Note for Note Music release Aldo Shllaku's original score for Downrange. Six college students are carpooling cross-country when one of their tires blows out on a desolate stretch of country road. Getting out to fix the flat, they quickly discover that this was no accident. The tire was shot out. With their vehicle incapacitated, the group is pinned down and mercilessly attacked by an unseen assailant as they desperately attempt to find a way to escape...

Atmospheric and intense are the two words that spring to mind when describing Aldo Shllaku's score for Downrange. It's engaging and incredibly inventive, but is it the sort of score you'll get much out of outside of the movie? For me the answer was... nope.

It just sits there being all atmospheric and spooky. Which is perfect for the film. However, when you look at the inventive attention to detail, you have to applaud Shllaku's ingenuity and ability to craft something a little different - even if what he's done isn't overly noticeable until it's pointed out.

“For the melodic material a serial system was conceived with a 7 note series derived from Downrange, the title of the film." explains Shllaku. "The director and the cast was used in vocally performing letters and other interpretations of the title of the film. This recorded material was then the source in creating additional soundscapes and other sound design effects used in the score as part of the texture and ambiance. Weapons from the film were used as percussive instruments part of the rhythm section. A percussive sound library was created by recording and hitting the weapons with everything imaginable, from mallets, brushes, drum stick, metal rods, etc.”

So, from a technical point of view this is a very interesting score. Sadly, it's only going to appeal to those who enjoy industrial, atmospheric music cue based soundtracks.

5

Darren Rea