Jonsi and Alex Somers (Rental Family) Rental Family
Jonsi (of Sigur Ros) and Alex Somers composed the score for Rental Family, their first co-scored film in more than a decade. They built the soundtrack from deteriorating tape machines, detuned instruments, and the delicate hiss of analog electronics -- a sonic palette that mirrors the film's exploration of imperfect connection. The score contains 22 tracks across 62 minutes and was released by Hollywood Records on November 21, 2025. (filmmusicreporter)
They started with instruments that were pathetic and vulnerable on purpose
The composers' first instinct was to find instruments with personality and limitations. Their primary discovery was the Optigan, a vintage 1970s Mattel keyboard that plays fragile vinyl discs:
"It has to be some kind of instrument that is pathetic and small and vulnerable and not fully realized." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)
"It's like a keyboard sampler where you feed it these flimsy vinyl records...it sounds very crackly and creakly." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)
"These instruments have a lot of vulnerability, and they seemed like a great starting point." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)
The imperfect tones of the Optigan and other analog equipment gave the score a texture that resisted the polished warmth typical of studio dramedies. Brian Eggert at Deep Focus Review described the music as "overwrought," but the composers' intent was the opposite -- to create something fragile that could break. (deepfocusreview)
The score tracks Phillip's emotional growth through instrumentation
The musical progression follows Phillip's arc. Early cues use the Optigan and other analog devices -- small, uncertain, crackling. As Phillip's connections deepen, the orchestration expands:
"Instead of being on an antique mellotron, it's on violins and violas and sounds more confident." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)
The shift from analog fragility to orchestral warmth mirrors the film's argument that genuine connection can emerge from artificial beginnings -- the instruments grow more "real" as Phillip does.
Hikari's voice is woven into the funeral choir cue
One of the score's most distinctive choices was incorporating director Hikari's own voice into the music. Somers described the funeral choir track as a collaborative moment that blurred the line between director and composer:
"It was so fun to make that one...we could weave Hikari's voice into the score." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)
"I've never incorporated a director directly into the music before." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)
Somers praised Hikari as an ideal creative partner
"She's totally herself...unafraid of sharing her ideas, and she's really respectful." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)
"That's a dream for any creator...when they are fresh, authentic, open and curious." -- Alex Somers, Gold Derby (2025)