Drive - Scoring a noir film with a cristal baschet and neo-80's new wave

I was very impressed with Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 film Drive.  A lovely blend of arthouse noir and crime thriller, the film (to a certain extent) is an homage to films like Bullitt(1968), Thief(1981), and "To Live And Die In L.A." (1985).The entire film score and accompanying songs radiate an active 1980's motif. Very reminiscent of two innovative film composers of the 1980's. The first is 70's ambient/electronic band Tangerine Dream who scored memorable films like Risky Business, Legend, Firestarter, and Near Dark.  The other being electronic king Giorgio Moroder who handled 80's classics American Gigolo, Scarface, Cat People, The Neverending Story, and Flashdance. 


The score was comprised by former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez. Martinez is known for creating excellent film scores for Traffic, Pump Up The Volume, Solaris, and Contagion. For Drive, Martinez incorporated an unusual instrument to provide most of the score. A cristal baschet. The cristal baschet is made of 54 chromatically tuned glass rods. The glass rods are rubbed with moistened fingers to produce vibrations. The resulting music used in the film evokes a sense of fantasy, and dreamlike atmosphere with pulsing tones of melancholy, desire, fear and uncertainty (mirroring the emotions of the film).

Then there are the four remarkable songs that are well planted throughout the film. Kavinsky and Lovefoxxx's "Nightcall" opens the film playing alongside the 80's style hot pink opening titles. A somewhat unsettling song at first, but redeems itself with an infectious chorus and clever production. Next is Desire's "Under Your Spell". A beautifully crafted song that will charm and appeal to many tastes. This track sounds very similar to The Cocteau Twins work (specifically "Orange Appled"). Desire is a fine blend of an 80's and 90's sound. 

The gem of the soundtrack is "A Real Hero" by College featuring Electric Youth. A very stylish and flirtatious track, although quite somber. Think of it as a 1980's bag of tricks conjuring various sounds that all seem very familiar and nostalgic. An absolutely addicting song. David Grellier of College described his band as follows,  "College was an attempt to synthesize [into music] the emotions of my childhood. I was greatly influenced by American 1980's pop culture. 80's films and an aesthetic which I particularly like; color, images, silvery films and the sun. Images of L.A.,  Chicago, and all the other cities that continue to fascinate me."   As a child of the 80's, I too share this same fondness.

Last is "Tick Of The Clock" by The Chromatics. This track simply exudes coolness and confidence that the film wears like a hip accessory (scorpion jacket). At times it reminded me of the classic Knight Rider theme. This one really gets the blood pumping.

If you crave more neo-80's sounds, check out The Chromatics "Kill For Love", "In The City" "Back From The Grave", "I'm On Fire"(Springsteen cover) and "Running Up That Hill" (cover of the Kate Bush classic).  Also try College's "Teenage Color", "The Golden Messenger", and "Fantasy Park". 

The Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is now available for free download on Freegal through the library's catalog and the DVD for Drive is available for reserve. Enjoy.

Addendum: On Tuesday, August 7, Club Congress will be featuring The Drive Tour featuring College, Anorak, and Electric Youth from the DRIVE soundtrack.. If you enjoyed the film, or are just a fan of new wave music, please check out the show.


Fred