Buy it... if you want a more intriguingly varied and interesting adaptation of the atmosphere created by Cliff Martinez in his 2000 feature score for this concept.

Avoid it... if the bleak, intentionally less refined aspect of the feature film's atmosphere was what attracted you to it in the first place, because Jeff Rona does attempt to insert depth and flavor to that general sound.

Traffic: The Miniseries: (Jeff Rona) Inspired by the Academy Award-winning movie of the same name and attempting to benefit from its solid reputation, Traffic: The Miniseries was a three-night cable television film that first aired on January 26th, 2004 on the USA Network. It followed the same narrative structure as the 2000 feature film, delving into the lives of seemingly unconnected characters and using the depressingly overwhelming power of the drug industry to create ties between them. The television version of the concept, however, did not carry over the powerful acting ensemble or other high-priced talent from the feature film. The series handles its approach to the drug industry by filming it in a sort of documentary style (not much different from what you see 24-hour news networks shifting to during weekend hours), offering a glimpse into narcotic and other trades all around the world through a detailed reporting perspective. While the central focus of the film continues to be on drug trafficking, Traffic: The Miniseries branches off into weapons and human smuggling as well, stretching in location from Seattle to Afghanistan. The television series did manage to earn three Emmy nominations, though it seemed at the time that with to the lack of extended advertisements and popular mention that it may not have had the same effect on audiences as the predecessor which inspired it. Whether evaluating the series or its music, you have to remember that the subject matter is both bleak and tense, and if you allow yourself to be engaged in either the show or score, you have to accept that it's not going to be the most consistent or pleasant of experiences. For the feature film, director Steven Soderbergh turned to one of his usual collaborators, Cliff Martinez, for the score, with very underwhelming results. Their idea was to establish the troublesome landscape solely through muddled, electronic colors on a dark canvas, aiming for a completely atmospheric effect and no distinct definition of good, bad, or any other polarizing feeling. For the miniseries, however, veteran television composer Jeff Rona would take that approach to a more workable level and infuse some international flavor and engaging emotional depth into the concept.

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While Rona's output for mainstream score collectors may be somewhat limited, his connection to Hans Zimmer dating back to the 1990's is perhaps his best known affiliation in the industry. Like others affiliated with Zimmer and the then legally crumbling (and soon to be renamed) Media Ventures organization, Rona is an artist very familiar with the integration of electronic samples, orchestral elements, and the lending of his own performing talents to the equation. Rona was faced with a difficult task for Traffic: The Miniseries; while the idea of treating the mass of the music with mere atmosphere was the primary concern, Rona also had to bypass the pitfalls of writing worldly music, avoiding droning tendencies and elevating the score's usefulness in this adaptation. To this end, he succeeded in walking that tightrope. His score definitely establishes itself as a piece that is meant to create powerful tension in the gut. In nearly every cue, a very heavy, dreamy bass, usually established with drawn-out keyboarding, rumbles the environment with unease. Slapping, scrappy percussion often accompanies the faster moments, and with deliberate distortion introduced throughout, memories of Martinez's film score are bound to arise. Where Rona departs from that sound, however, is in his ability to maintain the same disruption of calm while also inserting just enough flavor to make the music both varied and interesting. These distinctions bring both the score's best and worst attributes to light, making Rona's work as a whole into a challenging experience of a different sort. But the voice of Mamal Khadem, who Zimmer fans will immediately recognize from The Peacemaker (for which the album was prepared by Rona), makes several vocal performances of elegance in this work, and along with a duduk, saz, and Rona's own woodwind performances, you'll encounter quite a few memorable moments. There isn't noteworthy thematic development in Traffic: The Miniseries, but through these elements of diversity, the score does feature some shining cues, "The Bus Home" and "Through the Pass" most obviously. Conversely, intentionally distorted cues, such as "Foot Chase" and "Cityscape," present awkward keyboarding and sound effects that are difficult to casually appreciate. Overall, the album for this score is lengthy and contains about ten minutes of strong highlights, another twenty of interesting material, and several cues that are closer to Martinez's line of droning underscore. It's intriguing but inconsistent. ***   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download