been invited to compose the music score… to craft a melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic voice for this vital history. The series directors, producers, and editors proved to be superb collaborators in this regard,” said Maddala.
