Dune, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, by Hans Zimmer (soundtrack review).
‘Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’ by Hans Zimmer is now available to buy. Anyone who knows anything about movie soundtracks knows about Hans Zimmer. He’s composed for just about every type of film and quite rightly has won awards for doing so. Lots of awards and too many to mention here. While I have not seen the new ‘Dune’ yet, at time of reviewing, I have seen James Bond’s ‘No Time To Die’ and, yes, he composed the soundtrack to that one too.
So what do you get on ‘Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’ by Hans Zimmer? Well there are 22 tracks providing 1 hours and 14 minutes of audio entertainment. As you may expect from Zimmer they are a mixture of orchestral and electronic carefully blended to provide just the right backing to the film.
There isn’t a solid tune you could hum along to on this album. These tracks are there to support what is a very tense and often brutal film set in on an alien planet where just about everything should be suspected of wanting to kill or betray you. I’m not criticising the work but setting your expectations.
Personally, I have played the album a lot since I received it a week ago. The first playing was with headphones as I didn’t have the house to myself and you really don’t want background noise intruding. There is a lot of detail in the tracks and some of it is rather quiet. Yes, there are a few loud moments so becoming familiar with the album prepares you for them. It’s definitely atmospheric, almost spiritual in places. The blending of the orchestra, choral and electronic elements is superb.
On some occasions, I have used the album as background music while writing or doing something that doesn’t demand all of my attention. It’s actually playing while I’m writing this review. It may well become one of my go-to albums for this type of activity as it fits the bill so well. It does have competition though as there are two other albums by Hans Zimmer connected to the film; ‘The Dune Sketchbook (Music from the Soundtrack)’ and ‘The Art And Soul Of Dune (Companion Book Music)o.
The latter album which is available separately was written as a companion to the book by Tanya Lapointe which details the film-making process that produced the motion picture. ‘The Dune Sketchbook’ CD features an extended version of some tracks and just to make things harder they have different names. Of the three albums I think’ ‘The Art And Soul Of Dune’ is my favourite as there is an almost spiritual element to the album.
Getting back to the album under review, ‘Dune (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’ is rather good. It’s top quality material from Hans Zimmer but I can’t see anyone other than ‘Dune’ fans being compelled to buy it. While it may not be to everyone’s taste a work of this quality should have a wider audience.
Andy Whitaker
November 2021
(pub: Watertower Music, 2021. 1 CD 22 tracks 74 minutes. Price: £17.99 (UK). ASIN: B09GKWB74J)
check out website: www.watertower-music.com
