News

Audiences and critics may not have fully understood Hackers when it was released exactly 25 years ago – but the cyber-cult classic continues to be a touchpoint in the public’s early understanding of the nascent Internet. Next week, its original soundtrack is being expanded for its anniversary, complete with some surprising cameos from a classic rock legend.

The film followed a group of young, elite, underground programmers who accidentally stumble upon a computer virus-assisted plot to embezzle a major corporation and cause environmental chaos. Several of its cast members broke through to the mainstream as a result of the film, including Matthew Lillard, Jonny Lee Miller and future Oscar winner Angelina Jolie. The film’s distinct sense of style (futuristic fashion! rollerblades! dance music!) has led to a devoted cult following. (Check out the extremely detailed fan site Hackers Curator, just covered in VICE and the hosts of a reunion tonight at 8 p.m. EST on the streaming service Twitch.)

Three collections of music from and related to the film were released between 1996 and 1999, and Varese Sarabande’s 2CD edition compiles nearly everything from that first volume (including tracks by Prodigy, Stereo MC’s and Squeeze) plus a bonus disc including material from Simon Boswell’s original score plus some other notable tracks, like Massive Attack’s U.K. Top 20 hit “Protection.” Of particular note to Pink Floyd die-hards is two unissued score tracks composed and performed by Guy Pratt, the band’s bassist at the time; after a quarter-century of speculation, this release confirms that a climactic piece of music, “Grand Central Station,” features guitar work by Gilmour. “This was such a fun thing to do,” Pratt said in a statement. “Had to quickly knock it up at home and then David swung by and did his inimitable thing in one take.”

A 12-track 2LP version, featuring all the material on the first disc and the first three tracks of Disc 2, will be available on Record Store Day’s next “drop” date on September 26 – a day after the CD release. It’s limited to 3500 copies, though one will be given away during Hackers Curator’s Twitch event tonight.

Hackers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Expanded Edition (Varese Sarabande, 2020)

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Disc 1

1. Halcyon and On and On – Orbital
2. Open Up – Leftfield
3. Cowgirl – Underworld
4. Voodoo People – Prodigy
5. Connected – Stereo MC’s
6. One Love – Prodigy
7. Original Bedroom Rockers – Kruder & Dorfmeister
8. Good Grief – Urban Dance Squad
9. Heaven Knows – Squeeze

Disc 2 (* previously released)

1. Protection – Massive Attack *
2. One Combination – Guy Pratt
3. Grand Central Station – Guy Pratt featuring David Gilmour
4. Hackers Suite – Simon Boswell
5. Diskette – Simon Boswell *
6. City of Data – Simon Boswell
7. Ellingson HQ – Simon Boswell
8. Cereal’s Speech – Simon Boswell
9. Kernel – Simon Boswell
10. Date Night – Simon Boswell

All tracks on Disc 1 released on Edel America Records 0029872, 1996