It's difficult to say whether I consider this a score or a soundtrack. I guess ultimately, it is a bit of both, whilst at the same time being a little bit of a hybrid. It is certainly one of the very few film score/soundtracks that I have ever come across that has been created predominantly by a popular recording artist. Off the top of my head, the only one other film score/soundtrack that I can think of is The Lion King which of course saw Elton John teaming up with Tim Rice.
On the surface, it could be imagined that it was a complete nightmare piecing this soundtrack together, purely because the music has two conflicting elements that it had to adhere to.
First of all, was the fact that the world of Tron was created in the 1980's, meaning that the music needed to have a very eighties sound to it. But, on the other hand, the film is set in a modern day (in the real world) and is being promoted to a modern audience. So, it also needed to have music that was up-to-date.
Although this does sound like a bitch to conquer, Daft Punk are a group that grew up in the 1980s and fortunately, the 1980s were also going through an immense musical revival when the film came out, with many bands using the influence of their childhoods in their music.
What Daft Punk have created is an electronic roller coaster of vast sweeping dramatic score, blended in with the hard clubhouse sounds that we associate with the decade that thrived on New Wave and Euro-Disco.
In reality, I'm almost certain that big hard-ass scores and Euro-Disco really should not work well together, but Daft Punk seem to have made it so, and in doing it, have created what I consider to be not only their best album, but also potentially one of the best soundtracks of recent years.
For Sweeping Scores, listen to:
Recognizer. A beautiful, big piece of score that drives you through the scene, as it builds up. and packs a punch in terms of epic and grandness when it reaches its climax. This is the type of score that I absolutely love, and I love this piece of music as it introduces us deep into Tron's World.
For Electronic Delights:
Tron Legacy (End Credits): I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of the really electronic-based tracks on the album, such as Derezzed, but this is an incredible track because it mixes the electronic sound with the epicness that I'm a fan of. It's a great ending track that leaves you feeling like you've just seen an awesome film (which of course, in my opinion, you have!!)
Overall:
A beautiful collection that offers eighties nostalgia of a cult classic, but still boasts the grand orchestra-based stuff that all of the best scores are made of, but so few achieve well.
If you're a big fan of the 80s sound of this album, or just love remixes, there is also a Remix Album available called Tron Legacy: Reconfigured which I definitely recommend that you check out. I especially love the remixes of Fall and The Son of Flynn.
