Loading
Here we have a rather wonderful Blu ray release bringing together three films from the Pink film genre, which is the sex-tinged side of the Japanese exploitation, and boy the genre is wide 'n' varied- and this release nicely illustrates that fact. The release appears on UK based Third Widow Films, and will certainly be of interest to anyone who enjoys sexploitation film.
California based Johannes Auvinen is an electronic musician who began his career under the Tin man alias in the early 2000s, releasing acid and house music. His new album, released under his last name Auvinen, is a largely beatless gothic-tinged ambient work entitled Akkosaari.
Lucio Fulci has a reputation as being the godfather of Italian splatter movies, largely owing to a series of movies shot between 1979 and 1982 that included Zombie Flesh Eaters, The Beyond, City of the Living Dead, House by the Cemetery and New York Ripper. These five movies upped the ante when it comes to blood, guts and gore, however, whilst they are among Fulci’s most well known and highly regarded movies they are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to an iconic figure of Italian cinema with 61 directorial credits, mostly for feature films across a variety of different genres.
Originally released back in 1996 Oniro is a heady and largely oriental focused blend of ethno ambient, unwell new age music, post-industrial sound-scaping and darkly psychedelic-to-sensual female vocalizing. Here from Zoharum is a recent double CD reissue of the album, adding in a live set/ rare tracks on the second CD.
Ex.Life is the third album from Tokyo based musician/ composer Shohei Amimori. And it’s a wonderfully playful and shifting affair that utilises retro easy listening , atmospheric music, and 80-to-90’s electronica to create a real sonic chocolate box, where you really don’t know Animori will take you next. Making it certainly one of the more creative, surprising, and varied retro focused releases I’ve heard in some time.
CONTRE-COURBES is a wonderful example of creative and varied impro. The release brings together two respected improviser- we have English pannist John Tilbury and French Saxophonists Bertrand Gauguet. The two-disc CD set features two long slices of improv, highlighting the pair as both talented players and inventive improvisers.
With TKAĆ Swedish-Polish composer and musician Marta Forsberg has released two of her older, long-form compositions in the form of a vinyl LP on Thanatosis. Both recorded in 2015, "Led And Love Sounds" and "Weave and Dream" seeing their droning, weaving layers on album for the first time. Composed as sound-and-light pieces, these long works capture the sound of an artist and musician at work.
Originally released in 1996, The Sign of Command is Italian prog rockers’ Il Segno del Comando’s debut release, based on Giuseppe D'Agata's esoteric novel/screenplay of the same name and the 1971 TV miniseries directed by Daniele D’Anza that tells the story of a University professor who goes in search of Il Segno del Comando, a secret power created by a goldsmith, Mario Brandani, who lived in 1700. Il Segno del Comando is stolen by a musician who kills Bandari and with his dying breath the goldsmith promises to return every hundred years in search of his prize. That man appears to be the professor, who is searching for Il Segno del Comando.
Appearing in 1976, while Yes were between albums, Olias of Sunhillow is the first solo album from the band’s singer/ songwriter John Anderson. And it’s a solo album in the true sense of the form with Anderson playing everything (guitars, harp, sitar, keyboards, percussion, bass guitar, wooden flute, mandolins, saz), as well of course handling all the lead/ backing vocals. The Sci-fi/fantasy concept-based album very much focuses in on the mystical & new age tipped side of Anderson’s out-put, but if you enjoy that side of things you’ll find this a worthy mellow prog rock-meets-world music hippy record. Here from Esoteric Records, Cherry Red’s prog focused sub-label, is a double-disc CD/ surround sound DVD release of the album.
Happy Times is a large house set dark comedy-come- farce, with moments of blood at points brutal murder 'n' mayhem. The US/ Israeli made picture is certainly well made & classy produced, though tonally it's all over the place, and they are not many relatable/ likeable characters. Here from Artsploitation films is a recent region free DVD release of the film, taking in extended/ cut scenes, and a blooper reel as extras.
Unconscious Collections is a three-track CD that moves from jarring & moody improv, though to composed modern composition. The album appears on the always worthy Another Timbre, and if you enjoy unpredictable, though darting and atmospheric sound-making, I think you’ll enjoy what we have on offer here.
Death Has Blue Eyes is a decidedly wacky blend of paranormal thriller, action film, cold war spy caper & soft-core sex comedy- all wrapped in a ribbon of 70’s euro campiness. Here from Arrow Video is a Blu Ray release, taking in a bright & bold new scan, and a few extras.
Necropolis is a single hour long wall noise collab between Croatian based Placenta Lyposuction, Canadian project Graveyard Aura. And fitting its title we find 60 minutes worth of churning ‘n’ crunching wall-craft, which very much brings to mind something big slowly, but surely worming its way through a mass of skull, bones, burial stones & grey rancid dirt.
Here we have a recent walled-noise split, bringing together two respected French projects. We have Toulouse based Chier , and Julien Skrobek’s new project Drops From a Liquid Corpse. Both projects here offer up a decidedly shifting, progressive, and rather necro focused take on the walled noise form.
Blowderization is a recent example of searing 'n' crude wall-craft from one master of the form Vomir-aka sometimes black bag wearing French Romain Perrot. The release comes in the form of a C40/ digital download, which offers up two equally nasty and ear roasting examples of the walled noise form.
Preparing For Power was the 8th album from Uk based anarchistic and experimental music collective Bourbonese Qualk. It originally appeared in 1986 and found the project offering up a more balanced/ even collection of songs, compared with the often more lose/ jam-based sound of their early releases. Here from Klanggalerie is a recent CD release of the album.
Unmade Beds (1976) was an early film written and directed by Amos Poe, a US No Wave filmmaker most notable for The Blank Generation (1976). This rather bare bones DVD release contains just the film itself and an added commentary; all things considered it is perhaps for those interested in the late 70s punk period in New York, and indeed features Debbie Harry in her second film role.
Autarkh is an experimental death/black metal band with foreboding, dissonant guitar progressions and the unusual distinction of using electronic percussion. Members include guitarist/vocalist Michael Nielhuis of Dodecahedron, and Joris Bonis from Ulsect. Form In Motion, released this year in 2021, is their debut release.
The Bitch was the sequel to popular 1970’s British sexploitation drama The Stud. Both films are set in and around London club-land, following the exploits of randy and devious high-class chancer Fontaine(Joan Collins). Here from Screenbound is a region free DVD release of the film- bringing together a new print of the picture, and a few extras.
For his sophomore effort, Tokyo based sound designer/composer, Seigo Aoyama, drifts forth with a wonderfully diverse and dense ambient release, On the Drift. Coming from Audiobulb again, this release is long and certainly worth the time. Spread over eleven tracks, Aoyama's latest is a gorgeous soundscape that mixes the natural and artificial worlds and perfectly captures the dichotomy of our modern world.
In 1975 director Don Edmonds created a true exploitation classic when he filmed Ilsa – She Wolf of the SS for legendary producer of sleazy grindhouse pictures, David. F. Friedman. In 1963 along with his friend and collaborator Herschell Gordon Lewis he had unleashed Blood Feast, it was to be the world’s first gore film and started a career path that saw Friedman looking for ever more shocking and visceral images to put on screen. It seemed to him that sleaze sells, and he was going to take advantage of that. Whilst he produced Ilsa – She Wolf of the SS under a pseudonym it was business as usual for Friedman with lashings of gore, sex, torture and nudity all set within the rather tasteless setting of a Nazi medical camp. It was a raging success and its star Dyanne Thorne would take up the role another three times before she was done.
Honeydew is a quirky ‘n’ queasy rural horror film, which builds in both its oddness & uneasy-moving towards a decidedly unsettling & ultra-downbeat resolve. Think a more lulling & magic mushroom hazed take on Texas Chain Saw Massacre, meets gone-to-seed & aged mumble-core jet black comedy. From Signature Entertainment, here is a recent digital release of this decidedly lopsided & unwell country shocker.
Works For Listening 1-10 is the solo debut album from Norwegian composer and sound artist Tine Surel Lange. It finds her offering up a selection of detailed & at points busy soundscapes, which sit somewhere between atmospherically manipulated field recordings and electro-acoustic texturing- be it alien, ambient or slightly manic.
Am is the debut album from British improv duo Muster. It’s a four-track affair, available as either an ltd screen printed CD or digital download. And I must say it’s a fairly impressive & varied opening shot, with the tracks moving between sinister unease, jagged-at-times fiery discord, and darting playful-ness.