The greatest instro-rock band on earth soundtracks a film about one of European football’s infamous titans, and the result is a win for all.
Not just because Mogwai remains one of the most cinematic musical groups in existence, but also because, astoundingly, they’ve never officially scored a film before. Although they can bring the noise, Zidane is a mostly mellow affair, hearkening back to their early EPs. “Black Spider,” “Terrific Speech 2,” “Half Time,” and “Wake Up and Go Berserk” are meditative soundscapes, spare with loose arpeggios and shimmering distortions. “Terrific Speech” itself is a mounting pleasure, while “7:25” is a sparkling stream of plucked melodies.
But it wouldn’t be Mogwai without an experimental noise epic, and that comes in the form of the half-hour opus “Black Spider 2,” an ambient mash of feedback, synths, and guitars that unspools into static-soaked riffs. Mogwai scores, Zidane kicks.
This review appeared at XLR8R
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