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Today marks 10 years since the “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack album release. I’ve always disliked referring to any particular project as a ‘breakthrough,’ but it’s hard to imagine the success I’ve had over the past decade without this score #tronlegacy #tronanniversary 1/16
After meeting them in November 2008, I collaborated with Daft Punk from January 2009 - November 2010. They came to Hollywood having developed a number of demos, creative ideas, synth presets, and fragments of musical material for the film, before ever reading a script. 2/16
Each and every track and sound you hear on the album was derived from this material. The original film and its concepts meant so much to them that they poured all their energy Legacy, pausing all other musical activity until the film and the soundtrack were completed. 3/16
While some of the music proved difficult to execute, the great majority of it felt effortless: the original ideas were so compelling, the sonic language so strongly defined, I could immediately envision the orchestra, and set about developing them alongside the robots. 4/16
Daft Punk and I worked together very closely. Often, as I developed orchestral material, they would be right beside me in the studio, suggesting a re-voicing of a chord, an alternative rhythm, or a different way to build an ostinato. 5/16
Similarly, I created quite a bit of electronic material as I arranged their original ideas into longer musical pieces. It was a continuous creative adventure built around hard work and creativity, we were fully invested in making something extraordinary. 6/16
It was a magical two years of my life. Daft Punk’s support, mentorship, and wisdom shaped me into the composer and artist I am today. 7/16
For a long time, I asked myself “Why me?” How did I wind up in this enviable position working alongside two of the greatest musical artists of recent history? The reason became clear during the mix. 8/16
Thomas and Guyman asked music mixer Alan Meyerson to take out all the electronics from an emotional cue - they wanted to try a mix of just the orchestra. But the orchestra sounded thin and incomplete! I sat quietly in horror. Did I fail at my job? 9/16
Then they asked for the opposite - “Let’s listen to the synths only,” one of them said. Similarly, the mix of only the electronics seemed underwhelming and light. 10/16
Only when we put the orchestra and electronics back together did the music truly sing. That’s when I knew why I was there: Daft Punk needed a collaborator who could see the full picture, and my background in both classical and electronic music was perfect. 11/16
Arranging and orchestration in modern cinematic music must encompass all musical instrumentation, whether it is acoustic or electronic. 12/16
Thomas and Guyman spoke often about how they were trying to create something timeless while at the same time adding a sonic signature that would reflect the time and place of creation. 13/16
Re-listening to #tronlegacy today left me with a great sense of pride and accomplishment, because I truly feel we were able to achieve exactly that. I am forever grateful to Daft Punk, Joseph Kosinski, and everyone at Disney for inviting me to be a part of their history. 14/16
Some amazing people who also played an important role in our score: 15/16
Dan Lerner https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2382566/
David Channing https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2057881/
Alan Meyerson https://mixwiththemasters.com/meyerson
Geoff Foster @GeoffFoster https://www.airstudios.com/geoff-foster/
Gavin Greenaway @greenawaymusic https://www.gavingreenaway.com/
Toby Chu https://tobychumusic.com/ 16/16
David Channing https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2057881/
Alan Meyerson https://mixwiththemasters.com/meyerson
Geoff Foster @GeoffFoster https://www.airstudios.com/geoff-foster/
Gavin Greenaway @greenawaymusic https://www.gavingreenaway.com/
Toby Chu https://tobychumusic.com/ 16/16
BONUS: See some potato-quality cell phone pics from 2010 via my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joecomposer/
