The Social Network Soundtrack

It became, perhaps, one of the most eagerly anticipated soundtracks of the year when it was announced by Reznor back in July of 2010 that he and Atticus Ross had been developing tracks for the David Fincher film the 'The Social Network'. Reznor had said for many years that he wanted to take a crack at composing a soundtrack and fans of his work had eagerly looked forward to the right project that would allow him to use all of his creative palette. The wait has ended. This is the soundtrack fans were waiting for.

After listening to the 19 instrumental tracks, I've determined that if you enjoyed the 2008 release of Nine Inch Nails' albums Ghosts I-IV, then you will enjoy these tracks which remind me very much of that mix of electronics, piano driven melodies, and vamping that conveyed modern data intensive lifestyles, and jazz fusion. If you listen carefully, you will hear samples from Ghosts I-IV lifted and inserted directly into these tracks. It is most noticeable on track number 14, "Magnetic", in which the majority of the track is just comprised of "14 Ghosts II". That is not to say that there are not plenty of new tracks on The Social Network soundtrack, there are. One of the most driven of them, that happens to be perfect for some aggression and adrenaline is within the pulsating bass synth of "In Motion". Other tracks I highly recommend include "Intriguing Possibilities", "Carbon Prevails", and "Complication with Optimistic Outcome".

The most odd, or perhaps the most unexpected track is Reznor and Ross's version of the classical track "In the Hall of the Mountain King" that was originally composed by Edvard Grieg in 1876. They give it the classic Reznor and Ross feel, and build it tentatively and slowly, like an orgasm, until finally the track is loudly and fervently moving towards climax by song's end.

All in all, the score manages to sound very earnest about its portrayal of the conflict that swirls around Zuckerberg during the formative time of Facebook. Reznor and Ross's efforts sound like a fresh and unique departure from the usual composers that are tapped for A list films of this sort, which is a good thing. If the score is this engaging to listen while out of context from the film, I hesitate to imagine how great it will be while accompanying the dark frames of Fincher's imagination. More and more I am beginning to feel that hype is not hype at all.

If the film holds up to scrutiny as well as I expect it might, I think it is highly likely that this score will compete directly with Hans Zimmer's score of "Inception" this year for Best Score at the Oscars, not that Reznor and Ross care all that much. Reznor has never been one for awards and awards shows. If nominated, it would be interesting to see if this is one of the first award shows that Reznor actually attends.

The Social Network opens for general release in the United States on October 1^st, 2010. You can download five tracks for free from Reznor and Ross's website. If you like it, and you reside in the U.S., you can get the entire digital download of the score for $2.98 from Amazon until midnight of September 30th.

Free Download of The Social Network Sampler - http://www.nullco.com/TSN/

Entire Album Available for $2.99 from Amazon Until midnight September 30th - http://www.amazon.com/The-Social-Network/dp/B0044430H8/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1285703377&sr=301-1