On January 16th 2011, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross took home the Golden Globe for best musical score. Reznor, lead vocalist of rock/electronic band, Nine Inch Nails, tweeted “Holy Shit!” shortly after his acceptance speech. Never did he, or the audience of “Social Network,” believe the soundtrack to be as successful as it became not long after the movie’s release. Reznor and Ross thoroughly deserve this award because they produced a soundtrack that defined the tone of the movie. The dark and heavy sounds of Reznor’s work portrayed the vulgarity of social networking as he invented this intense and sinister quality through a series of powerful beats and rhythms. “Hand Covers Bruise,” the album’s principal single, includes simple piano notes over a very heavy and disturbing bass in the background. “In Motion,” another single off the album, integrates violent beats and a deep bass that feels as if listeners are on an epic journey in space or in an extreme videogame. One of the most surprising elements of the album is the recreation of the classic “In The Hall of the Mountain King.” Reznor and Ross remixed this song into a more modern and industrial one remix giving it an exciting and eerie essence. The album resembles other electronic artists such as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher because of its glitchy beats and industrial compositions. Reznor and Ross certainly explored obscure elements to portray the dark undertone of the film and created not only an incredible musical score, but also a work of art.
