Welcome Reality

The idea of creating a score for a fictional film is nothing new, but London producer Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray, aka Nero, are perhaps the first act from the increasingly dominant dubstep scene to tackle such an ambitious concept with their debut album, Welcome Reality. Right from the ominous proggy opener of "2808," the year their post-apocalyptic "movie" is set in, it appears that they are up for the challenge. Having recently collaborated with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra on an equally adventurous project, the pair are no strangers to epic symphonies, and the likes of the thunderous "Doomsday," a Dizzee Rascal-esque fusion of stinging guitars, filthy basslines, and techno beats, the euphoric arms-in-the-air instrumental closer "Departure," and the atmospheric, echo-laden "Scorpions" are all underpinned by the kind of grandiose orchestral flourishes that made Vangelis a household name. But somewhere along the way, the duo seem to abandon their cinematic ambitions and head straigh