The prospect of an Underworld and Gabriel Yared soundtrack collaboration is an intriguing, if not mouthwatering prospect for those among us with any interest in musical innovation. As a rule, dance and classical music mix like oil and water; it takes a very talented producer, if not the skill of a genius to pull off such a coup (see William Orbit's 'Pieces in a Modern Style' as a prime example).However, add to the equation not only a film starring Jude Law, but one that's being touted as 'the British 'Crash'' and suddenly, the outlook looks marginally bleaker. Fear not, though: Oscar-winning composer Yared, the man behind the soundtracks of Betty Blue, The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley - alongside Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, UK techno-ambient pioneers - have between them, crafted quite an elegant score. Breaking and Entering manages to fuse both genres subtly, and without overwhelming each composition with excessive strings or experimental effects from either conspirator. Film scores as a concept tend to take a central theme and run with it throughout, leaving little room to diverge or experiment. B&E is no different in that sense, and the predominant tone is one of melancholic calamity (the press release describes the film itself as 'an exploration of the darker side of relationships and human emotion').Still, tracks like the ethereal St. Pancras demonstrate the collaborative nature of the experiment; Yared's gorgeous, eerie string arrangement is tinkered with subtly, and bent skilfully around a faint drum 'n' bass beat. Monkey One and Monkey Two lean more toward Underworld's techno propensity, falling somewhere between Aphex Twin and Enya; while Hungerford Bridge's pearl-drop piano twinkle epitomises the warmth brought by Yared's traditional style to the score. There's even an occasional audible ethnic slant; the upbeat Happy Toast uses slide guitar and gypsy-style accordion to fab effect, while Sad Amira and meandering closer Counterpoint Hang Pulse sound almost Middle Eastern at intervals. It's certainly not the mind-blowing experiment it could have been, but Breaking and Entering is still an interesting venture into classical-ambient chillout.
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Underworld/Gabriel Yared - Breaking and Entering - OST [2006]
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