18. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
Following up a soundtrack with another soundtrack, I am including The Social Network because, much like my reasoning for Ivory Tower, I believe it functions quite excellently as an album independent of the movie. That is not to say that it did not work well with the film, because, oh, did it do so.
On its own, though, this album is an interesting turn into dark ambiance and electronics. Reznor and Ross wanted "lots of experiments and emphasis on sound fraying around the edges," and I cannot come up with a more apt description. The first track, "Hand Covers Bruise," which is also my favorite track, achieves this sound beautifully and simply. It is nothing more than single, delicate notes on a piano played over a soft scratching of strings and other ambiances that gradually become slightly louder over time. The piano is a very important and prominent instrument throughout the soundtrack, never too busy and always slightly otherworldly. Reznor's NIN days are also recalled on tracks like "A Familiar Taste," which has that familiar industrial feel. Anybody who enjoyed Ghosts should definitely listen to this soundtrack, if you haven't already. I don't know much about Atticus Ross, but he and Reznor seem to work fantastically together.
The most interesting track is their arrangement of Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," where they take the Wendy Carlos approach and reinterpret it through the technology available to them. It is quite brilliant and deserves a listen, even if nothing else on the album appeals to you.
I don't have much else to say. I need to pack for tomorrow. Put on The Social Network in the background sometime, and I guarantee your attention will be drawn away from your activities and towards the music.
On its own, though, this album is an interesting turn into dark ambiance and electronics. Reznor and Ross wanted "lots of experiments and emphasis on sound fraying around the edges," and I cannot come up with a more apt description. The first track, "Hand Covers Bruise," which is also my favorite track, achieves this sound beautifully and simply. It is nothing more than single, delicate notes on a piano played over a soft scratching of strings and other ambiances that gradually become slightly louder over time. The piano is a very important and prominent instrument throughout the soundtrack, never too busy and always slightly otherworldly. Reznor's NIN days are also recalled on tracks like "A Familiar Taste," which has that familiar industrial feel. Anybody who enjoyed Ghosts should definitely listen to this soundtrack, if you haven't already. I don't know much about Atticus Ross, but he and Reznor seem to work fantastically together.
The most interesting track is their arrangement of Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," where they take the Wendy Carlos approach and reinterpret it through the technology available to them. It is quite brilliant and deserves a listen, even if nothing else on the album appeals to you.
I don't have much else to say. I need to pack for tomorrow. Put on The Social Network in the background sometime, and I guarantee your attention will be drawn away from your activities and towards the music.
"A Familiar Taste" is "35 Ghosts IV" reworked.
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