This weekend, the third installment in Disney’s Tron saga hits theaters nationwide. Known as much for its pioneering CGI as for its music, the franchise’s sound has always been central to its DNA. The tradition began with Wendy Carlos’s score for the 1982 original, followed by electronic French duo Daft Punk for Tron: Legacy. For its latest chapter, Tron: Ares, the baton passes to Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. At an advance IMAX screening, the duo, joined by Jeff Bridges, discussed their latest cinematic endeavor.

Reznor and Ross, long celebrated for film scores under their own names (The Social Network, Challengers, After The Hunt), are credited for the first time as “Nine Inch Nails” on Tron: Ares. The distinction, they both agreed, went beyond a marketing strategy and shaped their creative approach. “It really changed the way we approached it. We thought it should be all electronic, and decided to lean into it sounding heavily synthetic,” said Reznor. The decision also inspired them to take risks — some of which were initially met with resistance. “We delivered a song with vocals for a scene, and they didn’t put it in the film at first. But we were confident we’d earned it, and they eventually came to trust us,” said Ross. “They asked for Nine Inch Nails, that’s what they got,” joked Reznor.

David Fincher, Sam Mendes, and Luca Guadagnino are just a few of the notable directors the pair have collaborated with. Their process, they said, always begins with understanding the director’s vision, then aiming to exceed it with the music they create. Reznor reflected on their first major score, The Social Network, which won them an Oscar. “We had a panicked couple of weeks because we had no idea how to write for movies, and we didn’t want to screw up [Fincher’s] film.” Ultimately, they focused on what they wanted to say and the emotions they wanted to convey. “Maybe I didn’t know how to write a scene of someone walking through campus, but I knew what it felt like to be someone who believed in something as a noble pursuit — and then realized he might have gone too far and had screwed people over.”

For Tron: Ares, they drew on a mix of the 1980s arcade vibe and the anticipation for what’s to come. “It felt like the future, like possibility,” said Ross. Bridges, returning as Kevin Flynn, echoed this sentiment: “Newness is the general feeling in each of the films.” To achieve this, NIN didn’t work in isolation. The duo collaborated closely with the sound design team, encouraging constant information sharing. The result can be heard in the speeding, crashes, and explosions — all in perfect harmony with another unforgettable Reznor—Ross soundtrack.

Catch Tron: Ares in theaters today!