Review: Scott Monteith is the Berlin-based but Canadian-born artist best known as Deadbeat, stepping out with new alias Ark Welders Guild. It is an audio-visual performance and recording project with Italian singer and curator Letizia Trussi, whom he met in winter 2021 and has since formed a strong creative bond. They work in Trussi's Rooms of Kairos studio and have already cooked up two album length pieces that come on Monteith's BLKRTZ imprint. Mons Clepsydra is the first and is an epic drone in four parts with string recordings permeating the moody, grainy, heavy atmospheres.
Review: Original soundtrack for Past Lives, featuring an original score by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen, as well as the original song 'Quiet Eyes' by Sharon Van Etten. One of the foremost romantic films of the 2020s so far, Past Lives is set in Seoul, SK, and follows two beloved childhood friends over the course of 24 years; detailing the personal trials, love triangles and vagaries that inevitably stem from a romance torn apart in childhood and brought back together again in adulthood. Bear and Rossen's soundtrack is pressed on cloud white vinyl, with original paintings by renowned artist Na Kim.
Review: Donato Dozzy has long been one of techno's most inventive and singularly minded talents. Even so, this latest full-length - his first since 2013 - is pretty conceptual. There's something more than a little Matthew Herbert-esque about Dozzy's desire to create an entire album out of the near operatic vocals of Rome-based singer Anna Caragnano. Using nothing but her voice - harmonies, solos, grunts, whispers, speech and dreamy freestyle passages - and a swathe of sound effects, Dozzy creates a rich, evocative, often spine-tingling range of largely ambient, otherworldly tracks. There are occasional rhythmic passages, of course - see "Festa (A Mattola)" in particular - but for the most part the Italian producer concentrates on textures and atmospheres. The results are rarely less than beguiling.
Review: John Carpenter's knack for cinematic storytelling without the screen takes centre stage on this deluxe reissue, marking ten years since the release of the great American soundtrack artist's first Lost Themes edition. The new expanded edition, complete with artwork by Greg Ruth, offers more than just a nostalgic revisit; it adds a new 7" featuring two unreleased tracks, 'Cruisin' With Mr. Scratch' and 'Dominator', both pulled from the original sessions. When it first came out, the album stood out for its vivid, visceral style, blending horror, science fiction, and eerie synthwork into standalone pieces that could easily score unseen films.
Review: Don't believe the hype - we certainly don't. Halloween Ends, 2022's trilogy-concluding horror flick that brought the story of evil Michael Myers to a bone chilling climax, is almost definitely not going to be the last time we hear the terrifying piano riff John Carpenter came up with for his original 1978 slasher classic, Halloween. Nor will it likely be the final outing for the mask-wearing, knife-wielding menace of Haddonfield, Illinois; fictional town the franchise centres on.
Let's face it, the most recent outing in the saga only represented the conclusion of the last three films, but since the first time there have been 13 movies, many comic books, one video game and tons of merchandise. All that aside, you can believe the hype surrounding the latest score, which sees synth and atmosphere master Carpenter, alongside son and regular collaborator Davies, invoke the eerie unease that first catapulted Halloween into the pantheons of all-time greatest scare fests. Don't sleep after listening, then; who knows what's out there.
The Alley (War) (Big Trouble In Little China) (2:00)
Wake Up (They Live) (3:21)
Julie’s Dead (Assault On Precinct 13) (1:49)
The Shape Enters Laurie’s Room (Halloween II) (1:45)
Season Of The Witch (Halloween III) (2:04)
Love At A Dance (Prince Of Darkness) (3:33)
The Shape Stalks Again (Halloween II) (3:06)
Burn It (The Thing) (2:22)
Fuchs (The Thing) (2:11)
To Mac’s Shack (The Thing) (2:57)
Walk To The Lighthouse (The Fog) (2:38)
Laurie’s Theme (Halloween) (2:30)
Review: Is John Carpenter the most formidable force in 20th Century US moviemaking? He must certainly be in the running. Say what you will about the genres he focuses on (horror, suspense, sci fi, slasher, those details aren't significant. Instead, what's important to remember is that for decades the director has dedicated his career to creating not just vivid on-screen worlds, but atmospheres and feelings. Taking ownership of his own scores is a big part of that, and in many ways Carpenter's tunes are as memorable as his plots. Here joined by son Cody, and Lost Themes I & II sparring partner Daniel Davies, many of the most iconic tones, keys, melodies, and hooks from more than 20 years of cinematic delights are presented as new - and we couldn't be happier.
Review: A decade after John Carpenter's groundbreaking Lost Themes debut, his collaboration with son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, the pioneering composer and director has revitalised his career. Lost Themes IV: Noir explores the essence of film noir, infusing Carpenter's signature synth-driven sound with dark, atmospheric motifs. Described as "soundtracks for the movies in your mind," these compositions evoke the mysterious allure of classic noir films. While traditional noir scores relied on orchestral arrangements, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies craft their distinctive sound with synths and guitars, capturing the essence of the genre. With this latest installment, they continue to redefine Carpenter's musical legacy, transcending mere homage to create immersive sonic experiences.
Review: A decade since his groundbreaking Lost Themes debut, John Carpenter, along with son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, has revitalised his career. Lost Themes IV: Noir delves into the essence of film noir, infusing Carpenter's iconic synth-driven style with dark, atmospheric elements. Termed "soundtracks for the movies in your mind," these compositions summon the enigmatic charm of classic noir films. Departing from traditional orchestral scores, the trio crafts a distinct sound with synths and guitars, capturing the genre's essence. With this latest release, they redefine Carpenter's musical legacy, moving beyond homage to create immersive sonic experiences that transcend expectations.
Review: Karl D'Silva's debut album, Love Is A Flame In The Dark, is an evocative exploration of sound that challenges conventional boundaries. Over two years of recording, D'Silva has created a compelling landscape where industrial grit meets tender melodies. Self-recorded in Rotherham and meticulously mixed in Leeds by Ross Halden, this album stands as a testament to D'Silva's ability to craft a distinctive pop language rooted in a post-industrial ethos. The album resonates with a sense of urgency and raw emotional depth. Drawing from influences as varied as Cabaret Voltaire and Nine Inch Nails, D'Silva's music is a fusion of inventive sound design and earnestness. Tracks like 'Wild Kiss' showcase thunderous percussion intertwined with D'Silva's commanding voice, while 'Flowers Start To Cry' marries aggressive drum programming with a haunting falsetto, evoking comparisons to Nine Inch Nails' visceral production style but with a unique, personal twist. Throughout Love Is A Flame In The Dark, D'Silva's versatility is evident. 'On The Outside' offers a soundscape of synths and saxophone, echoing the adventurous spirit of late 60s Free Jazz. 'Entropy' stands out with its expansive synth pop, while 'Nowhere Left To Run' weaves a narrative of light emerging from darkness with its midi-string orchestration. D'Silva's voice, a soulful rasp from his early medical history, imbues the music with a fearless yet tender quality. This album captures a journey from darkness into light, reflecting D'Silva's profound connection to his craft and the emotional weight of his experiences.
Review: After years of reluctance, finally a new album from Dada Pogrom. The Icelandic musician Kenneth Walter Balys here crafts a sonic-alchemical opus out of the prima materia that are pop harmony and strutting synths; elaborated synth passages and wonderful pop melodies. After the mystery musician played some of these new songs in front of a full sold out house at the Kernkrach Festival, The Black Light Spectrum follows as the recorded-musical encore demanded by the audience that never received one in live form. Through 12/8 marches, mellotronic/flutey surrealisms ('Forsaken'), hoovering electro-saw tricks ('Taste The Wip') and a banger-bound latter half, Dada Pogrom dazzles us once more.
Review: Daft Punk's soundtrack for 'Tron: Legacy' is a masterclass in electronic music, seamlessly blending their signature sound with the film's futuristic aesthetic. The duo's blend of pulsating synths, orchestral arrangements, and driving rhythms creates a sonic landscape that is both epic and intimate, capturing the film's themes of technology, identity, and the human spirit. Tracks like 'Derezzed' and 'The Game Has Changed' showcase Daft Punk's mastery of electronic music, while 'Son of Flynn' and 'Recognizer' demonstrate their ability to create sweeping, cinematic soundscapes. This soundtrack is a must-have for any fan of Daft Punk or electronic music in general, a testament to the duo's ability to transcend genre boundaries and create music that is both innovative and timeless.
Review: Fervent Daft Punk fans will be all over this collector's edition of the French duo's soundtrack for the Tron sequel! Spread across two heavyweight 180g slabs of vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve, this edition features two previously unreleased tracks and a code to grab all thirty tracks on vinyl. Naturally, fans will already know that 'Derezzed' aside, this is strictly Daft Punk doing soundtrack material as opposed to Daft Punk doing new Daft Punk. Perhaps the most important thing about this release is the lack of any of those somewhat risible remixes that Disney insisted on releasing.
TRON Legacy (End titles - Sander Kleinenberg remix) (5:08)
Review: It was big news when Daft Punk were enlisted to record the soundtrack to Disney's remake of Tron. While the film has perhaps faded from view slightly, the soundtrack remains a popular notch in the French duo's latter-day legacy. Here, we get treated to a reissue of the big budget remix collection which came out in 2011. It's a neat snapshot of the electronic music landscape at the time, ranging from The Glitch Mob to M83, Moby to Paul Oakenfold, Boys Noize to Photek and the late, great Avicii. You certainly wouldn't get the same cast of characters together for a similar package now, making this a document of the era as well as an essential collection of premier league dance music.
Review: A new spate of Tele Music library classics reissues from the 70s houses this one from 1976. Once more, legendary composer and drummer Pierre Alain Dahan hears his timely work reissued - this time in collaboration with his eternal guitar colleague Slim Pezin, a many-timed collaborator with Dahan. Contrasting to Dahan's many more experimental works, such as the prototypical 'Rhythmiques' album (which is far more out-there, almost primordial-sounding) 'Neo Rhythmiques' is an absolute killer of scorching, uptempo jazzy soul-funk, demonstrating what humanity as whole has achieved since, by harnessing said rhythmic primordium for its own funky ends.
Review: Talk about unearthing forgotten gems, or indeed gems that were never really known in the first place. Back in 1983 Soren Fauli - then 19 years old, now an established Danish artist - decided to step away from the punk bands he'd been playing with and indulge his inner autobahn. Daily Fauli was the one-time project result, with this raw, mechanical but intimate record, which has as much in common with Kraftwerk as it does Powell, the only product. While there's a rough and ready (and charming) aesthetic to the record, despite his age at the time, and the fact he had very little idea what to do with the Casios in hand, it's incredibly accomplished stuff. The playful, shuffling warbler 'Bus' representing the lighter end of a spectrum that runs as fast as the edgy arpeggiations of 'Speed' and the pared back, proto-punk runaway train of 'Hard Kogt'. A fantastic album and an interesting talking point.
Review: Over the course of her three year solo career, London-based Australian Carla Dal Forno has steadily moved from a dark, stylish and bleak all-electronic sound to something a little warmer and more organic in tone. On "Look Up Sharp", her third album, she continues this trend, complimenting her usual lo-fi drum machines and synths with low-slung post-punk bass and the kind of pastoral, traditional instrumentation more often associated with folk music (think flutes, recorders, clarinet etc.). It's a curious blend, but one that works wonderfully well throughout the album, and especially on those songs to which she adds evocative, often melancholic vocals.
Review: Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Carla Dal Forno was once a member of a number of legendary Australian outfits. These days, the Melbournian resides in Berlin, which is presumably where she met Blackest Ever Black boss Kiran Sande. He loved her clandestine, atmospheric take on pop - think minimal wave, cold-wave and early Joy Division mixed with contemporary ambience, and leftfield synth-pop - and has decided to put out this debut album. Comprised of four songs and four instrumentals, You Know What It's Like has a timeless feel; the folksy, Scott Walker-influenced "Dry In The Rain", for example, sounds like it could have been recorded at any point over the last 40 years, while "Dragon Breath" has a genuine Radiophonic Workshop feel.
Review: Take it from us - you want to get to know Denovali Germany on an intimate level. The label has been putting out tearjerking contemporary classical and far-reaching electronic compositions since 2005, lays claim to its own festival of forward thinking music and generally doesn't put a foot wrong. Home to the likes of Electro Guzzi and Les Fragments De La Nuit, it's an imprint and then some, to put it mildly.
Dalhous' The Composite Moods Collection is another one for the ages - the kind of album that you're bound to come back to for years because each play through seems to reveal new layers and elements that may not have presented themselves immediately. While for the most part this is all ambient, there are elements here that take us into much more muscular and ferocious ends, from 'Everything Is Bleeding' to the cinematic tension of 'Open As A Glade Unfolding'.
Review: With an artist name like Dali Muru & The Polyphonic Swarm, and an EP title of Murmer of The Bath Spirits, the fact at least part of this record features a narrative about spiritual awakenings in bath houses, set to an eerie, atmospheric ambient soundscape, will surprise very few people. A 15-minute trip into the ether, noises and tones are as wet as they are warm, and the experience like heading out to uncover a faery land mystery.
Things get a little less specific on the appropriately christened 'Track 2', which moves us on from the dreamy quiet into a place that's more forceful, purposeful, harsh, perhaps even darker. Hypnotic loops set above staccato beats, grabbing hi hats and other elements as the track grows in ear worm qualities with each second.
Review: Formed in Barcelona's underground scene, the Italian-Catalan duo Silvia Konstance and Viktor Lux Crux aka Dame Area blend industrial-tribal rhythms with minimalist synths while drawing inspiration from avant-garde pioneers like Esplendor Geometrico, Suicide, and Einsturzende Neubauten. This highly anticipated fourth album, Toda la verdad sobre Dame Area ("The Whole Truth About Dame Area") marks a more aggressive, percussion-driven sound and a departure from the melody-focused album they dropped back in 2022. The dynamic live performances the pair are down for are distilled into an album that perfectly captures their experimental edge with unpredictable rhythms, metallic percussion and plenty of energy.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.