Cole Cuchna

And when Disney eventually said yes, Thomas and Guimond threw themselves fully into the score, spending nearly two years on it, which is an extraordinarily long time compared to the typical two to three months most composers are given.

Thomas told Days Magazine, quote, We knew from the start that there was no way we were going to do this film score with two synthesizers and a drum machine, unquote.

Instead, they set out to learn how to write with and for an orchestra, partnering with composer Joseph Trapanese to help blend the futuristic textures of synthesizers with the warmth and grandeur of classic Hollywood scoring.

As Thomas told the LA Times, quote, In dance music, we've always tried to combine existing genres, heavy metal and disco or funk, things that contrast associations.

For the film, we like the idea of a dark influence reminiscent of some electronic scores from the 70s,

But at the same time, we wanted the scope of classic Hollywood, to mash up those things that usually exist on opposite ends of the spectrum."

It was Daft Punk's typical conceptual approach, only now they had an entirely new instrument at their disposal, a 90-piece orchestra.

This piece, dubbed Recognizer, showcases the fluidity Daft Punk achieved in blending the orchestra with their synthesizers.

Listen to how smoothly the same arpeggiated chord sequence passes from the synth to the strings.

One of the more beautiful moments of the Tron score is Adagio for Tron, a composition that has Daft Punk's signature approach all over it.

The piece is clearly a nod to a famous classical piece called Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.

Let's play the two back to back, starting with Barber, then Daft Punk.

So obviously Daft Punk are nodding to Barber here, like an orchestral version of a sample.

But as we've tracked all season, while Daft Punk might quote a famous pre-existing piece, their genius is in how they develop and recontextualize the quotation.

And that same approach is present here, as they continue the piece setting that same theme against a pulsing synthesizer, then add a powerful French horn section to bring the composition to a dramatic climax.

incredibly powerful, a true synthesis of classical and contemporary.

And Daft Punk followed the moment with one of the more emotionally riveting sections of the entire score, as the theme is then given to a single expressive cello supported only by a delicate whisper of strings.

I mean, it's devastatingly beautiful, and a testament to something I've been trying to emphasize about Thomas and Guimond all season, their talents as composers.

Indeed, while the orchestral arrangements were done in collaboration with Joseph Trapanese, in interviews at the time, Trapanese was adamant that he was not ghostwriting for Thomas and Guimond, he was merely orchestrating what they had already written.

Of course, the score also has moments that lean more toward the electronic end of the spectrum, including the fantastic piece Derezd, a propulsive, synth-heavy track that sounds like a high-budget version of something off Human After All.