Nine Inch Nails Makes Gritty Score for New Tron Movie

Nine Inch Nails have written and recorded the soundtrack for Disney's Tron: Ares. Their work marks a sharp turn from Daft Punk's electronic score in Tron: Legacy.

Director Joachim Rønning picked the band for their raw sound. "The two different worlds colliding," he told Discussing Film. Unlike past films in the series, this one brings computer-generated characters into our world rather than sending humans into the digital realm.

Musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross packed the music with grinding metal sounds and pulsing beats. Their track "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" puts Reznor's haunting voice at the heart of the film's soundtrack.

This bold approach differs from past ones. Back in 2010, Daft Punk filled Tron: Legacy with smooth electronic waves and rich orchestra sounds that became the series' trademark.

The darker music fits the film's grim tale. Ares, played by Jared Leto, is a program with just 30 minutes to live in our world. His maker, Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), built this cruel time limit into his code.

Tracks like "Forked Reality" slam listeners with sharp strings and thundering bass. The closing piece, "Shadow Over Me," starts with fierce electronic rhythms that slowly fade to silence.

This builds on the series' rich musical past. In 1982, Wendy Carlos recorded the first "Tron" score, mixing old and new synth sounds in ways never heard before.

The band has plenty of experience with soundtracks. Reznor and Ross created award-winning music for The Social Network, Bones & All, Challengers, and even Pixar's Soul.

Watch "Tron: Ares" in theaters now. Stream the full soundtrack on any major music platform or buy physical copies from the band's official store.