Daft Punk – Tron: Legacy

If the prospect of having Daft Punk soundtrack the 28-year follow up to cult video-game-as-movie Tron sounds like a marriage made in digital heaven, then what’s perhaps surprising is how well Tron: Legacy works despite not sounding much like Daft Punk.

Derezzed, the track used in early teaser trailers, is one of the few out-and-out moments where the French duo’s robotic disco touch is heavily evident. Had Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter persevered down this route, it’s likely the anticipation that’s greeting the resurrected franchise would be somewhat deflated.

Thankfully, with the help of an 85-piece orchestra, Tron: Legacy is not just another Daft Punk album. The discipline of the soundtrack medium seems to have refocused attentions after the mildly disappointing Human After All. Repetition is used to their advantage this time, with recurring musical motifs re-imagined and resurrected. On Recognizer, their bubbling electronics merge beautifully with cyclical violins and blaring French horns to form one of many highlights, a tact that works well throughout. It also shows that Homem-Christo and Bangalter have been doing their score homework, wearing those Hans Zimmer, Brad Fiedel and Vangelis influences proudly.

That they have no truck with avoiding the neon spotlight here, when such a temptation must have been great, is what lets Tron: Legacy win out and what will keep you coming back long after the final credits roll. As a movie, Tron: Legacy looks set to wow cinema-goers with its stunning visuals, but in the hands of Daft Punk, your ears are in for an equally amazing treat.