September 19, 2025 will see the release of “TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”, a new album by Nine Inch Nails via Interscope Records. Composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the 24-track score was created for Disney’s third installment in the TRON franchise, directed by Joachim Rønning and starring Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, and Jeff Bridges.

This release marks the first official film score credited to Nine Inch Nails, differentiating it from Reznor and Ross’s previous film work issued under their own names. The duo have previously won two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, a Grammy, and an Emmy for scores including “The Social Network”, “Soul”, and “Watchmen”.

Described as a stylistic departure, the “TRON: Ares” score discards orchestral elements in favor of Nine Inch Nails’ pulsating synths, distorted textures, and melodic patterns.

The lead single, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be”, marks Nine Inch Nails’ first official song release since their 2021 collaboration with HEALTH on “Isn’t Everyone”. The track is featured in the “TRON: Ares trailer” (see below).

With a runtime of over 70 minutes, the soundtrack is currently available for pre-order and pre-save. The film is scheduled for release in cinemas on October 10, 2025.

About Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails was founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. The project quickly rose to prominence with the release of “Pretty Hate Machine” (1989), followed by “The Downward Spiral” (1994) and “The Fragile” (1999), offering a distinctive fusion of industrial rock and electronic experimentation.

Reznor has remained the core and constant member, later joined by Atticus Ross, who became an official member in 2016.

After a hiatus in the early 2010s, the band returned with a trilogy of releases, culminating in “Bad Witch” (2018).

Reznor and Ross began scoring films together in 2010, earning widespread critical acclaim. Their dual careers as Nine Inch Nails and film composers continue to blur boundaries between commercial music and cinematic sound.

About TRON

The TRON concept, originating from the 1982 sci-fi film “TRON” by Steven Lisberger and further developed in its 2010 sequel “TRON: Legacy” and the upcoming “TRON: Ares” revolves around the relationship between humanity and technology, particularly the idea of a digital universe where computer programs take on anthropomorphic forms and grapple with existential questions.

The TRON universe is set in a digital world – a virtual reality inside a computer system – where programs are personified as sentient beings with their own identities, purposes, and conflicts. The original 1982 film introduced the idea of a programmer, Kevin Flynn, being digitized into this world, where he interacts with programs that resemble humans but operate under the logic of a computer system. This digital realm, often called “The Grid”, is a landscape of neon-lit structures, sleek vehicles (like the iconic Light Cycles), and gladiatorial games, showing the inner workings of software and hardware.

In “TRON: Legacy” (2010), the concept expanded to explore a more advanced Grid created by Flynn, touching themes of artificial intelligence and the emergence of “Isomorphic Algorithms” (ISOs), programs with free will that challenge the rigid order of the digital world. “TRON: Ares” (2025) shifts the narrative by introducing Ares, a program sent from the Grid to the real world, flipping the human-to-digital premise of the earlier films. This story examines the collision of artificial and human realities, questioning what it means to be alive in a world where AI and humanity cross.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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