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From Oct 2021 here we have a CD release I listened To The Wind Again…, which is a forty-three-minute example of modern classical composition for string, wind, voice and percussion. The work is a slowly building & developing affair- that features both shrill-to-textured instrumental detail, and haunting vocalising, with moments of harmony and dis-harmony weaving together into a slow and subtle sonic dance of forlorn mystery and gentle surprise.
From October of last year here’s a Blu Ray reissue of Pornostar- the first feature film from Osaka born Toshiaki Toyoda, a Japanese filmmaker who makes emotionally impactful and visually clever cinema, which utilizes music in an effective/ interesting manner. Originally released in the late 90's Pornostar, is a slow-burn and nihilistic crime drama with some subtly arty visual touches and use of churning electric guitar music-it sees a gangly and quiet youth going on a lumbering-yet-brutal killing spree in Tokyo gangland.
It’s Only HNW (But I like It) V is a wall noise compilation put out by The Hills Are Dead Records. It appeared at the tail end of 2021, featuring eight wall noise makers from around the world, with each offering up an around eight-minute track.
Well, fleshed out and majestic, Lee Yi's latest collection of soundscapes, Hayví, comes via Midira Records on an extremely limited run of 50 clear turquoise tapes. Spread over four pieces with a bonus digital-only track, Yi's newest compositions carry a lot of heavy depth while still representing an open and vast airiness. Almost like musical deconstruction and decay, Hayví feels like what music feels like at the periphery of its wave.
The Brute is a late 70’s UK crime drama with slight thriller touches. Its focus is domestic violence & physical spousal abuse, which it tattles in an often slightly haphazard, exploitative and at points flippant manner. Here from Powerhouse is a new Blu Ray release of this controversial film- with the region free disc featuring a new 4k print of the picture, a commentary track and a few other extras.
Very Overwhelmed severs up two searingly intense slabs of walled noise. Each track runs near/ around the twenty minutes mark, and each is suitable intense-yet fairly creative in its textural use. This digital release appears on Death To Dynamics, a recently set up UK based netlabel run by Tom Wilson, of wall projects The Night Porter & SLOWGURN.
Full Alert( aka Go Do Gaai Bei) is a 1997 action/ crime thriller from director Ringo Lam, the man responsible for the often imitated and rarely equalled City of Fire (just Ask Quentin Tarantino about that one). The film stars Ching Wan Lau (Black Mask, Mad Detective and Life Without Principle) as Inspector Pao, who is trying to catch and arrest gang member Mak Kwan, played by Francis Ng (Infernal Affairs II, 2000AD and Bullets over Summer). This makes for an unoriginal, but well crafted and ultimately enjoyable crime thriller.
Subway Riders is a 1981 film written, produced and directed by Amos Poe, famous as a pioneer of No Wave cinema. The film features several notable figures: Cookie Mueller, who had previously acted in several of John Waters’ classic early 1970s works, John Lurie, who would later become known for his saxophone playing with the New York no-wave jazz outfit Lounge Lizards, and Robbie Coltrane, here in one of his earliest roles before acquiring fame for his lead performance in Cracker, and as Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter films.
Here from Severin, we have a two Blu ray set bringing together three brutal and provocative quinqui (delinquent films) made by Basque writer/director Eloy de la Iglesia, who will be known to genre fans for his video nasty list hitting film The Cannibal Man. The three films presented here are- Navajeros(1980), El Pico (1983), and El Pico 2( 1984)- and tattle subjects such as youth gangs, drugs, and general Spanish city life discord/ sleaze. The set is finished off with a great selection of interesting extras.
What was meant to be the fifth Tunnels of Ah full length, Iron Speaks has now seen the light of day as the sixth. After reworking the existing material to closer fit the artist's aims, this "lost" album comes via Hypershape Records instead of the normal Cold Spring offering. Slightly different than previous releases, Iron Speaks captures the molten essence of the life-giving, godly gift as well as the coldness of its hammered, forged edges.
Miracle Drug is a three-track digital wall noise EP. It features around twenty-four minutes of oppressive rumble ‘n’ static grit bound wall crafting, which features some rewardingly muffled industrial-like edges.
Punishment Routine is a forty-two-minute example of ‘wall’ craft-which is crushingly dense and strangely grinding in its attack. The release recently appeared as a digital download on Poland’s Gate of Hypos.
The Iro Haarla Electric Ensemble has released their first recording, What Will We Leave Behind - Images From Planet Earth, a disk of contemplative semi-melodic improvisation and jazz fusion themed around nature, climate change and the idea of apocalypse.
Midway aka The Battle of Midway (1976) is a classic slice of World War II action, with an all star cast list, directed by Jack Smight (Airport 1975, Damnation Alley and Fast Break). The film presents the events of the battle of Midway, which was seen as a turning point for the Americans during WWII as their forces decimated an attacking Japanese fleet, significantly weakening their forces.
The Big Doll House was one of the early 1970’s American produced Women In Prison films. It features a few well-known names such as Pam Grier and Sid Haig, and for the WIP genre it’s a relatively well made/tame affair- so if any film was going to make you want to dip your toe in the genre, this will be as good enough place to start. Here as part of MVD’s Classics line, is a new bare-bones DVD release of the picture.
Pyewacket is a late 2010’s occult chiller featuring a feeling of brooding & building 1970’s creepiness, with modern angsty at times grim touches mixed in. It tells of an into the occult and dark music teen, who falls out with her mother, and decides to perform a ritual against her- summoning up something that may or may not be real. Here from Signature Entertainment, via streaming on Amazon prime video is a new release of the film.
The Melvins have always been a band who have added their own quirk and distinctive touches to everything they have released over their nearing forty-year existence. And this new double-disc album Five Legged Dog is another prime example of this trait- as the whole thing is purely acoustic- but don’t worry there’s no sign of mellow/ thoughtful ballads, barren folk-ness, or similar fare. Instead, we get the band covering selected tracks from throughout their career, as well as hand-picked covers in a decidedly playful and at times damn heavy manner.
Bad Blood is a CD boxset bringing together four early 2000’s albums from US industrial metal sluggers Ministry. With these taking in live, studio and remix focused releases- featured here are: Sphinctour(2002), Animositisomina( 2003), Houses of the Molé (2004), and Rantology( 2005).
Out Of The Blue was the third film directed by Dennis Hopper. It originally came out in the year 1980, appearing nine years after The Last Movie- his notorious & controversial previous film which blended gritty character study, trippy travel log, and Peruvian adventure/ drama- which mixed linear, and non-linear film-making. Out Of The Blue is another difficult and often unconventional film- which mixes edgy coming-of-age drama, troubled character study, and blunt arthouse tropes. Here from BFI is a two-disc Blu ray release of the film, featuring a new 4k transfer of the picture, two new commentary tracks, lengthy crew and cast interviews, and a few other new and archive extras.
Originally released in the year 2000 The Empty Hollow Unfolds was the ninth album from Raison D'être. It saw the Swedish project deepening and expanding its use of metal- be it junk texturing, gong hits, or brooding bell tolling. These elements were layering and set around the projects traditional use of mournful monk chants, glum drones, and general arcane ambience to great dramatic and bleakly searing effect. Here from Old Europa Café, is new expanded edition of the album- with the two-CD set- taking in on the first disc the remastered album, and on the second disc a selection of related tracks- be they studio or live recordings.
From last year here’s a CD reissue of the mid 90’s tape release from respected American Harsh noise/ walled noise legend Richard Ramirez. The two-track disc focuses on dense ‘n’ seared junk metal-based harsh noise/ extreme industrial noise.
With a title like Seven Deaths In The Cat's Eyes, you’d probably be expecting a Giallo- but in reality, what we have here is a 1970’s old fashion murder mystery in a gothic setting. The film has subtle touches/ suggestions of Giallo and horror tropes, though largely it’s more akin to an Agatha Christie mystery- with a selection of shifty have motives characters, and Serge Gainsbourg playing the police inspector investigation, who in the English dub has a hammy Scots accent. Here from Twilight Time is a new Blu Ray release of the film- taking in a commentary track from respected Giallo/ horror expert Troy Howarth.
Long-running (despite hiatus), progressive metal outfit, Cynic, returns with Ascension Codes. 18 (!) tracks mingled with delightful interludes, this latest shows the culmination of over 30 years of growth, development, and experimentation. Continuing to up the bar, Cynic shows that they're ambitious and fearless, and taking metal in new, exciting directions, all while asking the listener to ponder not only the music on display, but questions about genres themselves.
From the late 1990s, The Last Broadcast is an early example of mockumentary/ found footage form. It follows the murder and investigation of a group of paranormal cable-access show hosts who go into the New Jersey’s Pine Barren, to look into the myth of the Jersey Devil. The film is both cleverly and largely believable constructed, with a great line of creepy intrigue and mystery running through the film, as well as effective moments of eerier-ness and low-key shock. Here from 101 Films is a recent Blu Ray release of this genre-defining picture, taking in new interviews from the directors/ writers, newly commissioned slipcase artwork from respected comic artist Stephen R. Bissette, and a booklet with new writing- plus a host of archive extras on the disc.