Two Snippets From ‘Rogue One’ Score Hit The Web

Two snippets from Michael Giacchino’s score to the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story can be heard in a new video from Entertainment Weekly taking fans behind the scenes at a scoring session from the Star Wars spin-off. Giacchino is the first ever composer to provide music for a Star Wars film who isn’t legendary composer John Williams. Unfortunately, you can tell. But no one should ever expect anyone to measure up to the compositions by Williams. He has provided the world with some of the greatest symphonic music of all time.

Personally, I have never been a fan of  Giacchino’s work as I find it doesn’t usually add up to anything. That being said, the snippets heard in the video from EW aren’t bad. But be the judge for yourself.

Head on over to EW to watch the video.

The tracklist for the soundtrack has also been revealed.

1. He’s Here For Us (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
2. A Long Ride Ahead (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
3. Wobani Imperial Labor Camp (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
4. Trust Goes Both Ways (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
5. When Has Become Now (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
6. Jedha Arrival (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
7. Jedha City Ambush (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
8. Star-Dust (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
9. Confrontation on Eadu (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
10. Krennic’s Aspirations (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
11. Rebellions Are Built on Hope (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
12. Rogue One (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
13. Cargo Shuttle SW-0608 (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
14. Scrambling the Rebel Fleet (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
15. AT-ACT Assault (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
16. The Master Switch (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
17. Your Father Would Be Proud (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
18. Hope (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
19. Jyn Erso & Hope Suite (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
20. The Imperial Suite (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
21. Guardians of the Whills Suite (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)

Tracklist for Michael Giacchino’s ‘Rogue One’ Score Revealed

The tracklist for the soundtrack to the upcoming Star Wars spin-off has hit the web. The score was composed by Michael Giacchino after he was added last minute to the project upon the exit of composer Alexandre Desplat due to scheduling conflicts. Giacchino, a long time Star Wars fan, will be the first ever composer to score a Star Wars film other than John Williams.

The soundtrack released for Episode I: The Phantom Menace is notorious for revealing the death of Qui-Gon Jinn via the track title “Qui-Gon’s Noble End”, but don’t worry, the tracklist is descriptive, however. It does not contain any spoilers.

1. He’s Here For Us (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
2. A Long Ride Ahead (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
3. Wobani Imperial Labor Camp (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
4. Trust Goes Both Ways (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
5. When Has Become Now (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
6. Jedha Arrival (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
7. Jedha City Ambush (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
8. Star-Dust (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
9. Confrontation on Eadu (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
10. Krennic’s Aspirations (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
11. Rebellions Are Built on Hope (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
12. Rogue One (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
13. Cargo Shuttle SW-0608 (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
14. Scrambling the Rebel Fleet (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
15. AT-ACT Assault (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
16. The Master Switch (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
17. Your Father Would Be Proud (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
18. Hope (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
19. Jyn Erso & Hope Suite (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
20. The Imperial Suite (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)
21. Guardians of the Whills Suite (From “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”/Score)

What’s remarkable about the tracklist is the final track titled “Guardians of the Whills”. For those who don’t know, George Lucas had originally written a journal that referenced the Jedi known as The Journal of the Whills. The Journal featured the first ever mention of Jedi Master Mace Windu. It was officially brought into canon in the novelization of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

The novel opened with a verse from the journal containing a poem about the light and dark sides of the force:

“First comes the day
Then comes the night.
After the darkness
Shines through the light.
The difference, they say,
Is only made right
By the resolving of gray
Through refined Jedi sight.“―Journal of the Whills, 7:477

(via SWNN)

‘Stranger Things’ Live @ The Echoplex

When the Netflix Original Series Stranger Things took the world by storm it had everyone buzzing over the incredible score featuring the warm and fuzzy analog synths that harkened back to the Tangerine Dream scores of the 80’s. The score was written and performed by Austin natives Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, who are part of a larger electronic group called “S U R V I V E”, which also includes Mark Donica and Adam Jones.

The group is currently on tour performing their new album, RR7349, but that didn’t stop them from treating audiences to a live performance of the Stranger Things main theme just a few weeks ago in Los Angeles. Check it out below and thanks to Brad Beaumont for recording this gem!

‘Doctor Strange’: Score by Composer Michael Giacchino Mystifies

Thanks to Collider for bringing this aural peek into what will be the score of Doctor Strange to my attention. This track comes to us by way of an ‘audio only’ YouTube video and is titled, ‘The Master of the Mystic,’ noting that it appears in the end credits. Marvel has brought Oscar Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino into its cinematic scoring fold, possibly hoping to add more ambient touches to the overall mood of the film.

The piece itself holds a kind of meandering, other-worldly choice of instruments, ranging from sitar and electric guitar to the bright, light chop of the harpsichord. The blend of the arrangement works well, and though I thought the intro was a little lackluster, the rest of the actual piece is really great stuff. Can’t wait to hear the rest of what’s to come, put to some incredible visuals.

While I typically love the action in Marvel films on the big screen, and the themes on their small screen Netflix offerings, sometimes I struggle to find the cohesion in the task of the composers they’ve recruited and the overall blend of the sequences. The music can get lost in the background of explosions, sound effects, and even in mixing. A lot of factors make for an outstanding score. I’m incredibly optimistic in the potential backdrop this latest composer will bring, given his extensive career in what I would consider mood-driven, esoteric composition.

Giacchino, who’s also providing the score for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has composed for television series such as Lost, Fringe, and Alias, to only name a few, and for more recent films, Star Trek Beyond, and Jurassic World. I know that at a certain point during  ‘Lost’s’ run, I had to take a break from the series because the score and the story together kept making me consistently cry. ‘Fringe’s’ music had me constantly on edge. But that’s the kind of effect I want music to have (either television or film) on me, without being drowned into the background by the action. Since Giacchino scored Star Trek: Into Darkness, which also starred Benedict Cumberbatch, it’ll be fun to hear whether there are any throwbacks to that broader sense of orchestral size that the big screen tends to encourage composers to take.

SOURCES: MARVEL, COLLIDER