Hypable spoke with Teen Wolf composer Dino Meneghin to discuss what it takes to do his job and what’s coming up for season 5.

How did you get your gig with Teen Wolf?

I had worked with Laura Webb on Taking the Stage, a reality show that aired on MTV in 2009 and 2010. After she got the call to work with Jeff Davis on Teen Wolf, she contacted me and asked for a reel of my work to show him. Several months passed, so I figured I didn’t get the gig, and out of the blue, I got a call from Laura that Jeff wanted to speak with me. We talked and got along great. She called me the next day and asked if I wanted to do the show, and the rest is “wolfy” history! I started on the show the next month.

Describe the process for a typical episode.

We always start by “spotting” the episode. This is where I’ll watch it down with Jeff and the editor whose episode it is, and we’ll talk through what the music should be at certain spots. We go home, and the notes get typed up on a Google doc so I can see how many minutes of music I need to write that week. Then, I write like crazy until it’s done! We usually have 3-4 days to get out 30-40 minutes of music.

For season 5, what sort of tone will the music be taking on this year?

Well, we have some AWESOME new characters this year, which also looks amazing, so I’m really excited about that. Some characters are really getting very heroic story arcs this season, so I’m getting a chance to take a new look at some characters I’ve known since the beginning. There is definitely some steampunk weirdness that is going to be happening for some of our new bad guys. (That’s all I’ll say!)

Which are your favorite character themes?

I really like Scott’s hero theme. There are some themes that are new for this season that I’m really proud of, too.

Are there any themes from previous seasons that will be tweaked and brought back for season 5?

Funny enough, Jeff and I were just talking about the Teen Wolf love theme which we used in season 1 and how we kind of missed it! It’s nice when you get some distance from a piece — it allows you to appreciate it with some objectivity. Oftentimes, that means you end up liking it more than when you wrote it!

What are your most played artists and do your personal tastes ever find their way into your work?

Oh, boy! That’s a tough one. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Tan Dun. My wife and I went to see his Water Passion with the LA Master Chorale, and it was amazing. His melodic sense, especially in his film scores, is a big influence on me the same way Ennio Morricone is. I’ve actually been going back and listening to some Korngold, which is blowing my mind, too. On the complete other end of the spectrum, I just went to see one of my heroes, David Torn, play a solo show last night, and it was incredibly inspiring. It’s nice for me to reconnect with the guitar player side of myself now and again. There is a lot about how I think about texture and using signal processing that really comes from David Torn.

Are there any new instruments or techniques you’ve been trying out in season 5? (Or, alternatively, any you’d want to try out?)

Funny you should ask! I’m awaiting delivery of my brand-new Togaman Guitarviol, which should be finished in a few months. It’s a really wonderful instrument that is like a modern cousin to the viola da gamba. It essentially opens up the world of bowed strings to guitar players, and it’s really a stellar instrument. As soon as I get my hot little hands on it, you’ll be hearing a lot of it!

Finally, what can you tease fans about season 5 of ‘Teen Wolf’?

I hate this question, only because I’m always scared I’m going to say something I shouldn’t! If you’ve seen the trailer that just went up on MTV.com, you can get a glimpse of some of our new baddies, who are pretty great. We’re also going to learn a lot more about some characters that we thought we knew. That’s all I can say!

Teen Wolf season 5 premieres with back-to-back episodes on June 29 at 10:00 p.m. and June 30 at 9:00 p.m.