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Peter Orins is a French drummer, percussionist, and composer with a foundation in the avant-garde sound art of minimalism and jazz. This is his second release experimenting with randomness and factors of chaos theory within the application of recordings and improvisation. But unlike his previous release, which focused on electronics, this is a collection of acoustic recordings...done mostly using a small drum kit and some hand percussion instruments. Although you really would not know from the recordings that a drum kit was used unless you read the liner notes.
Decameron were a progressive/folk rock band formed in Cheltenham in 1968 by guitarist/vocalists Johnny Coppin and Dave Bell. Rather bizarrely during their early days, the band were managed by Brummie comedian Jasper Carrot before they went on to sign their first recording contract with the legendary Vertigo records in 1973. Later on that same year, the band’s debut album “Say Hello to the Band” was released, and followed up a year later with “Mammoth Special”, a third album “Beyond the Light” or “Beyond the Days” was mooted before being scrapped. The band left Vertigo and released their third album “Third Light” on Transatlantic Records in 1975, this was followed up the following year by “Tomorrow’s Pantomime” their final release before the band split and the subject of this review.
Damien De Coene is a Spanish based sound creator & artist- who over the last year or so has made a name for himself creating terminally bleak drone matter(under the name of Charles Razeur), walled noise, and stark monochrome artwork that has adorned releases from the likes of Vomir, Eugene Critchley( Cory Strands ultra-bleak drone/ HNW project), and others. DWI is the first of series of self-released C60 tapes- that features hand-drawn artwork, and a sound that sits somewhere between very grim drone matter & pared-back walled noise.
José Ramón Larraz stands as one of the un-sung names of the euro-cult genre- while the likes of Jess Franco, Jean Rollin, and Joe D’Amato have seen many of their films released on DVD & Blu Ray in the last few years. The same can’t be said for Larraz, with only until recently one of his films Vampyres- been readily available & praised. Here on Arrow Video (both in the Uk & US) is a new three-film boxset that tries to start redressing this issue- the set offers up two of his brooding, at times shocking & bloody British set films from the early 70's, and a late 1970’s soft-core drama filmed in his native country Spain. The set brings together new prints of all three films, and a good selection of extras, and an 80-page book.
New Japanese Noise brings together respected Norwegian bandleader/ drummer Paal Nilssen-Love with a selection of key Japnoise figures Toshiji Mikawa (Incapacitants) & Kohei Gomi (Pain Jerk)- with the line-up been topped off by Japanese free jazz legend Akira Sakata, and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Dinucci. All to offer up a decidedly seared- yet- playful record that putts between often thick free jazz, harsh noise, and blends of the two.
Dark Ambient as a genre often stays with-in it’s set rules, but from time to time you get a release that manages to add something new & different to the form- and that’s the case with Nocturnum- the first full-length release from Sataray, after a series of collabs & mini albums
Based on the 1961 Iris Murdoch novel of the same name, A Severed Head has a very misleading title. What sounds like it should be a horror movie is actually something quite different and unique. Whilst the film does have a darkness at its core it also incorporates elements of farce and satire to tell a tale of sexual permissiveness in middle class society. Influenced heavily by Max Ophüls 1950 classic of French cinema La Ronde, A Severed Head is a bizarre and wonderful film that twists and turns throughout.
Deaf Center made their name in the mid-2000s amid a wave of artists exploring the intersections between modern classical and some the darker regions of electronic music. Their debut album Pale Ravine (2005) became a standard bearer for the style, several iterations of which were produced by artists on the Type record label from 2005 to 2010. The duo of Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland released a follow-up, Owl Splinters, in 2011, but since then - barring one short EP - the duo have primarily focussed on other projects. Low Distance is released on the boutique label Sonic Pieces.
Near Death Experience is a harrowing, often intense & at times deeply disturbing trip into the mind of American spoken word artist Bryan Lewis Saunders. This CD release appears on Ukraine's Old Captain records- taking seventeen tracks and a runtime of seventy four minutes. It’s fair to say it's one of the most troubling, at times downright unsettling & scary recordings I’ve heard in sometime.
Wanderer is the third release on Another Timbre from this Toronto based composer- it finds her severing up a selection eight hauntingly melodic yet at times sparse & melancholic works. The key sonic focuses of many of the tracks here is the piano, though other instrumentation is arranged around it in an often greatly dramatic & creative effect.
The Heights of the Reeds is a somber cinematic soundscape created by Norweigen musicians associated with the world of modern jazz, led by trumpet player and vocalist Arve Henriksen. The most audible timbres on the album are that of the trumpet and winds, but there are (sparing) orchestral touches as well, and a faint presence of ambient electronics from producer/sampler Jan Bang, which contributes to its immersive filmic quality.
Maurice Louca is an Egyptian experimental musician & composer born in Cairo where he currently lives and works. He is the co-founder of the bands Bikya, Alif and Dwarves of East Agouzoua. Elephantine is his third solo album, & his first for Northern Sky/Sub Rosa. On this release he takes out a large ensemble of 12 players to interplay into his unique blend of Middle Eastern and African rhythms to bring something that flows into the lane of Sun Ra’s magic, and perhaps even Miles Davis’s work at the height of Fusion.
Psyche 59 is a subtly sexual charged melodrama & decidedly low-key mystery from the mid-1960s. It’s a largely effective if at times slow British film- that features moody-to-slightly arty cinematography,with a well balanced small cast. Here from Powerhouse is the first time Blu Ray issue of the film- featuring a newly remastered print, and a few extras.
Originally appearing in 1981 La Vue is a decidedly unbalancing & sonically surreal experience. Sitting somewhere between disorientating & at times manic Musique Concrète, lop-sided industrial loop making, slurred noise making, and uneasy ambience. Here on the always worthy Austrian label Klanggalerie is a CD reissue of the album.
Part bleak regional gothic horror, part low-key creepy Crawly fun, & part unhinged teen movie Kiss Of The Tarantula appeared in the mid-1970’s- then seemingly disappearing into obscurity. Here on VCI Entertainment/ MVD Visual is duo format Blu Ray/ DVD release of the film- offering up a new 2k scan, and a commentary track from the always excellent cult film loving duo David Del Valle & David Decoteau.
Here it is. Twenty years after his first release, Leyland Kirby has finally decided to hang up his tuxedo and bring the Caretaker project to a close. With the steady release of each of the six stages of Everywhere at the End of Time the last two and half years have been something of a farewell tour for a project which has become - along with Burial - the quintessential expression for what has come to be known as "hauntological" music. That tour even took in a "live performance" at London's Barbican; a sign of the esteem that this once wilfully obscure project is now held in.
There are many things that reminds one of the 1980’s- the original tape walkman, VHS & having to rewind them, Rubix cubes, Back The Future, & ET. But one of the most memorable things to me- been a teen in the mid-decade, was rap, hip-hop and it’s related culture- it just seemed to be the coolest thing in the world to me at that time. And I think one of the key things that started this interest was the two breakdance films- 1984’s Breakin’( or Breakdance as it was known in the UK), and it’s sequel from the same year Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogalo. Here on Cherry Pop is a much needed double CD reissue of the films equally impactful, and at the time big selling soundtracks- that aptly blended together slick & street bound R&B, electro-funk, hip-hop influenced pop, body popping instrumental tracks, and robo-vocal fired 80’s dance music.
Here’s a walled noise split that brings together two twenty-five to thirty-minute examples of dense & crushing HNW. The release brings together French wall noise legend Vomir, with Russia based Shumoizolyatsia (Noise insulation) - it’s presented in the form of a pro-pressed CDR, on British wall noise label Void Singularity Recordings.
Commentary on the Apocalypse is a C30/digtital download that sits somewhere between active textured noise study, searing walled noise, and violent improv. It’s the first, and thus far only sonic fruits from Feuersalamander Auf Abattoir- which brings together respected Italian noisemaker Lorenzo Abattoir(Nascitari, Tomorrow I'll Shoot Myself In The Mouth, PSICOPOMPO, Lach) & Austrian based Christoph F.( Feuersalamander auf Marzipan, Fall Into Dry Lungs, Dry Lung Records).
Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Church of the Leading Hand are the chief musical project of Albin Julius the Austrian musician who is known for his work with The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud and Death in June to name but two of the bands with whom he has played. Originally spawned as a side project, Der Blutharsch took on greater significance for Julius, once the debut self-titled release was issued on a very limited-edition picture disc in 1996. Ranging from dark ambient, and industrial to a more rock-based sound the band have diversified greatly over the years, and from starting out as Julius’s solo project they now appear to be a full band. Joining Julius on keys are guitarists Bain Wolfkind and Jörg Buchmüller, and drummer Marthynna. Julius has at times flirted with far-right imagery, however, for this review I shall attempt to put all politics to one side and concentrate purely on the music.
Raison D'Etre- the project of Swedish musician Peter Andersson, should need no introduction, as it's one of the most famous & respected projects in the dark ambient genre. The project was formed in 1991 and remains active today- releasing twenty-four albums, and nine compilations for its nearly 30-year history.
Here we have a two way CDR/digital split severing up two half-an-hour slices of textured noise/ANW. The release brings together scene favourite Dosis Letalis, and relative newcomer Ushinawareta Tamashi- for an enjoyable hours worth of nicely crafted wall making.
Likho is the third release from Russian walled noise project Chernogray- it finds two hour long examples of often dense, storm-bound, though at times layer active wall matter- presented as either a double CDR or digital download on French label Required Rate Of Return
Unearthed Films have a great track record for releasing extreme, yet often highly creative & thought-provoking films from around the world. And here with Brutal they done it once again- the 2018 Japanese film is probably one of the most intense, bloody gruelling, and unforgiving love stories you’ll ever have come across- it sees a male & female serial killer going about their murderous ways- then later meeting to form a very disturbing bound.