The presentation last week on Brian Eno and his work pioneering the usage of synths in music, as well as ambient music, made me think about why Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s scores always do a great job of telling story while not overwhelming the movie.
My example is “Hand Covers Bruise,” a song from their score for The Social Network. The song incorporates a piano, synths and constant orchestral elements playing so quickly that they cause an enormous amount of tension in the listener. It feels a lot less like music, that portion, but it does a great job of creating meaning because you have a normal facade for the track but you understand that there’s a monster lurking beneath. The orchestral elements feel like the audio version of TV static, it’s noise, and while it feels like you’re tuning it out as you listen to it, it gradually weighs on the listener. The orchestral elements also pan around, moving a bit from left to right, which adds to the sense of uneasiness.
The synth elements come and go, with long ADSR periods, particularly in their sustains, and that makes the track even more ominous. Utilizing the technology they did, Reznor and Ross make scores that are very unique and very impactful.