Cory Strand — Assault on Precinct 13-A Reinterpretation

Here we have a four CDR drone/ambient reinterpretation of one of John Carpenter’s more simple & stripped back soundtracks. Minneapolis based HNW & stark ambient artist Cory Strand has a fair release history at doing film soundtrack reinterpretation, and in particular he’s done more than a few Carpenter soundtracks in the past- taking in the likes of Halloween (both deep drone & walled noise versions),  The Thing, Big Trouble In Little China, Christine, & The Village of the Damned.

Released in 1976 Assault on Precinct 13 was Carpenter’s second film(following on from the spaced-out comedy/ sci-fi moive Dark Star). And it was an edgy & taut action thriller based in a urbane police station that’s under siege from a violent gang- the films now very much thought of as a classic of the gritty & taut 1970’s thrillers. 

The films original soundtrack was composed in  just three days by Carpenter, and alternated between the soundtracks main- a repetitive pop synthesizer riff, which is underfed by a bleak & stark drum machine beat, variations on this main theme, and dusky & moody organ dwells.

For his reinterpretation Strand has stretched & melted out the soundtracks original lo-fi early synth starkness & drum machine barrenness into deeply compelling & lengthy drone suites.  Each of the four disc here run between the sixty & seventy mintues a piece- and each disc features four track each( these last between nine & twenty six mintues). 

One would imagine as the source material is so simple & basic for this release, that the tracks themselves might be rather one dimensional or samey. But it’s far from the case, as Strand mangers to pull out both fairly varied/ hypotonic melodies, and mood/ atmosphere from Carpenter’s stripped back original work.  The tracks here move from warming rising yet slightly troubled harmonic drone drifts, onto distant & faint darker ambient washers, through to sinister & monolithic slo-mo tonal hovers, and beyond. 

I’ve now played through the whole set in one go more than a few times now, and really through-out it’s well over four hour run time I never felt bored or unrewarded by the release, as Strand managers to add enough variation from track to track, to keep ones attention fully held through-out.

All told I’d say this is one of Cory's most consistent, and wholly rewarding reinterpretation- and it really managers to stand on it’s own as a great release, apart from the original source material. Sadly this is now out of print, but lets hope it reappears at some point(either digital or physical) as this really showcases some of Mr Strands best work within the drone side of his sound.