This article originally appared on our sister site THUMP — check out more of their awesome site here.Soundtracks continue to bewitch adventurous ears, making us desire the sounds behind the screen. However, there are some noticeable compilations, mixed and mastered by a talented flock of producers that have lent a support net, polished the final product and shown the meaning of super-composers. Here are seven of the best electronic film soundtracks.The Social NetworkThe film, directed by David Fincher, was an adaption of Mark Zuckerberg’s inclusive and intrusive online empire, better known as Facebook—hopefully you already knew that. The flick may have stirred interest, but it was the soundtrack put together by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross that made for large recognition, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Its industrialized melodic tone holds an addictive zone out desire, one that takes over with rising urgency. It was packaged beautifully; both rhythmically and aesthetically while proving to be another winning collaboration between the Nine Inch Nails front man and the man who brought us Fight Club. Key to note is Fincher first enlisted Trent Reznor in the development of Fight Club’s soundtrack back in 1999. Stick with what works.DriveDrive was a cool and suave movie with an equally charming soundtrack. From the onset, Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” 80s-pinched sequences invited listeners into an exciting electronic playground. The track was co-written by Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo from Daft Punk and the seductive tempo fit nicely with the film’s sexy, adrenaline-pumping plotline. Standouts on the 2011 soundtrack include “Under Your Spell,” which cascades as the two lead characters (Gosling and Mulligan) explore their connected journey, and “Tick of the Clock” performed by the Portland-bred band, the Chromatics. The score was compiled and composed by the long-vetted, French house producer, Cliff Martinez.Blade RunnerRidley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi futuristic film featured the invasion of robot subjects. The film’s eerie, transformative nature acted as the perfect bedrock for a soundtrack rich with spliced beats. The retro-noir compilation was packaged with the use of modern production tools, allowing for further expansion into the electronic realm. Who doesn’t want to consume compositions whipped up by Greek pioneer, Vangelis, while watching operatives patrol the streets and attack? Recorded through Atlantic Records, the album wasn’t a top hitting score, but did manage to grace the top of the UK Charts upon its actual drop in 1994.It was also an inspiring take that flirted with dark ambiance and synthesizers with a well-tailored artistry. Legends are legends for a reason.Tron: LegacySpeaking of legends in the electronic community, the blockbuster of a hit that was Tron: Legacy fashionably acquired the gifted purveyors, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter (a.k.a. Daft Punk), to score the Disney movie. The reviews of the soundtrack were mixed and upon release week it hit the No. 10 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart. 22 pieces performed by an 85-person orchestra did help to curate a story. The crescendo arrangements and pockets of sonic spatters were smoothly combined with a classical tampering of grandeur proportions. The DJ duo is known to create auditory and visual odysseys and this big budget film (approximately $200 million with some sources quoting even higher) solidified its reign both with the PG listening market and the experiment-hungry music connoisseurs, making an album that seemed rather purified. Daft Punk’s digital adaptation displayed a story of entrancing movements in sound and scope and let’s be serious, everything these guys do just begs to be heard.
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For the rest of this article (including an awesome Giorgio Moroder shout-out), head over to THUMP.Related:FIELD's Energy Flow: Generating The Sound Composition For A Non-Linear FilmDaft Punk's Random Access Memories: The CollaboratorsMeet Visual System And The Mysterious TRON-esque Blue Rider