When it was announced before the film’s 2010 release that Daft Punk would be composing the score for Tron: Legacy, fans of the franchise and the band alike knew that they had something to look forward to. The robotic duo couldn’t have found a more suitable film to flex electronic on, and the group’s final product was a relative masterpiece compared to the film. Seth Haley’s alter ego, Com Truise, was featured on the Tron: Legacy Reconfigured remix album, proving that he too has the capacity to provide a lush set of sounds more than suited to sci-fi source material. It was an audition for his own soundtrack someday, and with the Wave 1 EP, Haley further proves that he deserves one.
Spanning seven tracks, the Wave 1 EP is Com Truise’s first official output since 2012’s In Decay, and he picks up right where he left off with his über-bass-heavy production, while also progressing into tempos better suited to dancing. His synth-drenched productions pick up the pace on every track, spending less time dwelling in midtempo grooves like In Decay and instead recalling the occasional dance-y vibes on his stellar debut, Galactic Melt. “Wasat” starts off simply before flourishing into a glitchy head-bobber, entirely avoiding the trademark bass tremors that Truise has made his niche. “Miserere Mei” has flashes of futuristic R&B, and seeing as Haley said he had been listening to a lot of Prince in an interview with Dazed Digital, it’s clear that The Purple One had a positive effect on the EP. This seems like the first time that Haley, as Com Truise, has climbed out of his comfort zone. It’s remarkable progress while also maintaining the signature sounds and style that he’s been fine-tuning for the last few years.
Haley’s obsession with sci-fi yields perfectly to his musical exports, recalling a bygone era of what people in the ’80s thought the future might be, while also giving us a hint of what it may actually sound like. The narrative strung throughout his songs is a complex, enriching trip into space for the listener, albeit a brief one. If Ridley Scott ever gets around to that Blade Runner sequel, he should give Haley a call.
Essential Tracks: “Subsonic”, “Miserere Mei”