industrial. Mechanical. Brutal. These are the words acclaimed electro-acoustic composer Hans Zimmer used to describe the music for Dune: Part Two, which was released in Australia on Thursday.
Dune: Part One (2021) showcased Zimmer's expertise in manipulating sound to create tones that uniquely fit the on-screen environment. New movies are no exception.
By carefully considering the world of Dune and utilizing a variety of audio production and editing techniques, Zimmer created a rich score that brings author Frank Herbert's fantasy world to life.
Creating a rich and textured sound world
Zimmer looks at the visual world of a film, such as the color palette of the costumes or the way the cinematographer shoots the film, to determine his sound and instrument choices.
“It starts with creating a sonic world that the song or motif wants to live in,” Zimmer said in an interview.
He uses several tools to accomplish this, making use of plugins and audio editing tools to fragment, subdivide, stretch, shorten, and invert specific parts of the sound's frequency range. Repeat and feature. He also processes unique sounds, such as the sound of metal scraping or sand falling into a metal bowl.
The result is a unique soundscape that aligns with the film's central war story. The score's militaristic atmosphere is enhanced by the use of deep drums and percussion, repetitive (and sometimes delicate) vocals, and eerie synthesizers that range from warm tones to metallic tones with unpleasant shrieks. It has been created.
All of this combines to draw viewers into both a deep human story and a dangerous environment where tensions prevail.
Like a merciless otherworld
Zimmer is well versed in manipulating sound to design unique sound worlds, an approach born of his lifelong passion for electronic music. For Dune: Part Two, he composed a sonic landscape as unforgiving as the planet Arrakis itself.
There are some familiar components, including synthesized real-world elements, vocals, and a repeat of the melody used in the first film. The melodies of both Paul and Kwisatz Haderach are repeated, as is the House of Atreides theme.
“Eclipse,” a track that repeats elements of a crusade signal, has eerie deep brass, deep percussion, eerie vocals, and synthesizers working to create an ominous atmosphere.
An evocative blend of bagpipes, synthesizers, and processed sounds are added to evoke an otherworldly atmosphere. Combined with soloist Loire Cotler's ethereal vocals, these disparate musical elements intertwine to build an unforgettable atmosphere.
The line between soundtrack and film sound design blurs, creating moments of heightened tension. For the viewer, the dynamic use of these musical elements creates an almost visceral experience.
amazing soundtrack
Compared to the first film, Dune: Part 2 expands on its atmospheric musical world with a much more foreboding and dramatic style brought to life by woodwinds and synthesizers.
This soundtrack is worth listening to as a complete album, and is a dynamic continuation and expansion of the first film's quiet, moody score. The tone has changed significantly, and melodic themes from the first film are intentionally woven into it.
The first track, “Beginnings Are Such Delicate Times”, is an expansion of a theme heard briefly in the first film, played on the bagpipes when Atreides first arrives at the landing site on Arrakis. Dune: Part 2 highlights this theme as Zimmer transforms it from a military announcement to a moment of pure emotion.
In A Time of Quiet Between the Storms, the same bagpipe melody is repurposed. It is a romantic love theme between Chani and Paul Atreides.
The track begins with a single wind instrument, synthesizer, and percussion. The percussion transports the viewer back to Zimmer's dream of Arrakis from the opening of the first film. This interweaving of eerie themes is contrasted with feelings of hope.
The New Emperor and Bene Gesserit theme ties in with the return of the crusade theme from the first film, which has now been translated into the theme heard at the point of Paul's victory in the film.
By exploring the relationship between film soundtracks and sound design, Zimmer creates a sonic world full of personality and new tonal possibilities.
