by Steve Devadanam
Staff Writer
Often associated with video-game soundtracks, thick-lensed computer programmers and 14-year-old club kids downing naughty pills at all-night raves, electronica has long been a music genre in need of good PR. Its tendency towards 10-minute loops and digitally incoherent vocals have made it harder to swallow for audiences with poppier palettes.
The soundtrack to the motion picture The Saint, however, takes one part teeth rattling, trance-inducing repetition of techno and one part deep throbbing moodiness of drum 'n' bass to concoct a commercially tasty sampler of electronic music.
Orbital's "Saint Theme" is a nifty reworking of the '60s TV tune, reminiscent of the updated Mission: Impossible theme. French duo Daft Punk serve up a funky "Da Funk," and Fluke's "Atom Bomb" is punchy and beat-laden.
The menacing, endless loops do return with Underworld's "Pearl's Girl," which is long-winded after six minutes. The Chemical Brothers, electronica's new poster boys, offer an instrumental version of their dance-radio and MTV hit, "Setting Sun." Though catchy, the song is a seven-minute glimpse of the original version, which features Brit-rocker Noel Gallagher (of Oasis fame) on vocals. Even Moby, electronica's earth-conscious Clintonite, comes up feeble with his "Oil 1."
David Bowie's "Dead Man Walking" is vintage Bowie quirk and demonstrates that, at 50, he can still produce unpredictably good music. Yet his '80s counterpart, Duran Duran, comes up a bit short with "Out of My Mind," a song with potential that quickly goes nowhere.
But it's the lesser-known acts who provide the soundtrack's punch. Sneaker Pimps' lead singer Keli Dayton is a sultry electro-muse on "6 Underground," and British duo Everything But The Girl is sublime with "Before Today."
Two non-electric tunes by Luscious Jackson and Duncan Sheik are thrown in for good measure. Luscious Jackson's "Roses Fade" is the clear winner among the two, with singer Jill Cunniff's guitar and vocals creating an acoustic spark between the electronic pieces. Sheik's ballad, "In the Absence of Sun," has love-scene aspirations, but is neither poignant or memorable.
Fans of electronica will be lured by the big names that appear on The Saint soundtrack, but those new to this type of music will appreciate the diversity of styles this compilation has to offer. In a time when musicians are trading in their guitars for keyboards and sequencers, there's hardly a better beginner's guide to music's "next big thing."