Renaldo & The Loaf - 23rd Century Giants — Renaldo & The Loaf - 23rd Century Giants( Blu Ray)

Here we have a region free blu ray release of 23rd Century Giants- the 2021 documentary charting the career of Renaldo and the Loaf- the British two-piece who brew-up a bizarre, surreal & distinctive mixture of Avant-grade pop, wonky (off) world music and general sonic quirkiness. As well as the film, the release features fifty minutes of extra material- and a reversible cover.

23rd Century Giants was directed by LA-based Alex Wroten, who has thirty-three directorial credits to his name. Taking in shorts, TV series episodes and two feature lengths- 2007’s Kirk Mannican's Liberty Mug, which is seemingly a drama focusing on trails & tribulations of esteemed b-movie actor, and 2016 comedy-mystery God Bless New Dixie, which featured a foul-mouth female just out of rehab. 23rd Century Giants is largely a well-constructed, even flowing, and evenly balanced documentary- which certainly pulls you into its subject's story.

The film runs for one hour and twenty-one minutes and is made up of talking heads, quirky text lined song animations, and archive images/ visuals from over the project's career. Talking heads wise, we obviously get the two band members- David "Ted the Loaf" Janssen and Brian "Renaldo Malpractice" Poole. We have Homer Flynn, The Residents manager/ spokesman- as the project appeared on the Rez’s label Ralph Records. We have a selection of staff who worked at Ralph Records when the pair were signed to the label in the 80s. There’s Walter Robotka- who runs/ curates Klanggalerie- who have put out reissues/ new releases from the pair. And we have a good selection of those who admire the pairs work, as well friends/ collaborators.

The film opens with a series of talking heads discussing the project's distinctive & wonky sound. Moving on the pair discuss how they first met in school in the UK seaside city of Portsmouth, and how they first bonded over their love of Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. Rex). Going on to talk about their early improvising, which in time led to more song-based work. They discuss their often creative and playful way of creating their sound- be it playing formal instruments in an informal way, tape loops, and general experimental sound craft. The doc moves on to outline the project's first released tape 1979’s Play Struvé & Sneff, and how they got signed to Ralph Records. Each of the project's albums is discussed- Songs For Swinging Larvae (1981), Arabic Yodelling (1983), their collaboration with the Residents Title In Limbo (1983), The Elbow Is Taboo(1987), and their 2016 comeback Gurdy Hurding. They discuss when they broke up in the late 80s and their re-grouping in the mid-2010s. As well as their late 2010’s live performance in Austria- which was the project's second live performance of their career.
 
The docs a good balance of the curious and at times quirky story of the pair's existence over the years, worthy fan praise, and insightful commentary from those connected with/ worked with the pair. Though-out the doc keeps alive the projects Da-Da spirit, and we even get a returning joke about dog farts- which is most amusing. 
 
On the whole 23rd Century Giants is a rewarding and involving documentary- which I can see appealing to anyone who enjoys the more playful & quirky side of experimental music. There are a few light issues- like the lack of talking head naming early on (thankfully this gets corrected), and some of the talking heads don’t feel like they don’t bring a lot to the doc. But ultimately it's a great ride of a film, and the one hour & twenty-one-minute runtime is just right. 
 
Extra wise on this region free blu ray, we get a few things. There’s More About Struvé & Sneff- this runs at 4.06 mark, and as its title suggests talks more about the tape, and how it was sold in a local Portsmouth record shop. There’s South Specific & Bail Hai Suite- this runs 3.36 and talks about the Portsmouth compilation the pair appeared on in the 80s, and the short live show they played around the same time. There’s Stories for Swinging Fans- this runs 8.12, and this finds Graeme Whifler discussing how he first started making videos for Ralph Records, and of course the making of the Songs for Swinging Larva video. There’s an extended interview with artists Steven Cerio- which runs 4.50, and an extended interview with Jez Stevens who directed the A Convivial Ode video which runs 5.22. There is the pair talking about the backward film study they did back in the ’80s and said film- this runs 8.43. Lastly, we have three music videos and a trailer for the doc
 
In conclusion, 23rd Century Giants is a well made & wholly fascinating documentary, focusing on one of the Uk’s quirkier creative sonic duos. With this Blu Ray featuring a good selection of short, but worthy extras- making this very much the way to see/ experience the doc.