Blanck Mass (Benjamin John Power) on the Dissonance & Wonder of the ‘Alien’ Score

Sound Bites is our series of odes to the art of music in film.

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Benjamin John Power is an award-winning British electronic composer. Since 2011 he has performed as Blanck Mass while co-founding the band Fuck Buttons and recently joining the rock band Editors. He has also composed original scores for film and television, including Ted K, Gazza, and Calm With Horses.

We asked Benjamin to share his favorite sci-fi film score and what he loves about it. Here’s what he wrote:

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If I had to choose my favourite sci-fi movie of all time, I think I would probably edge towards Alien. Some would argue that Alien is in fact more horror than sci-fi, but the ingredients are certainly all there to sit in either camp. I think some of my favourite movies to date manage to cross genres seemingly without resulting in something disjointed or forced. Take Weerasethakul’s Memoria or Glazer’s Under The Skin as more recent examples.

The Creature design of the Xenomorph is perhaps the most iconic and accomplished creature design I can recall in the history of cinema; beautiful, violent, parasitic, terrifying. And the Geiger design is so complex and decadent. Alien is truly unique in this sense. I think it might just be perfect.

But aside from its genre-bending innovation and creature design, it’s Jerry Goldsmith’s score that completes the puzzle. 

Even in the more musical ‘theme’ moments of the score there is a dissonance; a ‘Sea-sickness’ if you like. The Penderecki-esque strings in the score have gone on to find a regular home in plenty of horror movies since. In its early stages/cues there is a sense of wonder and journey. It’s a real stand-out score for me.