Zerzura (Original Soundtrack Recording)

Zerzura is a mythical city or oasis that appears in numerous historical accounts of the Sahara. The film Zerzura is a largely improvised impressionistic Saharan Acid Western tracing a nomadic character, played by Ahmoudou Madassane, as he ventures across the desert in search of the oasis and its riches. As well as being the film's principal actor, he is also the musician who composed and plays the soundtrack. He is a Touareg electric guitarist known for his part in the group Les Filles de Illighadad and also as an accompanist of Mdou Moctar.

For this soundtrack he improvised, largely solo, while watching a rough cut of the film. The music perfectly suits the movie's images, but it also stands up very well as a recording in its own right. It is essentially Madassane noodling on his guitar, creating typically Touareg blues licks and ambient drone sounds. Some sound samples from the film and occasional sparse percussion and keyboard add atmosphere to this effective and highly satisfying minimalistic suite of musical experimentations.