Michael Giacchino - Star Trek Into Darkness: an album guide
JJ Abrams' composer of choice Michael Giacchino returns for the second instalment in the rebooted Star Trek series, Into Darkness. Expect thrills, phasers, explosions and some cracking brass work - find it all here with some great pictures from the movie.
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1. Pranking The Natives
You could argue that Giacchino has become a progressively more melodic and tonal composer as his career has progressed. However, this fabulous slab of action music is full of the brassy stabs and honks that first made him such an exciting writer.
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2. Spock Drops, Kirk Jumps
Half-Vulcan, half-human Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the young Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) both return for this second adventure in JJ Abrams' rebooted Star Trek series.
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3. Sub Prime Directive
A barely-audible string entry, some sweeping horns in the background, a few desperate-sounding tubular bells… this is atmospheric stuff and an enigmatic title to say the least. Here's the cast of the movie at the London premiere
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4. London Calling
Sadly not an orchestral redux of the Clash song, but a piano-led miniature that seems to be quite poignant. Giacchino rarely turns to overtly emotional music, but this sounds pretty close…
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5. Meld-merized
Speculation suggests that this title has something to do with a Vulcan mind-meld - but between who? Surely Spock has to be in there, but who is he melding his mind to? Starfleet agent John Harrison and the movie's main baddie (played by Benedict Cumberbatch)? You'll have to wait and see…
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6. The Kronos Wartet
We can't hear any evidence of the actual Kronos Quartet's involvement with this track, so we'll have to assume it's just Giacchino having a little bit of fun. What we can hear, though, is an entire chorus of Vulcan chanting. Yikes! Here's Simon Pegg (who plays Scotty) high-fiving a fan at the premiere.
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7. Brigadoon
Another quiet and reflective piece. It begins with the merest suggestion of strings and rumbling timpani, which is far from the rather war-heavy title. Intriguing.
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8. Ship To Ship
Shuddering strings and tension are the name of the game here - perhaps the poster art of the USS Enterprise tumbling through the sky on fire might be something to do with this one?
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9. Earthbound and Down
Sharp stabs of brass contrast with harps in the background. It's probably safe to assume that the cast have ended up back on Earth by this point.
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10. Warp Core Values
Scotty, played by Simon Pegg, is supposed to be in charge of all things Warp-related, so we'll take a punt on his involvement with this slice of bombast from Giacchino's soundtrack.
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11. Buying The Space Farm
A return to super-soft piano with light string accompaniment. After the bombast that precedes it, could we be safe in assuming that some sort of tragedy has struck as a result of a battle?
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12. The San Fran Hustle
Another suggestion that at least some of the action will be Earth-bound, just like in the previous movie. Here's JJ Abrams on set during the filming of the movie.
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13. Kirk Enterprises
Is this just another punning title, or something more serious? Forum speculation suggests that this could be harking back to themes from the original Star Trek movies, or maybe even that there could be a brand new Starship Enterprise by the end of the film…
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14. Star Trek Main Theme
Giacchino's theme for the rebooted Star Trek movies is classic blockbuster sci-fi adventure music. If the rest of the score shows the composer at his most in-depth and complex, this is him releasing and relaxing - a cracking end.
