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Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch's Blade Runner 2049


antovolk

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Halfway through the album. Largely inoffensive so far, with some occasionally nice Vangelis-lite textures. Hope there's more to this though.

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A terrible terrible score. The only bits that work are the ones that reference Vangelis. If I want to hear this sort of noise, I will go and contact a building contract as they have all the tools necessary for this sort of indiscriminate vomiting of noise.

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The thing is, outside of some mildly interesting colours, the score seems to rarely capture the otherworldly scope of the original Vangelis or even the high spirit of 80s electronica.

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I'm still listening and its just kinda there in the background.  Nothing is sticking out and grabbing me.


Could very well fit the film like a glove, of course.

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1 hour ago, BloodBoal said:

In all seriousness, though, so far (10 tracks in), it's OK. Not sure why people who wanked all over Dunkirk are trashing this score. This one sounds better to me.

 

So you liked this but hated Arrival

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Well I finished and I found it really boring.  Can't imagine I'll bother to ever listen to it again

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3 minutes ago, Jay said:

Well I finished and I found it really boring.  Can't imagine I'll bother to ever listen to it again

 

I still have to watch it before I see Hitch this fall. He loved it and insisted I check it out.

 

Blech....

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having seen the film, I cannot imagine that JJ would've necessarily done a *better* job. 

 

Would've been a lot more atmospheric and less Vangelis-esque than this is.

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So it's just a Vangelis pastiche? Thats disapointing. I wanted Zimmer on Blade Runner 2. I thought he would really get into it and produce something special. Like Interstellar. But i guess getting this job last minute ruined that. 

 

Damn Johannsson!

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I keep hearing It wasnt a last minute job tho!

I also wish I had more memory of the Vangelis' score, so I could compare. But I never listened to it outside of the movie.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, MedigoScan said:

I keep hearing It wasnt a last minute job tho!

I also wish I had more memory of the Vangelis' score, so I could compare. But I never listened to it outside of the movie.

 

 

It wasn't a last minute job, it's just mainly a Wallfish score where Zimmer helped out. He worked one day/night with Wallfish and then he went on tour for 2 months while Wallfish was working on it alone. Then he came back and worked on it for 2 weeks before going on tour again. Also, Wallfish is credited first in the film (which antovolk pointed out).

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Its the kind of score where its hard to tell you reached a new track

it doesnt sound awful, but I wish there was a little more variety. I prefer IT over this in that regard

 

I like a few tracks

really need to see the movie

seeing Dunkirk made me appreciate that score more too

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A guide to Hans Zimmer scoring your movie in 2017:

 

Is your name Christopher Nolan?

 

No? Lmao, Junkie/Wallfisch/etc/ do this crap.

 

Yes? Alright, let's do something fun here.

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Villeneuve: Hans, baby. I need you to score Blade Runner for me. Jóhannsson's out, you're in.

Zimmer: Who is this? Please hold. 

(unintelligible, berating assistant about call screening).

Zimmer: Er, look David. I can't do it but I'll have one of my guys do it.

Villeneuve: It's Denis. Can we still put your name on it?

Zimmer: Whatever.

Villeneuve: Hans, you're a genius. Let's get together for--

Click.

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I think being a composer is prolly the hardest job there is in the movie industry. No one gives a shit if a director does the same movie twice. People expect a composer to always come up with something fresh, fitting for the movie and nothing like their previous efforts. Which is just insane, certainly when you have guys like Zimmer doing a shit ton of movies. 

 

Prolly the reason he gets his hands out of his ass for Nolan is that: A) they are friends but B) and more importantly: he is inspired by the material.  Which is annoying the fuck out of me because knowing what he is actually capable of and not utilising his talent to the fullest, it's a damn shame. Stop doing crap movie's (and less in general), pick better projects man. Getting older by the day.

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32 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Except for when he randomly hires Conrad Pope to write a single cue that turns out to be one of most out-of-left-field beautiful cues of the year.

 

Are you talking about the track "Love" from the Boss Baby OST?

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3 hours ago, BloodBoal said:

 

So you don't like this but like Arrival?

 

Yes! That score is a far more interesting composition.

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33 minutes ago, KK said:

Yes! That score is a far more interesting composition.

 

Remember when you asked me this?

On 04/10/2017 at 6:43 PM, KK said:

Is there still any hope for us?

My answer is now "No".

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Oh come now Alvar! You're feuding with me because I said Arrival > Blade Runner 2049?

 

You make it sound like I said Arrival > LOTR!

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6 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

I got bored and bailed after 10 tracks.  If I like the movie I'll probably return to it.

 

This was the issue with how I sat with it, it was too samish, there was no real identity as I would put it. There is no context as I haven't seen the movie yest but as a stand alone score, it really doesn't move me at all. It doesn't have that vastness of what the original made BR so great.

Someone mentioned Tron Legacy and how that was the 80s go to, I'd have to agree, this with the movie is a totally new experience, new ground was explored and I love that OST which is one of my go to for calibrating systems (biased here)

Daft Punk did something I really didn't understand until I had viewed the film a few times, maybe this will happen with 2049 but I just feel that there is really no driving force/anthems that propel the movie as did the original Vangelis score

Tron Legacy showed progression, 2049 feels like a reprise

 

Anyways fwiw there is a great interview of Ford/Gosling on The Graham Norton show with the "punch" explained

4 hours ago, MedigoScan said:

I keep hearing It wasnt a last minute job tho!

I also wish I had more memory of the Vangelis' score, so I could compare. But I never listened to it outside of the movie.

 

 

 

Personally I think the 3 CD version is the best

 

https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Trilogy-25th-Anniversary/dp/B000Z0OX9O

 

It has the closest movie gell I have heard across different versions, then as an added bonus you get on CD 3 different artists with their interpretations

Pretty sure this compilation has been engineered better too, it seems brighter and also has ore depth to it imo

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My opinion of the score is this.

 

It is exactly what it is: a score done in too short a time, with only partial involvement of the guy who always should have been the one doing it.  Thus the sonic, aesthetic surface is spot on, because that's pretty easy and quick to get right.  But one wonders what would have been the result if Hans had worked alone and for a normal amount of time.

 

I think in this case, whoever made the decision to switch, whether it be Denis or Scott or whoever, did a disservice to all three composers involved.

 

That said, I of course still enjoy this music.  And I'm looking forward to experiencing it in context.

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If Hans signed on with the kind of commitment he gives Nolan's biggest (a la Inception or Interstellar), we might have gotten something real special. This kind of project should have been his magnum opus.

 

But I think he just had too much going on during the tour. Zimmer's production values help achieve the Vangelis aesthetic well (which I can only assume is something Johannsson tried to branch off from), but the core content (which Wallfisch seems to have led) is just too insubstantial. On first listen, it's a bit of an empty score, but dressed well enough. Serviceable, I'm sure.

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1 hour ago, TheGreyPilgrim said:

I think in this case, whoever made the decision to switch, whether it be Denis or Scott or whoever, did a disservice to all three composers involved.

 

That was my feeling when I finished the album.
A waste of time, money and potential.
The music is not bad at all. But it is insipid and totally devoid of identity. 

There are good passages like the horns that resemble the original and the melody that reminds Interstellar, even the percussion and the male choir, -  the reconstruction of the motorcycle sound is strange, but not is offensive - but everything remains stagnant, the music does not gain development.

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Big thumbs down on the music. It was horribly intrusive and way overmixed in the film.

 

Vangelis' original score was a thing of beauty, and it was a damn shame Jóhann Jóhannsson was forced off this film. He would've made the film even better.

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Listened to 2049 this evening. My thoughts?

 

Well, it's certainly very atmospheric. There are very few moments where the music really soars above its quiet droning -- although those moments are pretty great (the first one that stood out to me was "Mesa"). More and more over the last couple years, I've learned that even the best music takes at least two listens to really appreciate, and I think with something as understated as this that might be even more true. Sure, I can "like" music after one listen, but I can never really love it. So I try my best to give scores the benefit of the doubt and view them through rose-colored glasses, so to speak. And on balance, I'd say this score gets a thumbs up from me, although it's hard to say too much more before giving it another listen tomorrow.

 

Much of the atmospheric stuff here is rather beautiful, although it's nothing we haven't heard before from Zimmer (and co.) -- not that I generally let stylistic uninventive-ness get in the way of my enjoyment of music (BFG! ;)) Many here seem to be comparing this to Dunkirk, and I think that's valid, although many seem to be doing it in a derogatory sense. It's a tried and true formula. "At least it's not as bad/boring as ________ score!" To the contrary, however, I rather like Dunkirk. I just gave it another listen (probably my third or fourth) a couple days ago, and found even more beautiful moments to enjoy. There are certainly some grating action cues, but there's also a lot of delicate atmospheric stuff. 

 

In 2049, like, I suppose, in Dunkirk, there are some moments near the end that really explode in tonal majesty (after the previous tracks that largely included a mix of dissonance - at least I think it was dissonance :unsure: - and the occasional "half-hearted" harmonic resolution, which can still be beautiful but isn't quite as easy to love). Now, I will admit to the cardinal sin of having never heard Vangelis' score (nor, for that matter, have I seen the original film ... *BloodBoal prepares snarky reply about "kids these days" :P*). So "Tears in the Rain" really stood out to me as the most beautiful melody in the score, despite being Vangelis'. (Or so I have read.) If all of Vangelis' score is like that, I suppose I can see why people prefer it to this one!

 

By the way, I actually liked the inclusion of the songs in the middle of the program -- I thought it provided a welcome joyful, melodic counterpart to the more dark, atmospheric score. I'd never heard any of the songs before, and I liked them! 

 

Anyway, up until this morning, I wasn't planning on seeing this film. Because I haven't seen the original Blade Runner, I didn't really follow this thread or any of the promotional stuff. Yet the glowing reviews I've seen and the vibrant (if not entirely positive) discussion here has convinced me that this is a must-see. I'll try to get some friends to go this weekend. Very excited. I was thinking I should try to watch the original first, but I figure I'll just go see this one as soon as possible and if I like it I can watch the original another time. Not sure if I have the time to watch two movies this weekend! 

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3 hours ago, Will said:

Anyway, up until this morning, I wasn't planning on seeing this film. Because I haven't seen the original Blade Runner, I didn't really follow this thread or any of the promotional stuff. Yet the glowing reviews I've seen and the vibrant (if not entirely positive) discussion here has convinced me that this is a must-see. I'll try to get some friends to go this weekend. Very excited. I was thinking I should try to watch the original first, but I figure I'll just go see this one as soon as possible and if I like it I can watch the original another time. Not sure if I have the time to watch two movies this weekend! 

 

You really should try to watch the original first, else you won't understand a lot of stuff in the sequel (which for sure refers to events happening in the original) and you won't be able to fully appreciate it (if you do appreciate it. Though, let's be honest: you're gonna love it for sure). But of course you're going to be your stubborn self and not listen to me, and rush to see the sequel (even though you could watch it one week, two weeks, three weeks from now) because you have to "see it NOW!" (or else it'll be too late for some reason), and watch the original afterwards...

 

Kids thes... No, I'm not gonna say it!

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I am listening to this right now and I'm kind of bored.

 

I have no idea how it fits the movie, but I much preferred the style of something like Arrival. The Vangelis Chords (tm) are cool, though.

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Didn't hear in the credits either, but didn't stay for all of it. What a strange song. Seems completely at odds with the whole film and score.

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19 hours ago, Snake Plissken said:

Personally I think the 3 CD version is the best

 

https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Trilogy-25th-Anniversary/dp/B000Z0OX9O

 

It has the closest movie gell I have heard across different versions, then as an added bonus you get on CD 3 different artists with their interpretations

Pretty sure this compilation has been engineered better too, it seems brighter and also has ore depth to it imo

 

I agree, this is the best option. One note - the third CD contains an entirely new Vangelis album, composed by him, not "different artists with their interpretations". And it's a wonderful  music, only occasionally referring to orgiinal Blade Runner score

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