Not a mainstream-recognized name by any means, Clinton Shorter's low-profile career has successfully emerged from the undergrowth of short films and various low-budget projects with District 9, the acclaimed feature-length sci-fi film based upon the short film of the same name.
Utilizing a fairly standard orchestral ensemble and boosted by a significant amount of electronic and percussive accents, the score is a brutal and exciting experience, but not really fresh or memorable in any way, resulting in a strong but almost purely functional score.
Unexceptional Instrumental and Melodic Elements in District 9 Soundtrack
Outside of the aforementioned electronics and percussion loops, the only facet of the score which really stands out is the African vocalizing, performed by a convincingly authentic solo artist but not melodically unique or even unexpected in any way, given the locations found in the film's narrative.
True themes are not to be found here, nor are there any really melodic passages, for that matter: the music is far more textural and atmospheric in concept and execution, with long-lined chordal passages anchored by Zimmer-esque string ostinatos and a mix of pulsating electronic loops and acoustic ethnic drums. The African vocals are simply layered on top of these elements, seemingly at random, with little development and few significant highlights.
Orchestral and Electronic Textures in Shorter's Score
That being said, the score as a whole seems to function well enough, and there are moments (usually when the larger orchestral group gets going) that provide some genuine excitement. “District 9,” besides being the longest cue on the album by two and a half minutes, features a soothing wash of both real and synthetic strings before accelerating into a spiritedly rhythmic passage for brass, whose power is notably enhanced by the music's ultra-serious demeanor.
No lighter or tender moments exist in the score, with every minute being given over to the heavy-handed, intensely dramatic tone which, upon reflection, is the true defining feature of District 9's score.
Summary
There is nothing splashy, or even genuinely unique in Shorter's score, which makes the album's apparent strength somewhat curious. The length of the score album is perhaps mercifully brief at just under a half an hour long: who would really be able to enjoy any more of this kind of score than the amount presented?
As it is, the score is inoffensive and marginally entertaining, and at points quite exciting: it's just hard to imagine who might listen to this score over something more thematically memorable, emotionally diverse and instrumentally creative, such as any number of scores by Hans Zimmer, John Powell or James Newton Howard.
It should be investigated seriously only if one has really enjoyed what was heard in the film: otherwise, a few open-minded listens will permanently satisfy any real curiosity the typical score collector may have about Shorter's score.
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