Style: soundtrack, instrumental, ambient, electronica
Label: WaterTower Music
Year: 2021
Home: n/a
Member: Hans Zimmer ~ instruments
I loved the original Dune movie, though it has faults, since first seeing it on TV when I was in the fifth grade. The phrase "fear is the mind killer" even became my motto, that today at age 44 I still follow. At this time I've read the first three books & have more on my shelf to read of both Brian & Frank Herbert. I wasn't so thrilled with the mini-series, which I think tried too hard to not be the original movie. I saw the new movie & its wonderful. Beyond wonderful. It has some faults, but I think it fixes many problems from the original movie & does the book justice. The first movie feels like a steampunk adventure full of of claustrophobic spaces. This new movie feels epic, huge, & truly alien. That's all I will say on it, since I don't review movies. I also don't review scored instrumental soundtracks, but I found the score by Hans Zimmer totally mesmerizing. Ben Shapiro has called it just Blade Runner 2049 with viking vocals, but I think its much more than that. The ships, buildings, spaces, & armies in Dune are menacing, & the emotions high. The music matches it. The buildings are grand, yet empty & lonely, & Zimmer brings that feeling to the music. I feel like he didn't just make music to accompany the scene, or set a mood, but to accentuate the scene, to be a part of it almost. Even away from the visuals this is a stunning soundtrack. He also does things with a synthesizer I've never heard. The programming & manipulation on his is mind-bending & why I had to write about it. Actually, I don't even know what instruments he really used to craft this, as very little is recognizable. His use of dynamics, push & pull, light & dark should be a masterclass for any musician looking to create musical landscapes. Prog fans take note. Industrial fans do the same. While I know heavy metal bands that wish they were this dark. This is undoubtedly one of the most menacing soundtracks I've heard. Its strange, dark, fierce, almost frightening. Sounds weave between each other, balancing off each other, working against each other in a haunting kaleidoscope. "Bene Gesserit" consists of a synthesizer line with a chorus of female vocals over it, speaking a foreign tongue. Its truly scary, particularly when its given a higher pitched moment. Its something to play on Halloween when someone knocks on the door. I'm reminded of so many metal bands that look for this exact sound, but fail to find it as they stick too closely with rock templates & traditional instrumentation. I've seen many people say its a bit overdose, as it never seems to give one a chance to breathe. It defies description, not to mention there's constantly changing elements making it almost impossible to put into words. Even when there is recognizable instruments, like a horn in "Herald Of The Change" it sounds strange & un-human. "Leaving Caladan" features crying guitars against a background that sounds like a dulcimer being hammered to death. With a drum beat underneath it the song is big & fierce, & one of the reasons I wanted to review this album. Philip Glass & John Adams, the minimalist composers, should be jealous how it does so much with so few sounds. John Cage & John Cale would love the unpredictable nature of it. Trent Reznor is likely drooling at the darkness & edginess, while Gary Numan is trying to say he did this first. It goes from quiet to loud, from just an electronic beat with a touch of reveb to a cacophony of industrial sounds mixed with vocals. To note, there is actually three distinct soundtracks for the film. This review is of the soundtrack that plays with the film. The other two soundtracks include The Dune Sketchbook (Music From The Soundtrack) & The Art & Soul of Dune. The former, the first released, features extended explorations of the soundtrack by Zimmer away from the confines of the movie's scenes. It is more subdued, less chaotic, fleshing out things heard in the soundtrack. Of interest, it was released with a special vinyl edition that came in three colors, representing the planets of Arrakis, Caladan, & Giedi Prime. The Art & Soul of Dune is more variations of the themes heard in the soundtrack, but is much more low-key & squarely ambient. It is gentle where the soundtrack is menacing. If the soundtrack is Metallica, this version is Vangelis, with the first as Yanni. This version was done to accompany a behind-the-scenes book by the Executive Producer of the same name. It is Zimmer's first soundtrack for a book. For those that love instrumental ambient music there is something here for everyone. Also, see the movie. If you watch it at home do so on a big screen with the volume up.
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