Zombies and ethereal post-rock. The two
seem to fit together quite nicely, don’t you think? The producers of French TV
series Les Revenants, based on the
2004 film of the same name, clearly thought so: they asked Glaswegian
post-rockers Mogwai to soundtrack the show. And man, did they do the task
justice.
Mogwai were approached following their
acclaimed work on the soundtrack to documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait. Speaking of their
decision to soundtrack the French series, Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite said: “We were actually
big fans of the director Fabrice Gobert’s film Simon Werner a Disparu, which had a soundtrack by Sonic Youth, and
we found the story for Les Revenants
incredibly interesting.”
The
Les Revenants soundtrack album is
notably different from the majority of Mogwai’s output. Gone are the walls of
guitars so loud they’ll make your ears bleed, and in their place are stark,
haunting piano-led themes laden with strings and delicate guitars lines. It’s a
sparse and atmospheric listen, but no less intense than any of Mogwai’s other
albums: there’s still a driving force behind many of the tracks, balanced often
by heartfelt sincerity and tenderness.
From
the cinematic Hungry Face to the mystery
and intrigue of The Huts – the
unsettling Fridge Magic to the
unexpectedly vocal-led What Are They
Doing In Heaven Today? – Mogwai showcase their skills as musicians. By the
time final track Wizard Motor comes
around, you really feel like you’ve been taken on a journey.
It’s a testament to Mogwai’s musical
pedigree that, even after seven studio albums, their creativity has never
floundered. Leaving behind an established formula, they have created one of
their most compelling and thought-provoking bodies of work that will take pride
of place in many music collections across the country.
Les Revenants by Mogwai is out on the 26th of February via Rock Action
Records.
ES
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