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The Day of the Dolphin is a 1973 science fiction thriller loosely based on the acclaimed novel Un Animal Doué de Raison by French author Robert Merle, and adapted for screen by Buck Henry (The Graduate, Get Smart and Catch 22). Director Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Birdcage) helmed this one starring Hollywood legend George C Scott (Patton, The Changeling and Dr Strangelove), alongside his Changeling co-star Trish Van Devere (Where’s Poppa?, The Hearse and Last Run, once again with George C Scott) and the mighty Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas, Nixon and Repo! The Genetic Opera).
Leitern und Pfade is a C30 release from German project Compest. And what we have here is a selection of decidedly atmospheric tracks, which shift between pared-back electronica, retro synth scaping, synthetic orchestration, and more cinematic/ darkly building fare.
Scare Me is a rather knowing take on the whole ‘cabin in the woods’ thing. It largely focuses on two people telling horror tales, and it’s a wordy and at times witty horror-comedy- with two impressive leads and a few creepy/ jumping moments. Here on Acorn Media is a recent Blu Ray release- taking in a commentary track and a few other things.
Here we have a welcome CD reissue of Awakenings- the debut album from I Shalt Become, one of the lesser-known though still important & fairly distinctive bands from the early 90’s USBM scene. The band’s sound is very much in a depressive black metal setting, with the pace moving from slow to mid. But what makes it stand out from the run-of-the-mill of this sub-genre, is the well written/ memorable riffs, the grimly shredding vocals, and a general feeling of authentic and eternal bleakness.
Originally appearing in the year 1983 Cargo Cult Revival is a nicely jarring ‘n’ shifting example of the improv form. The album moves between taut ‘n’ tight interplays, droning 'n' sawing noise-ness, tolling unease, and more manic-playfully / dada sound making. Here from Klanggalerie is the recent CD release of the album, presented in a gloss orange, grey and purple coloured digipak
L'Étoile Au Front is the next in the series of Etant Donnes reissues from the folks over at Klanggalerie. It was the French two-piece third release, originally appearing in 1982, and it saw the project pushing further their Musique Concrète and jarring field recording side, to offer up a difficult-if- largely intriguing record.
Siege is a tight as a tourniquet 80’s thriller detailing a group of people stuck in an apartment block, which is under attack by desperate and deadly homophobes. The Canadian production features a good selection of relatable-yet-distinctive characters, some neat A-Team like make yourself deadly gadgets ‘n’ traps, and a nicely tense unfold. Here from the folks at Severin is a new Blu release of the film- featuring a 2k print, two versions of the picture, and a commentary track.
The Girl In The Basket is a roughie from the mid-1970’s- focusing on a pair of reprobates who kidnap a twenty-something woman off the street, to have their wicked way with her. The film's title suggests it’s going to be decidedly grim and unpleasant sleaze, but largely it’s fairly run-of-the-mill cheap 70’s hardcore- and there really is no ‘girl in a basket’. Here from Impulse Pictures we have a region free DVD release of the film, with the only extras here been a twenty-one mintue porn reel.
Texas and the Lost Girls is a two-track walled noise release with a social conscience- focusing on sex trafficking in the Houston area, where 1000’s women have been forced into prostitution. Each track hits spot on the twenty-one-minute mark, and each offers up a nicely taut and tense slice of wall-craft. Koobaatoo Asparagus- aka California noise maker Michael Scott- has been active Since around 2009, building up an impressive back catalogue of releases of three hundred and thirty plus release.
Paranoid Confusion is a fifty-minute ‘wall’, which blends grinding bass judder ‘n’ churning with tight hacking static detail- to create a nice dense and entrancing example of the wall noise form. This release appears in the form of a digital download on Poland’s Gates Of Hypnos, who has released a spate of worthy wall releases over the last few months.
Cryocarbazine is a long-form slice of dense and moody harsh noise from Canadian project Knurl. The just over an hour-long track is created by a bowed stainless-steel source, and it’s an intensity-yet-entrancing trip in baying, billowing, and droning noise-making. The release appears as either a CD or digital download on Austin, Texas-based Rural Isolation Project- and as far as I can gather the label still have copies.
On the 24th of January 2018, we sadly lost one of the more distinctive and unique figures in British music Mark E Smith, who was the lead singer, lyricist and only constant member of the post-punk band The Fall. When someone like this passes more often than not you find out another surprise talent or skill they had, and that’s exactly what this recent three-hundred-page book is about. The Otherwise focuses in on the horror film script Smith co-wrote with English writer Graham Duff, and related/ connected texts- and I must say it’s a fascinating book, highlight this largely unknown side of Mr Smith considerable and unique talents.
Apocalypse 2024 aka A Boy And His Dog is a mid-1970’s example of the post-apocalyptic genre, and it’s a fairly wacky/bizarre example too. It features a wise-cracking telepathic dog, an underground society that mimics American dress and traditions in a decidedly skewed manner, with hints of a lop-sided love story and sexual satire. Here from France’s Artus Films is dual Blu Ray and DVD, which takes in a new 2K scan of the film, and a few extras.
There are only a few films that manage to be both skilfully and classily made, yet also deeply shocking and highly disturbing- one such film is A Serbian Film. Released eleven years ago this year, the film's power to disturb, challenge, and unsettle hasn’t lessened. so, it’s great to see the folks at Unearthed giving the picture this great new Blu Ray release- which features a new completely uncut/uncensored print of the film, two commentary tracks, and a few other extras.
61 Broken Things is a rather interesting cross-breed of a release bringing together wonky-to-moody synth scaping, seared ‘n’ junk tipped noise craft, and extreme vocals. It’s a release that swings between geeky ‘n’ charming, and intense ‘n’ brutally deranged- which is an odd mix, but it all works surprisingly well.
Mycrotom is Tom Simonetti, a drummer, DJ and producer from Augsberg, Germany. His full-length debut Ratoratiyo appears on Mongkong Music, and it offers up a curious 'n' creative take on electro beat-based music.
Unloved is a just over hour-long shot of gritty grained ‘n’ squiggling manic fed walled noise from Cory Aideen (Root Cellar, Monolithic Torment, and Submachine Gun). The release comes in the form of a self-released digital download- which can be found just here.
Naked Came The Stranger is the latest slice of dense ‘n’ searing sonic smut from long-runing US noise collective Black Leather Jesus. The release appears as either a c32 tape( via here) or digital download on Monroeville, Pennsylvania Pettie Soles- with the release serving up two side long examples of wonderful harsh noise torture.
The April Sessions is a four-track vinyl release that feels like a heady blend of Coil, and less manic-more creepy side of Current 93’s early output. It’s a release that falls somewhere between tautly ritual electro-acoustic jamming, subtle unsettling and surreal spoken word, and electro-glitched post-industrial ambient texturing.
Dinner In America is a wonderfully edgy and often unpredictable drama-come-sly ‘n’ snidey comedy, which follows the growing romance between a punk rocker and one of his awkward 'n' geeky fans. Here from Arrow Video is a recent Blu ray release of the film, taking in a commentary and a few other extras.
From the early 1980’s- ‘the golden age of the slasher ‘ here’s Hell Night- an often entertaining-to-creepily moody blend of teen slice ‘n’ dice and haunted house horror. The film features Linda Blair in its lead and severs up a mixture of scooby doo campness, moments of gothic creepiness/ dread, and some neat enough stalk ‘n’ slash action. Here from the folks at 101 Films is a new Blu ray release of the film- taking in a 4k scan of the film, a selection of old and new extras.
A Civil Right is a wonderfully clean, largely evenly spaced, and perfectly defined example of the free-jazz form. Both players here very much deserved the mantle of long-time jazz legends, Sax player Larry Och’s has been playing since the late ’70s, and drummer Donald Robinson career kicked off in the early 70’s- so both are highly skilled and versatile players, and boy does it show on this recent five-track album!.
Phobiaphodia severs up two ear searing and nerve slicing shots of harsh noise. The pro pressed CDR split brings together a twenty-minute track from each artist- and they are infamous Japanoise two-piece Incapitains, and prolific UK noisemaker Harsh Noise Movement.
An Evening At Jazzblazzt severs up two sets worth of dartingly ragged and often manic improv, which shifts with moments of bounding angularity, sawing frenzy, and even fraught atmospherics. This CD/ digital release appeared last year on the always worthy New Wave Of Jazz label, who release some of the more difficult-through often highly rewarding side of the improv and modern composition genres.