"Mark Snow, the veteran television composer who turned “The X-Files” theme into an unlikely chart hit in the 1990s, died Friday at his home in Connecticut. He was 78.".
When Matt and I started up La-La Land Records in 2002 we had put together a Wish List of projects we wanted to see come out. At the very top of that List was THE X-FILES, a proper presentation of the very best music from our all-time favorite television show. Nearly a decade later our dream came true with THE X-FILES VOLUME ONE - 4 CD SET - featuring cues from all 9 seasons, handpicked by myself, Matt and Mark Snow. With the help of Nick Redman and mastering engineer James Nelson we culled together some of the very best highlights to the most famous (and not so famous) episodes of the series.
It was an absolute honor to work with Mark on this dream set. If I traveled back in time and told my 13 year old self that one day I would be working side by side with THE Mark Snow on a box set of X-Files music, my 13 year old self would have asked What's an X-File, who is Mark Snow and why does my 48 year old self look like he's in his 60s? Do they not have hair dye in the future? However, if I traveled to my 17 year old self in the Fall of 1993, then he would have totally understood what an amazing opportunity this was. I fell madly in love with this series from the opening scene...and Mark's music was a large part of it. X-Files was truly a landmark piece of television and Mark's music was such a large part of its success. It was full of suspense, mystery and so much heart. If you have the opportunity pop on a Mark Snow score this weekend and you'll rediscover his brilliance.
"Mark Snow, the veteran television composer who turned “The X-Files” theme into an unlikely chart hit in the 1990s, died Friday at his home in Connecticut. He was 78.".
Today, Mark Snow left us. For me, he was the composer who defined the atmosphere of my teenage years. In every single episode of The X-Files, he was there, giving “voice” to every nuance, every bit of paranoia and drama. It was a soundscape that fit me perfectly—and I still remember how excited I was when I learned there would be an official X-Files soundtrack in 1996. That album, together with the Fight the Future score, became the very definition of Mark Snow’s sound for me.
Little did I know just how extensive his music really was. Sure, I had watched every episode of The X-Files, but as a self-contained world, I had no idea of the full scope of what he had created. It left me with a sense of longing.
Then came 2011. The series was long over, ending with that odd second film. But his music had only grown even more beautiful and mysterious. I began to realize that Mark Snow had written so much more than I ever imagined. I tried piecing together whatever crumbs I could find.
And then, suddenly, a double CD of Millennium music was released—and I saw there was hope! This was so much more than I’d expected: romantic, dark, subterranean. What a style. What an experience to hear even more of Snow’s music.
More releases followed. 2011. 2013. 2016. 2020. We got four massive X-Files box sets, more Millennium music, and the scores for the last two seasons of The X-Files. A kind of postlude to the entire series. Thanks to La-La Land Records for that.
In the end, we truly got to experience the fruits of Mark Snow’s work, freed from the screen and presented as art in its own right. We got to know a composer who was remarkable and refined, and who knew exactly how to move us.
Horrible, sad news. I met him years ago at an X-Files convention. The moment the doors opened, I rushed to his table as opposed to anyone else’s. I was alone in doing so at that moment. I introduced myself, shook his hand, got a couple photos with him, and he delightfully signed my La-La Millennium sets. You will be missed, Mr. Snow. RIP.
Very sad news following Lalo Schifrin. Snow was a great television composer, too. My favorite work by him was his score to the Michael Caine television version of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA.
Damn. RIP Mark 
