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The Matrix (Music from the Motion Picture)
Propellerheads, Rob Dougan, Hive, Rob Zombie,
Deftones, Marilyn Manson, Ministry, Meat Beat Manifesto, Monster Magnet,
Rage Against the Machine, Rammstein
Maverick Records (1999)
Rating:
5/10
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More clips from
The Matrix at Amazon.com
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“No small part of the success of (THE MATRIX), at
least in terms of the connection with audience, was due to the net
result of Don Davis' score coupled with Jason Bentley's source cue
selection.”
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Essence of Cool
Review by Christopher
Coleman
Bursting onto the
film scene in 1999
was the Wachowski
brothers brainy
and brawny flick,
THE MATRIX.
With
never-before-scene-visual
effects and
multilayered
story, the film
took audiences by
surprise and
quickly became a
critical and
popular success.
While credit has
to given to
composer Don Davis
for his evocative.
post-modern score
for the depth and
deep emotion of
the film, the
"essence of cool"
that THE MATRIX
oozed over its
audiences has to
be credited to
Jason Bentley's
keen selection of
electronica source
cues for many of
the action
sequences.
THE MATRIX -
MUSIC FROM THE
MOTION PICTURE
is a compilation
soundtrack
released by
Maverick Records
which features
most of main
source cues from
the film.
Unfortunately the
soundtrack is
launched by one of
the more
unlistenable
tracks, "Rock is
Dead" by Marylin
Manson.
Joining this track
in the
not-so-hot-list
would be "Bad
Blood" (3) by
Ministry, "Look to
Your Orb for the
Warning" by
Monster Magnet,
"My Own Personal
Summer (Shove It)"
by the Deftones
and "Du Hast" (12)
by Rammstein which
tend towards the
rock-roots as
Manson...albeit
Rammestein's track
is infused with a
techno-dance
rhythm.
While helping to
keep the sound of
The Matrix edgy,
these tracks are
rugged, but not so
"cool."
Oddly enough none
of these songs are
used in any
significant scenes
of the film, if at
all.
Following the Rage
Against the
Machine's
unmistakable sound
in "Wake Up" (13),
"Rock is Dead"
does manage to
make its way to
play over the end
credits.
The most
entertaining cues
tend to come from
scenes that are
within The Matrix
itself or the
humans own
facsimile of "the
facsimilie" called
"the contruct." As
Mr. Thomas
Anderson begins
his journey down
"the rabbit hole"
he finds himself
in a dark, dance
club, where he is
to meet the
infamous, hacker
"Trinity." A
mix of
"Minefields" by
Prodigy and "Dragula
(Hot Rod Herman's
Remix" by Rob
Zombie are
featured as source
in the atmospheric
club scene. These
tracks are also
sequenced in order
on the soundtrack:
tracks 7 and 8.
One of the pieces
which has become
synonymous with
THE MATRIX or
least one of it's
key scenes is the
Propellerheads' "Spybreak"
(2). The
piece itself was
originally
released in 1998,
a year prior to
the film, on their
album
Decksandrumsandrockandroll.
This cue was used
to underscore the
unforgettable
lobby-fight scene
where characters
Neo and Trinity
take on an entire
building's worth
of army-like
security in order
to rescue Morpheus.
The fast tempo-ed,
percussion-laden,
breakbeat track,
perfectly fit the
hyper-real stunts
being performed by
the two heros.
Now, it is nearly
impossible to
think that any
other cue,
original score or
otherwise, could
equal the sense of
fun, the sense of
cool, that "Spybreak"
does. Rob
Dougan's special
mix of "Clubbed to
Death" nearly
equals the "cool"
factor of "Spybreak!"
as it is used as
underscore for
Morpheus'
continued training
of Neo in a
simulation
program.
"Prime Audio Soup"
(5) by Meat Beat
Manifesto is
briefly used as
underscore as the
heros of the
Nebuchadnezzar
(Capt. Morpheus
real-world ship)
jack-in to take
Neo to visit the
Oracle. The
short lyrics
contained in the
song "Set me
free." are not
heard in the film
edit of the cue,
but yet continue
to echo one of the
film's themes.
Another cue,
"Ultrasonic Sound"
(10) by Hive is
included on the
soundtrack also
offers
matrix-appropriate
lyrics, but does
not make a
recognizable
appearance in the
film itself.
One of the most
famous, if not
the most
famous scene of
the film, is the
dojo fight between
the Neo and
Morpheus.
After the scene is
initially scored
by Don Davis, a
special edit of
"Leave You Far
Behind" by Lunatic
Calm which
utilizes their
break-beat and
industrial rhythms
and riffs is used
to help up the
intensity as their
battle
intensifies.
THE MATRIX
was a refreshing
bit of cinema that
came just before
the turn of the
century.
No small part of
the success of the
film, at least in
terms of the
connection with
audience, was due
to the net result
of Don Davis'
score coupled with
Jason Bentley's
source cue
selection.
Cues like "Spybreak"
and "Clubbed to
Death" have since
been used in a
variety of
commercial means
and along with THE
MATRIX itself have
become a
significant part
of film history.
If you found
yourself infected
by the "essence of
cool' that the
film delivered it
might very be that
you can experience
the same on
Maverick's
release.
Rating:
7/10
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"Fans who love
Goldenthal-like
strings and
unapologetic
orchestral action
(for a change) would
find this a
refreshing and
energizing addition
to this year's
collection."
***
Helen Sans -
Cinemusic Reviews
The Matrix
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Track |
Track Title |
Track Time |
Rating |
|
1 |
Rock is Dead
(Marilyn Manson) |
3:11 |
none |
|
2 |
Spybreak!
(Propellerheads) |
4:00 |
***** |
|
3 |
Bad
Blood
(Ministry) |
5:00 |
* |
|
4 |
Clubbed
to
Death
[Kuraymanio
Mix]
(Rob
Dougan) |
7:26 |
**** |
|
5 |
Prime
Audio
Soup
(Meat
Beat
Manifesto) |
6:17 |
**** |
| 6 |
Leave Your Far Behind (Lunatic Calm) |
3:13 |
**** |
| 7 |
Mindfields (The Prodigy) |
5:40 |
**** |
| 8 |
Dragula [Hot Rod Herman Remix] (Rob Zombie) |
4:37 |
*** |
| 9 |
My Own Summer [Shove It] (Deftones) |
3:31 |
none |
| 10 |
Ultrasonic Sound (Hive) |
4:54 |
*** |
| 11 |
Look to Your Orb for the Warning (Monster Magnet) |
4:42 |
* |
| 12 |
Du Hast (Rammstein) |
3:54 |
* |
| 13 |
Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine) |
6:03 |
**** |
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Total
Running Time |
63 minutes |
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