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Around the mid-1990s, when my main sonic was all things Black Metal, one of my friends brought me a pirate cassette. On the photocopied cover were some geometric fractals or patterns. Written on the spine was Esoteric -Epistemological Despondency. My Friend told me - This is painful music, this is for the dead. I think it was the most intriguing and accurate definition of what was recorded on this tape. I thought that could well be the sounds of the dead. At this point, I wasn't aware of genre Funeral Doom, or of course Esoteric. Since then I have become a huge fan of this Birmingham band. In the early 2000s, another friend of mine interviewed the band for a Russian music magazine. He suggested that I ask a few questions because he believed that I had a deeper understanding of bands' work. Perhaps they influenced my perception of music in general and gave me an impulse to understand Dark Ambient, Industrial and Noise. So, this review is for me somewhat of like a test of my objectivity.
Orphans is a late 1990’s Scottish film that brings together decidedly grim ‘n’ glum family drama with strokes of coal-black humor, touches of sly absurdity, and fleeting moments of fairly intense violence. On Powerhouse here, we have a Blu Ray reissue of this grimly powerful, yet at times playful film- which stands with some of the best films Scottish cinema has to offer.
Sliding in four years after the first The Gallows, Act II largely dispense with the found footage format for a mostly enjoyable chillier that expands on the first film mythos, deepens & intensifies the hangman figure, as well as offering up some relatively well-written characters & a neat blend of creepy atmosphere, the odd jump scare, and more than a few noose based murders. Here on DVD from Lionsgate is a recent release of the film- bringing together a director/writer commentary, and a few extras.
Pneuma's Who Has Seen the Wind? is an odd, singular album on nearly all levels, defying classification with its unique instrumentation choices and sleepy, surreal pacing. All the members of the group play clarinets aside from vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, and the only other timbres used are the mystic drone of the shruti box and some faint electronic loops also sourced from clarinet.
Japan's Yoshimi (Yoshimi Hishida) began his recording career in the mid-90s as a techno producer and as part of the experimental trip-hop act Jobutsu Project. After several years of silence he reappeared in 2016 as part of what's come to be grouped under the umbrella term "post-Vaporwave". Hishida's take on this nebulous term deploys a wide range of styles in electronic music from drone, industrial and contemporary beats, to traditional Japanese instrumentation. Almost all of his output since 2016 has appeared on Dream Catalogue or their sub-label Pyramids.
From 1939 here we have a Bela Lugosi fronted thriller/ horror film, whereas its title suggests he plays a more mortal/ human monster- instead of more fanged, ghoulish or deformed roles he’s known for. Here on VCI Entrainment is a recent region free Blu Ray release of the film, featuring a 2k scan & two new commentary tracks.
Here we have a bucking, sputtering and nastily twisting take on the walled noise form from Thailand based project Unsignified Death. The CDR/ digital release presents us with a single slab of manic ‘n’ muddled textured noise, and I must say it’s one hell of an appealing ride- if you in the mood for nastily snaking ‘n’ sliding wall craft.
A Delicate System servers up two half-hour examples of creative and decidedly atmospheric walled noise from this Detroit, MI project. The release appeared in July of this year on Uk label Void Singularity Recordings- coming as either a C60 or digital download.
Textures Of Slag is a two track walled noise release themed around the industrial processes of melting elements- the release appeared late summer of this year, and appeared as either a art CDR edition, or a digital download. The two thirty minute tracks are suitable dense & roasting, which of course is prefect for the tracks themes.
The Limits of Control is a sleek, often puzzling & lightly humor tipped anti-thriller, that blends European & US art house sensibilities. The 2009 film follows a sullen, moody & barely talking man as he meets a series of strangers across Spain, gaining cryptic clues that may or may not reveal the point of the mysterious mission he’s been sent on. On Arrow Academy here we have a recent Blu ray release of the film, featuring a selection of new & old bonus material.
Industry has shaped our species and our world in immeasurable ways. From the first tool industries to today's landscape changing manufacturing processes, the impact of industry on the planet and its denizens is irreversible. Thomas Brinkmann's latest, Raupenbahn, explores the early days of modern industry by using old machines to create his soundscapes. While more of a fly on the wall approach to recording than traditional composition, Raupenbahn gives the listener something to consider.
Sasquatch Bloodlines is a c62 split bringing together two US walled noise projects- we have Fouke, one of Richard Ramirez's more beloved projects, and up ‘n’ coming Columbia, Missouri project CPTN Uzncwz. Each project, as the releases title suggests, severs up a Bigfoot themed wall.
From the late 1960s, Secret Ceremony is a decidedly haunting, at times unsettling and grimly moody psychological thriller. The film features a small if impressive cast taking in Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Mitchem, and Mia Farrow. Here from PowerHouse films is a much welcomed Blu Ray reissue of this lesser-seen film- taking in a high definition remastering of the film, a commentary track, and a good selection of other extras.
Skarbø Skulekorps are the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Øyvind Skarbø who formed the band when he became unsettled in his previous project, the jazz trio 1982. Skarbø Skulekorps is the band’s first album and features the following lineup: Signe Emmeluth on alto sax and electronics, Erik Hegdal on C Melody Sax and clarinet, Stian Omenás on trumpet, Anja Lauvdal on organ and synth, Johan Lindstrom on pedal steel and guitar, Chris Holm on bass and synth and of course Øyvind Skarbø himself on drums, percussion, vibraphone and banjo. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered between December 2018 and April 2019 in Bergen and Oslo.
Following on from their recent reissue of Nightbreed, here from Arrow Video is a reissue of The Exorcist III-another one of the few classic genre films released in the 1990’s-the decade that horror forgot. This recent two-disc Blu Ray set brings together two cuts of the film, a new scan of the theatrical cut of the film, and a good enough selection of extras.
Punishment of Luxury where/ are a five-piece post-punk band from Newcastle who initial existence between 1976 & 1984, reforming in 2007. The bands sound moved between jerking ‘n’ urgent guitar-led fare that flirted between punk & Post-punk, new wave/ art-rock with distinct Roxy Music leanings, guitar tipped synth-pop, and later more electronics & sample edged take on their sound. Puppet Life is a five-CD boxset collecting together all the recordings of this lesser-known, but still creative British band- who sadly seem to have largely slipped through the cracks of Punk/ Post Punk History.
Splitting from the trio Food People, Lila Matsumoto and Matthew Hamblin formed Cloth and sought out Chocolate Monk for their debut, Waggon. Soft and artistic, the duo mix spoken word, performance art with minimalist textures to create their delicate mark on the experimental scene. Sometimes whimsical, but often a bit over-serious, Waggon is a mixed bag of overlapping layers.
Secta Siniestra is an ultra-obscure and at times extremely brutal & cruel slice of early 1980’s euro horror. It mixes ‘n’ matches together satanic & witchcraft themes, prolonged & intense killings, with euro soapiness, and a fair bit of female flesh. This duel Blu Ray & DVD comes from the guys over at Vinegar Syndrome- and it severs up a new print and a commentary track from cult horror genre expert Kat Ellinger.
Merry Luxmas- It’s Christmas Campsville is the next in the series of compilations culled the basement grates of Lux & Ivy of The Cramps. And as it’s title suggests this time around we are focusing in on the more festive side of things- with the thirty-one track CD moving between Reindeer focused doo-wop, bizarre & grating child-led ditties, stark blues-themed around having no presents & family pet sound led renditions of classic Christmas songs- so it’s certainly another fun, quirky and at times bizarre trip back to ’50s & ’60s.
Sounds of the Project Box is a record born out of a research project based at the Film and Television Studies Department at the University of Warwick; that frazzled edgeland of the humanities which also gave us the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit, the shrapnel of which can still be found drawing blood across the arts and in enclaves of radical politics. The modus operandi of The Projection Project is more antiquarian and sedate than the CCRU's output. Essentially it's a piece of cultural anthropology documenting the behind the scene life of the few 35mm film projectionists left in the UK and the sound-world they inhabit. All lavishly presented with Gruenrekorder's signature levels of care and rigour.
Now here we have a rather splendid double vinyl release of Songs for Swinging Larvae- the first (official) album from Renaldo and the Loaf; Britain’s finest sonic purveyors of all things avant-pop and (off) world music-wise. The album initially appeared back in 1981 on The Residents label Ralph Records- and the original sixteen track album certainly nod towards the eyeballed ones, but it had enough of its own identity, flare and distinct English playfulness-to stand on it's own odd feet.
Esoteric soundscape artist Robin Storey is known for his work first in industrial collective Zoviet France in the 80's and second for his prolific ambient project Rapoon. Here we have Rhiz, a 2002 album that revolves around drum machine beats, toning down the tribal themes present on many of his releases. Zoharum saw fit to give Rhiz a remastered re-issue in 2017.
Dial 45-21-95’ severs up eleven slices of melancholically drifting and bleakly soothing modern classical/ modern composition themed around the work of respected art-house director Krzysztof Kieslowski. The tracks are composed by minimalist sound artist/composer/performer Ryoko Akama, and played with great care & stark wonder by respected contemporary music ensemble the Apartment House.
Puma Court is a two-piece suite for two double basses, and two Hardanger fiddles. It’s a wonderful seesawing example of modern composition that moves between pared-back, felt & at times rising harmonic emotion, Grinding & dramatically soured brood, and moments of tense near silence. The release appears on the always reliable Another Timbre- and the CD is presented in the labels normal sparse & minimal gatefold packaging.