Narc [Music from the Motion Picture]

• Main performer: Cliff Martinez
• Booklet languages: English
• Time: 42:16
• Release Date: 2002

Review

In the 1950 film noir classic Sunset Boulevard, director Cecil B. Demille explains to the tragic Norma Desmond character (played to perfection by Gloria Swanson) that movies had changed considerably since the silent era of the ‘10s and ‘20s. And of course, movies have changed a lot since 1950--visually as well as musically. Back then, Hollywood studios used lavish string orchestras to provide background music for their films; in the 21st Century, a movie's music could be anything from a No Doubt, Nine Inch Nails or Creed song to the sort of instrumental electronica that composer Cliff Martinez provides on the Narc soundtrack. Had Martinez composed the music for a ‘30s, ‘40s or ‘50s movie, MGM, 20th Century Fox or Paramount might have needed 20 or 25 musicians to play it; however, only a handful of musicians are needed for the mostly instrumental soundtrack of Narc, a crime thriller starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta. The background music that is used in 21st Century crime thrillers and action flicks can be overblown--sometimes to the point of being annoying--but on the Narc soundtrack, Martinez favors a much moodier approach. Narc: Music from the Motion Picture finds him providing ambient electronica that is spacy, eerie, atmospheric and haunting, not forceful or aggressive. And to Martinez' credit, this soundtrack can stand on its own two feet regardless of whether or not one has seen Narc. In some cases, soundtracks aren't terribly meaningful if you haven't seen the film--they don't have a life of their own when you leave the theater or turn off your VCR or DVD player. But one need not have seen Narc to appreciate Martinez' score and acknowledge that this CD offers an intriguing and likable, if limited, dose of electronica. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Cliff Martinez	Narc, film score	35:53
Tony Quigley / Mark Porter / Leo Coleing / Scott Purnell / Aurora Borealis / Tricky	Baby Namboos Provoked	6:23

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