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Domestic is the debut album from Sutcliffe No More- the spin-off project/ next sonic step from those behind infamous-yet- often creatively distinct English PE project Sutcliffe Jügend. It’s a two-CD album, which brings together largely lulling & unease sound scaping with grimly dramatic spoken word storytelling- which focuses on the more troubling, disturbing, and bleaker side of human existence.
From the early 1960s Circus Of Horror is a mad-doctor melodrama meets relatively tame British horror film. It focuses on a disgraced plastic surgeon who comes into possession of a failing circus, that he peoples with female performers he’s operated on. Here, as part of Studiocanal’s Vintage Classics series- which focuses on the best in British cinema, is a 2020 Blu-Ray release of the film- featuring a few extras, and a nice bold & bright scan of the film.
Hailing from Sweden, Mortuus is the black metal duo of J. Kvarnbrink and M. Hinze. Formed in 2003, this is their third album coming after an EP, a split album and a split EP. Both members are veteran musicians with quite a background emerging from, or aesthetically leaning toward the post-2000s, second wave of black metal. With Diablerie they offer a cleanly produced and contemporary-sounding black metal creation.
French experimental sound maker Romain Perrot is most known as Vomir- the king of crude ‘n’ unchanging HNW. Trou Aux Rats is his self-proclaimed 'funeral listening' project. Le Cloaque Apres La Romance is a two-CD set that focuses on a decidedly grimmer and wavering lo-fi sound pallet than his wall noise work- the album shifts through genres such as hazed noise matter, murky ambience, guitar drone crafting, and beyond
Das Leben in vollen Zügen(Life to the fullest ) is the ninth album from the German project StillStand. It’s a nine-track CD album, which brings together nostalgic and forlorn ambience, woozy electronica, field recordings( often public transport/commuter focused), and low-key noise elements/ tones.
As a teenager in the 1980s, I along with many others became obsessed with a trailer compilation tape called Mad Ron’s Prevues from Hell. It featured some of the most insane-looking horror and sleaze trailers known to man. If a movie was featured on Mad Ron’s then you generally wanted to own it. So it goes, for this unique gothic horror from 1965, directed by Domenico Massimo Pupillo (Terror Creature from the Grave, Love: The Great Unknown and Django Kills Softly) and starring former Mr. Universe, Mickey Hargitay (The Loves of Hercules, Lady Frankenstein and Delirium). Hargitay, was married to Hollywood legend Jayne Mansfield between 1958 and 1964 and as such was seen as a key marketing tool in selling the movie, if you watch the trailer his name is mentioned almost as often as the name of the movie.
Along with Ari Aster’s Hereditary, The Witch stands as one of the most known films of the post-Horror genre. It's a decidedly glum ‘n’ grim period drama- which is edged with creepy folklore elements, building distrust, and a few fleeting moments of all-out horror. Here from Second Sight is a dual format Blu Ray/ 4K UHD reissue of the film- featuring a director-supervised HDR grade print of the film( on the 4k disc), a good selection of new & archive extras, and a one hundred fifty paged hardback book- all packaged in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Peter Diamond.
Hagla is a two-track release from Polish walled noise project Olion. Over the length of the release we move from broodingly 'n' dense disorientation, onto oppressive meets low-key texturally feasting
Social Phobia is the first walled-noise release from this Argentinean project, which is helmed by poet and musician Pablo Albornoz. The release features a single twenty-four-minute example of walled noise, which blends galloping crunch with wayward/ buffeting fuzz.
As Part of Studiocanal’s British Vintage Classics series here’s a Blu-Ray release of Yield to the Night- a grimly stark, and powerfully acted 1950s crime drama which was seen as being partially based on the case of Ruth Ellis, who was the last woman to be hanged in the UK. The film features Diana Dors in its lead role, really giving the performance of her career- with the surrounding film dealing with regret, hope, and of course the big question of capital punishment. The 2020 Blu-Ray features a bold ‘n’ crisp scan of the black-white stock, with a selection of extras.
It has become increasingly difficult for the amateur to tell a composer from a practiced improviser. Or maybe it has been since the advent of New Music, though the smoothness and spaced-out quality of both prepared music and its libertarian twin make understanding the subtleties of structure and scale that much more of a chore; and that much more rewarding, too.
Snuff Prom is one of the many projects respected US noisemaker in Richard Ramirez is involved in, it also features Melanie Riehle(See Six) and William Cast(Black Eyed Bored Housewife). I'd listened to their self-titled cassette (on Room 2A in 2017) countless times before, and it's an in-your-face harsh noise wall release, so I was expecting Espiritu Sagrado to be something similar. It‘s not. As we find field recordings and sample-based ambient-ish noise, extended in the harsh noise wall territory, maybe not as harsh as other Ramirez work, but with the same attributes and aesthetics, the artist is known and loved for. Claustrophobic, dark and even minimal.
Dead Bodies Is one of the projects of ultra-prolific/multiple project-linked Russian Wall noise creator Ivan Sandakov( Autodestruction, Oasis Of The Zombies, Damage Concentration, etc). This project has been active since 2013- with thirteen releases to its name thus far, Human Cocoon was its first release in a few years.
The sixth issue of Night Science, dated October 2020 and the first I’ve read, comes courtesy of Chris Groves, the person behind the excellent Australian label Cipher Productions. The zine really is a labour of love, superbly laid out and printed, containing eight interviews, some live reviews, and a good range of album reviews - all supplemented by plenty of adverts from labels and distro’s. The zine also comes armed with a CD featuring a track from each - bar one - of the interviewees. It’s undeniably a very accomplished and desirable package.
Diary Of a Mad Housewife is a 1970’s drama-come-pitch black comedy that focuses on the constantly belittled wife of a smug & pompous NYC lawyer, who decides to have an affair with an equally obnoxious writer. It’s a film that has a decidedly Kafkaesque feel, as one both feels for the terminal browbeaten wife but is darkly amused by the whole tragic comedy. It’s a well, but sparsely cast film- which balances well its mix of drama and humour that at points nicely slides into middle-class American satire. Here from Powerhouse is a new Blu-Ray release of the film- taking in two versions of the film, with commentary tracks for both & a few other extras.
First released in the year 1987 Mayhemic Destruction was the debut album from Australia's most known Thrash metal export Mortal Sin. The eight-track affair certainly shows the influence of a certain Metallica, but it also has its own charm and moments of invention- making for a punchy, though at times fairly creative debut release. Here from Dissonance Productions, Cherry Reds' metal-focused sub-label is a CD reissue of the album.
Appearing in the early 90s Children of the Bong were a British electronica two-piece. They held a lot of promise with their varied at times creative sound- which brought together elements of ambient electronica, electro dub, hip-hop, occasional ethnic spacy touches and general electro genre blending. Sadly, the project released just one album 1995’s Sirius Sounds- then seemingly promptly disappeared. Here we have an expanded three-CD reissue of the album, featuring the original album on the first, and the other two discs taking in a selection of odd ‘n’ ends/ remixers.
From the mid-1990's Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell is a Japanese straight-to-video horror film, which shifts from eerier haunted house shenanigans onto deranged 'n' bloody stop motion madness. Here from Visual Vengeance, the retro low budget/ SOV label of Wild Eye Releasing- is a new Blu-ray release of the film featuring two commentary tracks, a new director’s interview, and much more.
Last year's The Righteous is a very slowly simmering and grim mystery drama, which is edged with subtle horror touches and moments of smouldering dread. The film focuses on an ageing former priest whose adopted daughter dies, then a mysterious young man enters his life stretching his faith further. It’s a moodily monochrome captured affair- with the small cast giving a wonderful performance with the backdrop of an autumnal woodland. Here from Arrow Video-both in the UK and stateside- is a Blu-Ray release of the film, featuring a director/ producer, and a few other extras.
Ever widening the scope of their releases, Zombi have kicked open the door to a new wing of their discography: 70's covers. Bringing on some special guests to complete the task, Zombi & Friends released Vol. 1 on Relapse Records to fans who didn't realize how much they needed this album. With ten very tight and very well-done covers, this fun break from Zombi's regularly scheduled programming is a welcome and perfect summertime release.
The Sacred Spirit or Espiritu Sagrado is a 2021 Drama/Comedy/Sci-Fi film from Spanish writer/ director Chema García Ibarra (Misterio, Protoparticulas and In the Same Garden). The Sacred Spirit is his first full-length feature, prior to this his longest work was the reasonably well-received 58-minute Sci-Fi film Uranes. Sacred Spirit is a big step up for him, having been picked up for release by Arrow video, this will bring his film to a far bigger audience than his previous works.
Solo Acoustic Guitar Improvisation II/III is a double vinyl release taking in twenty-six tracks of darting 'n' jagged improv from Belgian’s Dirk Serries. The material references genres like the blues, angular jazz, scarping ‘n’ raw folk, acoustic HC punk, and even demented no-wave funk- but it really creates its own rapidly shifting and jarring sonic universe.
Here’s a recent two-track release from UK-based sound-maker & academic Emile Bojesen. The two tracks are themed around the experimental and nihilistic poetic prose-centred novel 2002’s Bone Snare Bite by Michael Mc Aloran. With the sound moving between building electro scaping, and choppily textured yet moody noise-ambient crossbreeds.
Part mad doctor shlock, part softcore, and part lumbering sci-fi horror picture The Curious Dr. Humpp is a true late 60’s exploitation curio. The film shifts from the unsettling & wonky, onto the camp and kooky, through to the sleazed and surreally sensual. Here as part of 101 Films UK reissue of the AGFA cult film library is a region B blu ray release of the film- featuring a commentary track from Basket Case's Frank Henenlotte, and a few other extras.