{"id":2197299,"date":"2025-12-13T03:53:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T03:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2197299"},"modified":"2025-12-13T03:53:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T03:53:07","slug":"surreal-cree-composers-song-featured-in-new-season-of-stranger-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/surreal-cree-composers-song-featured-in-new-season-of-stranger-things\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Surreal\u2019: Cree composer\u2019s song featured in new season of \u2018Stranger Things\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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From left: Gaten Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp in \u2018Stranger Things\u2019 Season 5. Photo: Netflix<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Matthew Cardinal received an email marked \u201curgent,\u201d asking if one of his songs could be played in the popular TV show Stranger Things, <\/em>he didn\u2019t believe it was real at first.<\/p>\n

He read the email multiple times, the Cree musician and composer said, before confirming with his record label that the request was indeed legitimate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was nice and exciting and kind of a surreal email to get,\u201d said Cardinal, who is based in amiskwac\u00eew\u00e2skahikan (Edmonton).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so weird, like, all the things that had to happen just for them to hear my music.\u201d<\/p>\n

The song \u201cMay 25\u201d is one of the tracks on his 2020 solo album Asterisms. <\/em>The ambient electronic song with an eerie feeling plays during the first episode of Stranger Things <\/em>season five, which premiered on Netflix on Nov. 26.<\/p>\n

With a project as big as Stranger Things<\/em> \u2013 which had 59.6 million views in its first five days of streaming according to Variety<\/a> \u2013 Cardinal noted they could have \u201cgotten anything\u201d but it was his song that was chosen for a scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was also not told where it was going to be used, or how much of the song was going to be used,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I was kind of on edge the entire time until it played.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost the entire song, which is about a minute and a half long, was featured in the episode during a scene between the characters Joyce Byers, played by Winona Ryder, and Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cardinal is among good company as he notes other music licensed for the episode includes songs by Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s all about crafting a sound\u2019<\/h2>\n

Cardinal\u2019s album Asterisms<\/em>, released on the label Arts & Crafts, explores electronic music as an \u201caudio journal\u201d of his life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s described<\/a> as \u201ccaptured moments of experimentation and expression\u201d using analogue synthesizers, electric piano, processed voice and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cardinal said he recorded \u201cMay 25\u201d after the song \u201cMay 24\u201d (all the track titles on Asterisms <\/em>are dates) with equipment set up on his floor. Cardinal said the whole process took no longer than 25 minutes to record.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cardinal used synthesizers in the creation of Asterisms<\/em>, which he notes gives it a unique tone and pure waveform to the sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt affords you more control over the tone of it. You know, it\u2019s all about crafting a sound,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an instrument that Cardinal has liked the sound of since he first began listening to house and electronic music as a teenager. He also notes the nostalgic association it brings for the 8-bit sounds of the Nintendo Entertainment System.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of music I make is like, very stream of consciousness and just kind of intuitive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very influenced and inspired by instruments themselves. I feel like just the sound \u2014 reacting to the sound and trying to make something that works with that sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardinal\u2019s music has evolved over the years with some out of necessity. For example, he describes his movement away from touring with a guitar as out of functionality since travelling with it was a hassle. His use of modular synthesizer was easier as he could build a custom synthesizer and it fit in suitcases.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always exploring new sounds and new techniques and new instruments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Asterisms<\/em> was released in 2020 and it reflected Cardinal\u2019s style at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would call Asterisms<\/em>, kind of unintentional music, as in, it\u2019s not super planned out. It was just kind of spur of the moment things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Now \u2014 five years after its release \u2014 he is changing and hoping to try new methods to his music creation.<\/p>\n

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Matthew Cardinal\u2019s 2020 album \u2018Asterisms\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI want to do more kind of intentional music, where I\u2019m, you know, forming ideas and maybe trying to map things out in advance and execute these ideas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He adds that it may be less ambient while still using similar sounds, but more rhythmic while possibly using traditional song structures.<\/p>\n

For his next album \u2014 that he is currently working on \u2014 Cardinal hopes to be \u201cmore dancey\u201d with percussion elements, which he notes that he only used for one track on Asterisms<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Cardinal has options though as he is recording all types of songs that range from acoustic with guitars and drums to ambient songs. He adds that he is \u201csorting through things and seeing what fits together.\u201d Through the connection of songs he is seeing \u201cwhat makes the most sense or feels like it makes the most sense to put out next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating music for film<\/h2>\n

Since he was 13, Cardinal recalls experimenting with all types of music. After beginning to get involved in music as a teen, Cardinal got his first guitar and notes that around that time he also started to get into more atmospheric and textural music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While he looks up to plenty of artists, alternative music in the \u201890s became what brought Cardinal into the music space. He describes music as \u201call encompassing\u201d as listening to it was his main pastime.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kind of like listening to music is all I ever did, and kind of discovering new music was a big part of my life as a teenager,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Discovering the new music brought him in many directions in terms of the style and genre. He then went on to learn to play his guitar and get involved in bands.<\/p>\n

This eventually turned to him realizing that he liked both making music and watching films \u2014 so he thought about making music for the screen.<\/p>\n

He recalls getting the word out to friends and anyone he knew who made films that he was interested in putting music together for them. After his first project, he began working with more people through word of mouth and them hearing the music he made for the films.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of spread from there, you know, just putting my name out there and telling people that I wanted to do it and I was available to do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been very lucky that it\u2019s been a lot of just word of mouth and, you know, occasionally reaching out to people.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this year\u2019s imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Cardinal had his music featured in four films, including Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man<\/em> and Wilfred Buck\u2019s Star Stories<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From this credit of his song used in Stranger Things<\/em>, Cardinal hopes to continue being contacted to use music from his catalogue and to create songs for projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope this kind of sets a precedent,\u201d he says, noting how production companies may see his name attached to large projects like Stranger Things<\/em> and continue reaching out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a good thing to get my music in more people\u2019s ears and on people\u2019s radars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would hope it brings more opportunities for, you know, licensing or scoring work, composition work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardinal hopes to keep making music and releasing his songs, performing and even touring.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to keep doing this. And, you know, hopefully people respond well to it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the best thing that I think any artist can hope for, is that it finds the people that it speaks to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n