Music Sunday: In Motion

My brother Mike died much too young and I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I don't think of him every day. Life is fluid, we move forward, and because we may not dwell on those who are gone from our lives, it makes it that  much sweeter when something current reminds us of them.  The soundtrack from The Social Network made me think of my brother fondly and strangely, it also made me appreciate his choices in music much more than I did ten years ago. I wish I could tell him so.

One of Mike's many talents was music; his instrument was the organ (yes, many years ago) which evolved into the keyboard and synthesizer. He liked all genres, but electronic music was his favorite and Jean Michel Jarre comes to mind as one of his favorite composers. As I thought about this post,  I listened to Oxygene 7-13, and I thought of him and smiled.

I do believe I feel something similar in Trent Reznor's 'In Motion' for The Social Network soundtrack. It's vibrant and pulsing with a touch of playful whimsy in the synthesized sound. Dare I say, it is just like my brother?  He would have appreciated it and he would have emulated it. I just get to enjoy it.



This clip from the Carpetbagger with Melena Ryzik for the New York Times explains how the score was written. Please take a few more minutes to watch: An interview with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross about the Oscar nominated score.



I'm not rooting for The Social Network tonight, Oscar Night; as I said in a previous post, The King's Speech has my vote, for what it is worth. However, the movie I will watch over and over again will be the former. I can relate more to it and now that I have made a familial connection, it will be that much more enchanting.

There is just something surreal about the ability to change the world with language, and in this case, especially when that language is code. The Social Network is the movie of the decade, combined with the soundtrack of life.