RoTF Soundtrack Special Edition?

Amazon has a new listing a special edition of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack. The CD will be released on June 23rd and costs $22 rather then the $15 of the the standard edition. Exact details on what makes this "special" are currently unknown but usually these things include a few additional tracks or an extra CD or DVD with videos and the like on it. More details will probably be released as get close to the release date.

Tyrese Updates On RoTF Duet

Linkin Park just released their single New Divide (finally out on iTunes for $1.29) for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack. Tyrese Gibson has working on a duet with Jewel for the soundtrack. Tonight he has tweeted an update on the collaboration and posted a public voice message.

From Twitter:

I was recording with Babyface last night the song with me and @JewelJk is turning out amazing!

The song is called "Make it Last" it's for the Transformers 2 soundtrack! The song was wrote for tender moments with Megan and Shia..!!

As for the voice message (below) Tyrese provides a brief sample of "Make It Last" that is probably a pre-mixed version of the song. The track is not yet part of the soundtrack as he still has to present it to the album decision makers (including Bay). The rest of the message is not Transformers specific as he talks about being careful with information revealed to others and the choices people can make.

Linkin Park's New Divide Official Premiere (Updated)

The countdown has completed and the first single from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack is now officially released and available on iTunes. You can listen to the single here. I am not sure when the music video will be up nor when the song will be available on iTunes. Thanks to Darin and Austin for the info.

Update 2: The lyrics to the song is up on Mike Shinoda's blog here.

Update: Sadly the Youtube "video" has been pulled.

Linkin Park Interview, Stan Bush's Quest (Updated)

A bit more soundtrack news. First up is from Linkin Park as they ramp up for the world premiere of their single from the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack on Monday that will include the music video. As part of that, the Linkin Park Times has an interview with Mike Shinoda were he discusses the track. Snippets below, the full interview here. In addition, click here for pictures taken during the shooting of the music video. Thanks to Jose for the link.

"We met with (director) Michael Bay," Shinoda said. "He showed us scenes from the new film, and we tried to write something that was both true to the spirit of the movie and true to the spirit of our band in some way.

"Michael is not fond of showing parts of the movie unfinished and out of context," Shinoda continued. "I totally get it; I hate playing anyone our rough songs before each one is done, out of the context of the album. But he knew it would give us the best shot at trying to capture some of the emotions in the movie, so we did it. After we wrote 'New Divide,' we met with (Oscar-winning composer) Hans Zimmer and (composer) Steve Jablonsky, and they asked if we would help incorporate various themes from our song into the film. The musical themes ended up being placed in a lot of important scenes in the film. I'd tell you which scenes, but I don't want to give away the story."

The video, directed by Linkin Park DJ Joe Hahn, will debut around the time of the single's release. Shinoda was coy about the clip's direction. "You'll have to ask Joe Hahn, who's directing it," he said. "He's planning on using a lot of really interesting cutting-edge visual techniques, blurring the line between our performance and some kind of digital/mechanical reality. I'm not really sure--he's either being secretive about it, or it's way over my head, so he's just skipping the explanation."

In addition, Stan Bush, famous to G1 era Transfans as the writer/singer for "The Touch" from the animated Transformers: The Movie has remade his classic song (below) in an attempt to get it added to the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack. I wish Stan luck but it is a huge uphill battle as I think Bay makes his music choices based less on how it fits the film and more on commercial viability and access it gives him to various bands (Bay started as a music video director). Thanks to Scorpio for the link.


Update: Stan Bush has released a new alternate cut The Touch that focuses more on the scenes and less the singers and the like. Also seems like the rappers part has been trimmed. His note to TFormers:

"We listened to the overwhelming responses and decided to make a more fan friendly edit, focusing more on the awesome scenes from Transformers and Revenge of the Fallen. We realized that the video may have been distracting to some, which wasn't our intent, so please watch and enjoy this new version, and let us know what you think of the song."

New Divide Trailer (Updated)

Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda introduces a teaser video of the upcoming single "New Divide" from the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack. The video can also be found at MySpace. Thanks to Sire and Jose for the links.



Update: Austin (thanks!) was able to spot a segment of the trailer above that provides the first verse from the upcoming song. It seems the actually title "Megatron / New Divide" suggests this song is from the villians perspective. Future CGI fun...Megatron actually singing the song.

MEGATRON/NEW DIVIDE

I remember black skies/ the lightning al...
I remember each flash/ as time began t...
Like a startling sign / that fate had finally f...
In not so many words

Transformers 2 Score, Soundtrack Pre-order

Amazon has posted the pre-order pages for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack and Score. Currently the price sites at $18.98 so I wouldn't order them just yet as will cheaper later. Sadly there is no cover image or track list for either album. Thanks to Scorpio for the link.

Tyrese and Jewel Duet on Transformers 2 Soundtrack

According to posts on Tyrese and Jewel's twitter accounts (which seem to be really them), the two are working together on a single for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack.

From Tyrese:

The fans have spoken.. You want another Tyrese song how about a Duet with Jewel for the Transformers 2 soundtrack??? Any thought??

Treat yourself to a great Mothers Day album from my new buddy singer @Jeweljk were gonna get this TF2 song done for the soundtrack thisweek

From Jewel:

@Tyrese4ReaL ur sweet 2 mention Lullaby.. excited for TF2 song, too! c u guys 2night at the Roxy

Hopefully a full list of all the artists on the soundtrack will be released by the end of the month. Thanks to Bvaldez for the heads-up.

Linkin Park's Transformers Song Title, Soundtrack Dated

The Linkin Park Times is reporting that the song that Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda has been working on is going to be called "New Divide" and will premiere on radio stations and iTunes worldwide starting May 18th. Also the soundtrack is going to be released on June 23rd, the day before the movie. Thanks to Jose for the link.

According to LPU (Linkin Park Underground, their official website) newsletter the title of Linkin Park's new song is called 'New Divide', it is the theme song and lead single from the upcoming movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The song will premiere on radio worldwide on May 18 and will also be available for download on iTunes that same day. Mike says, "The opportunity to be creatively involved with one of the most anticipated films of the summer is pretty exciting. It's one thing to shoot a video that matches sound and vision, but making music that's built for the big screen is a completely different challenge and we ran with it." The movie opens in theatres worldwide on June 24 and the soundtrack will hit the stores on June 23.

Linkin Park Working on RoTF Song, Score

Mike Shinoda, member of Linkin Park, has officially confirmed that the band is working on the score and a song for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as mentioned the other day.

BREAKING NEWS: Linkin Park will be working on the score for Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen.

Although I wasn't at liberty to say it before, the song I've been referencing here on mikeshinoda.com in the past few weeks...is actually being done for Michael Bay's new Transformers film, due out June 24th.

In addition--and probably ever cooler--we have been offered the unique opportunity to help score the film. The song we wrote is being used as one of the themes, and we will be writing various interpolations on that theme, and trying out some other thematic ideas as part of the (very large) team scoring the film.
My bandmates and I are working with award-winning film composer (and resident ass-kicker) Hans Zimmer. We met with Hans last week, and heard some of the incredible things he and his guys have done with our new song. In the next few days, we'll be doing some work with Hans' amazing writing and recording crew.

Michael Bay has shown us select scenes from the film, and it looks incredible. I can't wait for you to see it.

The only part I am confused about is Steve Jablonsky is the composer for Transformers 2, not Hans Zimmer. My best guess is Zimmer is lending a hand since he is producing the score and Jablonsky works out of his Remote Control Productions studio. Shinoda has been talking about the album on his blog for a few weeks now along with posting pictures.

April 14th, 2009

Studio update: still making progress on the new album. Still working on that one song, too, ha. Things are going well. I thought I'd put up a few pictures of the guys for you to see. My favorite one is of me and Phoenix--it looks like I'm saying, "that bassline is kinda...eh...not so good." (I'm actually just talking to someone who's not in the frame)

March 28, 2009

We've been working on a new song in the past couple of weeks that has been a lot of fun. The backdrop for the song is built on layered, heavy synths and a sharp performance by Mr. Bourdon. We're keeping the drums a little looser on this track, not doing too much studio trickery...it creates a nice interplay between the organic feel of the rhythm track and the more robotic feel of the keyboards. Bass and guitar are next, meanwhile Chester and I are emailing lyric notes back and forth...

Thanks to Hanna for the link.

Transformers Re-Release, Book, and Linkin Park

Nelson, the admin over at MichaelBay.com, has posted a brief news update regarding a possible Transformers "Visions" book signed by Bay, soundtrack work and Transformers I returning to some theatres.

Nelson here...

Back in the day when Michael directed Armageddon and Pearl Harbor, there were books that accompanied the released of both films. "Visions of Armageddon" and "Pearl Harbor: The Movie and the Moment." I got the special hardcover edition of "Visions of Armageddon" which was shipped in a velvet-like slipcase. They are numbered, autographed by Bay & Bruckheimer and only 200 were printed.

So it was this in mind that I asked Michael the other day if he was planning on doing something similar. "Yes" was his response. He indicated that it might be available for this holiday season. So I’m looking forward to that.

In other news, Bay noted that Steve Jablonsky and Linkin Park are working on the score for "Revenge of the Fallen." He also mentioned that they will be re-releasing the first Transformers movie with the new “Revenge of the Fallen” trailer attached to it in about 25 markets in the US.

A "Visions of Transformers" would be a neat book as long as the focus is on the designs, planning and creation of them (both CGI, practically and possibly Hasbro's end of it). If it is just a bunch of info about how Bay directs and the usual "kiss the cast"-fest that most behind the scenes videos and books have become then I am not interested.

I am surprised to hear that a re-release is potentially in the works considering the crowded summer release schedule. In general, "markets" are centered on major US cities so if a re-release occurs they will be in major cities like LA, New York, Austin and so forth. Also such a release would be to a very limited number of theatres.

Busta Rhymes On Transformers 2 Soundtrack? (Update)

In a small change of pace from toys only news is a little soundtrack information for Transformers 2. Travis Barker, drummer for Blink-182, twittered (twitted? tweeted? whatever) that he is working on a song for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack.

Listening to a new version of a track I'm playing on for Busta Rhymes for the Transformers 2 soundtrack. Shit is jammin'.

So far that is all I could find on this subject. I am not sure if that means he and Busta Rhymes are working together on a track or if he was just sampling it for the rapper. Nor if the track is a solo effort from Barker or for the entire band. Thanks to Alan for the heads-up.

Update: Based on reading various websites, it seems the overall interpretation of the above is that Busta Rhymes is working on a track with an assist by Travis Barker. According to Alan, Barker worked on hip hop remixes with his drums replacing the beat Probably the track list to the soundtrack will come out by the end of April.

Julien-K Scores TF2 Video Games

Plug In Music via TFormers reports that Julien-K was tapped by Activision Blizzard to compose and score music for the up coming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video games coming out this summer. No details beyond that where provided about the game or the score itself. The band also had a single on the Transformers soundtrack released in 2007.

As for who is doing the score for the movie, it was officially announced back in July that Bay's favorite scorer Steve Jablonsky, who did the first film's score, is returning.*

* Thanks to Snortpocket for pointing out that Jablonsky's return was already official