Wikipedia

Annihilation (soundtrack)

Annihilation (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack to the 2018 science fiction film Annihilation, directed by Alex Garland. The film score is composed by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow and released through Lakeshore Records in the United States, and Invada Records in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2018.

Annihilation (Music from the Motion Picture)
Film score by
Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow
ReleasedFebruary 23, 2018
Recorded2016–2018
Studio
  • Air-Edel
  • Invada
  • Optimum Mastering
GenreFilm score
Length82:14
Label
Ben Salisbury chronology
Free Fire (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2017) 		Annihilation (Music from the Motion Picture)
(2018) 		Hanna
(2019)
Geoff Barrow chronology
Free Fire (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2017) 		Annihilation (Music from the Motion Picture)
(2018) 		>>>
(2018)

Development

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In August 2016, it was announced that Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow would compose the musical score for the film; the duo previously worked with Garland on their debut film Ex Machina (2014).[1] The duo worked on the film's musical score for a year. According to Salisbury, as the film "vaguely references – like Southern Comfort – those searching-in-jungles-and-backwoods-of-America-type films, it just felt right to put acoustic guitar there."[2] Examining the psychedelic nature of the film, Salisbury had to utilize synthesizers in a distorted effect to provide thrills as the characters' DNA being affected by "the shimmer" (the mysterious place the characters visit). Salisbury and Baroff had to compose a bigger cue that represent the mystic place.[3] They had written five different versions of the score, but at one point, the four notes of that theme existed throughout the score in an orchestral version, and they did not use synthesizers. In the final version, the theme was used harmonically throughout orchestral theme and used an acoustic guitar that heard throughout the film. However, the version used in the trailer had them using synthesizers and being put through various processes which led to the said version.[4]

The thematic approach was the same way the duo did for Ex Machina. Salisbury recalled that when they first saw the alien sequence in the lighthouse, they were "blown away" and composed a choral arrangement for the 12-15-minute-long sequence. The piece "The Alien" had four sections, where the duo conjointly scored the orchestral parts, and separately scored the electronic and choral parts, respectively and stitched the pieces. From the onset, they refrained from the use of synthesizers.[3] The duo used a waterphone to produce weird noises in the early part of the film, as it referenced Lalo Schifrin's score for Dirty Harry (1971) in the sound effects. However, they tried to bring a waterphone choir out of it, hence, Salisbury would sing the notes in the control room and Barrow would bow that tone out of it, which was like a steel octopus. He added "Because it's not tunable, it would never produce perfect results, it always wobbled and was weird," which eventually made as the perfect tune for the Shimmer.[2]

Since they recorded most of the portion without synthesizers, they however found that the lighthouse scene felt suitable for using the electronics. The four-note bed that composed for the score was produced with the sound of waterphone and strings interspersed with guitar elements. The theme was a bigger cue in the original version which Garland wanted to use in the climax, so as to get the desired impact. The proper use of themes helped them on the scoring process.[2][4]

Release

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The soundtrack album was distributed by Lakeshore Records in the United States and Invada Records in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2018, coinciding with the film's release, and was later made available in CDs and vinyl LPs.[5] The album's track listing order unfolds in the same sequence as the music in the film, as the score had a journey of narrative arc. Salisbury added that by not replicating the narrative arc on the record, it makes it difficult to listen for those who have not seen the film. This process would help the audiences to like the music, the same way they liked the film.[3]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Annihilation's score was positively received by music critics. Aaron Vehling of Vehlinggo wrote "On Annihilation, Barrow and Salisbury achieve this profoundly and with great reward for listeners and, notably, filmgoers."[6] Kaya Savas of Film.Music.Media called it as a "much more daring and more complex experience" in comparison with the duo's previous album Ex Machina.[7] Rob Wacey of AllMusic wrote "The score for Annihilation is a refreshing listen for soundtrack aficionados and proves that Salisbury and Barrow have plenty of tricks up their sleeves as innovative composers."[8] Pete Simons of Synchrotones gave a negative review, summarizing "other than unease, they offer no emotion, no storytelling, no dramatic arch."[9]

Film critics, however, responded to the score more positively. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "The rumbling, churning electronic score by Ben Salisbury and Portishead's Geoff Barrow, who previously collaborated on the score to Ex Machina, finds a path directly to the viewer's anxiety button and presses it incessantly."[10] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post wrote the film's "meditative tone deepened by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury's counterintuitive score, composed largely of soothing acoustic guitar riffs, rather than the usual synthesized bloops and beeps."[11] Kimberly Jones of The Austin Chronicle, reviewed that it "adds an emotional complexity with its mix of heartland guitar, spooky AF strings, and submerged-sounding synths."[12]

Julian Roman of MovieWeb called that the score was instrumental in building anxiety with the use of "odd sound effects, followed by guitar melodies to alternately creep; then lull before pivotal scenes. It's a winning combination that delivers some first-rate scares."[13] Henry Stewart of Slant Magazine wrote "Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury's score evokes that unsteady imbalance, mixing acoustic, finger-pickin' folk with dissonant droning, respectively evoking the organic and the inhuman."[14]

Best-of lists

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Controversy

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On January 31, 2019, rapper Lil Pump released the single "Racks on Racks" from his second studio album Harverd Dropout (2019). Two days later, Barrow through his Twitter (now X) account, accused him of sampling the track "The Alien" for the song "Racks on Racks" without his permission and also criticized the song for its sexist lyrics.[20][21]

Track listing

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Disc 1 track listing
No.TitleLength
1."What Do You Know?"2:36
2."Ambulance Chase"2:58
3."Approaching the Shimmer"1:52
4."Disoriented"2:37
5."The Alligator"1:02
6."For Those That Follow"2:48
7."The Swimming Pool"2:57
8."The Watchtower"2:08
9."Sheppard"2:45
10."The Body"2:04
11."Plant People"2:44
12."Cells Divide"1:37
13."The Bear"4:52
14."The Beach"4:23
15."Were You Me?"3:03
16."Lighthouse Chamber"2:05
17."The Alien"12:03
18."Annihilation"5:22
Total length:59:56
Disc 2 track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Beach" (alternate version)2:52
2."Coma"2:27
3."Southern Reach Questioning"2:06
4."Shimmer Reveal"0:38
5."Abandoned Army Base"2:10
6."Camp Awakening"0:35
7."Two Theories"2:12
8."In All of Us"1:46
9."We Are Headed That Way"2:10
10."End Titles" (alternate version)1:18
11."End Credits" (alternate version)4:04
Total length:22:18

Personnel

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Credits adapted from liner notes.[22]

  • Ben Salisbury – composer, producer, guitar, percussion, electronics
  • Geoff Barrow – composer, producer, guitar, percussion, electronics
  • Jerry Crozier-Cole – guitar
  • Alison Garner – vocals
  • Charlotte Newstead – vocals
  • Judith Ogden – vocals
  • Chamber Orchestra of London – strings
  • RSVP Singers – choir
  • Elizabeth Purnell – orchestrator, conductor
  • Gareth Griffiths – contractor
  • Simon Ashdown – sound design
  • Stuart Mattews – recording
  • Nick Taylor – recording
  • James Trevascus – recording assistance
  • Adam Miller – recording assistance
  • Shawn Joseph – mastering
  • Rupert Coulson – mixing
  • Yann McCullough – music editor
  • Darrell Alexander – score coordinator
  • Jason Richmond – album coordinator
  • John Bergin – art direction
  • Brian McNelis – executive producer
  • Skip Williamson – executive producer
  • Scott Rudin – executive producer
  • Randy Spendlove – executive in charge of music

Accolades

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Accolades for Annihilation (Music from the Motion Picture)
Award Date of ceremony Category Result Ref.
Austin Film Critics Association January 7, 2019 Best Original Score Nominated [23]
[24]
Florida Film Critics Circle December 21, 2018 Best Score Nominated [25]
[26]
Georgia Film Critics Association December 1, 2018 Best Original Score Nominated [27]
International Cinephile Society February 4, 2019 Best Original Score Nominated [28]
[29]
St. Louis Film Critics Association December 16, 2018 Best Score Nominated [30]

Release history

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Release history for Annihilation (Music from the Motion Picture)
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various February 23, 2018
[22]
April 13, 2018 CD [31]
August 3, 2018 vinyl [32]

References

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  1. ^ "Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury to Score Alex Garland's 'Annihilation'". Film Music Reporter. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Beta, Andy (March 14, 2018). "'Annihilation': Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury Talk Its Haunting Score". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Britt, Thomas (June 5, 2018). "The Sound of the Shimmer: Interview with Annihilation's Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow". PopMatters. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Martinelli, Marissa (February 20, 2018). "Annihilation Co-Composer Ben Salisbury Explains How That Weird Little Melody Wound Up in the Film's Trailer". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Martinelli, Marissa (February 23, 2018). "This Is Exactly How Many Minutes You Have to Wait to Hear That Cool, Weird Sound in Annihilation". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  6. ^ Vehling, Aaron (February 22, 2018). "Barrow and Salisbury Artfully Expand Their Repertoire for the 'Annihilation' Score". Vehlinggo. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Savas, Kaya (March 9, 2018). "Annihilation by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow". Film.Music.Media. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Wacey, Rob. "Review: Annihilation [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Simons, Pete (March 1, 2018). "Annihilation (Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow)". Synchrotones. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  10. ^ McCarthy, Todd (February 21, 2018). "'Annihilation': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  11. ^ Hornaday, Ann (February 22, 2018). "Review | Natalie Portman stars in the enigmatic, ultimately unsatisfying 'Annihilation'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  12. ^ Jones, Kimberly (March 1, 2018). "Movie Review: Annihilation". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  13. ^ Roman, Julian (February 22, 2018). "Annihilation Review: A Truly Strange and Eerie Sci-Fi Odyssey". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  14. ^ Stewart, Henry (February 21, 2018). "Review: Annihilation". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  15. ^ Ehrlich, David (December 7, 2018). "The 10 Best Movie Scores of 2018, Ranked". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  16. ^ Pitchfork (February 21, 2019). "The 50 Best Movie Scores of All Time". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 2, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  17. ^ Chitwood, Adam (December 21, 2018). "The Best Movie Scores of 2018: From Black Panther to Suspiria". Collider. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  18. ^ Ebiri, Bilge (December 28, 2018). "The 10 Best Movie Scores of 2018". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  19. ^ Lobenfeld, Claire; Twells, John (December 21, 2018). "The best TV and film scores of 2018". Fact Magazine. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  20. ^ Roffman, Michael (February 2, 2019). "Geoff Barrow accuses Lil Pump of stealing Annihilation sample for "deeply f*cking sexist song"". Consequence. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  21. ^ Strauss, Matthew (February 2, 2019). "Geoff Barrow Accuses Lil Pump of Sampling Him Without Permission for "Deeply Fucking Sexist Song"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Annihilation (Music From The Motion Picture), by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow". Invada Records. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via Bandcamp.
  23. ^ Whittaker, Richard (December 28, 2018). "Austin Film Critics Release 2018 Awards Nominee Lists". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  24. ^ Whittaker, Richard (January 7, 2019). "Austin Film Critics Association Announces 2018's Best Films and More". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  25. ^ "The Favourite leads 2018 Florida Film Critics Awards Nominations". Florida Film Critics Circle. December 19, 2018. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  26. ^ Morgenstern, Hans (December 21, 2018). "2018 FFCC Award Winners". Florida Film Critics Circle. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  27. ^ "2018 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  28. ^ Stevens, Beth (January 20, 2019). "Zama Awaits its Fate, While Burning Catches Fire at ICS Awards". International Cinephile Society. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  29. ^ Lodge, Guy (February 4, 2019). "Lucrecia Martel's Zama Tops International Cinephile Society Winners". Variety. Archived from the original on November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  30. ^ "2018 StLFCA Annual Award Winners". St. Louis Film Critics Association. December 16, 2018. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  31. ^ "Annihilation OST by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow [CD]". Invada Records. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  32. ^ "Annihilation OST by Ben Salisbury & Geoff Barrow [VINYL]". Invada Records. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
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