Cory Strand — Zodica-A Reinterpretation
Before I get into the release at hand, I think it’s best to give an overview of the case it’s self. The Zodiac Killer committed his crimes in northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity still remains unknown(though there are more than eight suspects). The killer took the lives of eight people in all( many of these were in lover lanes or isolated beauty spots), though it's thought by some that there could be possible 12 or maybe more victims in all. The killer originated the name "Zodiac" in a series of taunting letters sent to the local Bay Area press(including the San Francisco Chronicle were Graysmith was working as a cartoonist at the time of the early killings). These letters included four ciphers or cryptograms. Of the four cryptograms sent, only one has been definitively solved. On one occasion the killer dressed up in a ritualistic costume to kill his victims- this took in a black fitted material like mask & sun gassers, & a black sleeveless tunic with the gun sight zodiac logo painted or embroidered in white on the front of it . There have been numerous documentaries, and a selection of books about the case, along with a whole host of websites discussing the case.
For this release Stand has really done a impressive job packaging wise- the release's six disc comes in two separate see-through DVD cases. The first cases doubled side colour cover takes in on it’s front- a still from Fincher’s film were zodiac is pointing a gun at two of his victims dressed in his ritualistic costume. Also on this front cover we have the track listings etc laid in the handwriting style of the Zodiac letters. On the reverse of the cover we have a picture of one of the envelopes sent from the killer to the press at the time of the killings.
The second doubled sided case sleeve takes in on it’s front side a disturbing re-production of the text from one of Zodiac’s letters mixed in with the track listing etc of the release- the black text is very effectively printed on to a yellow back ground with a few words being picked out in blood red text. On the reverse we get a close-up of Arthur Leigh Allen's(who Graysmith & many others feel was the Zodiac)Id card.
Also each of the six CDRs take Zodiac related graphics & texts- be it photo fit poster, flyer from the early 1970’s B movie about the cases, or drawings of Zodiac in his full ritualistic costume. All told Strand has put a lot of time/effort into the look of this release.
Moving onto the sonics inside the six discs themselves, and basically Strand offers up two separate reinterpretation of the whole soundtrack which was originally composed by David Shire. The first three discs take in more ambient & brooding drone takes on the soundtrack, and the second set of three discs take in more extreme walled noise/ harsh drone noise takes on the soundtrack. Shire’s original soundtrack was a fairly dark & menacing in it’s own right, and it took in a rather stripped down symphony orchestra comprising of just strings, piano, a solo horn, a solo trumpet, and occasional guitars elements. With his reinterpretation Strand has deepened the feel of internal darkness & inner psychosis, but also intensified/ brutalized Shire’s original soundtrack too.
For the most part the six discs remain entrancing & compelling through-out, with the twenty six tracks lasting between just under the eight minute mark, to epic thirty three minutes run-time. I wont detail each & ever track in this review, but instead I’ll pick a few of my favourite moments- firstly here are my stand out moments from the first three discs, and the more drone/ambient focused tracks. So from disc one we have “Trailer Park”, which takes Shire’s original mix of cold stripped guitars & brooding strings dips, and transforms it into a truly unsettling sonic landscape of wonky ‘n’ melted guitar textures & thick overwhelming masses of dark drone brood.
Disc twos “Graysmith Obsessed” takes jauntily investigative & almost malevolently playful mix of piano stabs & string darts of the Shire original, and brews it down into a thick ’n’ slow motion world of sludgy tonal dread.
Disc threes “Graysmith’s Theme II”, stretchers out Shire’s original two or so minute track to a thirty three minute epic. It takes the forlorn piano wondering & string simmer of the original track, and turns it into truly malevolent & slurred industrial tinged drone stew- that is latter darted with sudden yet slowed piano cluster & reverberations. This track has really a very tangible feeling of both dread & growing psychology buried violence .
Moving on to highlights from the second three disc- the more violent, noise & walled noise focused tracks. Disc fours “Graysmith”, which sees Strand creating a slurred yet violent mass of three or four billowing & juddering tones- which sear & brutally wind around each other. Also on disc four there's the thick drilling ‘n’ grinding, yet slowing then speeding-up shifting noise drone intensity of “Law & Disorder”. Disc fives “Graysmith obsessed”, offers up a slowing brutal sonic molasses of meaty bass rumbling & thinner mid-ranged jittering. And disc sixes “Graysmith’s theme’ is a airless & pressing mixture of fixed machine like purr ‘n’ buzz, with bursts of more agitated tonal drags ‘n’ judders.
“Zodiac- A Reinterpretation” is another consistent soundtrack remoulding from Strand- with him managing to equally focus in on the unwell & broodingly psychotic elements of the movie/ case, and the more violent & intense elements of the movie/case too.