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Edwin Brienen is one of the more fascinating & unapologetically brash figures to appear out of European cinema in the last twenty years- his work is often edgy, controversial, and at times mocking of both himself & wider art cinema. Though sadly he never seems to have got the praise of the likes of Lars von Trier or Michael Haneke- here on Brink is a region free Blu Ray boxset bringing together five of his films- so hopefully this will help get his name out there.
III is the latest release from the anonymous US noise act Sacro E Profano- the project brings together elements moody walled noise, ANW, DNW, and an often sleazed/ subtle unsettling atmosphere. This release from May of this year came in form of a physical release, or digital download- the psychical release had an edition of sixteen copies- but these are all sold out now…so ones only option now is the digital download.
From Vinegar Syndrome- those seekers of prime exploitation oddness & retro sleaze here’s Evil Town- a puzzling, at times delirious blend of creepy town chillier, hammy mad doctor action, and unapologetic ‘n’ leering sleaze. Here we get a Blu ray presentation of the film that features a new 2K scan, a few extras, a doubled sided glossy poster- and another great & arty slip sleeve ltd to 2,500 hand numbered copies.
Former Gorgoroth and God Seed frontman Gaahl’s current outfit Wyrd are being hailed as producing some of the best music the black metal scene has to offer today. Formed in 2015 the band are made up of the great and good from the Scandinavian metal scene, bassist Eld (Frode Kilvik) has played as part of Taake’s live band, guitarist Lust Kilman (Ole Walaunet) has a rather fine pedigree having played with Grimfist, God Seed, Sahg and Audrey Horne to name but a few, whilst drummer Spektre (Kevin Kvåle) has played with Harm, Svartelder and Horizon Ablaze among others.
Infinite Undo severs up three twenty six minute examples of walled noise- these move from dense & swirling suffocating, through to bleakly tunneling, onto slurred & crushingly bass bound wall-making. The release appears in the form of a CDR on UK’s Void Singularity recordings- and as of this review, the label still has copies.
Sonic Pornography for the Now Generation is a three-track wall noise release from this Portland Oregano based project. We get two half an hour walls, and one fifteen wall- so you get in total seventy-five minutes of noise. The sound here moves between thick and densely roasting, to bleak and decidedly grimly lo-fi. This release appeared in April of this year as both a CDR & digital release- with an edition of 10 copies, and as of this review, the label still has copies left.
Norwegien experimental guitarist and avant garde composer Håvard Volden is a longtime member of various ensembles, based in Oslo since 2006. The exact size of his discography is unclear due to his many collaborative works, but this is apparently his 2nd solo album, according to the press release.
Mutant Hunt is a cheesy splat of 80’s sci-fi/ action Schlock- with a paper-thin budget, tacky effects like stretching arms ‘n’ melting cyborg's heads- it features black shoulder padded bad guys, dumb heroes, and sloppy kung fu fighting. Originally released in 1987, here we have a recent(ish) region free DVD of the film as part of Full Moons Grindhouse collection.
Like a death metal phoenix, Nocturnus AD arises from the body of the now defunct Nocturnus with their first full length, Paradox. With founding Morbid Angel member Mike Browning at the helm, fans of old school death metal are in good hands. Paradox is a follow-up to the themes and events presented on 1990's The Key, and sonically, it's a wonderful transition.
Raison D'Etre is, perhaps, the most famous and significant Dark Ambient project in the world. Founded by Swedish musician Peter Andersson in 1991, to date, the project has in its discography 25 full-length albums. In 1993, on the cult Swedish label Cold Meat Industry, the first full-length album of the project was released, entitled Prospectus I- in the ensuing 25 years, the album was reissued three times on various labels. The 4th and most recent edition appeared at the tail end of 2018, as a joint release of the German label Cyclic Law and the Italian label Old Europa Cafe. It should be noted that this is not just a reissue of the original album, but a newly assembled, remixed and re-recorded material. So it can be said that this is an update of a classic Raison D’tre album.
Hardy Fox was one of the truly unsung, and largely unknown key figures with-in wider experimental music, and more than a few of its sub-genres. For most of his forty plus year career he remained hidden, under an eyeball ‘n’ top hat( and other disguises) as one of the key songwriters in The Residents. He left the project in 2015 due to ill health, going onto release eighteen solo albums under the pseudonym of Charles Bobuck…then in 2018, he put out his first self titled album, and revealed his many years of work for The Residents. Sadly, in October of last year Hardy passed away from brain cancer- 25 Minus Minutes is the final recordings he made just before his passing…and it’s a release that is both poignant, yet devilishly creative- highlighting his talent, and the great hole his passing has left.
Fabio Orsi is an electronic musician from Taranto, Italy, specialising in atmospheric drone. Inspired by the pre-war folk recordings made by Alan Lomax, Orsi uses field recordings as the basis of his music with the intention of creating sonic images. He is known to admire the way in which Lomax used folklore and folk music as the basis of something that goes beyond mere historical artefact. He describes it in his own words as “an expression of suffering with a thirst for rebellion.”
Built around mostly retro synthesizers, mellotron's, and organs The Haze of Sleeplessness moves between quaint & playful early electronica/ambience, and noisier to more moody fare. The CD album comes in with a relatively short/almost EP runtime of thirty-two minutes; but it’s a nicely satisfying at this length- as nothing ever feels overstretched, indulgent, or contrived.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year or so, I’m sure you’ll be aware of this controversial film based on the equally controversial book of the same name. Lords of Chaos attempts to chronical what went on in the Norwegian black metal scene in the early 1990’s- the church burnings, the self mutation, murder, metal mayhem & backstabbing (literally & figuratively)…and it’s fair to say it’s a decidedly muddled, unevenly acted, at times shocking & semi-effective film, which has really split my option unlike any other film in recent memory.
The always reliable No Rent Records presents Jaki Crush, the latest album (available on cassette and digital download) from Chicago-based sound artist Mukqs. For those unfamiliar, Mukqs is one Maxwell Allison who is a member of free music trio Good Willsmith and co-founder of tape label Hausu Mountain. This is my first foray into the artist’s work so I got to experience Jaki Crush intently with a fresh pair of ears.
Chicago based Bloodyminded is a fairly unique project within the wider noise scene, and in particular, Power (Heavy) electronics / Death Industrial sub-genre. As these genres are often one-man affairs, & Bloodyminded is made up of six members, each of whom is already quite famous in the world of experimental music. Perhaps this is the only PE group in the world with such a large line-up.
Mill of the Stone Women or Le Moulin des supplices to give it the French title is sold under here. Is one of the lesser known entries in the early 60’s euro horror genre- it’s an at times overly melodramatic blend of gothic horror & mad doctor sub-genres. Here from Artus Films is a recent duel Blu Ray & DVD presentation of the film, presented in a sixty four-page media book format.
Even though it was released thirty-nine years ago Maniac still stands as one of the most grueling, intense & deranged slasher/ psycho thriller ever made- it’s a film that oozes sweaty unsettlement, tense stalking scenes, and extreme/ prolonged killings. Here from Blue Underground is the ultimate edition of this sleazy & brutal masterpiece- bringing together a three-disc set- which takes in a new Blu Ray 4K print & two commentary tracks, a DVD loaded with extras, the full CD soundtrack- all topped off with a lenticular cover, and a glossy inlay booklet.
Formerly half of Zombi, Steve Moore has made quite a career for himself after going solo. Scoring more than twelve feature films and TV show, Moore made his return to non-soundtrack work for the first time in five years. Marking his first album with Temporary Residence Ltd, Beloved Exile is a contemplative, ambient synth work pretty distant from Moore's earlier catalog. Reflective and meditative, bordering on New/Age, Beloved Exile is a wonderful experience for mind, body, and soul.
Hungarian percussionist Balazs Major has teamed up with guitarist and instrument inventor Kevin Kastning to create their first collaborative album of free improvisation, titled Kismaros, released last year in 2018 on Greydisc. The liner notes state that it includes a 30 string Contra-Alto guitar, immediately making me curious about the timbres to be heard within. I am wholly unfamiliar with the previous works of both musicians.
Here we have a two-way wall-noise split themed around grueling ‘n’ sleazed 1980’s house invasion thriller The House On The Edge Of The Park- it brings together US Horror themed wall brutality of Burial Ground, & seared wall noise crudity of Germanys Bloodcraving. Originally released back in 2008 in the form of a C40 on Black Graves Tapes, here’s a 2018 CDR reissue of the release.
Released in 1987 by George Harrison’s Handmade Films, Bellman and True is the gritty, British, crime drama directed by Richard Loncraine (Brimstone and Treacle (1982) and Band of Brothers). The films stars Bernard Hill, who is most famous for his roles as Yosser Hughes in Boys from the Blackstuff and Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This new Bluray from Powerhouse films features two different cuts of the movie, the original theatrical cut that runs for 114 minutes and the longer pre-release version that was screened at the film’s London premiere and ran for an extra 8 minutes.
Negative to the Power of Infinity is a decidedly moody & space-bound walled noise release- it offers up three twenty minute tracks that blend together static texturing, with a darkly interstellar ambient backdrop. This release appeared in March of this year on Bangkok label Perpetual Abjection- who focuses in on art edition walled noise releases.
From March last year Fluidity In Despair is a pro-pressed CDR wall noise split, with a toad/ frog theme. The release brings together two tracks a piece from respected & prolific Serbian project Dosis Letalis, and Maryland US based Phyllomedusa.