Challengers (2024)

[Tyson]

Man, it always irks me when they add in clips or audio from the movies, like the alarm notification on "Challengers" or the middle of the song cut to tennis court sounds on "I Know." When listening to an album it always annoys me when stuff like that breaks the flow of the music. I'd really like to enjoy the music on its own without being reminded in the middle of a song, "You're listening to a soundtrack to a tennis movie."

The Watchmen scores had a couple of instances of this, and, while I can clip off a segue at the end of a track or remove a fully dialogue track from a playlist digitally, you can't really do anything about it on vinyl. Even more offensive is when the dialogue or sound clip is laid ON TOP of the music.

At least, thus far (up to Brutalizer in my listen to the non-Mixed version), the sound clips are in places that will allow for easy removal.

[sonic_discord]

Final Set / Pull Over is quickly becoming one of my new favorite piano performances by Trent.

Also, I am officially in love with Compress/Repress.

I'm right there with ya. Final Set reminds me a bit of Pieces Form the Whole, which is one of my top 3 TR&AR tracks.

[Wulgaren]

still a bit disappointed they didn’t try their hand at house properly, all of this sounds very familiar to what they’ve done previously - it’s great but i guess i had expectations for something fresh

fm bass, supersaws, bouncy piano and whatnot…

[simonn]

Just seen the film, enjoyed it, and the music was perfection in it. I've never heard tennis sound so violent though, whenever Zendaya hit the ball it just sounded insanely hard. Great sport photography as well.

To anyone who's seen the film, can anyone remember what non Reznor pop song was playing while they were at an outside party when Zendaya's wearing the blue dress? Really popular hit from probably 20 years ago that I've not heard in years....

[Volk]

still a bit disappointed they didn’t try their hand at house properly, all of this sounds very familiar to what they’ve done previously - it’s great but i guess i had expectations for something fresh

fm bass, supersaws, bouncy piano and whatnot…

I think we're pretty much at that point with all their soundtracks now.

[BRoswell]

Just got back from seeing it in IMAX. It's a shame all tennis matches aren't as sweaty and sexually charged as the ones in this film. Trent and Atticus' score was excellent of course. Definitely going to be blasting it for a while.

To anyone who's seen the film, can anyone remember what non Reznor pop song was playing while they were at an outside party when Zendaya's wearing the blue dress? Really popular hit from probably 20 years ago that I've not heard in years....

"Hot In Herre" by Nelly. Also noticed "Time Will Crawl" by Bowie. Seemed like an odd choice for that scene, but it kind of worked.

[simonn]

Just got back from seeing it in IMAX. It's a shame all tennis matches aren't as sweaty and sexually charged as the ones in this film. Trent and Atticus' score was excellent of course. Definitely going to be blasting it for a while.



"Hot In Herre" by Nelly. Also noticed "Time Will Crawl" by Bowie. Seemed like an odd choice for that scene, but it kind of worked.

That was it (Nelly), thanks. I didn't know the Bowie song tbh, but thought it was him, and wondered whether Trent had a hand in that selection.

[jmtd]

The convo seems to suggest there’s a vinyl coming but I’ve seen nothing about that. Confirmed?

[otnavuskire]

The convo seems to suggest there’s a vinyl coming but I’ve seen nothing about that. Confirmed?

Milan Records replied to someone on twitter saying they're working on both CD and vinyl.

[shagg_187]

I really appreciate the dual release (Original Score, and Mixed), both are awesome on their own merit. That said, I have to commend Boys Noize for really elevating the already awesome score. He added just the right elements to truly compliment the score.


I hope future OSTs by TR/AR are also released in similar fashion.

[Zimbo]

Similarish to 'Nun with a MotherF*&*ing Gun' from Watchmen. Around the 1.25 mark.

Thank you!!! I couldn’t place it.

this score is fucking sublime. Better than the [MIXED] version by several orders of magnitude

[magnolia]

Saw the movie this weekend. I liked it okay. 7/10, maybe 8/10, depending. But the music was perfect.
I've played tennis since I was little (like, 3 or 4 years old), and I still play about 5 days a week. I thought this was an interesting take on the mental side of playing, not even just about the love triangle aspect. I've always been told tennis is 40% physical, 60% mental. If you don't have the mental stamina, you can't be a great player, period.
Anyway, thought it was good overall, but not great. Didn't love the ending. Main thing it made me feel was I wanted to leave the theatre immediately and go hit!

I love both the MIXED version and OST -- both fantastic. Maybe my favorite work TR/AR have done? Right up there in my top 3, at least.

I was playing the MIXED version while I hit today.

[scorpiusdiamond]

This article/interview with Boys Noize is great (thanks NIN Hotline)

Interesting that they refer to Compress/Repress as a NIN song, despite the fact its lyrics aren’t written by Trent.

I’m in the camp of preferring the MIXED version, as it seems more on the vein of the genre and is a more cohesive record (for obvious reasons, ofc)

[gorast]

Outside of our sphere it may as well be a NIN song - Trent and Atticus composed it, Trent sings on it, even if he didn't write the lyrics.

I need to give the proper soundtrack a few more listens before I can make a call for myself on which version I prefer - the continuous nature of the mixed version is very, very nice, and Boys Noize did a great job on it, plus I'd already kind of gotten used to those versions before the full thing came out.

[Leviathant]

This article/interview with Boys Noize is great (thanks NIN Hotline)

I thought this was adorable:

One of the tracks Ridha heavily reworked was “Compress/Repress,” [...] “This was the best piece of music – who would think that Nine Inch Nails would go gabber?”

Is this about the distorted electronic drums he added? Hello, operator? Connect me with Boys Noize. Yes, it's me, The NIN Hotline, and I need to melt his brain with The Great Destroyer.

[Wulgaren]

did they ever hear gabber lol what

[allegate]

I thought this was adorable:



Is this about the distorted electronic drums he added? Hello, operator? Connect me with Boys Noize. Yes, it's me, The NIN Hotline, and I need to melt his brain with The Great Destroyer.

did you just give me a name to search for more music like that breakdown? amazing, I can't wait to explore more.

[Something Underneath]

Heard the score and watched the film for the first time now and this might be the first time I got underwhelmed by their score. I guess that serves me right for reading NIN community raving about this score for weeks like T&A reinvented the wheel. No offense but it's rather basic to people who have ANY experience with electronic music before this lol. Shit if anything something like TSN or Watchmen or even Girl With Dragon Tattoo etc were FAR more interesting about their electronic percussion and rhythms/melodies/beats/anything really.

It doesn't help the film was also at times just fucking cringe from a direction standpoint as Luca thinks he's being soooo clever with his tennis=relationships metaphor so the score which at the beggining of the film is reserved for matches only starts getting played on seemingly every single conversation by the end of the film. Just becomes exhausting,predictable and rote. Less is more,but he even directs a half-comedy like he's Zack Snyder,thinking he's making epic cinema.

[Leviathant]

No offense but it's rather basic to people who have ANY experience with electronic music before this lol. Shit if anything something like TSN or Watchmen or even Girl With Dragon Tattoo etc were FAR more interesting about their electronic percussion and rhythms/melodies/beats/anything really.

A long time ago, I drummed for a punk band in central PA. It was my first time drumming, mercifully the music we played was pretty basic. Lots of originals, with covers of Misfits, Ramones, Dead Milkmen thrown into the sets. It's rather basic to people who have ANY experience with rock music lol. I switched to bass, and we got a drummer who fucking loved playing polyrhythmic shit like Tool. And hey, I like listening to that stuff. Always enjoyed Dillinger Escape Plan, and put a lot of hours into listening to some Plaid tracks that I still sometimes get lost in.

Dude would *struggle* to play a straight four on the floor beat. Kept wanting to decorate with flourishes.

My point is... I don't know man, I've been listening to electronic music since I was a toddler listening to Talking Heads. In the 90s, I thought four on the floor techno was super boring, and then I heard Da Funk on MTV's Amp. Also really basic, but undeniably excellent. I begrudgingly realized my bias against electronic dance music was silly.

Well before the soundtrack was available, Trent was talking about how the director wanted the whole score to basically be house music. House music is not exactly a hotbed of innovation. I don't think anyone's out here saying TR&AR reinvented the wheel. It's okay that it's not your thing, but maybe you were a victim of your own hype?

Personally, on my first listen through, I thought it was okay. I waited until the proper score came out, bought that, and then decided I'd buy the Mixed version, and now I can't stop playing the Mixed version. Again, it's not innovative, it's not complicated... but with repeated listens, it does that thing that Trent's music often does, revealing layers of interesting textures that didn't register for me on the first few listens.

Sometimes 30 minutes of dance beats is what the doctor ordered. I think this is a nice addition to that pile, and it's already getting a lot more play than other soundtracks of theirs, for me. As it should! Soundtracks are underscores for film, and not necessarily meant for heavy rotation.

Good thing you've got all that other stuff to listen to that's more your speed.

[sweeterthan]

a whole sketch inspired by the soundtrack on tonight’s episode of saturday night live. i lol’d.