Filmtracks: Species (Christopher Young)


Young

Species: (Christopher Young) Amongst alien horror stories set on Earth, Species is a little more campy in its sexuality and plentiful in the area of loose ends, and the story's popularity would lead to a sequel. That plotline details the pursuit of a human/alien hybrid on the loose in Los Angeles, with enhanced DNA that not only produces the physique of Natasha Henstridge (well into her journey to cult film fame), but also threatens to replace normal humans on the planet altogether. With the help of the odd group tracking down this alluring beast (a clan led Ben Kingsley, of all people), Species is easily a college town kind of film. That made it a perfect assignment, of course, for composer Christopher Young, who has made a living in the horror genre from college-aimed trash to the mainstream. When thinking of the stereotypical sound that summarizes Young's usual horror compositions of the era, the music of Species produces a very predictable entry. Its combination of chilling beauty and stark, striking horror cues represents Young at his most romantic in the horror genre and continues to establish him as an artist who can switch between tonal harmony and dissonant chaos at a moment's notice. For Species, you have two twists on an otherwise normal horror outing for Young: first, the element of outer space adds the necessity for some wondrous cues of scientific discovery, and secondly, having a beautiful woman at the center of the story (who desperately wants to procreate) creates a need for sexual enticement or, perhaps, an edge of slightly off-kilter romance. The remainder of the score for Species exposes itself as a regular endeavor for Young, with the expected, jarring chase cues of high horror merging Young's usual output with perhaps some influence from James Horner's Aliens at times. The most consistent elements of Young's work here are the use of single lengthy, unharmonious notes extending on brass or strings in the background of nearly every cue (sounding like counterpoint intentionally set at a misaligned measure or pitch) and the employment of brass in its very lowest ranges to push the broad and sinister, lower scope of the horror atmosphere. The latter technique is often how Young adds the scariness into his work.

The majority of Species consists of crashing, high-strung cues of straight-forward terror. The string section is often let loose, seemingly performing several different avenues of quivering dissonance at maximum volume within their own ranks. A meandering piano occasionally pounds on extremely low notes to coincide with Young's usual use of a drum array to set jarring rhythms to the action. Higher percussion often tingles at the spine in its lighter, metallic forms. Young's ability to establish a motif and then yank it around in these moments of fright is effective; he starts a motif and then cuts it off dramatically, repeating this process, and eventually forcing the listener (or audience) to expect the unexpected. Pulling the whole ensemble down in a single, descending note is a technique that Young uses to almost resemble a failing machine, and the technique gives the listener an equally effective sinking feeling. All the dissonance aside, however, Species is best known for its four fantastically beautiful performances of its surprisingly solemn title theme. The awe and beauty of space is captured by Young in a very slow, mellow, and elegant theme for plucked bass strings, swirling violins, soothing choir, and, once again, broad brass in the lowest registers. The use of a wood block to keep the rhythm of this theme adds to its chilling effect; the theme has best been described as "cold," which is indeed an accurate description. As beautiful as it is, though, the theme for Species is distant and alienating (no pun intended). In "Fever," the original opening titles re-assigned to a scene later in the film, Young's theme is at its most interesting, moving only this one time at a heightened pace that better engages the audience. Never released commercially, Species was pressed promotionally by Young and his associates at Intrada Records in the mid-1990's as part of a five-CD promo set (of which Species and Virtuosity were typically the most popular). Finding an original can be expensive, and unless you are determined to be haunted by the twelve minutes or so of that cold title theme, then the overall package may not be worth the search. The dissonant horror cues can be found in similar form on other Young albums, and a gorgeous suite from this score was recorded for Silva Screen's "Space and Beyond" compilation near the time of the score's release. It is truly a score best represented by a short suite on a compilation of Young's various horror works. ***

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