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Madeleine Cocolas is an Australian pianist, composer, and sound designer who released one previous record Cascadia in 2016, prior to this new release Ithaca.
Seventy-five years ago this month, on the 6th of August 1945, one bomb wiped about 80,000 people off the face of the Earth in a flash, with a similar figure suffering injury and altered lives. A US Airforce plane, Enola Gay, dropped its payload over the city of Hiroshima, and changed the world we live in forever. Depicting such a monumental abyss of death and destruction is not a simple venture and it strikes me, from my Western perspective, that Hiroshima is the first film I’ve seen that tackles the subject. Given this, it is perhaps surprising that Hiroshima was released in 1953 - a mere eight years after the events it depicts - and is now 67 years old. This new blu-ray edition is a complete restored version of the 104 minute black and white film, and arrives complimented with extras including a 73 minute documentary featuring interviews with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, critical writings, and a video essay.
Do you enjoy messy lo-fi ‘n’ crude blacked metal that shifts between haphazard speed-ness and mid-paced evil-ness, with keyboards & lots of campy/ prime evil moody bits/ break downs?. Then I’d say Summoned By Shadows is tailor made for you- this twenty three track CD is a posthumously release from Wind Of The Black Mountains- who are seen as one of founding fathers of US Black metal. And surprisingly for such of a release made up of odds ‘n’ ends, different takes, etc- it’s fairly consistent & listenable though-out, with only a few tracks dipping into repetition & mediocrity.
Vampire's Kiss is a film that skirts & darts through both horror and comedy- but never fully settles in either. I guess it's best to describe it as a very dark satire, or possibly a grimly whimsically modern fairy tale. The film focus on pompous & arrogant literary agent- who may or may not have been bitten by a vampire- in the lead role is Nicolas Cage offering up some classic over the top acting, but the film around him is certainly very difficult to fully pin into one genre. Here on Koch Media is a duel Blu Ray & DVD release of the film, that’s presented in a glossy red media book format.
Church Of The Damned is an enjoyable-if-often not terrible coherent slice of mid-1980’s Shot on Video splatter fun- it’s the first-ever film made by US horror geek brothers John & Mark Polonia. The picture is full with lo-fi yet creative effects, hammy acting, and a satanic cult made up of corpse paint wearing monks with zombie followers- all set in snowbound location. Here on SRS Cinema is a recent region free DVD of the film- taking in an into & commentary from Mark Polonia.
From the guys over at Vinegar Syndrome here’s a doubleheader of early 1980’s sleaze from Connecticut born X rated director Paul Vatelli- both films feature a good enough balance of fleshy action, plot, and artful/ well-scoped directing. The release is presented in multi-region DVD & Blu Ray duel set, with both films getting the normal classy VS scan- no extras this time aside for a trailer for the lead film, but you do get two entertaining slices of 80’s hard-core.
After five or so years Spectral Mechanics is the welcome return of Ghost- one of the longest-running, known & revered projects of French Noise artists Julien Skrobek. This new release comes in the form of a 3inch CDR on Florida’s Inner Demons Records- featured is just a single nineteen and a half minute track, that’s best described as walled noise-meets-graceful, yet haunted ambient.
Scrape is an uncomfortably wonky & often highly soured sonic journey in minimal tone sculpting. It’s a release to put you ill at ease, or get you slowly unsettled, so unlike some minimal soundscaping this certainly won’t soothe or mellow you out, really having the opposite effect. The album is a ten-track digital release on highly respected sound art label Line.
Deep, dark, marine ambient, Chra's latest release, Seamons, comes via Editions Mego. Abstract but still tight enough to trigger suffocating thassalophobia, Seamons harnesses the terrifying vastness of the sea and its many unseen denizens. The type of album that can start anywhere and still deliver an impressive experience, Chra (Christina Nemec) puts a sonic spin on the sea so that landlubbers can drown their ears in the comfort of their own homes.
Tenderness(Neha) is a glum-yet oddly intriguing 1990’s Slovakian drama that moves between almost noir stage-ness, stilted domestic dramatics, and grim obsession. It charts the relationship between a young man, and a troubled middle-aged couple who have their own share of problems & secrets. From British art-house/world cinema label Second Run- who have an eye for putting out both moody & thought-provoking cinematic fare- here we have a recent region free blu ray of the film- bringing together a new 2k print, a few extras & inlay booklet.
Bourgeois Aspirations severs up ten slices of relatively short, dense, and creative harsh noise which has both a collargey & playful vibe about it. The release appeared in April of this year on respected Stockholm based noise label Ominous Recordings- it came in the form of a C30 & digital download- sadly the tapes all gone now, but it’s still worth well checking out as it’s certainly one of the more creative & fairly accessible noise releases I’ve heard this year, also I'd say this would be a great entry level release for anyone getting into the noise genre.
Psychedelic Folk has its roots in the distant 1960’s. Over the decades, the style has developed, merging with other genres, such as experimental electronics, noise & metal. In my opinion, the most progressive and interesting bands combine elements of folk, drone and ethnic touches in their sound. I know a few such projects, and really enjoy them for their non-trivial and experimental approach to writing music. One such ensemble is the Geist & the Sacred Ensemble, a Washington quartet whose history began in 2005. Their debut album was released in 2008 and titled "Geist & Samuel Joseph"- which to begin with was the band name too. Over it’s time, the band changed it’s name, took part in five compilations and recorded seven albums, the last of which is Waning Hymns- it released in the summer of 2020 by the American experimental label Scry Recordings. It was released in either vinyl LP or digital download.
Antifona brings together four modern chamber works from Paris-based Italian composer Giuliano d’Angiolini, whose work is often sparse-yet-highly controlled & layered in both its execution, flow, and tone. From Another Timbre- one the more prolific, yet quality bound modern composition/ modern classical labels- here we have another sparsely presented gate folded CD release.
Here’s a rather enjoyable ‘n’ worthy C60 split/ digital download, which shifts between moody harsh noise & all out walled noise. It brings together atmospheric-at-times wallish/ textured harsh noise from Pittsburgh based RJ Myato, and all out-dense HNW from Florida based Planet Shithead.
Horrors Of Spider Island is a somewhat of cheeky 'n' creepy exploitation crossbreed- the 1960’s film is a decidedly uneven mixture calendar girl nudie cutie & marauding monster camper. From Severin here we have a region free Blu Ray release of the film- bringing together two different versions of the film, and a few extras.
Fantom Killer is one of the more recent projects from respected & influential US noise-maker Richard Ramirez. This self titled C30/ digital download is the first fruit from the venture, and what we have here is pummelling ‘n’ battering walled noise with a giallo / killer theme to it….it’s fairly text book example of the HNW form, but of course features Ramirez knack of creating suffocating, grimly atmospheric, yet entrancing wall craft.
Campy, corny, and a hell of a lot of fun The Giant Spider Invasion is basically a 50’s when-creatures-attack sent to 1970s with innuendo lined dialogue, splatters of gore, the odd glance of female flesh, and a fifty-five-foot spider wandering across the countryside gobbling folk-up. From Dark Forces here we have a region free Blu Ray release of the film, taking in a great new bright ‘n’ bold print, and few interviews.
Primal Scream is a decidedly haphazard & at times conventionally bad cinematic stew of noir tipped sci-fi, horror melt action, and fairly standard cop thriller. Sure this wont be for everyone, but if you enjoy late 80’s Hamish acting, active genre-blending, and some passable enough effects you’ll surely get some kick out of this. Here from the folks at Code Red/Dark Forces is recent region free release of the film bringing together a new print of the picture, commentary tracks, and few other extras.
The Woman in Black has become something of a lost classic, there are many of us who remember it well and have been waiting since its 1989 screening on ITV to see it again. Barely released on VHS, never officially released on UK DVD but finally, after 31 years it arrives on Bluray from the good folks at Network.
For 30+ years, Incantation has been one of the most recognizable names in death metal. Spreading the sound further from the Florida and New York scenes, Incantation made a name for themselves with their early releases, and despite plenty of line-up changes, continued to hold strong. 2020 sees their latest full length, Sect of Vile Divinities, keeping their love of death metal alive and kicking.
Records, Records, Records is the next in the series of cool, often camp, and rare 45’s compilation from Righteous. This two-disc CD set takes in fifty-two tracks from around the 50’s & the ’60s; & it’s a great dose of quirky sonic Americana.
Ashes Coalesce is a record that managers to blend & mix several sub-genres of Heavy metal in an original & coherent manner- we find here a sonic brew of Death Metal, Funeral Doom, and Progressive Metal, making it one of the more memorable & rewarding metal releases in some time.
No Belief is a sixty-nine-minute compilation focusing in on the more techno stabbing-to-rhythmic side of the walled noise genre. The seven-track CDR compilation is varied enough with tracks moving from dense ‘n’ hacking attacks, murky & muffled groove-bound moments, and building-yet- churning electronica wrapped walled noise.
Veteran French house music producer Julien Auger, also known as Pépé Bradock, has now unveiled a new alias for avant garde and electroacoustic music with the Brigitte Barbu project. The album Muzak pour Ascenseurs en Panne (Music for Broken Lifts) is a largely beatless ambient collage of texturally rich experimentation with a vividness that suggests hardware and live instrumentation, but enough heavy processing to obscure the origins of many sounds.