Marvel has been steadily building up the hype for Doctor Strange, which is due out in theaters in only a few short weeks. Today, they released the end credits track off of the movie’s score, composed by Hollywood’s own musical magician Michael Giacchino (Ratatouille, Jurassic World, Star Trek Beyond), and it’s. so. good.

The Doctor Strange crew have been really pushing their weird, psychedelic angle lately, putting out those awesome ’70s throwback blacklight posters, and this latest tidbit of music keeps that vibe going. There are no big bass crescendoes or exciting fighting music drum cues here: the music keeps a steady pace and an odd, Pink Floyd atmosphere, with the actual hum-able theme tune showcased a few times here and there. Fitting for a character for whom reality itself is infinitely malleable.

The soundtrack, Giacchino’s first ever score for a Marvel movie, was recorded at Abbey Road studios, with an 80-piece orchestra conducted my Tim Simonec. Of the score, director Scott Derrickson said (via Comingsoon.net),

Michael Giacchino’s score does so much more than support the visual images, it adds new, additional layers of meaning and emotion to the film. The Doctor Strange theme is memorable, moving and yes, magical. I don’t know what the movie would be without it.

Giacchino said,

I was really excited when I got the call to score Doctor Strange since I had been a fan as a kid. Once I saw the film, I was impressed at how well the character had stood the test of time. This rendition of Doctor Strange gave me the opportunity to bring to life all of the crazy things I heard in my head while reading those comic books growing up in the ’70s.

What sets this apart from other movie scores is that it’s so different, even by Giacchino standards. Remember that video essay by Every Frame a Painting going around a few weeks ago about why all Marvel soundtracks have all started to sound the same because of their boring, forgettable scores? From the looks of it, at least as far as the theme music, Doctor Strange won’t have that problem.

Doctor Strange opens in theaters November 4.

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