Ninjago Soundtrack

The music of Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu is composed and produced in conjunction with the development of the TV series based on the LEGO toyline. The series' score has been written by Jay Vincent and Michael Kramer since it began in 2011, with Jay and Michael having written the scores for all fifteen seasons and two TV specials. Jesi Nelson, who collaborated with Kramer on the soundtrack for LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, did additional music for Ninjago for Seasons 7, 11, and 12. Daniel Markovich, Brian Rivlin & Steven Gizzi started contributing to the score as well, from Season 12: Prime Empire onwards. In total, nearly 300 tracks have been released for the entirety of the Ninjago TV series.
Initially, Jay and Michael composed leitmotifshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Meoo3WzAxHA such as the Ninjago Main Theme (aka the Overture), which is reprised frequently throughout the series, as well as themes for the Serpentine, the Green Ninja, and Lord Garmadon. As the series progressed, the themes evolved, with many of the primary protagonists, antagonists, and locations also receiving their own themes. Jay and Michael have composed over 70 distinct themes throughout the series' run.
Despite the popularity of the series' score, little of it has been officially released through soundtrack albums. Albums for the first and second seasons were released in 2014 and 2016 by the label Varèse Sarabande, respectively with 19 tracks each (although season 1's album also includes soundtracks from the pilot episodes). In 2022, it was announced that every season receive an official album release starting with Crystalized.https://twitter.com/NinjagoMusic/status/1527273666593046531?s=20&t=wqJSsVxN_Ir9Mle0bl73eQ Jay Vincent began releasing the score on his YouTube channel in August 2012, and Michael Kramer started doing so on his own channel in September 2017. The two also have SoundCloud accounts where they post pieces from the score. Now, the music is released through the JAM Music Company's account "Ninjago Music". 
Instrumental versions of The Fold's Ninjago songs are also occasionally used as soundtracks throughout the series, as well as for promotional material.
==Releasing Music==
===Jay Vincent===
Jay Vincent first began releasing music for the TV show via his YouTube channel on August 31, 2012. He started with releasing various tracks from the pilot episodes, and from September to November he released music from seasons one and two. Jay resumed posting music in January 2013, and after another pause, released several more tracks in June.
In March 2014, Jay continued released music, this time for the show's third season. He released new tracks every couple of weeks, up until mid-July, when he paused once more. Jay wouldn't post more music for another two years until May 2016, when he resumed posting music for season three. Each week, Jay posted a new track from Rebooted, and began releasing music for season four in mid-August. This lasted until late-October, when Jay began posting music for season five on Halloween. Jay stopped releasing music for season five in February 2017. That month, he released a suite for season six, and in May and June released several tracks for "Day of the Departed."
In June 2017, Jay began releasing music for season seven, doing so every week or two. He stopped releasing music for the season in November 2017, as he's busy scoring other projects.
In 2020, Jay began to release music from present seasons as soon as they aired domestically in the U.S on his SoundCloud, but stopped this practice in 2021.
===Michael Kramer===
Though he's been a major composer for the TV show, Michael did not personally release any tracks for some time. In July 2015, he sent out music to fans such as "Built To Protect" and "What Powered Zane," which were both released on YouTube. Michael sent out other tracks, such as "Something's Gotten Into Lloyd," "Cursing Chen's Army," "Nya's True Potential," "Maybe I'm Departed," and "Garmadon's True Potential." These tracks were released sporadically up to the present day.
Outside of scoring the TV show, Michael has been focused on compiling and releasing soundtrack albums for each season, which was done for season one in 2014, and season two in 2016.
Michael Kramer joined YouTube in March 2015, but only began posting tracks in September 2017—something many fans had longed for him to do. He released new tracks on his channel every few weeks, before going on hiatus in May 2018 due to obligations with other projects. Michael resumed posting music in December 2018, but stopped soon after.
=== Ninjago Music ===
Starting in 2022, the JAM Company's YouTube channel rebranded itself as Ninjago Music. Since then, they have been sporadically releasing music from the series onto their YouTube channel, as well as tracks from Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 
==List of themes and soundtracks==
*Introduced in the pilot episodes
*Introduced in Season 1
*Introduced in Season 2
*Introduced in Season 3
*Introduced in Season 4
*Introduced in Season 5
*Introduced in Season 6
*Introduced in Day of the Departed
*Introduced in Season 7
*Introduced in Season 8
*Introduced in Season 9
*Introduced in Season 10
*Introduced in Season 11
*Introduced in Season 12
*Introduced in Season 13
*Introduced in The Island
*Introduced in Season 14
*Introduced in Season 15
*Introduced in Dragons Rising, Season 1
*Introduced in Dragons Rising, Season 2
==Other individual tracks ==
The following is a list of the original themes and takes on other themes that exist primarily as one or two tracks rather than as a recurring character or character group leitmotif present in several tracks.
===The Mailman===
The beginning of this track has been used a number of times to accompany an "establishing shot" of the ninja's whereabouts, such as the Destiny's Bounty in "Never Trust a Snake" (and "Tick Tock," to a lesser extent), Wu's Academyin "The Surge," and Garmadon's monastery in "The Art of the Silent Fist."
===Elevator music===
When Jay waited in an elevator in "Never Trust a Snake", tranquil music played, nearly causing him to fall asleep. The song is an alternate take on the Ninjago Overture and was released as part of "Ninjago Theme Mashup." The track can later be heard in "The Titanium Ninja" when a citizen listens to it in his car before Cole crashes through the wall in his Earth Mech.
The non-vocal version of the tune is used version in "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" when Jay is getting ready for his date with Nya, the 2014 blooper reel when Nya arrives, and "Misfortune Rising" when Jay looks around the secret room in Cliff Gordon's estate. It was used again in "Christofern" when Garmadon is taking care of the plant Vinny gave him.
=== Taking the Bait ===
This track was composed for the scene in "Day of the Great Devourer" where the ninja are leading the Great Devourer in a chase through the city, and contains more frantic and epic elements to the music, using several brass instruments. This has been used in a few of the season finales, along with scenes such as the Ninja Replacements chasing the Sky Pirates through Ninjago City in "Operation Land Ho!"
===Day Jobs===
This track was composed for the montage in "Darkness Shall Rise", though it was mostly cut from the episode.https://youtu.be/FbjJWPPdhHM?t=152 It has an upbeat sound, always representing progress being made in some way. It later appeared in "Winds of Change" when the ninja started using their Elemental Powers to attract customers for Steep Wisdom, "Operation Land Ho!" when Jay assembled the Ninja Replacements, "The Weakest Link" when the stranded ninja were training with Chain Rifles, and "Wasted True Potential" when the ninja fell victim to Wu's various traps.
===Fritz Donnegan theme===
The Green Ninja Theme serves as the basis for the Fritz Donnegan theme, which is played in "Child's Play" and "Misfortune Rising" and briefly in "Only One Can Remain" and "The Corridor of Elders." It was released as part of the "Ninjago Theme Mashup."
===Temple of Light===
This track is played when the ninja gain new suits and abilities at the Temple of Light in "Island of Darkness". The beginning uses the Ninjago Overture. It is played again during Masters Never Quit when they discover the Heart of the Mountain. Part of the track was also reprised when Zane becomes golden in "Enter the Digiverse".
===X-1 Joyride===
This theme was introduced when Kai drove his Prototype X-1 in "Codename: Arcturus". It has a poppy and upbeat sound to it and is often used alongside appearances of new or innovative technology.
This track was also used in season four during the battle for the Jadeblades in "Only One Can Remain" and the beginning of the Thunderblade competition in "Ninja Roll." It was used in season seven in "The Hatching" surrounding the release of the BorgWatch, in "Secrets Discovered" when Zane and Lloyd were riding in the Destiny's Shadow, during the building montage with Cyrus Borg in "Operation Heavy Metal: Machia". It was used when Kai was showing off his dance moves and sign-spinning skills in "Spinny Sign" and when Jay reminisced about his ElectroMech in "Vehicles and Mechs."
=== Prison Break theme===
This track was composed for the noodle factory story line in season four. The theme has an exciting, daring, and somewhat jazzy sound, imitating the music of movies in the heist genre. A version of the theme played when Cole attempted to escape the factory in "Spy for a Spy", and the theme later appeared as the track "And That's The Kink" when Cole and the other Elemental Masters broke into the Anacondrai Temple with the Roto Jet in "The Forgotten Element."
The track was reused for the ninja's escape from Kryptarium Prison in "Enkrypted", a season six episode. It also appeared when Lloyd was racing to get to work on time in "Lloyd's Late," when Buffmillion threatens children in "Operation Heavy Metal: Buffmillion," and briefly when Jay referred to "Garmadon the good guy" in the Ninjago: Decoded episode, "Rise of Garmadon."
===Opening the Cursed Realm===
The soundtrack, originally composed for Clouse and Garmadon's battle in "The Day of the Dragon," was later used when the Sky Pirates escaped Djinjago in "Enkrypted" and when Wu fought the Time Twins on the Iron Doom at the end of "Lost in Time."
=== Who Said Anything About Sail? ===
This soundtrack was composed for the first reappearance of the Destiny's Bounty in Season 8. This track has an exciting buildup using string instruments culminating in a beautiful rendition of the main Ninjago theme, and has been used in several occasions where a new vehicle or power is unveiled, or the ninja are preparing to undertake a new adventure. This includes the Destiny's Bounty leaving in "Game of Masks," heading off for the Dragon Armor in "The Gilded Path," Skylor using the Colossus to ascend Borg Tower in "Saving Faith," leaving Beohernie in "The Belly of the Beast," preparing to enter the Never-Realm in "A Cold Goodbye," or Cole controlling Earth without being in contact with it in "The Real Fall."
==Trivia==
* Official cue names from The Island are: Chop Chop!, Statuebro Terror, Uncharted, The Club Will Prevail, The Storm Belt, Twitchy Tim, Storms Monsters Doom, Leaded or Unleaded, Breaking Waves, Into the Fog, Catamaran Hand-Stand, Blue Sandy Beaches, Air Mail, They're Alive, Jungle Choppers Ride Out!, Island End Credits, Main Title, Poisonous Birds, How to Train Your Zippy, Statuebros, Rope-Bridges Always Break, A Shocking Entrance, The Keepers Arrive, Not My Style, Twitchy's Rule, Keepers of the Amulet, One With the Storm, Island Main Titles, All But One, Prison Reunion, Rambo Lloyd, Precious Little Gift, Game of Fetch, Gift of Jay, Wojira End Credits, Final Sacrifice, Wojira's Meal, It's a Con, All was Peaceful, Paying off Wojira, Cost Jay Everything, To Rescue a Friend and Keeper's Brothers.https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1372299635402887169
**The title How to Train Your Zippy refers to the movie trilogy How to Train Your Dragon, as well as the title of the Hunted episode, "How to Build a Dragon."
**The title Rambo Lloyd refers to the movie series Rambo.
** Uncharted, Keepers of the Amulet, and Gift of Jay are also the titles of the three episodes of The Island.
*As with many soundtracks, several titles are named after a line from the series during which they occur.
==Soundtracks==
===A Musical Journey===
NINJAGO- A Musical Journey (1-4)
NINJAGO- A Musical Journey (2-4)
NINJAGO- A Musical Journey (3-4)
NINJAGO- A Musical Journey (4-4)
NINJAGO- A Musical Journey (2011-2015)
===Compilations===
Ninjago Anniversary - 13 Years of Music - Ninjago Soundtrack
==External links==
*Jay Vincent's YouTube Channel
*Jay Vincent's Soundcloud
*Michael Kramer's YouTube Channel
*Michael Kramer's Soundcloud
*Ninjago Music's YouTube Channel
*Season 1 soundtrack on Apple Music
*Season 2 soundtrack on Apple Music
==References==
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