The anime series "Cowboy Bebop” debuted in Japan in 1998, combining futuristic space travel with spaghetti western grit and the slickness of film noir. In 2001, Cartoon Network aired an English dubbed version, introducing American audiences to the suave yet troubled bounty hunter Spike Spiegel and the ragtag crew of the spaceship Bebop.

The animated import also acquainted U.S. viewers with composer Yoko Kanno, whose swinging earworm of a theme song became among the most recognizable in anime. Her eclectic compositions — with their percolating jazz and doleful sax solos and languorous blues harmonica riffs — were an essential part of the cult hit, helping its director, Shinichiro Watanabe, set the mood for every botched payday, steely-eyed showdown, lovelorn flashback and fast-paced space chase. The show has since become internationally known as a top-tier anime, thanks in large part to her bold and brassy sound.

So when the production teams at Tomorrow Studios and Midnight Radio decided in 2019 to create a live-action adaptation, showrunner Andre Nemec believed it was "critical” to persuade Kanno to return as composer, he says.