Hans Zimmer Develops Free, Interactive ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Soundtrack App
Composer extraordinaire Hans Zimmer has created a free, interactive app for iPhone and iPad called The Dark Knight Rises Z+, which allows users to sync up Zimmer’s score for Christopher Nolan’s new flick with their own lives. It is available for download on iTunes.
For instance, when in autopilot, the app is able to create a soundtrack to match not just the time of day but also the user’s location and movement. A manual setting is also available which allows users to select what they’d like to hear.
“This new app allows users to be part of the film in a way that goes beyond the movie screen,” said Zimmer in a statement. “It’s the difference between looking at a photo of a river and being able to drop your hand over the side of the boat and feel the currents of the water tug as the river takes you on a journey.”
So if you happen to be walking or running, the app will know to put on the “Action” soundscape; if you’re standing still, it’ll play “Gotham City.” If you’re in a quiet place, you’ll hear “Silence.” Other soundscapes are available to purchase in the app, too, as is a special “Origins” pack that includes four suites. Zimmer wrote the pieces at the beginning of film production and they ultimately served as blueprints for the final soundtrack.
“Hans sets creative goals for a project higher than you ever thought possible or practical,” said director Christopher Nolan in the app’s press release. “He took the same approach with The Dark Knight Rises, crafting a magnificent and totally unexpected suite for our new villain as we were just starting to shoot.”
The app also features a handful of clips in which Nolan and Zimmer discussing the film’s soundtrack, plus a “Fly the Bat” mode which allows users to interact with the movie’s sound effects by rotating and tilting their devices. “I’m hoping to give fans of this beloved trilogy the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the soundscapes and atmospheres of the world of the Dark Knight,” added Zimmer.
The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters tomorrow; you can check out Peter Travers’ review of the film here.