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Black Magic Rites (aka The Reincarnation of Isabel, The Ghastly Orgies of Count Dracula) is a decidedly weird ‘n’ wacky example of the erotic euro-horror genre. The early 70’s Italian production blends and blurs Witch, Vampire, and Derange Priest tropes- for one hell of a puzzling, often non-sensical, and tripped-out cinematic ride. Here from Powerhouse is a new release of this lesser-seen/ known oddity- coming as either a Blu-Ray or UHD disc. Taking in a new bold ‘n’ bright 4k scan of the picture, and a wonderful selection of new extras- including a new commentary track, a documentary about the director, and more.
Frankenstein '80 is a crossbreed between mad doctor horror and sleazed serial killer genres with slight touches of dark comedy, and a ton of corny ‘n’ campy dialogue. Despite its title, the film is from the early 70’s, and it’s an Italian production. Here from Cauldron Films is a new Blu-Ray release- taking in a bold ‘n’ bright 2k scan, a commentary track, and a few other extras.
Returning to vinyl for the first time since 2019's Coquina Dose, Josh Mason fires up the majesty and his modular synth with An Anxious Host. Released a few weeks ago on Students of Decay, this ~39 minute collection of tones and temperaments brings the listener on a soft and fanciful journey, filled with dreamlike atmospheres and textures. Moving slowly throughout its run time, An Anxious Host allows Mason to flex his modular muscle and deliver a hazy, dreamy bit of electronic expression.
Here we have a seventy-three-minute slab of truly punishing & gruellingly unrelenting walled noise from the Hungarian project Necrotik Fissure. It appears as a digital download on the project's own Bandcamp.
Written and directed by Robert Hayes (best known for his cinematography on Philadelphia Experiment and director of Shock Cinema Vol. 1 and Task Force 2001) She-Wolves of the Wasteland or Phoenix the Warrior is a cheap and cheerful post-apocalyptic sexploitation movie from 1988 starring Kathleen Kinmont (Bride of Reanimator, Halloween IV and TV action series Renegade) in the titular role, Persis Khambatta (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Nighthawks and Megaforce), Peggy McIntaggart (Lady Avenger, Cyber-Tracker 2 and Beverley Hills Cop II) and the sole male member of the cast, James Emery (Escape from New York, My Blue Heaven and The Other Sister) as Guy.
Aesthetic Deviations is a recently released book that focuses on the American shot-on-video horror made between the early 80’s and early 90’s. It’s a nearly two-hundred-page affair that treads the thin line between passioned fan write-up, and more scholarly fare- to a largely engaging/worthy results.
Over two long tracks, Pauline Hogstrand narrates a journey to the summit (and back again) of a well-known mountain complex in Northern Sweden: the titular Áhkká, as it is known in the Lule Sámi vernacular native to Lappland.
Lust For Freedom is a late 80’s US-made Women-In-Prison film, which sits at the largely tamer and campy end of the genre. The film blends in bad action movie tropes, with light touches of female flesh, and the old splatter of bloody gunplay. It’s a Troma Entertainment release- though it largely lacks what you’d expect from the company- playing much more as a straight WIP film, with a people traffic edge. Here’s a recent region-free Blu-Ray release of the film- with as far I can gather just archive extras, with a director's commentary, an intro from Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman, and a few shorts/ trailers.
Fragments Of Reincarnation is simmering, earthy, and pressingly majestic drone work for organ, cello and shō- a form of Japanese reed instrument. The single forty-five-minute piece is a sonic journey into the different tunning systems for the three instruments, as well as a fine example of layered & slowly shifting acoustic drone craft.
Neha features two modern orchestral works from Slovak composer Adrián Demoè. Each portrays a feeling of both felt & forlorn emotionality, and building-if- at times fraught grace- with hauntingly harmonic undertones.
Let us open this review with something of a history lesson for the uninitiated. The Comic Strip was a troupe of British comedians, including names like Rik Mayall (Bottom), Dawn French (The Vicar of Dibley) and Nigel Planer (The Young Ones), which formed in 1980 and had a run of successful theatre shows. In 1982 they were given the chance to move their eclectic shows to Channel 4, which at the time had a reputation for snatching up a lot of young talent and giving them a nationwide platform. The first series of five episodes aired between 1982 and 1983 with audiences initially on the fence in terms of reception, with the first episode Five Go Mad In Dorset receiving numerous complaints. However a further two series were made for Channel 4 along with a slew of specials, but the show would move from Channel 4 to BBC 2 in 1990 with a slightly altered central cast due to the Channel 4 cast taking on numerous projects due to their sudden popularity.
Originally released last year, the gore-soaked solo-project of Brendan Dean (Gutvoid, Fumes, Alucard, and others), Pukewraith, sees its debut, Banquet of Scum, released on vinyl via Blood Harvest. Sticking to the grim and grimy, Pukewraith offers up eight vile tracks of death metal mayhem. From the riffs all the way to the bloody cover art, Banquet of Scum gives fans a perfect reminder of the depths at which death metal can go to scream bloody gore.
Golgo 13 is an early 1970s Japanese/Iranian action film that follows an assassin sent on a job- but there’s a twist no one is entirely sure what his hit looks like. The picture has a decidedly spaghetti western vibe to its use of camera shots, soundtrack, and general vibe all set in 70’s Tehran, Iran. Here from the folks at Eureka is a Blu-Ray release of the film- which has rarely been seen/ released out of its countries of origin. Taking in a new 2k scan of the picture, a commentary track, and a few other extras
Here we have a two-disc CD bringing together four key albums from American composer/ arranger/ pianist Martin Denny- that help define the easy-listening genre known as Exotica, which mixes lush orchestra/ lounge flavours with world music tropes, and the occasional tropical bird/ animal call. Featured here are 1957’s Exotica, 1958’s Exotica Vol II, Exotica III, and Quiet Village- both from 1959.
The Fraternal Order Of The All is the psych rock/ psych pop project of American pop/ soft rock singer-songwriter Andrew Gold. And Greetings From Planet Love is its one and only album to date- it’s a twenty-track affair, which both pays tributes to/ lightly sends up the 1960s/ early 70’s sonic psychedelia - in a largely entertaining & rewarding manner. The album was first released back in 1997- here’s a new plush CD reissue on Esoteric Records- which is part of the Cherry Red family of labels.
From the early 1990’s Damage is a drama focusing on an affair of obsession- played out in the reserved & up-tight British upper middle class. It features a wonderful realized cast- who play out the story in (a largely) nuanced and controlled manner. The film almost plays like a very low-key, but at times taut thriller- with the discovery of the affair constant, plenty of revelations, and a prevailing feeling of both awkwardness & emotional tension. Here from Imprint is a recent Blu-Ray release of the film- with a 2k scan, and a selection of new and archive extras.
Self presents us with two meatily battering and brutally roasting examples of the walled noise from this long-running & ultra prolific California-based project. With the release having a low-key sort of self-discovery/ mysticism theme to it.
Dexter Wansel is a Philadelphia-based composer, arranger, producer and keyboardist who appeared in the early to mid-70s with a series of fusion/funk/ R&B albums- with often a space-bound vibe/ focus. He may not be a household name today- but his work is still sampled and used now by the likes of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake( that may be the one & only time you hear those three artists mentioned on M[m]!). As well as 80’s hip hop projects such as Eric B and Rakim, Ice-T and Ice Cube. Here from BGO is a double CD reissue bringing together his four albums from the 70s- Life On Mars, What Is The World Coming To, Voyager, and Time Is Slipping Away.
My guess is that someone who runs a label for experimentalism and improvisation has a pretty keen sense of what constitutes a bad choice, musically speaking, anyway. Enter GAŁGAŁ, the alias of Abstand label co-founder, Michał Krajczok, who crafted his first album of electronic improvisatory music by throwing all of this learnedness out the window. Admittedly inspired by the twin attractors of John Cage’s nothingness on one side and infinite failure on the other, the results on Ich schwöre ich hab Angst (I swear I”m scared) are anything but nothing. Instead, Krajczok opts for a horror vacui of sorts, filling nearly every passing second with bleats and arrhythmically layered sounds. It’s kind of like the electronica version of Accelerationism – go faster than any system of signification could ever hope to catch up with. This means that although superficial, textural similarities abound with Autechre and other glitchy bricoleurs, there is no decorum when it comes to putting it all together. It is the medium that is haunted, running on empty, devouring everything in its wake, more so than any sonic signature. We hear said medium more than any recognizable song structure precisely because the amalgam fails to deliver one. That is the rub.
Fleshvessel is a band from Chicago, USA that is often described as progressive or avant-garde death metal. Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed is their first full-length album, following an EP in 2020. It features four central songs, each longer than ten minutes, in addition to three short interlude tracks.
This Is What I Hear When You Talk is a Florida wall-noise-based project, which has been active since 2019. Releasing an impressive nine hundred plus releases to date- I’ve popped in & out of the projects discography over the years- reviewing the odd release here & there. Loneliness Texture XXXIII is a digital released- taking in a single thirty-five-minute track.
III by closing. arrives from Modern Tapes on a purple cassette in a smart printed cardboard box, along with a tiny inlay, a card advertising upcoming Modern Tapes releases, a sticker, and a download code. The album has three tracks, all blending eerie drones with lo-fi field recordings; a focused sound but a good one.
Here we have a new Blu- ray release of Luigi Comencini’s well-regarded 1970’s comedy thriller, ‘The Sunday Woman’ from the fine folks at Radiance Films. Featuring a new 2k scan of the picture, as well as a good selection of extras to boot.
From BGO Records here is another double CD reissue of Ramsey Lewis releases- bringing together three early-to-late 1980 albums from this very versatile and prolific Chicago-based pianist & composer. With the sound over the albums going jazzy piano to light funk-based instrumental easy-listening music. Onto 80’s R&B, jazz, and soul-pop crossbreeds with an electronic/ sample edge.