Brainwasher (from 'Zone')

Written and Recorded in 1991

This tune was written for a project of students’ theatrical performance called Zone, to which I was deeply involved during the autumn of 1991. In its initial phase, we started off with gathering random ideas for the project and I wrote some original tunes in accordance with the basic scheme provided by the director, who was my close friend at that time. In its initial phase, the director established a rough sketch of the storyline that involved a scene that shows the execution of convict, by using a kind of sonic weapon. The aim of this execution was not to kill but to brainwash the convict and, we argued, that a doctor who has invented the weapon should be in charge of the ritual of this execution.

I volunteered to work on writing soundtrack music for the project and its demo recording was completed within a few days in late October 1991. For covering the scene of execution, I simply made a brief demo recording of four tracks filled with electronic spontaneous noises generated by a digital synthesizer I possessed at that time. Length of the track was suitable for the performance and the demo was used in the actual performance that took place on December 1991, being played background for an actor’s performance of the Doctor’s execution enhanced by the noise guitar he played.

The audio track of this video consists of my original demo recording and the live performance recorded by a handy video camera, which mainly captured the sound of noise guitar and the actor’s roaring at the end. Its footage is also taken from the original live performance, where I played a state official who places a headset to the poor convict before the execution begins.