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The Neon Demon (soundtrack)

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The Neon Demon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Apple Music and limited edition CD and LP cover. Other editions feature a close-up of a model's red lips with the title and artist credit underneath.
Film score / soundtrack album by
Cliff Martinez
ReleasedJune 24, 2016
Recorded2016
Genre
Length69:42
LabelMilan
ProducerCliff Martinez
Cliff Martinez chronology
The Knick
(2014) 		The Neon Demon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2016) 		War Dogs
(2016)

The Neon Demon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2016 film The Neon Demon, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Elle Fanning. The film score is composed by Cliff Martinez and the soundtrack features 23 tracks, with three songs being composed specifically for the film. The soundtrack was released under the Milan Records label on June 24, 2016.

Development

[edit]

The film score was composed by Cliff Martinez in his third collaboration with Refn, following Drive (2011) and Only God Forgives (2013).[1][2] According to Martinez, he found the film's music to The Neon Demon had similarities to Drive, as it had a significant role in the film, and added "there's a lot of places where the music is really pushed out more into the spotlight, even more than Drive".[3]

Martinez wrote over one hour of music which he described it as a "sparse electronic score" and predominantly used synthesizers.[3][4] He described the first half resembling "the melodrama of Valley of the Dolls, and the second half is like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."[3][5] Martinez and Refn recalled that the soundtrack was influenced by the works of composers John Carpenter, Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis and bands such as Kraftwerk, Goblin and Tangerine Dream.[6][7]

Besides Martinez' score, the film and the album featured three songs. Refn's son Juilan Winding contributed two tracks: "Demon Dance" and "Mine", the latter of which has been performed by Sweet Tempest.[8] Sia also contributed an original song, "Waving Goodbye" featuring Diplo, which was also included on the album.[9][10]

Release

[edit]

Milan Records distributed the soundtrack and released in digital and physical formats on June 24, 2016, followed by a vinyl edition, which was released on July 8.[8]

Reception

[edit]

Aaron Vehling of Vehlinggo wrote "Martinez’s exquisite art has taken an even bigger role in his journey with Refn. But beyond that, Martinez has demonstrated that he’s able to convey virtually any mood a director requires while retaining shades of himself."[11] Kaya Savas of Film.Music.Media wrote "The Neon Demon is an amazing accomplishment of sound and image."[12] Randall Colburn of Consequence wrote "this score, in particular, is so integral to the completion of Refn’s vision and the power of his visuals."[13] Thomas H. Green of The Arts Desk wrote "It’s no Drive OST, but there’s cherry-picking to be done."[14] Chris Alexander of ComingSoon.net wrote "This is most assuredly his work, its nods to the masters just that, there for fans to either consciously or subconsciously pick-up on and appreciate."[15]

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter described it as a "seductive score".[16] Glenn Kenny of The New York Times wrote "Cliff Martinez’s electronic score is also pastiche-like, but a far wittier concoction over all."[17] Talia Soghomonian of Collider called it as a "brilliant score" that recreated "the ambience of the film and miraculously filling in some story gaps".[18] David Lewis of SFGate wrote "Cliff Martinez’s dazzling score sets a seductive, creepy tone."[19] Trace Thurman of Bloody Disgusting wrote "Composer Cliff Martinez returns after partnering with Refn on Drive and Only God Forgives. Needless to say he does not disappoint here. He fills The Neon Demon with synth-heavy electronica and a dash of Sia for good measure. Like Martinez’s other scores on Refn’s films, the music is a character in and of itself."[20]

Kenji Fujishima and Dom Sinacola of Paste ranked it as the ninth-best soundtrack and reviewed "Martinez’s music is locked into the psyche of its main character: an underage fashion ingénue whose desire to make money off her good looks is reflected in music that seems to yearn, anguish and tremble with fear alongside her."[21] Phil de Semlyen of Empire called it as "glossy, brooding and occasionally electrifying".[22] Matthew Monagle of Film School Rejects wrote "Just as the film tries to make the fashion world seem both alluring and monstrous, so does Martinez build a score whose shallow electronic pop veneer peels back to reveal deeper layers of darkness."[23]

Track listing

[edit]
The Neon Demon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) track listing
No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Neon Demon" 3:22
2."Mine"Sweet Tempest3:42
3."The Demon Dance"Julian Winding5:59
4."What Are You?" 1:39
5."Don't Forget Me When You're Famous" 1:33
6."Gold Paint Shoot" 2:50
7."Take Off Your Shoes" 1:43
8."Ruby at the Morgue" 1:50
9."Jesse Sneaks Into Her Room" 2:00
10."Real Lolita Rides Again" 2:47
11."Messenger Walks Among Us" 6:12
12."Runway" 4:30
13."Take Her to Measurements" 0:55
14."Who Wants Sour Milk" 1:09
15."I Would Never Say You're Fat" 2:20
16."Thank God You're Awake Remix" 2:19
17."Kinky" 4:17
18."Ruby's Close Up" 2:02
19."Lipstick Drawing" 2:33
20."Something's in My Room" 2:52
21."Are We Having a Party" 5:21
22."Get Her Out of Me" 3:50
23."Waving Goodbye"Sia featuring Diplo3:57
Total length:69:42

Accolades

[edit]
Accolades for The Neon Demon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Award Date of ceremony Category Result Ref.
Austin Film Critics Association December 28, 2016 Best Score Nominated [24]
[25]
Cannes Film Festival May 11–22, 2016 Soundtrack Award Won [26]
[27]
Chicago Film Critics Association December 15, 2016 Best Original Score Nominated [28]
International Film Music Critics Association February 9, 2017 Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film Nominated [29]
[30]
St. Louis Film Critics Association December 18, 2016 Best Music/Score Nominated [31]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 5, 2016 Best Score Nominated [32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Carter, Spike (June 22, 2016). "Indie Soundtrack Master Cliff Martinez Talks Scoring The Neon Demon and More". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  2. ^ Pritchard, Tiffany (June 8, 2016). "Cliff Martinez talks scoring 'The Neon Demon' and "keeping it cool"". Screen International. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Hemsworth, Ryan (February 18, 2016). "We Got Ryan Hemsworth to Interview Cliff Martinez About Composing Your Favorite Soundtracks". Thump. Vice Media. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  4. ^ Bassett, Jordan (July 15, 2016). "Former Red Hot Chili Peppers Drummer Cliff Martinez Talks About His Soundtrack For 'The Neon Demon'". NME. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  5. ^ Miska, Brad (March 15, 2016). "'The Neon Demon' Is 'Valley of the Dolls' Meets 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'?!". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  6. ^ Reese, Nathan (May 20, 2015). "Nicolas Winding Refn, Vinyl Curator". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Jones, Wil (June 30, 2016). "'Drive' Composer Cliff Martinez on Writing the Most Fire Film Score of 2016". Complex. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Jaugernauth, Kevin (April 12, 2016). "Full Soundtrack Details Revealed For Nicolas Winding Refn's 'The Neon Demon,' Summer Release Scheduled". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  9. ^ Gaca, Anna (June 24, 2016). "Sia and Diplo Are "Waving Goodbye" on the Neon Demon Soundtrack". Spin. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Eppich, Lisa (June 25, 2016). "Sia And Diplo Team Up On Your New Breakup Anthem, "Waving Goodbye"". Nylon. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  11. ^ Vehling, Aaron (July 13, 2016). "Cliff Martinez Expertly Conveys Refn's Inner 'Neon Demon'". Vehlinggo. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Savas, Kaya (June 14, 2016). "The Neon Demon by Cliff Martinez (Review)". Film.Music.Media. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  13. ^ Colburn, Randall (June 23, 2016). "Album Review: Cliff Martinez – The Neon Demon Soundtrack". Consequence. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  14. ^ H Green, Thomas (July 9, 2016). "CD: Cliff Martinez – The Neon Demon OST". The Arts Desk. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Alexander, Chris (May 17, 2016). "Soundtrack Review: Cliff Martinez's Score for THE NEON DEMON". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  16. ^ McCarthy, Todd (May 19, 2016). "'The Neon Demon': Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  17. ^ Kenny, Glenn (June 23, 2016). "Review: In 'The Neon Demon,' Beauty Masks a Rotting Core". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  18. ^ Soghomonian, Talia (June 24, 2016). "Neon Demon Review: Nicolas Winding Refn's Beautiful Horror". Collider. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Lewis, David (June 23, 2016). "'The Neon Demon': Fashion models go over the top". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  20. ^ Thurman, Trace (June 20, 2016). "[Review] 'The Neon Demon' is a Visually Stunning Vanity Project". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Fujishima, Kenji; Sinacola, Dom (December 29, 2016). "The 15 Best Movie Scores of 2016". Paste. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  22. ^ de Semlyen, Phil (December 21, 2016). "The best soundtracks of 2016". Empire. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  23. ^ Monagle, Matthew (August 25, 2016). "The Brilliant Soundtracks of Summer". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  24. ^ "2016 Awards". Austin Film Critics Association. December 28, 2016. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  25. ^ Huff, Lauren. "Austin Film Critics Association Nominees – 'Moonlight' Tops, 'Arrival' and 'La La Land' Closely Follow". AwardsCircuit. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  26. ^ Ford, Rebecca; Richford, Rhonda (May 22, 2016). "Cannes: 'I, Daniel Blake' Wins the Palme d'Or". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  27. ^ @AFPCannes (May 21, 2016). "Prix #CannesSoundtrack de la meilleure musique de film originale: Cliff Martinez dans #TheNeonDemon #AFP" [#CannesSoundtrack Award for best original film score: Cliff Martinez for #TheNeonDemon #AFP] (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2016 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ "The 2016 Chicago Film Critics Association Award Nominees". Chicago Film Critics Association. December 11, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  29. ^ Levy, Dani (February 9, 2017). "'Arrival,' 'La La Land' Among Film Music Critics Nominees". Variety. Variety Media, LLC. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  30. ^ IFMCA (2017). "2016 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA. IFMCA. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  31. ^ "2016 StLFCA Annual Award Nominations". St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association. December 12, 2016. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  32. ^ "The 2016 WAFCA Awards Nominations". Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 3, 2016. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
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