Devo's Mothersbaugh Finds Pixar's 'Hoppers' Eco-Message

Mark Mothersbaugh, a founding member of the band Devo, which satirized mankind's de-evolution, recently composed the score for Pixar's animated feature "Hoppers." The film, which features an ecological message about protecting habitats, resonated with Mothersbaugh's long-standing views on humanity's disconnect from nature. This collaboration marked his first feature film score for Pixar, a studio he described as uniquely friendly and family-like, distinct from other film companies.

Mothersbaugh, with a vast resume in family entertainment, including "Hotel Transylvania" and "Rugrats," worked on "Hoppers" for six months, often during Devo tours. He found that composing during downtime on tour, with a laptop and keyboard, made the days pass quickly. He noted that while composers today generally have more time for scores, the extended timelines, especially during COVID, sometimes led to lengthy back-and-forth processes with studios, occasionally resulting in returning to earlier musical ideas.

The composer emphasized the vital role live orchestras bring to animation. He explained that the collective energy and subtle variations from 90 to 100 musicians playing together infuse animated films with a life and humanity often missing in purely digital mediums. Mothersbaugh highlighted a gentle scene in "Hoppers" where an orchestra's performance brings a quiet moment between characters to emotional life, demonstrating the rewarding payoff of his labor-intensive approach to scoring animation.