From Hollywood Scores to Electronic Frontiers: Brian Tyler Unveils ‘Are We Dreaming’
The landscape of electronic music is shifting as Monstercat marks its 15th anniversary with a bold, cinematic expansion. In a surprising pivot, renowned film composer Brian Tyler-the creative force behind the high-octane scores for Fast & Furious, Iron Man 3, and Avengers: Age of Ultron-is stepping away from the silver screen to debut his new electronic alias, Are We Dreaming. This project, launched in collaboration with Monstercat and NCS, signals a departure from traditional soundtrack work toward a fully immersive, artist-driven electronic universe.
A Cinematic Approach to Dance Music
Rather than treating this as a fleeting side project, Tyler is architecting a comprehensive audio-visual ecosystem. The debut track, “Godlike,” serves as the foundational pillar of this narrative. Spanning an ambitious eight minutes, the composition is designed to be more than just a song; it is the prologue to a sprawling, multi-dimensional story.
Tyler’s commitment to the project is total. He is not merely composing the music; he is serving as the director, editor, and visual effects lead, ensuring that the aesthetic experience is as meticulously crafted as the sound design. This level of creative control is rare in the industry, mirroring the auteur-driven approach often seen in blockbuster filmmaking.
The Evolution of “Godlike”
The track has a storied history, having served as the opening anthem for Tyler’s performance at the Lost Lands festival several years ago. Since that initial live debut, the piece has undergone a significant transformation.
“Bringing ‘Godlike’ to this stage has been a long-term journey,” Tyler noted. “It feels poetic that this track, which first introduced my vision at Lost Lands, is now the catalyst for the full Are We Dreaming rollout. It has evolved into a sonic exploration of time, space, and raw emotion.”
Exploring the “Other”
At its core, Are We Dreaming leans heavily into science fiction tropes. Tyler describes the project’s narrative as an investigation into the “unknown”-a mysterious, ambiguous force originating from a different dimension. By blending his orchestral background with modern electronic production, Tyler is attempting to bridge the gap between the epic scale of film scoring and the visceral energy of the dance floor.
As the electronic music industry continues to see a rise in cross-genre collaborations-with recent data suggesting that cinematic-style production is becoming a dominant trend in festival sets-Tyler’s entry into the space feels timely. By treating his music as a narrative-driven universe, he is setting a new standard for how producers can engage audiences beyond the standard three-minute radio edit.
