Harman Patil (Editor)

The X Files (composition)

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B-side
  
Various remixes

Length
  
3:25

Format
  
CD maxi, Cassette Tape

Released
  
24 March 1996 (1996-03-24) (UK)

Genre
  
Downtempo, dark ambient

Label
  
Warner Music WEA International

"The X-Files" is a 1996 instrumental recorded by American film and television composer Mark Snow. It is a remixed version of the original theme Snow composed for the science fiction television series The X-Files in 1993. Released in March 1996 in most countries, it achieved a huge success, particularly in France where it reached number-one on the singles chart.

Contents

The composition has since been covered by DJ Dado and Mike Oldfield among others. The song was also used as background music for a sketch in the 1998 Alvin and the Chipmunks album The A-Files: Alien Songs where Alvin portrayed "Agent Moldy" and Brittany portrayed "Agent Scuzzy."

Song information

"The X-Files" typically used more instrumental music than most hour-long dramas. According to the "Behind the Truth" segment on the Season 1 DVD, Mark Snow created the echo effect on his famous X-Files theme song by accident. Snow said that he had gone through several revisions, but Chris Carter felt that something was not quite right. Carter walked out of the room and Snow put his hand and forearm on his keyboard in frustration. Snow said, "this sound was in the keyboard. And that was it."

Chart performances

The single went straight to #2 on March 30, 1996, on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for three weeks, then kept on dropping. In France, the single entered the chart at #42 on April 6, 1996, climbed quickly until reaching #2 four weeks later. It remained blocked for five weeks at this position, behind Robert Miles's hit "Children", then topped the chart for a sole week, becoming the second instrumental number-one hit, before climbing. It totaled 12 weeks in the top ten and 30 weeks in the top 50. The single was re-charted from October 1998, but remained in low positions. It is the 754th best-selling single of all time in France. As a result, a remix CD single was released, but is much more uncommon.

Credits

  • Composed by Mark Snow
  • Terrestrial mix: remixed and produced Flexifinger
  • P.M. Dawn remix: guitar by Cameron Greider, remixed by P.M. Dawn, synthesizers by Henry Hay and Maurice Luke, recorded and mixed by Michael Fossenkemper
  • Ravers nature remix: produced and remixed by John Bogota, Pedro Ferrari and Roy Ströbel
  • Secret Session remixes: produced by Special Agents for MAP Productions, engineered and mixed by RoBo
  • Map Mystery mix: produced and mixed by Moorcroft and Prins for MAP Productions, engineered and programmed by TK for MAP Productions

    • DJ Dado version

    At the same time, Italian producer DJ Dado covered the song with a dream trance version, which became a top ten hit in many countries, including number-one in Denmark, though it failed to reach the top 10 in France and Germany.

    In the US, this version was featured on the Pure Moods compilation album 1997 re-release.

    Track listings

    CD single
    1. "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:38
    2. "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream activity mix) – 8:40
    CD maxi
    1. "X-Files" (radio edit) – 3:57
    2. "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:42
    3. "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream paranormal activity mix) – 8:44
    CD maxi
    1. "X-Files" (radio edit) – 3:57
    2. "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:41
    3. "X-Files" (Tom Wilson Dyme mix) – 6:38
    4. "X-Files" (dV8 deviant mix) – 6:29
    5. "X-Files" (freak bros area 51 mix) – 6:53
    6. "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream paranormal activity mix) – 8:44
    12" maxi
    1. "X-Files" (DJ Dado paranormal activity mix) – 6:42
    2. "X-Files" (Claudio Diva sub-dream paranormal activity mix) – 8:44
    CD maxi – Remixes
    1. "X-Files" (2 Cowboys remix) – 5:07
    2. "X-Files" (Reygroove remix) – 5:02
    3. "X-Files" (Valez & L. Antolini remix) – 6:25
    4. "X-Files" (Alex Voghi remix) – 6:25
    5. "X-Files" (Miki B. remix – flute experience part I) – 8:38
    6. "X-Files" (Moroldo & Mensi mix) – 4:35
    7. "X-Files" (Hornbostel & M. Marvin remix) – 5:18
    8. "X-Files" (Fabio Locati remix) – 6:18

    Triple X version

    The song was also covered by Triple X. This version was less successful than the other two, but reached number two in Australia.

    The X-Files movie single and Mike Oldfield version

    "The X-Files Theme" was released as a Japan only EP in 1998 from the soundtrack album The X-Files: The Album for the The X-Files movie.

    The maxi-CD includes four remixes of Mark Snow's theme to the television series, The X-Files. Notably "Tubular X" is part Snow's theme and consists of parts of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. Another track from Oldfield also appears, "The Source of Secrets", the opening piece from his Tubular Bells III album, which also based upon the same theme from the original Tubular Bells.

    Track listing

    1. "Tubular X" - Mike Oldfield – 3:53
    2. "The X-Files Theme" - The Dust Brothers – 3:27
    3. "The X-Files Theme" - Satoshi Tomiie Radio Edit – 4:17
    4. "The X-Files Theme" - R.H. Factor Pop Radio Edit – 3:37
    5. "The Source of Secrets" - Mike Oldfield – 5:33

    References

    The X-Files (composition) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA