Movie soundtracks aren’t all John Williams orchestras and Quentin Tarantino 70s song selections. Electronic music has made its mark on the silver screen too. These are the best electronic tracks from film soundtracks.

1. Mantronik vs EPMD – ‘Strictly Business (Mantronik MBA Radio Edit)’ from Blade (1998)

The movie was a big hit, ushering in the era of more mature superhero movies that spawned the X-Men series and the DC Cinematic Universe that gave us this year’s Suicide Squad. The soundtrack was packed with techno, hip hop and general electronic, but it is this collaboration between two MN2S titans that stands out.

Kurtis Mantronik produces a beat that straddles the divide between hip hop and house, as rappers from the DJ Scratch-featuring trio EPMD take to the mic. Also worth a mention on this soundtrack is KRS-One and Channel Live’s ‘Blade’, which serves as the movie’s title track.

2. The Prodigy – ‘Voodoo People’ from Hackers (1995)

The film is often mocked for its laughably inaccurate portrayal of even basic computer functionality, but Hackers’ soundtrack stands the test of time. With music from Leftfield, Orbital and Underworld, it is clear that what the filmmakers lacked in technical knowledge, they more than made up for in high octane electronic music acumen.

‘Voodoo People’ from British hardcore legends The Prodigy is the standout track here, and the most featured track in the movie. As the makers of Hackers would have us believe, this is the song that runs through your head as you type for your life to hack enemy computers.

3. Underworld – ‘Born Slippy .NUXX’ from Trainspotting (1996)

Trainspotting is well known as one of the most popular movies to prominently feature electronic music and clubbing. Perhaps the film’s signature tune, ‘Born Slippy .NUXX’ was little known before it was featured in Trainspotting’s finale, as Ewan McGregor’s character apparently decides to get his life back on track. We will see how that worked out for him with the imminent release of Trainspotting 2, which will hopefully be just as packed full of classic electronic music.

4. Daft Punk – ‘Da Funk’ from The Saint (1997)

This late-90s movie starring Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue was actually a box office hit, despite its relative obscurity two decades after its release. This could be due to The Saint’s less-than-stellar critical reception. It certainly isn’t down to the soundtrack, which collects much of the best electronica from the film’s era.

Daft Punk’s ‘Da Funk’, with its genial yet aggressive synth riffs and, well, funky rhythm, is a key song here. Released with a big budget short film of its own, the song established Daft Punk as a major electronic force to be reckoned with, and for many, The Saint was the first time they heard it, even if the song is now far better known than this movie, and perhaps even Val Kilmer himself.

5. Goldie & J. Majik – ‘Sunray 2’ from The Jackal (1997)

Another film that gets little attention in 2016, The Jackal is significant for featuring Hollywood legend Sidney Poitier’s final performance to date. It starred two more Hollywood heavyweights: Bruce Willis and Richard Gere.

Once again, this soundtrack is densely populated with house, electronica and hardcore, boasting two tracks from British Jungle pioneer Goldie. ‘Sunray 2’ played over the film’s end credits, sending viewers out into the world in an excitable and lightheaded daze.

Header image is Toogeki Movie Toyooka by hashi photo (hashi photo) [GFDL or CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons