Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (soundtrack) - Overview

Overview

In late 2005, Douglas Gordon asked Mogwai if they would record a score for his documentary, Zidane, un portrait du 21e siècle. After seeing some footage of the film with a remix of "Mogwai Fear Satan" playing in the background, they agreed to do it. The band weren't given any direction as to what the album should sound like and didn't have a lot of time to structure the music, so some songs on the album have an improvised feel. The album's sound is a departure from the more straightforward rock songs on Mr. Beast and a return of the slow, experimental style of Come on Die Young. It features darker, slower songs with haunting piano and gentle guitar melodies, as well as ambient noise. There is an untitled hidden track after "Black Spider 2", which lasts for more than 20 minutes. Two of the songs are outtakes from previous Mogwai releases, rerecorded: "Black Spider" (originally titled "Big E") and "7:25" from Rock Action and Come on Die Young, respectively. It is the first Mogwai release to feature a hidden track.