IDM OSTs / electronic soundtracks in general

I often feel that idm and similar stuff sounds "cinematic" by itself and would make a great soundtrack. Because i couldn't think of anything besides 70s/80s stuff like A Clockwork Orange, Aguirre or Blade Runner, i just googled for "electronic music soundtracks" and some similar search terms. The results were more or less what i already mentioned + Tron, Drive, Spring Breakers and some shitty Tom Cruise movie i already forgot the name of with a soundtrack by M83.

So what else has happened in Movie OSTs since the 80s? Any tips for movies to check out?

I have "Cathexis Motion Picture Soundtrack" by Christ., haven't seen the motion picture though. It's quite good.

More or less every movie nowadays has some sort of electronic soundtrack in it. Big blockbusters tend to have a cinematic orchestra in the front, but if you're attentive you'll hear a bunch of bass modulations and other LFO craziness in the back - because these things work. On the other hand, ambient music is also very prominent, especially in the indie filmmaking. The main problem of soundtracks in my opinion is that you can't really be innovative, because the audience should not notice that there is some music going on - rather, the music should seamlessly blend with the visuals. That's why soundtracks haven't evolved much through decades. Some things work and that's it. Just remember the loud, harsh brass note that Inception used in its trailer - not it is used in almost every action trailer there is.

edit: oscillik beat me to it.

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:00 PM, oscillik said:

Which ssssssuuuuuuuuucks.

The soundtrack, that is.

There's shitloads of IDM used in documentaries.

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:06 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:00 PM, oscillik said:

 

Which ssssssuuuuuuuuucks.

The soundtrack, that is.

 

it has the amen break in it, and a 303. your opinion is invalid.

  On 4/7/2014 at 5:56 PM, Dpek said:

More or less every movie nowadays has some sort of electronic soundtrack in it. Big blockbusters tend to have a cinematic orchestra in the front, but if you're attentive you'll hear a bunch of bass modulations and other LFO craziness in the back - because these things work. On the other hand, ambient music is also very prominent, especially in the indie filmmaking. The main problem of soundtracks in my opinion is that you can't really be innovative, because the audience should not notice that there is some music going on - rather, the music should seamlessly blend with the visuals. That's why soundtracks haven't evolved much through decades. Some things work and that's it. Just remember the loud, harsh brass note that Inception used in its trailer - not it is used in almost every action trailer there is.

Sometimes in movies there's a point where they let some song play in the forefront for a couple of minutes, I love it when that happens. I suppose at moments like that you can have innovative music, as long as it's fitting.

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:20 PM, oscillik said:

 

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:06 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:00 PM, oscillik said:

 

Which ssssssuuuuuuuuucks.

The soundtrack, that is.

 

it has the amen break in it, and a 303. your opinion is invalid.

 

Shiiiiieeeet... IDM boyz owned me! H3ADSH0T CITY COMING AT YA!

The Devil's Playground documentary really went for both SAWs.

  Quote

Devil's Playground (Documentary) (performer: "CD 1- Track 1", "CD 2- Track 1", "CD 2- Track 5", "CD 2- Track 7", "Xtal", "Heliosphan")

Some decent electronic stuff in this if your thing is dark ambient

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:28 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:20 PM, oscillik said:

 

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:06 PM, Squee said:

 

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:00 PM, oscillik said:

 

Which ssssssuuuuuuuuucks.

The soundtrack, that is.

 

it has the amen break in it, and a 303. your opinion is invalid.

 

Shiiiiieeeet... IDM boyz owned me! H3ADSH0T CITY COMING AT YA!

 

PC Master Race - no autoaim required when you're using a Razer mouse!!!!

srs though - I quite like the rawness of the Pi soundtrack :( hatas gon hate

Yeah Pi soundtrack is deece

forbidden planet

  On 4/7/2014 at 7:03 PM, very honest said:

forbidden planet

Good one

Akira OST

Fight Club OST

Requiem for a Dream OST

Akira isn't very IDM, but it is fucking awesome.

Plaid did the soundtrack for Tekkonkinkreet and Heaven's Door. I don't know what either of those are really, but he did them.

Limbo

zombi 2

Bleep has been selling a repress of the akira OST 12" for a while. Keeps selling out though.

  On 4/7/2014 at 5:56 PM, Dpek said:

More or less every movie nowadays has some sort of electronic soundtrack in it. Big blockbusters tend to have a cinematic orchestra in the front, but if you're attentive you'll hear a bunch of bass modulations and other LFO craziness in the back - because these things work. On the other hand, ambient music is also very prominent, especially in the indie filmmaking. The main problem of soundtracks in my opinion is that you can't really be innovative, because the audience should not notice that there is some music going on - rather, the music should seamlessly blend with the visuals. That's why soundtracks haven't evolved much through decades. Some things work and that's it. Just remember the loud, harsh brass note that Inception used in its trailer - not it is used in almost every action trailer there is.

Yeah, of course this whole Hans Zimmer kind of style uses lots of electronic equipment & sounds. But that's not really what i meant. I think it's also the most boring soundtrack imaginable. I can never get my head around the fact that people really buy a Batman soundtrack. I mean it sounds like... every other soundtrack from the last 10 years or so?

The other thing you mentioned, that the music "should seamlessly blend with the visuals" may be exactly the problem. There are some people who kind of play with that, like for example Sofia Coppola (tho I don't like most of her stuff so much). Or maybe Wong Kar Wai, in Chungking Express & Fallen Angels there are lots of scenes where the incidental music becomes music being played in the scene or vice versa. So where are the indie auteurs doing similar things with Footwork or Booty Bass / Carioca / ...?

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:31 PM, mokz said:

 

The Devil's Playground documentary really went for both SAWs.

 

  Quote

Devil's Playground (Documentary) (performer: "CD 1- Track 1", "CD 2- Track 1", "CD 2- Track 5", "CD 2- Track 7", "Xtal", "Heliosphan")

 

That looks very cool, i have to check that out. I'm not really the documentary kind of guy, but amish sex & booze + SAW, bam.

  On 4/7/2014 at 6:00 PM, oscillik said:

ah yeah, it also had orbital, autechre and some roni size, right? gotta rewatch that one sometime

  On 4/7/2014 at 7:31 PM, Friendly Foil said:

Limbo

Do you mean this one or this one?

Anything by John Carpenter

  On 4/7/2014 at 7:03 PM, very honest said:

forbidden planet

the first completely electronic music ost btw