The Allmovie Blog » Hell Above Water and in Trailers

Hell Above Water and in Trailers

March 5th, 2008 | 11:52 am est | Jason Buchanan

curve Got a high-octane action flick (perhaps of the comic book variety) that you’re looking to sell to a multiplex crowd and wondering what music to slap over that seizure-inducing, seven-frames-per-cut-maximum trailer… might we suggest the track “Hell Above Water” by the now-defunct UK electronica-goth legends Curve?

Perhaps one of the most under-appreciated and influential techno-based bands of the 1990s, Curve was the collaborative creation of guitarist Dean Garcia and Toni Halliday, and created atmospheric music that could be at once ferocious, vulnerable, sensual, and hypnotic. Don’t believe us? Take a listen to any Garbage album and try to deny that it’s a more mainstream reworking of the exact same musical model. As enjoyably poppy and radio-friendly as the music of Garbage may be, it sounds downright anemic compared to the overwhelming sonic assault of their primary influence.

spidey Which, of course, means that the music of Curve perfectly compliments just about any trailer where lots of stuff blows up, superheroes duke it out with villains while dangling precariously from instantly-recognizable landmarks, and the camera glides smoothly around the protagonist in an impossible, CG-enhanced 360 degree shot. The first time I remember hearing “Hell Above Water” in a theater was when I saw the trailer for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, and it truly flipped me out; I couldn’t believe that someone had finally realized the cinematic potential of what just may be my favorite band. Over the course of the next few years, it seemed as if others had also become privy to this fact as the song turned up frequently in trailers for such films as X-Men, Miami Vice, and, most recently, both the teaser and full trailers for Iron Man.

But that’s only the beginning, because Curve’s music could frequently be heard as background buffer music on MTV, featured in a memorable scene on the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and even in a version of the ongoing FIFA Soccer series as well as the official trailer for the PS3 game Motorstorm.

Of course the double-edged sword to this is the fact that some of the best tracks by Curve aren’t the most frenetic ones, but the more pensive, dreamlike tracks that masterfully layer instruments, vocals, and ambient sounds in a way that completely envelopes the listener: tracks such as “Superblaster” and “Horror Head.”

ironman Curious to hear more? No need to scour the web, as your ever-accommodating reporter here at the All Movie Blog has assembled a collection of trailers featuring the music of Curve, as well as links to some of the band’s best music videos. While I couldn’t locate the trailers for Miami Vice or the X-Men that used Curve’s music, I think the modest collection below is a decent introduction to both the band and their unique cinematic legacy. And though the band proper may be no more, I for one look forward to many years of watching trailers and being pleasantly, nostalgically surprised by those familiar ethereal sounds.