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Misirlou is a traditional Mediterranean folk melody that became a surf rock standard after Dick Dale released his high speed guitar version as a single in 1962. His Dick Dale and His Del-Tones recording turned the tune into a showcase for tremolo picking and reverb. A later generation discovered it as the opening track of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction in 1994, which fixed it in popular culture as the sound of cool, fast, retro danger. It is still used in edits, trailers and memes whenever a scene needs instant surf energy.
About this sound
The iconic surf rock guitar riff from Misirlou, the fast tremolo picked melody made famous by Dick Dale and Pulp Fiction, used for retro beach and chase scenes.
This is the opening surge of Misirlou played as high speed surf guitar, all rapid tremolo picking, spring reverb and a rolling drum drive underneath. The melody races up and down in a Middle Eastern scale, sounding urgent, sun baked and slightly dangerous rather than relaxed. In a video it instantly changes the temperature, turning an ordinary entrance, drive or reveal into a cool retro set piece. Listeners recognise the twang within a second, and the momentum keeps building without needing vocals or dialogue to explain the mood.
