Music That Recalls Media
Greetings, Programs! Getting right to the point, if it isn’t yet obvious most of my spare time is spent playing video games and watching movies. I have a deep appreciation for films and always have, so much so that from an early age the music I have listened to the most is soundtrack music. I love living my life while listening to scores and soundtracks from my favorite films and games. Through my listening, I can abstract the different songs and tracks away from their respective source materials and use them as a background for scoring my own life. However, I have always struggled with this abstraction and instead default to the opposite reaction; whenever I hear a song from a film’s soundtrack or score, I immediately recall the visual images that accompany it with relative specificity of timing. It has recently come to my attention that no one in my life (of my sample size of the 10 or so people I talked to about this topic) experiences the music from soundtracks or scores in this way. Thus brings me to the object and purpose of this post: praising and explaining the phenomenon of music from soundtracks and scores being intimately linked to the visuals of the source material they accompany.
A Footnote Before Proceeding
I want to add a disclaimer here before delving deeper into this subject that this is not something that happens with all soundtracks and scores, for not all are created equal. Sometimes a film’s score is generic and repetitive, meant only to underscore the story without other layers of significance. Not all scores or soundtracks stand out, nor do all films or games. What I am talking about in this blog post is those few instances of poetic unity where a great moment in a film or game is enhanced by a great score or soundtrack, and together the greatness of each part highlights the greatness of the other to create an especially great end result. This can occur for the entirety of a score or soundtrack, where each song/track is a standout in this way, and it can also occur for a fleeting moment that is elevated above the work as a whole.
This phenomenon may not occur all that frequently, but when it does the end result is particularly memorable. Much of my love for my favorite films and games (and, indeed, visual storytelling as a whole) is shaped by these moments. Due to that fact, the examples listed below are ones which I personally resonate strongly with. These examples together reflect my personal ‘flavor profile’, so to speak, of the types of media which I consume and enjoy the most. Of course, there are a nigh-infinite amount of examples in other films, games, and media, this article contains merely my personally curated highlight reel of this concept.
It is also important for me to note here that I am not trying to be pretentious with this presentation and examination. This may be an immensely common phenomenon for all I am aware, and I may be preaching to the proverbial choir in that regard. My aim is not to be pretentious, but rather to write about the subject to the best of my ability and, in doing so, highlight something that I am immensely passionate about. So, with all that in mind, allow me to provide a few examples to highlight those special moments I am referring to: the holy union of music and visual media, perfectly in step with each other, together forming what can be referred to as ‘music that recalls media’.
Exhibit A - Tron: Legacy (2010)
This was the first movie to make me actively discover that this perception of music, and further this entire concept of music that recalls media, is not commonplace (again, at least in my small sample size of people I have discussed it with). As such, in many ways this feels like the only appropriate place for me to start for a discussion of the subject. Furthermore, Daft Punk’s soundtrack to this film is widely praised and hailed as one of the best film soundtracks of all time. I won’t pretend to be a learned scholar on many years of music theory to properly pick apart why the soundtrack works so well with the film, but I will suggest that perhaps the many examples of music that recalls media present here may play a role in the soundtrack being so highly praised. There are several instances of music that recalls media that stand out to me in this film, though I’ll only highlight a few here that showcase different attributes of this phenomenon.
1) Daft Punk’s “Arena”, while Sam ascends the elevator to the arena
In thinking about the harmony between audio and visuals in a scene, this moment is one of the first that stood out to me. More than anything, I attribute this fact to how synchronized the scene’s visuals are with the audio. The audio track, “Arena”, fades in as Sam ascends the elevator, associating the spectacle of the visuals above with the loudness of the music. Additionally, as we are first introduced to the character of Clu, the character’s steps are perfectly in pace with the beat of the track. The music is non-diegetic - meaning that the music does not occur in the context of the world of the film and therefore cannot be heard by the characters - and yet the visuals are acting in synchronicity with the score in many overt ways such as these. Because of this union, it is relatively easy to listen to this scene’s score on the soundtrack and to recall the visuals with a relative accuracy of the timing of those visuals. In the same way, it is relatively easy to rewatch the scene without any audio and to recall what the audio sounds like with a relative accuracy of the timing of each sound. The visuals and the score in this scene compliment each other in such a way that they can no longer exist entirely without each other. Therefore, this scene exemplifies the concept of music that recalls media.
For the visually inclined, below is a YouTube video I found that highlights this scene.
2) Journey’s “Separate Ways”, as Sam explores Flynn’s arcade
This is a bit of a different example, and as such I decided to discuss this after the Arena scene despite the fact that it occurs earlier in the movie. Having now provided provided one example of an original song on a film’s score complimenting the visuals of a scene, I want to showcase that a preexisting song can be recontextualized by a piece of media to become music that recalls media as well. In this instance, the preexisting song in question is Journey’s “Separate Ways”. The specific moment that stands out to me in this scene is the closing of the arcade cabinet as the song reaches its conclusion; this specific shot starts when Steve Perry sings his final note and continues until after the song ends, at which point the beeps of the other arcade cabinets instead fill the space. Since “Separate Ways” plays via the speakers in the arcade, and Sam can hear the music in the world of the film, the song is an instance of diegetic music. Thus, across the two examples I’ve provided thus far, it has been established that music that recalls media can be present regardless of whether music is diegetic or nondiegetic.
In this instance, as in the last, synchronicity of visual movement with a specific portion of the soundtrack stands out to make a moment an instance of music that recalls media. When one listens to Journey’s hit song without any visuals, they can recall as I do the specific shot of the arcade cabinet closing in synchronicity with the final notes of the song.
Again, for the visually inclined, below is a YouTube video I found of this scene (albeit in poor visual quality… it isn’t ideal but it’s what I could find!). In this video, the specific shot I keep referring to occurs at 2:19.
3) Daft Punk’s “C.L.U.”, with its piano section
I know, I know, I’ve been complimenting the music of Tron: Legacy long enough, but I have one more example that showcases a different aspect of this concept of music that recalls media. During the film’s climactic light jet battle, there are several moments where the synchronicity of the soundtrack with the visuals of the scene leads to instances of music that recalls media; for example, one of these moments that stands out to me is when the score pauses its momentum and holds a single note when the engines of the light jets stall out as they reach their maximum respective altitudes, only resuming again when the light jets enter free fall. One unique moment stands out in this scene, though, that being the moment when Rinzler’s light jet rolls over the top of the vehicle which our three heroes are in. The synth-heavy “C.L.U.” track is replaced by a piano playing the song’s melody as time slows and Kevin Flynn ponders aloud, “Tron, what have you become?”. This piano track continues to play as Sam exclaims, “oh, come on,” while trying to unjam the turret, and continues further as Rinzler begins to have flashbacks to the moment Tron died. The original track then resumes and plays through the end of the scene.
This moment stands out to me as an instance of music that recalls media for two reasons. Firstly, the introduction of the piano while slowing down time breaks the established rhythm of both the audio and the visual aspects of the scene (to an even greater extent than the engine stall out moment earlier in the scene). In breaking the rhythm of the score and the scene’s sense of time, this moment draws attention to itself and stands out from the film as a whole. The music stands out and highlights the visuals, and vice versa. Secondly, the piano section of this scene is not featured in any official release of the film’s soundtrack. Instead, “C.L.U.” continues with its momentum and cuts this moment out entirely, flowing smoothly from right before this moment to right after.
You may be wondering how a moment can reflect music that recalls media if it is absent from a film’s official soundtrack release. I believe moments like these can still be considered music that recalls media due to the fact that the moment draws attention to itself in the film to such an extent that its absence draws attention to itself in the soundtrack. The moment where the original score fades out and is replaced by the piano exists in the soundtrack, as does the moment where the original score cuts back in.
Another example of this type of situation can be found in musicals, where the rhythmic ‘tap’ sounds from characters tap dancing do not appear in their respective official soundtrack releases. To be a bit more specific, the soundtrack for the titular sequence from Singin’ in the Rain (1952) does not contain the tap or splash sounds made by Gene Kelly in the film. Instead, the official soundtrack release of “Singin’ in the Rain” consists of only the orchestral score that underscores his improvisations during the moments his dance breaks occur in the film. From my research, this is commonplace across musicals and their official soundtrack releases. Moments like these can still be considered music that recalls media because one’s mind may recall such omitted details while listening to the film’s soundtrack. During the instrumental breaks in the soundtrack’s version of “Singin’ in the Rain”, listeners may recall the exact timing of each of Gene Kelly’s taps and splashes and ‘hear’ them in real time in doing so. I could break this down further scientifically, but I think (and hope) I’ve made my point - the fact that such moments stand out even when listening to the soundtrack without the film’s visuals is enough grounds for them to be considered moments of music that recalls media.
Below is the light jet battle scene from Tron: Legacy, during which the piano section I referred to starts at 3:11.
Exhibit B - Tenet (2020)
Anyone who has talked with me about movies for more than five minutes knows that I love the films of Christopher Nolan. In many ways, his films are responsible for elevating my interest in film to a more analytical level. Tenet is no exception to the effect of his films on my life. There are several moments in this film that align with the notion of music that recalls media, and many of these are the backwards sequences where the music and the visuals are simultaneously disrupted to highlight a new perspective. Instead of discussing these many moments, though, I want to bring to light two moments which are distinctive for different reasons, introducing different attributes of music that recalls media.
1) Ludwig Göransson’s “Freeport”, as Neil walks down a hallway
This may be the most subjective of the moments I point out throughout this blog post, but the purpose it serves is twofold as I seek to draw attention to two other factors that can contribute to a moment becoming music that recalls media: cinematography and “vibe”. Roughly half an hour into the film, the concept of freeports is introduced with Neil walking through this labyrinth of a building and observing all the security measures it offers. During this sequence, there is a moment where dialogue drones out and the camera pans right to follow Neil as he walks down a hallway. The confidence and sophistication he imbues as his shoulders move while walking really strikes a chord with me, and the closest I have to an explanation as to why is the vibe of this moment. The camera’s movement combines with the panning of the camera and the class of Robert Pattinson’s performance to create a vibe or aura (throughout the film as a whole, in my humble opinion, but for this moment in particular) which I can’t help but recall while listening to the soundtrack.
Again, there is an element of synchronicity between the audio and the scene’s visuals here as the score transitions to a distinctive phrase as the shot starts. Neil walks with relative synchronicity to the beat as well, which further associates the music with the scene’s visuals. More than anything, though, this moment stands out to me as music that recalls media due to the vibe that the cinematography and score together create. If the vibe of a moment is distinctive and unforgettable enough to be memorable on its own, it can be represented as an instance of music that recalls media.
Below is a portion of this scene, where the shot I am referring to occurs around 0:35.
2) Trailer 2, where a character twitches upwards
This example in particular is a bit unique relative to the rest of this list, and it serves the purpose of showcasing these moments in media other than feature-length films. I love soundtrack music to the point that I often listen to the soundtrack music that underscores trailers I am fond of. In the second trailer for Tenet (which is officially referred to as “Tenet - New Trailer”), there is a specific shot that spans a couple of seconds which does not appear in the film itself in the same way. This shot is of a masked character in black armor twitching while scooching upwards relative to the camera and reaching for his pistol, perfectly in step with a single synth note. The score for this trailer is a modified version of the track “Posterity” from the official soundtrack. In the film itself, this shot is reversed and shortened such that the character is scooching downwards without any notable synchronicity with the scene’s score, “747”. The fact that this moment is so distinctly memorable due to the union of the score with the visuals ensures that it is an example of music that recalls media, albeit in the second trailer for the film and not in the film itself.
Now that trailers have been introduced into the scope of this blog post, I could easily segue from this discussion into mentioning other trailers with music that recalls media moments, as occurs in half of the trailers for The Dark Knight Rises (2012), for example. I am not sure these additional examples would add all that much to this overview and discussion of the phenomenon, though, so I will leave my trailer analysis at that for now (but please do let me know if this is interesting to you and you want some more examples or analysis here in the future!).
Below is the official release of this trailer, in which the shot I am referring to occurs from 2:00-2:02.
Exhibit C - Counterclaim
Having now introduced the influence the concept of “vibe” can have on music that recalls media, I feel the need to add a sort of disclaimer to not let vibes alone determine what is and isn’t applicable to this phenomenon. Not all music and not all media conform to the concept discussed at length throughout this blog post. I do not see that fact as an negative one by any means - after all, not all movies or directors subscribe to the Auteur Theory, there are great examples that do and great ones that don’t. Some soundtracks are designed in such a way that this concept is not particularly applicable, and that fact is worth noting and examining a bit.
1) The Godfather (1972)
The music from The Godfather is iconic. Anyone who has seen the film will likely recall the two powerhouse themes that define much of the film’s soundtrack: Nino Rota’s “Main Title (The Godfather Waltz)” and “Love Theme from ‘The Godfather’”. Both themes are fantastic pieces of music and represent the film beautifully, but neither of them have specific moments or scenes that they are distinctly associated with. Rather, the film is structured in such a way that these two themes represent the story as a whole as overtures of sorts.
To illustrate this a bit more, if you have seen the film, I want you to think of Nino Rota’s “Love Theme from ‘The Godfather’”. What scenes or moments from the film does this track make you think of? Are you recalling moments from throughout the film as a whole, about Michael’s relationship with Apollonia in Sicily, or perhaps about his interactions with Kay? The score embodies all of these moments despite not being played during all of them; it embodies the totality of the romantic elements of the film simultaneously rather than any singular moment.
The main theme serves a similar purpose. The film opens with the main theme playing over a black screen and continuing throughout the main titles for the film, but the track ends before any characters are shown or dialogue is heard. In thinking of the film’s main theme, “Main Title (The Godfather Waltz)”, the images or moments brought to one’s mind may be of the Don sitting at his desk listening to people’s requests, or perhaps even the Don recovering in the hospital. Granted, the final shot of the film utilizes this theme to solidify Michael filling his father’s shoes as he settles into his new status, but since the theme has been fragmented and reused in several places throughout the film the score itself still evokes images from the film as a whole rather than any singular moment or scene. Due to this more generalist sense of association, this is not music that recalls media in the same sense that the rest of this writing describes.
Again, this is not meant to discredit or disrespect The Godfather or it’s soundtrack by Nino Rota in any way. This explanation is instead meant to highlight that the concept of music that recalls media as I describe it in this blog post is built around specificity, singular moments that stand out as especially memorable due to the visuals and the soundtrack complimenting each other. The fact that both scores referenced here are themes does not disqualify other scores that are themes or medleys from being a part of music that recalls media, though. Themes can be used in such a way that they become uniquely associated with a specific moment or scene, and in doing so they can be associated with the types of moments that define music that recalls media.
Furthermore, the fact that neither of these two specific scores is music that recalls media does not disqualify other moments from this film or series from being those moments. Below is a video of a scene from The Godfather Part III (1990) that indeed is a moment of music that recalls media: the different reactions of the Corleone family to the death during the climax of the film. These reactions are all striking and distinctive images, especially Michael’s gut-wrenching wail, each with its own moment of distinction amidst Pietro Mascagni’s score “Intermezzo Sinfonico” from Cavalleria Rusticana. Such reactions are striking enough that listening to the score without any visuals brings to mind the images from this specific scene. As such, this is an example of music that recalls media.
The specific reactions I am referring to start at 3:53 in the video below.
2) Taxi Driver (1991)
I won’t go into much depth on this one, as it serves the same point as the example from The Godfather I just provided, but I still think it useful to provide another example to showcase that many and in fact most movies that exist are not shining examples of music that recalls media. Bernard Herrmann’s “Taxi Driver (Main Title)” serves a similar purpose to the themes from The Godfather in that it acts as an anchor for the story and the film as a whole rather than any particular point. The theme returns repeatedly at several key points, yet it is used with enough frequency that listening to the score on its own doesn’t evoke images from any singular moment or scene.
Below is a video of the main theme from Taxi Driver - give it a listen and, if you’ve seen the movie, pay attention to what - if any - specific moments from the film come to mind.
A Metaphor
I think the best metaphor I can use to describe what this is like aside from providing various examples that I resonate with is quotable instances of movie dialogue. Put another way, the concept of music that recalls media is a bit like remembering the scene behind quotes. If I were to say “I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart.” one might recall the scene in which that line took place. One might imagine this exact shot, with John Cazelle as Fredo and Al Pachino as Michael in the midst of a crowd of New Year’s Eve partygoers in Havana. One might imagine the party hats of the background partygoers, or the background music that underscores the moment between brothers. But these are small details that not everyone might immediately recall. Anyone who is a fan of The Godfather: Part II (1974), though, will recall Michael holding Fredo’s face in his hands while he speaks the line, his heartbreak apparent in every word.
Michael confronts Fredo during the climax of The Godfather: Part II.
(Yes, I know I’m referencing The Godfather a lot here, but it’s an iconic trilogy and gets my point across.)
This whole concept of music that recalls media is, in many ways, similar to this example. The repetition of a single line of dialogue out of its initial context calls to one’s mind various details of its initial context, and through this process one is reminded of a moment in time that has some sort of personalized meaning to them. It is important to note that this needs to be a moment in particular, though, rather than the body of work as whole. Hearing Darth Vader say, “No, I am your father” and recalling that the line is said in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) is not enough here; one must remember the moment that the line is said with relative specificity as to the details surrounding its context. Likewise , this needs to be a specific moment in time to be music that recalls media.
Takeaways
In summary, here is the bulk of what I have discussed throughout this blog post regarding music that recalls media. The phenomenon of ‘music that recalls media’:
Is built around the concept of music/audio and visuals synchronizing for a specific moment, creating something uniquely memorable even when experiencing one without the other.
Is most often built around a specific moment from a specific score from the official soundtrack.
Can be a preexisting song used in a shot that recontextualizes it.
Is not always a moment directly from the soundtrack (such as the sounds of tap dancing in musicals).
Is defined by music that stands out and highlights the visuals, and vise versa.
Can be shaped by other elements such as cinematography or overall vibe to create something truly unforgettable.
Can occur in media such as feature films, short films, trailers, television shows, or video games.
Is easier to notice when a moment has its own sense of rhythm, musically or otherwise.
Is not exactly the same as a music video, but rather is specific moments in a larger body of work.
Can be thought of in a similar fashion to remembering the context for movie quotes.
Is about the ability to highlight distinct moments in the work as a whole.
Where To Go From Here
There are several significant examples of this phenomenon that immediately come to mind that I have yet to mention. I could examine Baby Driver (2017) and how its structure as a sort of extended music video allows for a unique analysis of the role synchronicity of audio and visuals plays in creating music that recalls media. Again on the concept of synchronicity, I could examine how fight choreography leads to some of these moments in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005). I could do a deeper dive into musicals such as La La Land (2016) and examine the more sporadic synchronicities offered by jazz in both music and visual structure. I could discuss Babylon (2022) and what this phenomenon might look like in montages. Oppenheimer (2023) offers some unique insights into how a scene is built that could be a great jumping-off point for examining exactly how different components of a film contribute to music that recalls media.
I also mentioned video games in my introduction, yet didn’t apply this concept to any games in this blog post (only because the length is already so much longer than my other posts, and I don’t want to take up any more of your time without a bit more aim as to what else you are curious about with this topic). I could expand much more on this specific attribute of the phenomenon of music that recalls media and could discuss cutscenes, music for emergent gameplay, boss fights with choreographed moves, and the like.
Thank you, dear reader, for sticking with me as I took my first attempt at explaining and overviewing this concept of music that recalls media. If nothing else, now you have a different way to listen to music and to interact with your favorite media! Was this interesting to you? Does this concept resonate with you? Is there anything specific you would like me to explore next or elaborate on further regarding this concept? Is there another topic you’d like to see me write about via this blog? Please do let me know, and in the meantime, have a wonderful day and week. Happy Fall!
- James