Album: TRON: AR3S Soundtrack [NULL 22, HALO 36]
Producers, and Sound Design by: NIN
Additional production by: Boys Noize, Hudson Mohawke, and BJ Burton
Score production: Jacob Moreno
Score Engineers: Jacob Moreno, Dustin Mosley
Release on: Walt Disney Records, Interscope Records
Available on: CD, Vinyl, and Digital
Out Now
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Sometime ago, the original TRON hit the movie, and videogame scene. Paving the way for unique storytelling, and for gaming to expand its universe. However, it also opened up a doorway for creativity, and expression. Within the original film soundtrack, composed by: Wendy Carlos, also known as the mother of Synth music. In her earlier works, she dabbled into experimental ideas, and art form, creating a unique sound style all her own. Influencing the future of musicians, that being NIN, and Daft Punk (who previously worked on TRON: Legacy) and many more.
Now, Nine Inch Nails enters “The Grid”. The cyberspace world of the TRON universe, a place built on hopes, dreams, and wishes from its Creator Kevin Flynn. And from the real world, both find a parallel, eventually with Sam Flynn. Until Ares, everything changes, a new connection is made.
Soundtrack Tracklist:
1] Init
2] Forked Reality
3] As Alive As You Need Me To Be [vocals performed by: NIN]
4] Echoes
5] This Changes Everything
6] In the Image Of
7] I Know You Can Feel It [vocals performed by: NIN]
8] Permanence
9] Infiltrator
10] 100% Expendable
11] Still Remains
12] Who Wants To Live Forever? [vocals performed by: Judeline, and NIN]
13] Building Better Worlds
14] Target Identified
15] Daemonize
16] Empathetic Response
17] What Have You Done?
18] A Question of Trust
19] Ghost in the Machine
20] No Going Back
21] Nemesis
22] New Directive
23] Out in the World
24] Shadow Over Me [vocals performed by: NIN]
Within these 24 tracks, is a unique journey in this new chapter of the TRON series. Each song has a connection to one another, but it also branches out in layers. Some run parallel, with a familiar theme, and melody, while shifting, changing into a different atmosphere. Essentially this is a game soundtrack, as levels have a start, mid section, and closing area. What makes each song fascinating, is that it feels like a journey through each character’s eyes, hero or villain. As everything is connected somehow, drawing one another closer.
From Legacy, to Ares, both explore a story within their music. Influenced by the past, but also the present, and looking towards the future. The biggest difference within this soundtrack is the use of lyrics, and vocals. So it has this kinetic residual energy that flows throughout, having its own unique sound style. What is most fascinating is Nine Inch Nails creative take with their artistry, and expression. Each track feels like a level, then a breakthrough, the shifts and turns, and a battle within, leading to resolution, and a conclusion.
Throughout these 24 songs, is a soundtrack with its own identity. Because Nine Inch Nails is a very different energy, and synergy compared to those of Daft Punk: renowned for their beats, and club style tunes, and mixing it up with different genres. NIN is more well known for their industrial, grunge, and electronica sound style, diving into darker, more adult themes, but also have been known to create hybrid ideas as well expanding their music.
Extra side note: I feel like they took inspiration from the Ghost in the Shell, not just the films, but the Stand Alone Complex series as well. GitS and GitS: Innocence were composed by: Kenji Kawai. Stand Alone Complex soundtrack was composed by Yoko Kanno. Both series and films were totally different from one another, as the films took on a more ethereal, spiritual evolutionary journey of mind, body, and spirit. While Stand Alone Complex was a cyberpunk future that we are not far away from, but living in, fusing ideas from the films but also making its own identity.
Also it feels like some of the vocal driven tracks, have inspiration from the legendary David Bowie. A creative talent, and artist, that left us way too soon. The last album he released before passing, Blackstar is a must listen as well.
Tron Ares in theaters October 10th [tickets are available to preorder]
TRON: AR3S soundtrack is available now, on all platforms, and physical cd & vinyl too at various retailers.
https://nineinchnails.lnk.to/TRONAres
FLYNN LIVES
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