The grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I thought I'd never see. And then one day, I got in.

It has been years since Daft Punk released new music, and this is the score that the duo was seemingly born to write. Not surprisingly, in some circles the hype for the soundtrack to Tron Legacy has far outstripped that of the actual movie. This isn't just drum machines and electronics; Daft Punk was given the use of a full orchestra to create the themes used for the film.

In fact, if you were expecting a new Daft Punk album, you may be in for disappointment. "Derezzed" was picked for the album's first single for obvious reasons, but it is not indicative of the rest of the soundtrack. The music is designed for a film, not as a standalone record, and it's often understated; the electronic sounds and effects are layered on top of the more organic physical instruments. It's a subtle give-and-take between what you expect from a film score and an album from the French duo.

That being said, the music we get on the album is fantastic. I haven't seen the movie yet, and that's almost a superior experience for a first listen, as it paints large, menacing pictures in your head. The music moves and attacks with hidden meanings, and Daft Punk shows remarkable restraint in how the different elements all work together. "Adagio for TRON" has almost no electronic elements, while "TRON Legacy (End Titles)" sounds like something that would fit in during one the group's live shows.

Soundtracks such as this can often bring established artists out of their comfort zone, and the Tron soundtrack is a must-own for fans of the movies or Daft Punk. While the majority of the songs may not be anything you'd put on during a party, they're the perfect background music for writing, working on a large project, or doing anything that takes up the front of your brain. It's not an insult to call something good background music, especially when the album you listen to while focusing on other things can do so much to keep your brain working and engaged.

The soundtrack got me even more excited for the film, but it also works as a standalone statement on technology and its place in modern music. Highly recommended.