JOHN ZORN - Film Works XVI - Workingman's Death (2005)

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Once again, this CD is made in Russia.

From Wikipedia :

Filmworks XVI: Workingman's Death features a score by John Zorn for a documentary film by Michael Glawogger. The album was released on Zorn's own label, Tzadik Records, in 2005 and contains music that Zorn wrote and recorded for, Workingman's Death (2005), a documentary detailing hazardous employment undertaken in Ukraine, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and China.

from Amazon.com:

Percussion and electronics., May 31, 2005
By Michael Stack (North Chelmsford, MA USA)


This review is from: Film Works, Vol. 16: Working Man's Death (Audio CD)
One thing about John Zorn, his ability to produce consistently high quality music in literally dozens of different forms never ceases to amaze. This recording, the soundtrack to a documentary titled "Workingman's Death" is no exception. Featuring Cyro Baptista (percussion) and Ikue Mori (electronics) with occasional contributions from the composer (gamelan, organ), Jamie Saft (keys, guitar), and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass), this is a recording of different moods and feels– Zorn stated that as the documentary followed workers in different countries, environments, and situations, he wanted the music to sort of follow them as well.

Over 60 minutes long, had the soundtrack been conceptually anything else, it likely would have dragged a bit, but moving through trancey organ pieces ("Gadani Slipway", "Ghost Ship"), circular percussion pieces ("Juju"), aggressive, rhythmic banging ("Sulpher Mining"), scraping, grating noise ("Steel Foundry"), and downright funky electronica ("Horn Carrier", "Slaughterhouse"), this one holds interest well. Zorn evidentally decided for this release to overdub a couple keyboard lines on a few tracks to better pace this for release indepednent of the film– I'm not certain whether I would have preferred he left it alone. Certainly he coaxes great performances out of Baptista and Mori that I suspect I'd rather hear them shine without him, although at a minimum "The Miners" benefits immensely from the organ line, helping the simple sounds intertwine in an engaging manner.

While its not the best introduction to Zorn's soundtrack work (I'd give that to "Invitation to a Suicide"), all in all, its a good recording, recommended for fans of Zorn's filmworks series.