"Moroder's synths rise in volume as Billy sprints through the crowded streets and fall away when he ducks inside a poultry stall, two detectives in suits and aviator shades hot on his tail. When he accidentally overturns a crate of chickens, the tune comes rushing back in an explosion of metallic clang and zapping lasers. The scene's finale takes place on an empty staircase, synths fading as Billy looks around and grins, thinking he's free."
"The song is actually a slightly incongruous choice for the film; while the bass arpeggio instills the requisite drama and suspense, the main melody-which the film's editor barely uses-is jaunty and major-key, more in keeping with Moroder's rivals Kraftwerk. It's on the soundtrack album that "Chase" truly shines, at its full eight-and-a-half-minute length. And on the dancefloor, of course: Discothèques primed by the robotic throb of the previous year's "I Feel Love" now convulsed to the equally rigid yet sensual pulse of "Chase.""
Moroder's "Chase" synchronizes rising and falling synth textures with on-screen action, swelling during chases and receding in confined spaces. The film edit compresses the piece to under three minutes, underusing its jaunty main melody while foregrounding a bass arpeggio that supplies drama and suspense. The complete eight-and-a-half-minute soundtrack version amplifies the track's impact and energized discothèques already attuned by "I Feel Love." "Chase" employs a hypnotic arpeggiated bassline in a similar key and motorik pulse, layering slapback delay and a flanged synth pad over a muted 4/4 kick to create a woozy, gelatinous ostinato.
Read at Pitchfork
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