Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, the composers of Stranger Things, are members of the electronic band Survive.
Survive was formed in Austin, Texas, in 2009 by Dixon, Stein, Adam Jones, and Mark Donica. The group is known for synth-heavy music influenced by electronic music, science-fiction soundtracks, and horror-film scores. Its name is often styled as S U R V I V E.
The Duffer Brothers discovered Survive through the 2014 film The Guest, which featured the band’s music. While preparing a trailer to pitch Stranger Things, they used Survive’s track “Dirge.” After the series was approved, the Duffers contacted the band in July 2015, and Dixon and Stein supplied older recordings and new material for the show’s score.
A common mix-up is confusing Survive with Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter, or Vangelis. Those artists influenced the show’s musical style or contributed period music, but they did not compose the original Stranger Things score. Dixon and Stein’s theme later won the 2017 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.