Antz (soundtrack)

Antz (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell
ReleasedNovember 3, 1998
Recorded1998
Studios
GenreFilm score
Length49:02
LabelAngel
ProducerHans Zimmer
Harry Gregson-Williams chronology
The Replacement Killers
(1998)		 Antz
(1998)		 Enemy of the State
(1998)
John Powell chronology
Endurance
(1998)		 Antz
(1998)		 Chill Factor
(1999)

Antz (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album composed by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell for the film of the same name and released by Angel Records on November 3, 1998.

The soundtrack received positive reviews and was nominated for Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production at the 27th Annie Awards.

Background and release

The chief executive officer (CEO) of DreamWorks, Jeffrey Katzenberg, initially wanted Hans Zimmer to compose the music for Antz, but as Zimmer had already committed to The Prince of Egypt among other projects, he instead suggested two other composers from his company Media Ventures. Craig Armstrong and Marius de Vries were the initial contenders for scoring Antz, but Zimmer suggested either Harry Gregson-Williams or John Powell to compose the music, as both of them had already collaborated on Egypt.[1][2] The duo initially wrote some demos and themes for the film, which impressed Katzenberg, resulting in both of them being hired for the project in a collaborative effort.[3][4] Antz is one of the first three films, with both Gregson-Williams and Powell had collaboratively composed for, the other two being Chicken Run (2000) and Shrek (2001), both DreamWorks Animation films.[5]

The film score album was released, a month after the film's North American theatrical run on November 3, 1998, through Angel Records.[6][7] Though, DreamWorks' own subsidiary label DreamWorks Records, which founded in 1997, had released score albums for their initial live-action productions (The Peacemaker and Amistad)[8][9] the label, however did not release the score for Antz, and licensed score albums to other labels as it was primarily focusing on albums by pop and rock artists at that time, other than film albums.[6] Despite this, DreamWorks Records had however released the soundtrack for The Prince of Egypt later that year.[10]

Track listing

All music is composed by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell, except as noted.

No.TitlePerformerLength
1."I Can See Clearly Now"Neil Finn2:51
2."Opening Titles / Z's Theme" 1:59
3."The Colony" 1:57
4."General Mandible" 2:22
5."Princess Bala" 0:56
6."The Bar" 1:29
7."There Is A Better Place..." 1:20
8."Guantanamera / 6:15 Time To Dance" 3:17
9."The Antz Go Marching To War" 3:49
10."Weaver And Azteca Flirt" 1:56
11."The Death Of Barbados*" 2:07
12."The Antz Marching Band" 1:17
13."The Magnifying Glass" 1:59
14."Ant Revolution" 1:50
15."Mandible And Cutter Plot" 2:07
16."The Picnic Table" 2:45
17."The Big Shoe" 2:11
18."Romance In Insectopia" 2:32
19."Back To The Colony" 2:28
20."Z To The Rescue" 7:46
21."Z's Alive!" 3:28
Total length:52:26
  • Contrary to the track title, the character's name is actually "Barbatus".

Reception

Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks wrote "Overall, Powell and Gregson-Williams may not have been in top form by 1998, but Antz has fifteen or so minutes of truly magical and addictive personality more cohesive and enjoyable than Danny Elfman's similar attempts at the time. Just make sure you're in the mood."[11] William Ruhlmann of AllMusic wrote "most of the music is purely functional in a film that itself has many moods and varied episodes. Still, this makes for lively listening."[12]

Thomas Glorieux of Maintitles wrote "There is no denying it. Everyone that simply wants fun music will do fine with Antz. It was the start of a trio of amazing animated musical scores, making sure that from there on everyone went their own separate way. But the big reason this score still sounds so amazing is the continuation of surprises. It makes it fresh and exciting during each annual listen. In the end Antz deserved that nomination more than Randy Newman's A Bug's Life. And above all it offers us just a glimpse of what Media Ventures in general produced. Don't deny it, simply accept the way of life. Antz is one of the biggest and best listens of 1998."[13]

Todd McCarthy of Variety added that "The energetic and resourceful background score by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell is abetted by several standards that are used in markedly witty ways."[14]

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes:[15]

  • Music composer – Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell
  • Music producer – Hans Zimmer
  • Recording – Nick Wollage, Steve Orchard
  • Assistant recording – Jake Jackson, Matt Palmer
  • Mixing – Nick Wollage, Alan Meyerson
  • Assistant mixing – Gregg Silk
  • Mastering – Joe Gastwirt
  • Supervising music editor – Adam Smalley
  • Music editor – Brian Richards
  • Music coordinator – Maggie Rodford
  • Copyist – Tony Stanton
  • A&R (Angel Records) – Steve Ferrera
  • Project manager (Angel Records) – Zach Hochkeppel
  • Executive in charge of music – Todd Homme, Marylata E. Jacob
  • Art direction (Angel Records) – Gordon H Jee
  • Package design (Angel Records) – Eileen Preston
Orchestra
  • Orchestrators – Bruce L. Fowler, Elizabeth Finch, Jack Smalley, Ladd MacIntosh, March Dicterow-Vaj, Steven Fowler, Walt Fowler, Yvonne S. Moriarty
  • Orchestra conductor – Gavin Greenaway
  • Orchestra leader – Perry Montague Mason
  • Orchestra contractor – Tonia Davall
Instruments
  • Antelope horns – Oren Marshall
  • Bass – Chris Lawrence
  • Crumhorn – Brian Gulland
  • Drums – Ian Thomas, Steve Orchard, Matt Palmer
  • Elephant horns – Oren Marshall
  • Flute – Jonathan Snowden
  • Harp – Skaila Kanga
  • Marimba – Frank Ricotti
  • Percussion – Louis Jardim, Bob Daspit, Ryeland Allison
  • Loops – Bob Daspit, Ryeland Allison
  • Saxophone – Phil Todd
Vocals
  • Choir conductor – Rupert Gregson-Williams
  • Vocals – Kenny Andrews, Marcos D'Cruze, Michael Dmitri, Janet Mooney, Nicole Tibbles

Accolades

Award Category Recipient(s) Result
1999 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards[16] Top Box Office Films Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell Won
27th Annie Awards[17] Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell Nominated
1999 Golden Reel Awards[18][19] Best Sound Editing in Animated Feature Film — Music Editing Adam Milo Smalley, Brian Richards Won

References

  1. ↑ Freer, Ian (April 22, 2014). "Empire Meets John Powell". Empire. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ciafardini, Marc (June 7, 2013). "Exclusive: Interview (Part II)…Film Composer Harry Gregson-Williams Talks Tony Scott, Hans Zimmer and His Career". GoseeTalk. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  3. ↑ László, Kulics (November 26, 2006). "Different ways – Interview with John Powell". Filmzene.net (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  4. ↑ Wilson, Sean (July 5, 2017). "John Powell interview: scoring Bourne, Hans Zimmer, Face/Off and more". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Harry Gregson-Williams: A 21st Century Man". Broadcast Music, Inc. October 5, 2006. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Antz". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  7. ↑ Jeffries, Neil (1998). "Antz Soundtrack Review". Empire. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Peacemaker [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Amistad [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  10. ↑ "The Prince of Egypt Soundtrack". Soundtrack.Net. Archived from the original on June 14, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
  11. ↑ Clemmensen, Christian (November 21, 1998). "Antz (John Powell/Harry Gregson-Williams)". Filmtracks. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  12. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Antz Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  13. ↑ Glorieux, Thomas. "Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell: Antz". maintitles.net. Archived from the original on June 28, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  14. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (September 21, 1998). "Antz". Variety. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  15. ↑ Harry Gregson-Williams; John Powell. Antz (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). Angel Records.
  16. ↑ "The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers 14th Annual Film & Television Music Awards". The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. April 27, 1999. Archived from the original on April 11, 2000. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  17. ↑ "27th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners". Annie Awards. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  18. ↑ "46 Anniversary (1998) Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Winners". Motion Picture Sound Editors. Archived from the original on July 16, 2001. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  19. ↑ "'Ryan' nabs Golden Reel". Variety. March 21, 1999. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
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