Transformers: Age of Extinction – The Score

Background

As with the previous three films of the franchise, Steve Jablonsky handled the film's score, and it is his sixth collaboration with director Michael Bay. Jablonsky and Bay worked on the score from December 2013 to June 2014, one month before the film's release, which exhausted Jablonsky. The two focused on creating themes for the film's new characters, although the two mutually decided to incorporate some of the themes of the first trilogy.

Jablonsky also collaborated with fellow composer Hans Zimmer and alternative pop band Imagine Dragons in the score, as well as the film's theme song, "Battle Cry". Bay wanted to work with Imagine Dragons after being "drawn to the emotion of ’Demons’ and ’Radioactive’ the first time [he] heard those songs, and [he] knew [he] wanted that same energy and heart for this movie." About his collaboration with the band Jablonsky said, "It immediately hit me more than some of the previous ones [I] had done...it was a much closer collaboration than I’ve had in the past," compared to his previous collaborations with bands Linkin Park and Goo Goo Dolls. Imagine Dragons had finished touring for two years their debut album, Night Visions (2012), and wanted to work on their next studio album, before Bay called them to work on the film's score. The band felt that working on the film could increase their music's exposure worldwide. Imagine Dragons was brought to Los Angeles for the collaboration; Jablonsky also traveled to the band's studio in Las Vegas, Nevada to record with the band. The band's lead singer Dan Reynolds recorded vocals, while drummer Daniel Platzman played the viola. Composer Joseph Trapanese also provided additional music for the film.

On June 30, 2014, Jablonsky released an extended play featuring four tracks as a teaser for the official score, which features variations of the four themes. On July 3, 2014, three days after the EP's release, the official score was released on iTunes, although Jablonsky stated that physical copies will "[take] a bit longer."

On October 7, 2014, the score was released on CD by record label La-La Land Records. It is a limited edition of 3000 units.

On November 20, 2014 Steve Jablonsky commented via Facebook that the score would no longer be sold on iTunes after it had reached its limit of 15,000 units before re-use fees would have to be paid. Jablonsky personally expressed his own disappointment in the turn of events, hoping there would be a way to eventually re-release the score, along with the score to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which also had been removed on iTunes several months prior when it also reached the 15,000 unit limit.

The EP

All tracks written by Steve Jablonsky.

The Score

All tracks written by Steve Jablonsky.