As a great admirer of both David (Fight Club, Zodiac) Fincher and Trent (Nine Inch Nails) Reznor's work I was bowled over by the news that they would be working together. Ever since viewing the opening credits of Fincher's 'Seven' accompanied by a remix of NIN's 'Closer', I, like a lot of other fans, have hoped for and anticipated this collaboration.
For the majority of it's running time, it has been worth the wait.
The music is what most people familiar with Reznor's work have already come to know but in this case it has been given more focus, unlike the instumental doodlings on NIN's 'Ghosts I - IV', which tended at times to sound like musical sketches as opposed to complete pieces.
To anyone not familiar, what we have here is a masterful balancing of atmosphere combined with melody and texture. Encompassing a broad palette of electronic and organic ingredients the overall tone is dark, at times contemplative and melancholy, but not wholly engaging. At times the tone can be a little over bearing, but persistence pays off.
Credit most certainly goes to Reznor's partner on this project - Atticus (Error, 12 Rounds) Ross, who has already scored the soundtrack for the post apocalyptic movie 'Book Of Eli'. His guidance through the scoring process has ensured a consistency of quality throughout.
Favourite tracks include 2) In Motion, 5) Intriguing Possibilities, 7) Pieces Form The Whole and 17) Complication With Optimistic Outcome. These been merely high points in an entire work that is already of high quality, and one cannot miss out the Wendy Carlos influenced interpretation of Edvard Grieg's 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King'. Sublime audio fun!
As some will know, 2 of the tracks namely - 3) A Familiar Taste, and 13) On The March, have been culled from the before mentioned 'Ghosts I - IV', but in the contaxt of this soundtrack they now have roots.
I have yet to see the film itself, but on the strength of this I'am looking forward to it even more than I was before, and I most certainly look forward to Reznor & Ross scoring another film in the future.
Highly recommended.