Music: thenewno2 - Never Too Late

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In brief - because it would be easy to write a manual on this lot - thenewno2 are singer / guitarist Dhani Harrison, keyboard / programmer Paul Hicks, keyboards / guitarist Jonathan Sadoff, guitarist Jeremy Faccone, bassist Aaron Older and drummer Frank Zummo.  A band including Grammy Award winners and a Beatles' and a Hollies' child, experienced in not only making music but also films and artwork, and who are not shy of a side project are clearly going to fit the brief for any challenge.  For a film score, for example.

And here is where we meet the track Never Too Late.  Never Too Late is one of two currently unreleased tracks by the band that feature on their score for upcoming film Beautiful Creatures, which counts Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson among it's cast.  The films director, Richard LaGravenese, asked for a sound that he had never heard before, and said that he was 'knocked out' by the bands ideas, excitement, and creativity as they created a new genre, which the band dubbed 'swamptronica'.  Thenewno2 recruited almost a dozen extra voices and influences for the score, including The Duke Spirit's Leila Moss who features on Never Too Late as well as Run To Me (also featuring Ben Harper).

In anticipation of the release of the soundtrack on February 12th (followed by the film, Beautiful Creatures, on February 14th) you can listen to Never Too Late on Soundcloud.  You will find that the track fits perfectly with film music.  The variances in texture, from sparse and myseterious to thick, epic string undercurrents, and the unpredictable rythms and chords make for a piece of music that is able to capture your interest to hear it to the end.  Leila Moss's smooth, unassuming but powerful vocals compliment the track, as do the guitar solos, while it all builds up to a dramatic and slightly discordant, haunting finish.

You will find Never Too Late below, but to hear more please visit the Soundcloud page.  You can also visit their website or follow them on Twitter (@thenewno2).

Release of the Beautiful Creature Original Motion Soundtrack, on Watertower / Sony Music is on February 12th 2013.

Music: Daft Punk - Tron: Legacy Soundtrack

Right, cast your minds back many months, all the way back to April.  I wrote a review of the film Tron: Legacy and the original Tron film, and in that review I told you all the soundtrack was great and that there was to be a new CD of remixes from the soundtrack out soon (you can read it here).

When I watched the film at the cinema, the soundtrack was every bit as amazing as the special effects.  The soundtrack and film went together so well that it would be fair to say that without the soundtrack the film might not have been quite as epic, and equally without the film (and enormous speakers providing the surround sound) the music isn't quite as epic.  But it is close.

To get a taster of the soundtrack try this video.  It is a trailer but it features one of my favourite tracks Derezzed, and hopefully it'll make you all want to watch the film (which I understand is the purpose of a trailer)!  And yes that is Michael Sheen AND it is Daft Punk, just in case you were wondering...

R3C0NF1GURED is a CD of remixes of the Daft Punk original soundtrack by a whole range of other artists.  I really love how this CD has developed each track into a full, stand-alone song.  One of the only negatives of the original album was that it IS a soundtrack and this is fairly obvious when you listen to the CD.  This is one of my favourite tracks off of the R3C0NF1GURED CD, but a word of warning - make sure your speakers are prepared for bass.  For example, in my car this causes extreme embarrassment due my speakers inability to deliver the low notes.  What actually happens is there is a low rattle and vibration... and I look like a chav.

Pretty Lights - Daft Punk Solar Sailer Remix by prettylights