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The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998)
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Track 1 (THREMODY IN X) opens with the X-Files fanfare, then shattered by two furious orchestral strikes. The dust flows freely, until disturbed by heavy percussion movement. This sounds very serious, filled with determination. No reminder of niceties, no small little theme any more. This is reduced to primal horror. Then, slowly, the X-Files theme is developed into a kind of pop-version, easily carried by the orchestra, a motion that could go on for ever. It ends though, it ends in nothingness.
Furiously and not very harmonically starts track 2 (with the nice title B.C. BLOOD), creating basically an air of suspense occasionally disturbed by some erratic orchestral chords. We hear waiting, we hear running, we hear fear. Emotions becoming motions.
The next one, GOOP (track 3), starts on with that feeling of uncertainty derived from the previous track, playing a bit with that until flowing into a typically X-Xilean action underscore, this time but with a large orchestra, not just with synthesizer. Percussions and rhythm create a militaristic motif, developing after phases of uncertainty and erratic chord movement. The X-Files fanfare appears as the leitmotif now, the only theme at all so far, but then the terror of the shadow government operations is unleashed musically, with severity and deadly determination.
SODA POP (track 4), again feeds on those chords hovering over an uncertain tapestry of spooky sounds, like the previous one introducing a drum theme, this time with the X-Files-theme included, the drums joined by strings in a furious series of chords, with crescendi and decrescendi and inflowing appearances of the leitmotiv; the strings then in staccato-manner replacing the drums over some period of time, until brass chords again interrupt this picture. Snow doesn't work with themes at all, the X-Files-theme is really reduced to the max and transformed into a leitmotif, nothing else, but unlike the series itself, it appears much more often throughout the score.
With track 5, ALREADY DEAD, a slower pace is introduced, with the piano creating variations on the original X-Files-theme. Track 6 (CAVE BASE) opens with a kind of majestic feeling, with kind of awe, again a slower movement. The motifs flow fluently into each other; a mere motion of sounds and chords this is, defying the classic concept of theme, melody and order.
Track 7 (REMNANTS) goes back to the horror underground from track 2, moving into the leitmotif, this time appearing stronger. Fade to track 8 (FOSSIL SWINGS), where this majesty-motif is cited again. The music is moving in constantly flowing waves of crescendo and decrescendo, ebbing forth and back, leaving behind this kind of already mentioned uncertainty.
This being continued in track 9 (PLAGUE), the leitmotif appears again, this time softer, gentler even, but this is just the surface. When it is gone, the horror remains. Soon a new kind of motion sets in, from the former passivity creating some anticipation, some active, concerted movement even.
With GOODBYE BRONSCHWEIG (track 10), the drum motif appears again. The silent, erratic and annoying high violin background tunes are a variation of something already heard on 3x02 'Paper Clip' - representing the aliens; so again here. The rest now is fear and horror and death.
A CALL TO ARMS (11) cites the majesty motif in combination with leitmotif cues; violently followed by the tragic and melodramatic notions of CROSSROADS (track 12). This now is as close to a theme Snow gets here. The leitmotiv is being varied, there is even some humor in it, swept away then by the leitmotif. The tragic motif is carried by high strings and woods and brass, with a carpet of lower strings beyond them indicating movement, activity, initiative.
CORN HIVES (13), opening with a strange fanfare, using then the drum theme, becomes a major action piece, with the leitmotif being strongest ever now in brass, and, after some calm middle episode reminding us of the traditional X-Files television score, a carpet again is being laid of uncertainty, of sudden chords, incomplete strings and synths motions; posing questions, giving no answers, fading entirely away into perplexion and emptiness. Track 14, CORN COPTERS, then continues the previous action sequence. The bees can be heard very vividly, followed and joined by orchestral chopper sounds which then create a disturbing motion and capture the scene perfectly. When the helicopters are gone, silence remains.
After such ferocity, OUT OF LUCK (15) lets us rest for a moment, recalls again the well-known piano passages from the tv show. This slower pace is continued in track 16 (STUNG KISSING / CARGO HOLD), with some gentle, romantic cues in it moving then again into action, the drums theme in the background, the tragic motif and the leitmotif are crying for rest and solution, until disturbed by disruptive chords. Then again the majesty motif, this again disrupted.
COME AND GONE (17) is a mystery piece, evolving out of nothing into chord motion with carpet pieces. The motion from the beginning is repeated throughout the track. Uncertainty and a slight varied majesty theme are blended in. Nothingness for quite some time then is maintained, until the piano motif appears, joind by majesty motif leftovers until the second one is appearing a bit stronger in the end.
TRUST NO ONE (track 18) opens with a crescendo-decrescendo/rising-falling motif, torn apart by chords and leading into the motion started with the previous piece, adding a synthesizer background. Then follows a forceful citation of the majesty motif, leading into nothing especial, waiting for the next one. Track 19, ICE BASE picks up previous movement, adding the piano motif and the majesty motif, ending in havoc.
MIND GAMES (20) opens with the majesty theme (I'm sorry to repeat that all over again) and recreates partially the atmosphere from track 2, adding the aliens motif and a hovering tapestry of horror leading into waiting, then into a majesty motif quote. What follows, is some motion again, but in the style of track 2.
NIGHTMARE (21) starts with that commenced action and revives the beginning of the leitmotif but can't finish it, is being disrupted by erratics. The reduced leitmotif becomes a motif itself, adding to the latent uncertainty. We hear the drums theme again, melted with the truncated leitmotif cues.
What follows is track 22, POD MONSTER SUITE, the central piece, a brilliant creation of a climax. A seemingly undisturbed motion upwards is accompanied by chords, halting for a while, then continuing. The semi-passacaglia leads up to the top, the climax, there now hovering in nothingness with an unnerving tapestry of spooky sounds, disruptive chords all over the place. The tapestry is being destroyed, a new one, trying to form itself, barely maintaining itself. The motion then continues again, starting from a medium level again to the top. Determination is the source of energy here, the drum theme included, then some erratic string, brass and woodwind motions, cut.
Track 23, FACTS, shows us what now remains: A strangely flowing piano-like motif with an uneasy background; nothing solid, constant flux. Blending in of various instruments and a climax near the end.
The final piece, CRATER HUG (24), is somewhat strangely following a romantic-tragic cue, this motif already established in 5x14 'The Red and the Black' and 5x20 'The End'. A very emotional piece, strongly citing the leitmotif then, but leaving behind a feeling of tragedy; with some conclusion, but also with a hint of the conflicts yet to come.
Summing up, this is a soundtrack fitting perfectly to the movie, yea, the soundtrack is to a great extent the movie. As The X-Files operates mainly on a very emotional level, the music plays the lead here - catching the spirit of the show in an amazing way. Musically, this is a logical step further from predecessors like Mahler's ninth and (unfinished) tenth symphony, from Schoenberg and Berg. This is the most perfect soundtrack I've discovered up to now, and it would count among the finest pieces of music ever written.
see also: Movie Review
December 25th, 1998
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