Clint Mansell’s soundtrack to the new ‘Moon’ film is an evocative and hard-hitting accompaniment to your escape from the monotony of everyday life (or simply, your new favourite film). If you are a fan of Pop Will Eat Itself (purely because it’s Clint…baby!) and great classical and crossover sounds then you will love this.
‘Welcome To Lunar Industries’ is an atmospheric and dark epic that soars and evokes throughout the five minutes. It leads nicely into the soulful piano of ‘Is It Me?’ which lulls the listener into a false sense of security before the driving ‘Meteorite Storm’ which mixes slight electronic parts in with clever synths and opens things up for the spine-tingling ‘Longing For A Place Never Seen’ which strikes hard and true with some immense classical arrangements complete with skyscraping violins and cascading piano lines.
Follow-up tracks, ‘Memories Of Someone We Never Know’ and ‘I Am You You Are Me’ are built upon a huge platform of enchanting piano work and heart-wrenching melody. Even if you are not a fan of film soundtracks in general you will find something to appreciate within these soulful-yet-edgy numbers. ‘Three Year Stretch’ switches gears a little with it’s broody rock temperament and thumping tribal beats that clash against winding guitars while moving between loud and quiet tones with a unique sense of grace and accuracy.
‘Are You Receiving?’ incorporates chilling music in the purest sense. Each note feels like it has been composed specifically to send a shiver down the spine and captivate the senses, even if you are a hardened rock fan, or into your Industrial, (here’s looking at you PWEI fans…) you can certainly find something to enjoy and appreciate. Similarly, the progressive, ambient tones of ‘Can’t Get There From Here’ will appeal to many an ear, and will certainly whet your appetite for the film’s release later this month.
‘You Go I’ll Stay’ flows on nicely and pushes the senses to their limit with a grandiose soundscape of great piano work and resonating violins. This is definitely the standout of the entire offering. ‘Countdown’ mixes slight electronics with a quality landscape of sonic noise and a blatant but brilliant classical influence at the opening before building on a wall of guitars and ferocious drums to end on an explosive note before the final track ‘We’re Going Home’ finishes off with perhaps the most varied musical landscape of the disk. One minute, enchanting pianos are feeding off of a blissful ambience, the next Clint unleashes two minutes of blissful space-rock. On the whole, the ‘Moon’ soundtrack is a fine body of work and it will certainly add to the film’s visual and aural impact.
There’s something on this for everyone, and every single emotion. Definitely give this a listen before you go and check out the movie. This stuff is totally spacey, vibrant and it’s a very worthwhile addition to your Mansell or soundtrack collection.
For fans of: Pop Will Eat Itself, The Wrestler and Requiem For A Dream Soundtracks
****/5
For more information visit the artist’s Myspace and the film’s website.
The Moon soundtrack is both hypnotic, sad, blissful and at times full of the joys of life. Having watched the film I’m often reminded about discovering yourself with this music.