Tomb Raider (2018) trailer features non-specific music track

The first trailer for 2018's Tomb Raider is here! Fans not only get their first viewing of Alicia Vikander in action as Lara Croft, but are sonically bombarded with the footage's accompanying trailer score - a preliminary presentation that The Music of Tomb Raider is most often interested in investigating.

This one's tricky. The trailer music is modern, minimalistic and well defined by electronic percussion and edgy bass guitar strokes in pronounced double notes. While many viewers have immediately associated the music with already recorded songs, such as "Black Betty" by Ram Jam or "No Wow" by The Kills (even emulating the percussion of the latter), the track is simply too generic to pin down as an unoriginal composition. Thus MoTR is inclined to advise this piece is not a rendition of any one particular song. What we can assume, however, is that it is third-party licensed trailer score regardless - work that has quite possibly sampled and/or been inspired by already established recordings.

Tomb Raider is the franchise's third entry on the big screen - a reboot heavily inspired by the eponymous 2013 video game - due in cinemas March 16th, 2018. Although judging from the trailer, it amalgamates with aspects of the first two films starring Angelina Jolie, sure to tap into the original films' fan-base. This month composer Tom Holkenborg (also known as Junkie XL) has begun working on writing the film's score.

Tom Holkenborg commences work on Tomb Raider (2018)

New: Alicia Vikander in Tomb Raider (2018) via Empire

It was revealed in June that composer Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL was helming the score to the upcoming Tomb Raider film reboot starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, due out March 16th, 2018. The film is heavily inspired by the 2013 video game reboot of the same name, and with filming wrapping up in Cape Town and London earlier this year, the visual tie-in is unmistakable. The question now on the tip of every Tomb Raider fan's tongue - will the film soundtrack utilise the thematic motif from the games?

Circumstantially it appears that Jason Graves, the composer tasked with crafting a new Tomb Raider theme for the rebooted game series in 2013, has already asked Holkenborg the very question via Twitter:

Really? Nice! Can you do your own main theme or are they asking you to use mine? Can't wait to hear!

— Jason Graves (@jgmusic) 8 September 2017

The Tomb Raider franchise's last silver screen adaptions, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) & Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) were accompanied by music composed by Graeme Revell and Alan Silvestri respectively. Revell had a very short time to finish the job, and legacy video game composer Nathan McCree's original Tomb Raider motif did not make it into the soundtrack. Silvestri, on the other hand, implemented McCree's motif with significant variation.

Holkenborg may not yet be able to disclose plans for the music of Tomb Raider (2018). A trailer for the upcoming film by director Roar Uthaug is surely imminent, but as goes the film advertising industry, it's unlikely to incorporate any work from Holkenborg and instead be accompanied by third party trailer score.