The score to the original 1999 Matrix film is getting remastered on vinyl in 2022. The Matrix: The Complete Edition will comprise of three LPs, which will hold the entire 44-song remastered soundtrack. The Complete Edition is out on June 3.
The three-LP collection includes all of the music from the legendary 1999 film, plus an exclusive interview with composer Don Davis, who scored the blockbuster release. The 44-track album is housed in a tri-fold jacket, with stunning new artwork and original film stills.
Also available on CD and SACD exclusively on VareseSarabande.com as well as digital platforms, The Matrix: The Complete Edition delivers Davis’ score (originally released as a 10-track album) in its entirety – from brief, eerie cues like “Follow the Rabbit” and “Through the Surveillance Monitor” to epic, sweeping themes like “Trinity Infinity,” “Nascent Nauseous Neo,” and “He’s the One Alright.” Newly remastered audio, meanwhile, allows listeners to fully appreciate the scope and nuance of Davis’ remarkable work.
The Wachowskis’ distinctive vision applied to the film’s music. “One thing the Wachowskis did want was something new and different…I took that to heart, and it was clear that a unique approach really was right for that film.” Davis added that the siblings “generally wanted more integration between the music and the film than a lot of other directors do…[They] wanted the music to outline the action pretty closely at times.”
Drawing inspiration from postmodern composers like Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams, Aaron Kernis, and David Lang, Davis quickly realized that the film’s music would need to be a stylistic departure from the grand themes that sci-fi audiences had become accustomed to.
“I tried to go in that direction, but I just couldn’t make it work; it just wasn’t right for the picture,” he told Savas. “There was something about the cyberpunk thing, the William Gibson tableau, and the anime stuff that didn’t lend itself at all to a majestic ‘John Williams–esque’ theme.”
While Davis is not involved in the latest installment of the franchise (2021’s The Matrix Resurrections), he is deeply proud of his work on the film that started it all. “It’s amazing to have been involved in something that hits a zeitgeist like that,” Davis reflects. “It’s really a joy.”
Pre-order The Matrix: The Complete Edition.
The Matrix: The Complete Edition vinyl tracklist:
Side A:
1. Logos / The Matrix Main Title
2. Trinity Infinity
3. Neo Con Brio
4. Follow The White Rabbit
5. Neo On The Edge
6. Through The Surveillance Monitor
7. Unable To Speak
8. Bait And Switch