‘White Lotus’ composer exits after clashing with Mike White over the theme song: ‘We already had our last fight’

nypost.com:

“The White Lotus” will have a new location —and a new composer.Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, who has been the composer on the HBO drama for the past three seasons, revealed he won’t be back next time around.During an interview with the New York Times, the Emmy winner shared he and series creator Mike White had different ideas for the iconic “White Lotus” theme song.The two first clashed in Season 1, but it continued into this third season, which is currently airing.Originally, Tapia de Veer created an eery theme song for the show’s first two seasons — on track with the mystery unfolding.

The sounds included a fan-favorite “ooh-loo-loo-loo” chorus.“Aloha!” — in Season 1 — had tribal drums and vocals. Season 2 did a mix of “Aloha!” with opera and nightclub tones for a more European sound, while Season 3’s theme is mellow and boppy.The artist said this time around, White wanted more of “background music … a song that is more like something you would listen to in Ibiza, in some clubby place with a chill, sexy vibe.” The “ooh-loo-loo-loos” were ultimately axed.“I texted the producer and I told him that it would be great to, at some point, give them the longer version with the ooh-loo-loo-loos, because people will explode if they realize that it was going there anyway,” Tapia de Veer told the outlet. “He thought it was a good idea.

But then Mike cut that — he wasn’t happy about that.”He added, “I mean, at that point, we already had our last fight forever, I think.

So he was just saying no to anything.”“I announced to the team a few months ago that I was not coming back, that I was leaving,” Tapia de Veer continued. “I didn’t tell Mike for various reasons; I wanted to tell him just at the end for the shock and whatever.