Mogwai // Les Revenants OST
Post-rock soundrack to a French TV series stands alone as a classic album
Released 25th February 2013
Mogwai // Les Revenants OST (Rock Action)
My obsessive interest in music began in the 80s. Never blinkered enough to limit my tastes to one genre, I jumped from electropop to grindcore, new wave to new romantic, two-tone to thrash, goth to grunge. There was always something exciting to find, whether a new release, a demo tape or a classic discovered in a second hand shop.
By the mid-90s, things were stagnating. Most of my favourites had split up or become parodies of themselves. Thunders and Cobain were dead. Much Britpop was a pale imitation of the stuff I had found crate-digging. Big beat was one dimensional. I was losing interest in music, the one constant in my life for well over a decade. But then stuff started to emerge that reignited that passion. DIY labels such as Chemikal Underground and Constellation sprang up with releases from the likes of Delgados, GY!BE and Arab Strap. Most exciting were Mogwai.
‘Gwai’s template of predominantly instrumental songs, sharing the Pixies/Nirvana quiet/loud dynamic, seems ideal for soundtracks work, but after numerous albums and EPS, this is only the second such commission. However, this is much more than just a soundtrack and can stands alone, up with anything in their back catalogue. 'Kill Jester' and 'This Messiah' are simply gorgeous, beautiful, moving pieces of music that represent all that is best about this most special of groups.
9.5/10 Pavlis
