2017 repress - Dark, seductive, and decidedly slick, Cliff Martinez’s score for neo-noir thriller Drive is a law unto itself as well as a milestone in modern composition. Set in the bustling streets of Central Los Angeles, the film recounts the tale of an unnamed Hollywood stunt performer (Ryan Gosling) who moonlights as a hired getaway driver. Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn provides a compelling insight into the criminal underbelly of L.A., defusing this tension with the charming “will they/won’t they” relationship between the Driver and his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan). Martinez responds with an endearing retro-futurist score realised using 80’s replica plug-in synthesisers. Drive is coated in a minimalistic ambience of dissonant strings, metronomic shivers and synth-driven drones. Martinez manipulates these sounds in order to mimic the vibrant lifestyle of the Driver. The result is a gripping electronic soundtrack, reflective of the action but never intrusive.
A1 | –Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx | Nightcall | 4:20 |
A2 | –Desire (16) | Under Your Spell | 3:53 |
A3 | –College Feat. Electric Youth | A Real Hero | 4:28 |
A4 | –Riz Ortolani Feat. Katyna Ranieri | Oh My Love | 2:50 |
A5 | –The Chromatics* | Tick Of The Clock | 4:48 |
A6 | –Cliff Martinez | Rubber Head | 3:09 |
A7 | –Cliff Martinez | I Drive | 2:04 |
A8 | –Cliff Martinez | He Had A Good Time | 1:37 |
A9 | –Cliff Martinez | They Broke His Pelvis | 1:58 |
A10 | –Cliff Martinez | Kick Your Teeth | 2:40 |
A11 | –Cliff Martinez | Where's The Deluxe Version? | 5:33 |
B1 | –Cliff Martinez | See You In Four | 2:38 |
B2 | –Cliff Martinez | After The Chase | 5:26 |
B3 | –Cliff Martinez | Hammer | 4:44 |
B4 | –Cliff Martinez | Wrong Floor | 1:31 |
B5 | –Cliff Martinez | Skull Crushing | 5:58 |
B6 | –Cliff Martinez | My Name On A Car | 2:19 |
B7 | –Cliff Martinez | On The Beach | 6:35 |
B8 | –Cliff Martinez | Bride Of Deluxe | 3:57 |