Daft Punk

"Tron: Legacy (Original Soundtrack)" (Album, 2010) !Recommended!

Disney

Certainly the first time a release on the Disney label has been included on this website! But, hey, if another one pops up anywhere near as good as this then it might not be the last.

For Daft Punk’s contribution to sci-fi sequel Tron: Legacy is so substantial that just calling it a mere soundtrack is to do it a disservice. Without this, Joseph Kosinski's sequel to 1982’s groundbreaking Tron wouldn’t be half the final film it is.

Key to this outcome was the early involvement of the mysterious, helmeted duo Francaise meaning that instead of just being presented with the final cut and being asked to add their score, instead they were closely involved as soon as it was decided that the challenge of providing a score for such a long-awaited geek fest as this would go to them. This meant that they got into the psyche not only of the film and its characters and the fantastic universe in which they exist, but of the filmmakers too. The results show clearly that although such an approach is a rare luxury, it undoubtedly produces the best possible results.

Daft Punk’s stated aspiration of seamlessly combining both orchestral and electronic elements is realised perfectly. Moreover, for geeks and the cognoscenti they also had the potentially daunting task of following Wendy Carlos’ score for Steven Lisberger’s 80s original. There’s the occasional nod to Carlos’ distinctive style but Daft Punk were (rightly) confident enough in their own abilities to understand that they need not slavishly pay homage, nor be constrained by their renowned forebear.

What they deliver here then is a near-perfect soundtrack for the ears to match the dazzling feast for the eyes that the visuals serve up. 8/10

Rob Dyer (February 2011)