Bug
Brian Tyler
" Of course, even this will have its fans! "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the download only release
Bug of director William Friedkin is an unusual horror film, blurring horror between reality and illusion for a couple in a motel room. For the music, the director returned to the composer that apparently surprised him on The Hunted, namely Brian Tyler. And if the surprise was the key to get him back on board, then it paid off, because Bug is surely surprising. Because I've always attacked Brian Tyler for his unoriginal style, his action music that tends to surprise no one. So let me say it immediately, Bug surprised me big time, if only for the fact we hear something totally different.
For a horror picture, it's difficult to surprise the audience nowadays, especially if you want to deliver something they haven't seen before. The same can be said about horror music, because how many ways can you express horror in melodic or unmelodic ways? Well for Brian Tyler, that's easy because he did it on Frailty, Darkness Falls and now Bug. Because forget what you heard on those 2, in fact forget what you heard in general. Because Bug will literally sound completely different than what you have in your mind.
is this a good thing? Well in the case of Bug no. You see, mood can be brought in many ways, and while highly original, I can't see anyone pleasuring his evening with this kind of sound. Then again, I'm sure Bug was never meant to please but to distress. Bug works on a sound level. Because you're not getting any thematic or melodic ideas here. In fact forget the stings and atonal crashes you usually receive with a horror score. Here it's totally different. It's almost like it isn't real. Like it's fictional and thereby effective. Well Bug is effective and highly original, but again it is meant to stay in the film. Because a lot of percussion, shrills of a violin, eerie scratches and a lot of electronic effects don't make music, they create mood. And sinister uncomfortable mood at that. The hard rocking electric guitar in "Millions" of course not accounted for.
Again perfect what it tries to convey, and highly original. But honestly then we can do that too. Because for me this feels like experimentation, and then anything's allowed. A painter can literally throw paint on a window, and one will see art in it, the other nothing. I guess Bug will be the same. The few moments you receive some kind of feeling is when a piano melody continuously returns, quite eerie as well. But honestly, that hardly makes a difference considering it's the soundscape of tracks like "Aphids" or "Conception" that keeps surprising you. Because for me this is not music, this is toying with whatever you hit on that specific moment. If it works for the film, then great. But others are attacked for a whole lot less, don't tell me you want to forgive Brian Tyler because he's such a nice guy who dared to do something original?
Truthfully, if Battleship gets butchered because it addresses noise as music, then Bug must receive the same treatment, despite the difference of genres. I'm honest, I applaud his technique here. But then only on a technical level, not on a level we usually grade filmscores, because that's what it supposed to be right? For the better work, hear what The Killing Room does so much better.
Track Listing
1. Bug Part I: Birth (2.00)
2. Bug Part II: Life (6.07)
3. Bug Part III: Death (3.42)
4. Nocturne for Lloy (2.36)
5. Mantra (2.29)
6. Drug (2.35)
7. Phonescape (4.21)
8. The Temptation of Dr. Sweet (6.23)
9. Aphids (5.13)
10. The Theory of Agnes (4.25)
11. The Motel in Oklahoma (3.31)
12. The Solution of Fire (06:56)
13. Millions (3.43)
14. Conception (4.50)
15. Peterception (3.03)
Total Length: 61.54
For a horror picture, it's difficult to surprise the audience nowadays, especially if you want to deliver something they haven't seen before. The same can be said about horror music, because how many ways can you express horror in melodic or unmelodic ways? Well for Brian Tyler, that's easy because he did it on Frailty, Darkness Falls and now Bug. Because forget what you heard on those 2, in fact forget what you heard in general. Because Bug will literally sound completely different than what you have in your mind.
is this a good thing? Well in the case of Bug no. You see, mood can be brought in many ways, and while highly original, I can't see anyone pleasuring his evening with this kind of sound. Then again, I'm sure Bug was never meant to please but to distress. Bug works on a sound level. Because you're not getting any thematic or melodic ideas here. In fact forget the stings and atonal crashes you usually receive with a horror score. Here it's totally different. It's almost like it isn't real. Like it's fictional and thereby effective. Well Bug is effective and highly original, but again it is meant to stay in the film. Because a lot of percussion, shrills of a violin, eerie scratches and a lot of electronic effects don't make music, they create mood. And sinister uncomfortable mood at that. The hard rocking electric guitar in "Millions" of course not accounted for.
Again perfect what it tries to convey, and highly original. But honestly then we can do that too. Because for me this feels like experimentation, and then anything's allowed. A painter can literally throw paint on a window, and one will see art in it, the other nothing. I guess Bug will be the same. The few moments you receive some kind of feeling is when a piano melody continuously returns, quite eerie as well. But honestly, that hardly makes a difference considering it's the soundscape of tracks like "Aphids" or "Conception" that keeps surprising you. Because for me this is not music, this is toying with whatever you hit on that specific moment. If it works for the film, then great. But others are attacked for a whole lot less, don't tell me you want to forgive Brian Tyler because he's such a nice guy who dared to do something original?
Truthfully, if Battleship gets butchered because it addresses noise as music, then Bug must receive the same treatment, despite the difference of genres. I'm honest, I applaud his technique here. But then only on a technical level, not on a level we usually grade filmscores, because that's what it supposed to be right? For the better work, hear what The Killing Room does so much better.
Track Listing
1. Bug Part I: Birth (2.00)
2. Bug Part II: Life (6.07)
3. Bug Part III: Death (3.42)
4. Nocturne for Lloy (2.36)
5. Mantra (2.29)
6. Drug (2.35)
7. Phonescape (4.21)
8. The Temptation of Dr. Sweet (6.23)
9. Aphids (5.13)
10. The Theory of Agnes (4.25)
11. The Motel in Oklahoma (3.31)
12. The Solution of Fire (06:56)
13. Millions (3.43)
14. Conception (4.50)
15. Peterception (3.03)
Total Length: 61.54