Mansell previously worked with director Darren Aronofsky on Pi where the electronica was powerfully raw. Enlisting the Kronos Quartet, this is proof of a far more intellectual process to create a through-scored piece. Both on screen and album, the music undergoes a perceivable development. Here it is given three sections ("Summer", "Fall" and "Winter"), and therefore attempts an almost symphonic form. "Summer Overture" introduces a repeatedly impressive central motif. The quartet excels in its sawing performance of it, and by the time of the first of two congas closing this initial seasonal section, you'll be prepared for the unexpected explosions of dissonance to follow. The final third ("Winter") puts a new motif through inventive stages of growth. From "Southern Hospitality" to "Meltdown" the sampled strings incessantly build in pitch until the desired unnerving effect has been well and truly achieved. This is music to match the most unshakeably nightmarish of dreams. --Paul Tonks