Dune (2021) is rich in its creation of cultures, and this is reflected in its soundtrack. Composed by Hans Zimmer, this soundtrack achieves the aim of any celebrated soundtrack, which is to support the storytelling.
Within the soundworld of Dune, that is the unique overall sound which defines the soundtrack, Zimmer outlines possible musical traditions for each of the fictional cultures within Dune, and often takes inspiration from existing cultural music.
The influence of cultural music from the past and present provides a pivot to launch us into the future.
Patterns have been established in music throughout time so that unconscious links have been attached to things, emotions, objects etc. Composers will make use of these links to bring to mind that connection which should provide additional information to a scene either to create cohesion or contrast.
In Dune, the nod to existing cultural music within the wealth of new sounds is an example of this.
Voice
The human voice is incredibly key to Dune’s soundtrack. As Zimmer puts it, it is: “the one thing that would not age”. We are familiar with the human voice and so amongst the new instruments, and unique sounds, there is a very human presence which grounds the score and tells us that this is a story about people.
This is the essence of using what is familiar to us as a pivot into the future.
By grounding the score with something familiar, Zimmer allowed himself more freedom to explore new sounds and techniques.
Chants and Bagpipes
Voice is also used to specifically define the Sardaukar army. We see as part of their culture the Sardaukar ritual which is accompanied by a rather ominous chant sung in a fictional language and edited electronically by overusing a compressor, which reduces the dynamic range, to give it an aggressive sound.
The Sardaukar chant uses a singing technique called throat singing.
In a similar way to how the electronically altered chant is used to help define the traditions of the Sardaukar, bagpipes are used as a fanfare for House Atreides.
Although it may not be their home of origin, bagpipes have strong connections to the folk traditions of Scotland. This connection is echoed in the scenery of the planet Caladan; in the scene between Paul and his father, painted with grassy headlands not unlike the examples provided by a Google Images search of Scotland.
Using them as a fanfare is not too far from expected, however it is different from the more expected brass fanfares. Bagpipes arguably have stronger connotations to folk traditions than brass which, considering the target audience, are also heavily associated with European orchestras – a sound Zimmer wished to avoid when creating the Dune soundworld. By using something with a more direct connection to tradition and culture, culture is evoked and thus makes way for a new culture to be established.
Maybe the best way to demonstrate the way that Zimmer established the musical language of these two cultures is that in the battle scene, or track Armada, the combined use of the bagpipes and chant outlines the fighting forces by calling to mind where they were last heard.
Some Other Links
Another key use of voice is “the cry of a banshee” as Zimmer describes it and it is heard a few times in the score. On one occasion it is heard in relation to Paul’s dream, near the end, where he is warned he must ‘kill Paul Atreides’ in order to become the ‘lisan al gaib’. The meaning carries extra poignancy when considering that the cry of a banshee is a herald of death in celtic legends and/or Irish folklore.
In relation to the links or associations between certain sounds and images, the predominantly modal tonality, with a flavour of harmonic minor tonality, links to the desert setting of Arrakis and pays tribute to the already existing cultural implications around Dune’s Fremen whilst keeping the evocation loose as to remain solely within fiction. At times this modal tonality can be used to create a very sweet or magical sound and at other times, often accompanied by a drone and greater dissonance, creates a more ominous or foreboding sound as the situation requires.
Finding Balance
Exploring the links or roots of the inspirations for Zimmer’s Dune soundtrack is useful for understanding why the music interacts with the picture in the way it does and how it helps to further depict the story.
The overall soundtrack achieves an otherworldly sound which is reflective of the genre, but it is also embellished with familiar or cultural music which is used as a means of describing the cultures of the worlds within Dune. It is this balance between overall soundworld, and the sound of worlds within, between the new and the familiar which makes for a successful immersion into Dune.
Nicole Gisbourne is an undergraduate music student who spends her free time composing, watching films and exploring the world of film scoring.
