Ex Machina (soundtrack): History and Key Facts

Ex Machina (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album to the 2015 film of the same name. Composed and produced by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow of Portishead, the film marked their first feature film scoring stint, after the soundtrack for the initial temp score to the 2012 film Dredd, was not accepted by the directors, and then released into a standalone album titled Drokk. Garland then roped the duo for Ex Machina.

The scoring process lasted for ten months, in which Salisbury and Barrow wanted a "human approach to the android robot Ava" using organic and real sounds. The instrumentation consisted of mostly real instruments and not considered orchestral or synth-heavy music. These organic instruments were blended into the electronic ones, producing a "minimalist, highly tense mix of beauty and discomfort".

The album consisted of 10 score cues, released digitally by Back Lot Music on 6 April 2015. Barrow's in-house label Invada Records later released the album on CD on 6 May, and issued multiple vinyl editions set for release by that June. An expanded edition, containing 10 more additional score cues were released later. The album received positive response, praising the instrumental approach and compositions.

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