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Any cult/ horror fan worth their salt will be aware of the Toxic Avenger franchise, and Melvin the mop boy- who morphed into the Toxic Avenger in the first classic Troma film. Toxic Tutu finds Mark Torgl, aka Melvin The Mop Boy reappearing after 30 years- the films a mixture of mockumentary, Troma like cheesy & crudity, and convention footage- here is a recent DVD release of this 2017 film.
With Mark Mark Bokowiec’s album Visitations we have something you don't often get: a surprisingly great dark-ambient release- with all the perfect ingredients you need for the genre. Unusually I was very impressed, even after a few play-backs of this seven tracks affair- through the artwork of the CDR does not really live up to my expectations and the music… but more on that later.
Lithuania has never had an easy time. Sandwiched between East and West and often caught in the struggles between empires, theirs has been a history of conquest, liberation, adsorption and finally independence; most recently from the Soviet Union. The country's location on the margins of both the Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches was a significant factor in it being the last bastion of European paganism well into the second millennium. Traces of volkish animism in the form of anthropomorphic wood carvings and other folk-art can still be found in rural areas. This compilation situates itself in direct opposition to the country's insular past, instead highlighting the relationship between processes of globalisation and artistic production within a small mobile community of composers.
Following on from last years Destination Crampsville, here’s another compilation of crude Rock & roll, gimmick led rockabilly, & devilishly delinquent 50’s anthems from the basement grates of Lux Interior & Poison Ivy of rockabilly/ garage punk/ Gothabilly band The Cramps. It’s another double CD affair offering up a selection of 50 tracks- many rare & decidedly quirky.
Here we have a three-CD box set bringing together material from two easy-listening/ light jazz artists of the ’50s & 60’s- there’s pianist, vocalist and cool jazz Icon Blossom Dearie. And Jazz flautist Bobby Jasper- with collaborations between the pair, and others names like Bill Evans, Milt Jackson, and Donald Byrd
Mariska Baars has been releasing wonderful sonic minimalism since 2005 under the moniker of “Soccer Committee” and so she is no light weight when it comes to bringing sonic atmosphere to her work. Rutger Zuydervelt aka Netherlands Machinefabriek also stands out as a prolific artist in the drone and minimalism genre, releasing a vast catalog of very capturing audio escapes. They have been collaborating for years.. so this release is actually just the latest in an ongoing sound flirtation between these two amazing artists.
Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen is a songwriter/musician hailing from Ålesund, Norway, and the spearhead of the Hedvig Mollestad Trio. The band is made up of Hedvig on guitar and vocals, with Ellen Brekken handling bass duties and Ivar Loe Bjørnstad on drums. The trio have developed a reputation over the years both as top notch live performers and as studio performers. They play 1970s style progressive hard rock that is shot through with a jazzy, psychedelic vibe. Smells Funny is the band’s fifth full length studio album, a run that was begun back in 2011 with their debut album Shoot!
Necropolis is a trashy, often decidedly silly slice of NYC based 80’s horror- which tells of a satanic witch reborn three hundred years after she was banished, as a blonde haired biker punk. As part of Full Moons Grindhouse series, here we have a region free DVD reissue of the film.
After making around ten or so low- budget adult films in the early 1980’s Dreamaniac was the first horror film directed by B movie Auteur David DeCoteau- who went onto 80’s make cheesy cult classics like Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Creepozoids, and Dr Alien. And while Dreamaniac, doesn’t rise to the often cheesy/ bad glory of his late work- it’s a serviceable enough, if at times slight slow 1980’s slasher- that in it’s promotion/ title very much nods towards a certain Elm Street, and a Mr Fred Krueger. Here from Full Moon, as part of their Grindhouse series is a region free DVD of the film.
Oregon are an Avant Garde Jazz/World music group formed in Eugene, Oregon in 1970 by multi-instrumentalists Ralph Towner and Paul McCandless, bassist Glen Moore, and sitar/tabla player Collin Walcott. Their debut album, Our First Record was recorded later in the year and lay unreleased until 1980 when Vanguard finally picked up and released it. The band were originally named ‘Thyme – Music of Another Present Era’ but changed their name to the shorter/snappier Oregon in 1971. The lineup has changed over the years, however Towner and McCandless have remained mainstays of the band throughout their career.
Ümlaut is a U.S. electronic project from Queens, New York founded by composer Jeff Düngfelder. His work appears to be thematically & conceptual focused on the elements of sound and silence, and the random interaction between both. Finding more in the spaces between and expanding on those to help the composition have a more minimalist presentation & feel.
Tojikome Raremashita is a decidedly atmospheric, at times almost creepy walled noise release- bringing together murky industrial walling, with moody textural detail. It’s a two thirty minute track affair that comes in either the form of a pro-pressed CDR or digital download.
Recorded over two days last summer in a rural English church Dethick is a ten track album of noise bound-yet often-acoustic improv, and brooding-to-angular modern composition. As a release it rather brought to mind the work of Steve Parry, and his project Hwyl Nofio- in the way it sonically recreates the barren, worn, weathered, and at times sinister landscapes/ buildings of abandoned industrial & rural British island- with its blend of yawning & sawing string work, grim pitch shifting drone work, and manic-to-skewed noise making utilizing various found items.
Untitled finds this Stockholm based walled noise project rendering up two twenty minute examples of thick-yet- quietly captured static studies, which bring together blunt low-end with hazed crackle, crunch and subtle textural detail. This release appeared in March of this year on Ominous Recordings in both tape & digital edition- the tape came in an edition of eight copies which are sadly all gone now- so the digital version is the only option.
Who? Is a 1974 thriller starring Elliott Gould and Trevor Howard and directed by Jack Gold, the man most famous for directing John Hurt in the Quentin Crisp penned, The Naked Civil Servant (1975) and Aces High (1976) starring Malcolm McDowell and Christopher Plummer.
Robin Storey's Rapoon project has existed since the early 90's, formed after his departure from industrial soundscape collective Zoviet France. Rapoon's music is renowned for its surreal dream-like feeling and convincing tribal atmosphere. As I generally prefer Storey's classic earlier work, it is with great pleasure that I approach the task of reviewing this 1996 album, Darker By Light, now re-issued in remastered form by Zoharum. As Rapoon's discography is quite vast, this album is one that I had never previously listened to.
I first encountered Leafcutter John (John Burton) as a member of Seb Rochford's freewheeling jazz group Polar Bear. I subsequently became familiar with him as a solo artist of rare stylistic breadth and creativity. One moment he's playing the accordion, the next he's improvising on a system that integrates MAX MSP with a light activated interface that looks like a chess board covered in snakeskin. Yes! Come Parade with Us is the follow-up to his Resurrection LP from 2015.
Optimistic Modernism is fairly varied; at times unnerving and unsettling improv record- which finds these three seasoned improvisers severing an eight track release that apt shifts from sinister & dramatic, through to quirky & dada influenced, onto mysterious & busy. The release comes in the form of either a physical CD release, with 48-page booklet, or a digital download- we were sent just the download for review.
Now here’s something you don’t often get- a punchy, varied, well-recorded & wholly enjoyable live record. Long Time Coming sonically chronicles the first every concert from British avant pop two-piece Renaldo & The Loaf, that happened last year in Vienna. The CD brings together the bands complete live set of fourteen tracks- it works perfectly as both a primer/ celebration of this band's fairly unique sound, as well as a effective flowing album- live or otherwise!.
On the surface & from its plot description of ‘horny Teens going to a lake location to be stalked by a killer’, Blood Lake may seem like your run-of-the-mill 80’s slasher. But in reality there’s nothing run-of-the-mill, or normal about this slice of SOV madness- like the best of the genre, it drops you in an almost parallel bad-movie universe- where we find mumbling mulleted teens, extremely stilted acting, way over-long shots of water skiing, extreme fleeting & to darkly shot gore, and general bad pacing- which often makes the whole thing as a lost family VHS from the 80’s- all soundtrack by a decidedly haphazard blend of wonky Hair metal, mawkish piano & synth wonders, and more pulsing-though-very monotonous horror focused synth ‘n’ beats. Here from AGFA & Bleeding Skull is a much needed new region free DVD of this Brain melting SOV classic- which features a new print, a directors commentary, and a few neat extras.
From Vinegar Syndrome here’s another late 80’s film that’s difficult to pin down into one genre. It starts off as a sort-of teen mystery/ melodrama, later adding in elements of comedic/ quirky characters, then moves towards being a thriller/ bloodless stalking action, before having a WTH & grim ending. As we’ve come to expect from VS releases we get a nice new scan, a handful of extras, reversible cover, and a duel Blu Ray & DVD- featuring multi-region discs.
All Things Quite brings together the first three albums from Steeleye Span- we have Hark! The Village Wait from 1970, Please To See The King from 1971 , and also from 71 Ten Man Mop Or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again - each of these 1970’s albums highlighting the projects authentic-yet- often creative take on the folk-rock/ electric folk genre. The set is presented in the form of a three CD set, which takes in a most informative thirty-one-page booklet- all packaged in a flip top cardboard box.
Over the years the Italian experimental music scene has given birth to many sub-genres. In fact, the very concept of experimental music originated in Italy. Therefore, it is not surprising that the country has a huge number of interesting, original and legendary projects. Claudio Dondo is the leader and the only participant of the famous Italian project Runes Order. However, in the late 80s - early 90s, before this project was his first sonic venture Order 1968, which existed from 1989 to 1992. Over the years, Order 1968 released six albums, which are subsequently been revaluated by many fans as a classic of experimental electronics.
Anni Hogan is a composer, musician and record producer, most well known for her long association with marc Almond. Anni studied at Leeds University around the same time that Marc Almond and Dave Ball were starting out as Soft Cell. Anni took a year out of her course in 1980 to work as a promoter, booking bands around the city, most notably Soft Cell and The Human League. After Soft Cell split Anni developed her close working relationship with Marc Almond, appearing on both albums from Marc and the Mambas, and continuing on to work with Marc on his solo material. Hogan has also worked with a diverse range of talents over the years including the incredible Barry Adamson and the even more legendary Nick Cave.