Sound technique · used in 15 films
Scoring with synthesizers, club beats or electronic instruments. The texture can suggest a period, a mood or a character's inner state.
Examples
Billy Wilder · 1945
Miklos Rozsa's score was among the first to feature the theremin to create the pathos of alcoholism. At an early preview, the film carried a temporary upbeat jazz track, and the audience laughed at Milland's performance. With the real score and a reshot ending, reactions turned favorable.
Where to see it: Hidden bottle: Packing for the weekend, Don dangles a bottle outside the window to sneak it into his suitcase. Wick finds it and pours it down the drain.
Andrei Tarkovsky · 1972
Eduard Artemyev wrote an electronic score for the station, while classical music is used for Earth. The strange sounds make the space station feel unsettled and cold. Bach's chorale prelude plays at key moments.
Where to see it: Hari's theme. A subtheme based on Bach is heard at her death and at the end.
William Friedkin · 1977
Tangerine Dream wrote the score from the script, before seeing footage, and Friedkin edited scenes to the music. The cold, pulsing synths turn a jungle trek into something uneasy and otherworldly.
Where to see it: The truck convoy. Synth music builds under the trucks as they crawl along the jungle road with nitroglycerin on board.
David Cronenberg · 1983
Howard Shore wrote the score for orchestra, programmed it into a Synclavier II digital synthesizer and recorded that alongside a small string section. The blend makes it hard to tell which sounds are real instruments. As Max loses his grip, the music moves further from orchestral toward electronic.
Where to see it: Max's hallucinations: the score grows more synthetic as the line between Max and the video signal disappears.
William Friedkin · 1985
Wang Chung wrote the soundtrack, and the synth sound gives the film a hard 1980s sheen. The music is cool and driving, so Los Angeles feels like a place that moves fast and does not care about you.
Where to see it: The opening assassination attempt on the president. Chance and Hart foil it, and the film then sets up the counterfeiting case.
John Carpenter · 1986
Carpenter scored the film with Alan Howarth using synthesizers, and it has a driving, slightly cheesy pulse. A rock song performed by Carpenter's own band plays over the end. The sound fits a film that jokes about itself while still delivering the thrills.
Where to see it: The end credits: the theme song, performed by a band that includes Carpenter, plays as the film wraps up. It matches the film's playful tone.
Ridley Scott · 1992
Vangelis wrote and performed the score himself on synthesizers, adding a few acoustic players such as flamenco guitarists, a flute and a choir. He had already scored Blade Runner for Scott. The main theme became a hit away from the film and has since been used at sports events and political campaigns.
Where to see it: The Atlantic crossing: the ships go 9 weeks without sight of land, and Columbus tries to keep a restless crew from mutiny.
Darren Aronofsky · 1998
Clint Mansell's score and the electronic tracks give the film a pulse like Max's headaches. The music is cold and machine-like. It matches his world of numbers.
Where to see it: The drill ending. Max burns the number and drills into his own head.
David Fincher · 2011
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won a Grammy for the score. Its electronic textures match the freezing Swedish setting and raise dread without telling you when to feel it.
Where to see it: The confrontation with Martin. Martin captures Blomkvist, and Salander arrives to save him.
Joseph Kosinski · 2013
The French band M83 composed the score, with Joseph Trapanese. Synthesizers and big electronic textures give the empty Earth a cold but dreamy sound.
Where to see it: Drone repair rounds: Jack flies out across the empty landscape to fix broken drones.
Josh Safdie · 2015
The film uses electronic music, including Isao Tomita's synthesizer versions of Debussy. The beautiful, strange sounds float over the dirty streets and make Harley's world feel like a dream and a nightmare at once.
Where to see it: The streets of New York. Harley walks and waits with her friends while the music washes over them.
Nicolas Winding Refn · 2016
Martinez wrote a sparse electronic score, and he and Refn pointed to synth artists such as Giorgio Moroder and Tangerine Dream. The cold, pulsing sounds make the fashion world feel clean, artificial and a little dangerous.
Where to see it: The runway visions. Jesse walks through the show while the synth score pulses and triangles flash on the screen.
Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie · 2017
Oneohtrix Point Never's synthesizer score pulses under the chase and gives the night a hazy, nervous glow. It won the Soundtrack Award at Cannes in 2017. The music pushes you forward even when the characters stand still.
Where to see it: The end credits. Iggy Pop sings "The Pure and the Damned" over the closing titles, in a collaboration with the score's composer.
Bo Burnham · 2018
Composer Anna Meredith wrote an electronic score because Burnham wanted to avoid a cute sound for a film about a young girl. The synthesizer textures make small moments like walking into a room feel urgent. You feel the dread of being 13 in your body.
Where to see it: The mall trip. Kayla goes along with Olivia and her friends while her dad watches from a distance, and she tells him to leave.
Luca Guadagnino · 2024
Guadagnino asked Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for a very loud techno score, inspired by Berlin clubs and 90s raves. It pounds under the tennis and under the glances between the 3 leads. The music keeps telling you these 3 are always competing, on court and off.
Where to see it: The tennis matches. The score kicks in hard during rallies, so the points feel like a night at a club.
Questions