Segun Akinola Appreciation Post
I like Murray Gold. I feel like everyone likes Murray Gold.
But part of me was disappointed when it was announced he was returning to DW. I thought Segun Akinola's work during the Chibnall era added a unique...otherworldliness to the score. It was incredibly atmospheric (perhaps at the expense of seeming "musical"), and there are times I miss that.
I agree that having Gold back seems a little unoriginal, even pandering to nostalgia. His 15th Doctor theme is inspired, but unless we get a narrative reason for all the music from 2005-17 that has been recycled into the past 1½ seasons... I'll have to say he's phoning it in.
Akinola was a welcome change of pace, especially his take on the title theme. The incidental music during Thirteen's run was a little too much like video game ambience loops for my taste. Sometimes it seemed to just be there to fill in silences?
But it's not their call as composers how the music is actually used, I guess. And Akinola's score definitely made that era stand out with its own sonic identity. I would have preferred something new and fresh for Gatwa's run, too.
The incidental music during Thirteen’s run was a little too much like video game ambience loops for my taste.
That's a fair comment - I have thought the same thing, though perhaps in a more positive way. It's almost like playing Metal Gear Solid or something.