Arrival (soundtrack) explained

Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Type:Soundtrack album
Artist:Jóhann Jóhannsson
Cover:Jóhann Jóhannsson - Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - cover art.jpg
Border:yes
Released:November 11, 2016
Genre:Film score
Label:Deutsche Grammophon
Producer:Jóhann Jóhannsson
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Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson for Denis Villeneuve's 2016 film Arrival. It was released under Deutsche Grammophon on November 11, 2016, the same day as the film's theatrical release.[1] [2] The score was met with critical acclaim and received accolades at various ceremonies, including a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Music and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, but was ruled ineligible for contention at the 89th Academy Awards.[3]

Background

Jóhann Jóhannsson was involved in pre-production for Arrival, and took early influence for the score from the film's script, concept art and initial discussions with director Denis Villeneuve about its mood and themes. It was their third and final collaboration following Prisoners (2013) and Sicario (2015).[4] [5] The pair did not discuss the music in detail; Jóhann recalled that Villeneuve "basically gave [him] carte blanche to experiment", particularly in the early stages of composition, before collaborating more closely alongside the film's editor Joe Walker once "the sound [had] been established" in order to "[find] the right places, the right moments for music" within the film.[6] [7] Arrival was shot without temp music, which meant Jóhann needed to have material ready before the editing process; he also noted that this approach required "good rapport and communication between the three of [them]".[8] The film was edited first without music to ensure that each scene worked on its own without it, before Jóhann's score was reintroduced as "a strengthener".[9]

Due to the importance of language and communication in the film's story, Jóhann immediately decided that his score would need to prominently feature the human voice.[10] However, he sought to distance himself stylistically from the work of György Ligeti, due to the association of his vocal music with the classic 1968 science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey, and therefore avoided cluster chords and micropolyphony in favor of "irregular and arrhythmic patterns of short notes which start small and are then layered to create a kind of cloud of short staccato polyrhythmic voices".[8] He likened the resultant "Morse code-like phrases" to "the babbling of a new infant trying to understand – or subconsciously absorb – the basic structure of a language", further reflecting the themes of the film.[11] Jóhannsson intended the score to contain "very unconventional, avant-garde, extended-technique choral writing as opposed to the more traditional choir sounds",[12] so he worked with the vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices due to their "very good command of exotic vocal techniques".[6] He took further influence from pieces such as Stimmung (1968) by Karlheinz Stockhausen, particularly through the composer's "use of overtones and harmonic singing and his aleatoric approach to performance",[8] [13] as well as the work of spectralist composers Gérard Grisey and Horațiu Rădulescu.[6] For the score's orchestral and choral writing, he consulted the work of composers such as Grisey, Giacinto Scelsi, Michael Gordon, Georg Friedrich Haas and Meredith Monk.[8]

Jóhann also prominently used tape loops in his score to reflect the circular motifs found in Arrival, such as the logograms that make up the aliens' written language.[12] He used a 16-track analogue tape recorder to record a long tape loop with layers of piano drones (sustained without the attack) that were recorded at different speeds and then slowed down. He also enlisted frequent collaborator Lichens to sing and hum a sequence of notes over the drone "in a unique, harmonic way that's hard to distinguish as a human voice". Jóhann described the end result as "an extremely eerie, unsettling piece of music without any processing at all".[13] [14] The score's percussion was largely wooden, such as "basic" 2×4 planks of wood played with mallets, and was recorded in a "large reverberant space" before being layered and digitally processed with added effects. These sounds were typically used during the film's more action oriented scenes.[10]

Reception

Critical reception

The score received critical acclaim. AllMusic critic Rob Wacey hailed the soundtrack as both "a fantastic album and a great piece of film score work, delivering menacing, daunting cacophonies of noise that evoke all types of fear, wonder, and intrigue that are evident within the movie itself". Conversely, Josh Gray of Clash found that "listening to it without the visual stimulus of Villeneuve's accompanying film sells the score short", concluding that "despite its originality and powerful execution of atonal techniques, it is too tonally diverse to function properly as a separate entity from its corresponding film". IndieWires Ben Croll found Jóhann's "iron death rattle score" to be one of the film's many elements that were "perfect alone and better together".[15]

In his review of the film for RogerEbert.com. Brian Tallerico praised Jóhann's compositions, calling them "essential to every emotional beat of the film, defining the air of tension in the first half of the film and the moving undercurrents of the final act".[16] Similarly, Times Stephanie Zacharek found it "so integral to the images that it may as well be their heartbeat—it's spooky and sonorous, a spectral hum".[17] Christopher Orr of The Atlantic found the score "multifaceted and occasionally spellbinding, not least when its low horns boom with menace, almost like an alien voice themselves".[18] Nigel Andrews, writing for the Financial Times, noted that the soundtrack "adds a deeper layer of the fathomless-ethereal" and "[keeps] us moored to this planet while suggesting the distant, sonorous possibilities of those beyond",[19] while The Irish Times critic Donald Clarke called it a "brilliantly insidious score – alive with mournful strings and sharp exhalations".[20]

Accolades

The soundtrack was ruled ineligible for contention at the 89th Academy Awards, due to the film's prominent use of the Max Richter piece "On the Nature of Daylight" in its opening and final scenes. It was disqualified on the basis that audiences would not be able to distinguish the piece from Jóhann's score.

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Austin Film Critics AssociationDecember 28, 2016Best Score[21]
[22]
British Academy Film AwardsFebruary 12, 2017Best Original MusicArrival[23]
Chicago Film Critics AssociationDecember 15, 2016Best Original Score[24]
Critics' Choice AwardsDecember 11, 2016Best Score[25]
[26]
Empire AwardsMarch 19, 2017Best SoundtrackArrival[27]
Florida Film Critics CircleDecember 23, 2016Best ScoreArrival[28]
[29]
Georgia Film Critics AssociationJanuary 13, 2017Best Original Score[30]
Golden Globe AwardsJanuary 8, 2017Best Original Score[31]
Hollywood Music in Media AwardsNovember 17, 2016Best Original Score – Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film[32]
[33]
Houston Film Critics SocietyJanuary 6, 2017Best Original Score[34]
[35]
IndieWire Critics PollDecember 19, 2016Best Original Score or SoundtrackArrival[36]
San Francisco Film Critics CircleDecember 11, 2016Best Original Score[37]
[38]
Seattle Film Critics SocietyJanuary 5, 2017Best Original Score[39]
St. Louis Film Critics AssociationDecember 18, 2016Best Music/Score[40]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics AssociationDecember 5, 2016Best Score[41]

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Jóhann Jóhannsson.[42]

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[43] 18
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[44] 12

Notes and References

  1. Web site: November 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Jóhann Jóhannsson on Apple Music. Apple Music. June 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220626210908/https://music.apple.com/us/album/arrival-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1440758063. live.
  2. Web site: Strauss. Matthew. October 28, 2016. Listen to Jóhann Jóhannsson's New Song "Kangaru" From Arrival Soundtrack. Pitchfork. June 30, 2022. June 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220626210914/https://pitchfork.com/news/69236-listen-to-johann-johannssons-new-song-kangaru-from-arrival-soundtrack/. live.
  3. Web site: Tapley. Kristopher. December 13, 2016. Oscars: Academy Disqualifies 'Arrival,' 'Silence,' 'Manchester' Original Scores (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. June 30, 2022. October 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211030065546/https://variety.com/2016/film/in-contention/oscars-academy-disqualifies-arrival-manchester-by-the-sea-silence-1201941479/. live.
  4. Web site: Weintraub. Steve. October 26, 2016. June 30, 2022. Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson on 'Arrival', Preparing to Score 'Blade Runner 2049', and More. Collider. October 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161027123528/http://collider.com/johann-johannsson-arrival-blade-runner-2-interview/. live.
  5. Web site: Hall. Jacob. November 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. Interview: 'Arrival' Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson On How You Score First Contact. /Film. June 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220627085929/https://www.slashfilm.com/547630/johann-johannsson-arrival-music/. live.
  6. Web site: O'Connell. Sharon. November 26, 2016. June 30, 2022. Arrival composer Jóhann Jóhannsson: 'People are hungry for new sounds'. The Guardian. June 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220626210913/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/26/arrival-johann-johannsson-soundtrack-oscar-nominated. live.
  7. Web site: Crow. David. November 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. Arrival: Translating the Sounds of the Film with Johann Johannsson. Den of Geek. June 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220627085929/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/arrival-translating-the-sounds-of-the-film-with-johann-johannsson/. live.
  8. Web site: Schweiger. Daniel. November 4, 2016. June 30, 2022. Interview with Johan Johannson. The Film Music Institute. June 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220630185434/https://filmmusicinstitute.com/interview-with-johan-johannson/. live.
  9. Web site: Warren. Matt. February 23, 2017. June 30, 2022. Directors Close-Up Recap: 'Arrival' Filmmakers Denis Villeneuve and Joe Walker. Film Independent. September 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200923100723/https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/directors-close-recap-arrival-filmmakers-denis-villeneuve-joe-walker/. live.
  10. Web site: Douglas. Edward. June 30, 2022. The LRM Interview with Arrival Composer Johann Johannsson. LRM Online. 20 May 2000 . June 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220630185440/https://lrmonline.com/news/the-lrm-interview-with-arrival-composer-johann-johannsson/. live.
  11. Web site: Brimmers. Julian. January 10, 2017. June 30, 2022. Soundtrack Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson on Arrival, Sicario and The Theory of Everything. Red Bull Music Academy. December 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227235633/https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/01/johann-johannsson-feature/. live.
  12. Web site: Burlingame. Jon. December 1, 2016. June 30, 2022. 'Arrival,' 'Passengers' Composers Explored Bold New Worlds of Sound. Variety. June 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220627194702/https://variety.com/2016/film/spotlight/arrival-passengers-music-thomas-newman-johann-johannsson-1201930769/. live.
  13. Web site: Goble. Blake. November 6, 2016. June 30, 2022. Otherworldly Loops: A Conversation with Arrival Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Consequence. June 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220630185437/https://consequence.net/2016/11/otherworldly-loops-a-conversation-with-arrival-composer-johann-johannsson/. live.
  14. Web site: Desowitz. Bill. November 21, 2016. June 30, 2022. How Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson Found a New Musical Language for Denis Villeneuve's 'Arrival'. IndieWire. November 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211112204759/https://www.indiewire.com/2016/11/arrival-composer-johann-johannsson-musical-language-denis-villeneuve-oscars-1201748630/. live.
  15. Web site: Croll. Ben. September 1, 2016. June 30, 2022. 'Arrival' Review: Amy Adams Steals Spotlight In Denis Villeneuve's Deep-Thinking Alien Invasion Story. IndieWire. July 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728014321/https://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/arrival-review-amy-adams-denis-villeneuve-deep-thinking-alien-invasion-1201722369/. live.
  16. Web site: Tallerico. Brian. November 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. Arrival movie review & film summary (2016). RogerEbert.com. November 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161112030709/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/arrival-2016. live.
  17. Zacharek. Stephanie. September 1, 2016. June 30, 2022. Denis Villeneuve's Arrival Is Somber, Atmospheric, Deep-Thinking Sci-Fi. Time. June 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220629170228/https://time.com/4475748/arrival-movie-review-denis-villeneuve/. live.
  18. Web site: Orr. Christopher. November 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. The Epic Intimacy of Arrival. The Atlantic. August 11, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170811104026/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/11/amy-adams-arrival-review/507017/. live.
  19. Web site: Andrews. Nigel. November 10, 2016. June 30, 2022. Film review: Arrival — 'Magical oddity'. Financial Times. June 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220629212623/https://www.ft.com/content/19058188-a73e-11e6-8b69-02899e8bd9d1. live.
  20. News: Clarke. Donald. November 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. Arrival review: plausible and intriguing - one of the year's best releases. The Irish Times. June 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220629212625/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/arrival-review-plausible-and-intriguing-one-of-the-year-s-best-releases-1.2859300. live.
  21. Web site: Miller. Neil. December 15, 2016. June 30, 2022. 2016 Austin Film Critics Awards Nominees. Austin Film Critics Association. Medium. June 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170622043509/https://austinfilmcritics.org/2016-nominations-5307a85b7c6a. dead.
  22. Web site: December 28, 2016. June 30, 2022. 2016 Awards. Austin Film Critics Association. Medium. May 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200512140428/https://austinfilmcritics.org/2016-austin-film-critics-association-awards-7b2e981480e2?gi=bc6bbcc5dc0a. live.
  23. Web site: February 12, 2017. June 30, 2022. Baftas 2017: full list of winners. The Guardian. February 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170212225353/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/12/baftas-2017-film-full-list-of-winners. live.
  24. Web site: June 30, 2022. Winners and nominees for the 29th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards. Chicago Film Critics Association. October 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211008031931/https://chicagofilmcritics.org/2016-awards. live.
  25. Web site: December 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards – Winners. Critics Choice Association. June 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180608111354/http://www.criticschoice.com/movie-awards/22nd-annual-critics-choice-awards-winners/. live.
  26. Coggan. Devan. December 1, 2016. June 30, 2022. Critics' Choice Awards 2017 nominees announced. Entertainment Weekly. March 19, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190319130755/https://ew.com/article/2016/12/01/critics-choice-awards-movie-nominees-la-la-land-moonlight-arrival/. live.
  27. Web site: Nugent. John. March 19, 2017. June 30, 2022. Three Empire Awards 2017: Rogue One, Tom Hiddleston And Patrick Stewart Win Big. Empire. June 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163943/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/three-empire-awards-2017-rogue-one-tom-hiddleston-patrick-stewart-win-big/. live.
  28. Web site: December 20, 2016. June 30, 2022. 'Moonlight' leads 2016 Florida Film Critics Awards Nominations : Florida Film Critics Circle. Florida Film Critics Circle. February 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190226103046/http://www.floridafilmcritics.com/2016/12/20/moonlight-leads-2016-florida-film-critics-awards-nominations/. live.
  29. Web site: December 23, 2016. June 30, 2022. 2016 FFCC Award Winners : Florida Film Critics Circle. Florida Film Critics Circle. December 24, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161224103134/http://www.floridafilmcritics.com/2016/12/23/2016-ffcc-award-winners/. live.
  30. Web site: June 30, 2022. Georgia Film Critics Association: 2016 Awards. Georgia Film Critics Association. November 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112041309/http://www.georgiafilmcritics.org/p/2016-awards.html. live.
  31. Web site: January 8, 2017. June 30, 2022. Golden Globes Winners: Complete List. Variety. January 9, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170109134517/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/2017-golden-globe-winners-list-1201953373/. live.
  32. Web site: Pederson. Erik. November 18, 2016. June 30, 2022. Justin Timberlake & Alexandre Desplat Among Winners At Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Deadline Hollywood. May 17, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190517044958/https://deadline.com/2016/11/hollywood-music-in-media-awards-justin-timberlake-alexandre-desplat-trent-reznot-1201857357/. live.
  33. Web site: McNary. Dave. November 2, 2016. November 3, 2016. 'La La Land' Scores Three Hollywood Music in Media Nominations. Variety. November 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161103124719/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/la-la-land-hollywood-music-in-media-nominations-1201907464/. live.
  34. Web site: June 30, 2022. Houston Film Critics Nominations. Movie Awards Plus. December 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220202407/https://movieawardsplus.com/2016/12/13/houston-film-critics-nominations/. live.
  35. Web site: January 6, 2017. June 30, 2022. The Houston Film Critics Society Award Winners for 2016. Houston Film Critics Society. November 9, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201109215421/https://houstonfilmcritics.com/the-houston-film-critics-society-award-winners-for-2016/. live.
  36. Web site: Greene. Steve. December 19, 2016. June 30, 2022. 2016 IndieWire Critics Poll: Full List of Results. IndieWire. December 23, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161223075031/http://www.indiewire.com/2016/12/best-movies-2016-critic-poll-results-1201757008/. live.
  37. Web site: Flores. Marshall. December 9, 2016. June 30, 2022. San Francisco Film Critics Circle Nominations!. AwardsDaily. May 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190513213656/http://www.awardsdaily.com/2016/12/09/san-francisco-film-critics-circle-nominations/. live.
  38. Web site: Greene. Steve. December 12, 2016. June 30, 2022. 'Moonlight' Named Best Picture by San Francisco Film Critics Circle. The Hollywood Reporter. November 19, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211119050421/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/moonlight-named-best-picture-by-san-francisco-film-critics-circle-955302/. live.
  39. Web site: January 5, 2017. June 30, 2022. "Moonlight" Awarded Best Picture by Seattle Film Critics Society. Seattle Film Critics Society. August 23, 2018. https://archive.today/20180823101107/https://seattlefilmcritics.com/2017/01/05/moonlight-awarded-best-picture-by-seattle-film-critics-society/. live.
  40. Web site: December 18, 2016. June 30, 2022. 2016 StLFCA Annual Award Winners. St. Louis Film Critics Association. January 16, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180116005736/http://www.stlfilmcritics.org/2016-stlfca-annual-award-winners/. live.
  41. Web site: December 5, 2016. June 30, 2022. 'La La Land' Music to the Ears of D.C. Film Critics. Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. March 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190326064213/http://www.wafca.com/awards/2016.htm. live.
  42. Web site: November 11, 2016. June 30, 2022. Spotify – Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Album by Jóhann Jóhannsson. Spotify. April 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220421150959/https://open.spotify.com/album/3GDfBsNm22NeGSP2vQDWnO. live.
  43. Web site: November 25, 2016. June 30, 2022. Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 - 25 November to 1 December. Official Charts Company. June 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220630185439/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/soundtrack-albums-chart/20161125/140/. live.
  44. July 26, 2022. Soundtracks – Week of December 3, 2016 – Billboard. Billboard.

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