When its time to kick ass and chew bubble gum — and knock out an impossible amount of project work — the Pacific Rim soundtrack is my go-to music. The movie’s giant monsters (kaiju) and giant robots (jaegers) are well represented by driving guitar riffs, militant refrains, and thunderous basses.
Why is this soundtrack perfect for tackling impossible (or at least, very difficult) tasks? This quote from the movie sums it up: “There are things you can’t fight, acts of God. You see a hurricane coming, you have to get out of the way. But when you’re in a Jaeger, suddenly, you can fight the hurricane. You can win.”
The soundtrack is full of win.
Pacific Rim: The thunderous rock’n’roll track that leads off the soundtrack. The sort of thing that makes you want to do impossible things, like punching a hurricane or getting your inbox to zero.
Gypsy Danger: The track for the film’s signature Jaeger. A driving, thrumming track that slowly rises to a crescendo.
Canceling the Apocalypse: A slow-moving, guitar-dominated track that reiterates the themes of “Pacific Rim”.
Shatterdoom: Starts off more synthetic, and lighter than the other tracks, but then quickly adds depth and base as it musically tour the facility, adding in a Russian-style chorus and militant drums.
Call Me Newt: What starts off as a simple, electronic track augmented by the occasional surging bass.
Jaeger Tech: A return to the triumphant themes of the Pacific Rim title track.
Better Than New: A mellow, low-key track that nicely offsets the more militant ones.
We Are the Resistance: A strident, militaristic track with chorus clearly inspired by Soviet anthems.
Double Event: Starts off ominous, then breaks into the same militant overtones as the previous track.
Striker Eureka: Fast moving riffs lead to an ominous crescendo than then surges back to more fast moving riffs. Very much in keeping with its namesake jaeger.
Category 5: Big. Thunderous. Surging. Every bit what a Category five track should be.
Pentecost: brooding, with scifi overtones. Just like its namesake.
Go Big or Go Extinct: gotta love the name of this track, which brings the base before reprising the movie’s signature guitar theme.
Drift by Blake Perlman, RZA: the only voice rack. woman singing with rap mixed in. Doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the soundtrack, but it ran over the credits so that’s not unexpected.
Final Analysis
Overall this is a fantastic soundtrack that befits a movie featuring giant robots fighting giant monsters. The opening track never fails to bump me up, and its proven to be perfect kicking my productivity into high gear.
Product Details
- Pacific Rim Soundtrack
- Original Release Date:June 25, 2013
- Label: WaterTower Music
- ASIN: B00LPQYOTG
- Buy it from Amazon.com
Featured Image Meta
- Poster art for Pacific Rim. Credit: Warner Bros.