Zombi - The Zombi Anthology (2005)

I love old soundtracks by Goblin, John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, & Fabio Frizzi. When I hear this rare CD, I know I am not alone. Pittsburgh’s Zombi has carried the torch of awesome, dark, cinematic music since 2001. A duo comprised of Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra utilize live drums, electric bass and a collection of analog synthesizers to rock you to Earth and fly you to the cosmos. They have an impressive aptitude for lush, warm soundscapes. If you are a fan of any of the artists mentioned above, you may become a new fan of Zombi. They have a new album out as of last month, but go ahead and start here at the beginning. You won’t be sorry.

There is a short review of this disc here.

Year of Release: 2005
Label: VCO Records
Catalog #: VCO-001
Genre: Electronic, Progressive
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
— Zombi (2002) —

1. Sequence 1 (3:29)
2. Sequence 2 (2:24)
3. Sequence 3 (3:21)
4. Sequence 4 (2:09)
5. Sequence 5 (6:27)
6. Sequence 6 (2:42)
7. Sequence 7 (1:41)
8. Sequence 8 (2:49)

— Twilight Sentinel (2003) —

9. Sequence 8 (alternate version) (3:06)
10. Gemini, Part 2 (7:01)
11. Twilight Sentinel (6:49)
12. DMC-12 (plus hidden bonus track) (13:46)

Download: Zombi - The Zombi Anthology
Download Size: 125 MB

Egisto Macchi - Futurissimo (St Germain Des Prés - St GDP 117) (1971 - 256kbps)

To be honest I'm a little burnt out on writing at the moment, so this post is going to be a bit shorter than usual. I just finished five 500 word essays for school, along with a 5 page report, which I have been working on since I woke up this morning.

In case you're just now tuning in, I have been running with a dark and twisted library music series the last couple of weeks. One of the first I shared was Egisto Macchi's amazing 1976 library music album, Sei Composizioni, released on the Gemelli label as GG.ST 10.036 in 1976. Now I would like to share my personal favorite from Macchi, Futurrismo. Futurrismo was released on the French label, St Germain Des Prés in 1971. St Germain Des Prés was a sub-label of one of my favorite production music libraries, Montparnasse 2000.

For those unfamiliar with his work, Egisto Macchi was a legendary Italian composer of dark avant-garde and musique concrète library music. Macchi once again brilliantly combines dark, unnerving and broken electronic sounds with abstract traditional musical instrumentation. Foreboding violins, droning electric guitars, Disturbing sounds effects, such as knocking upon a wall, screeching metal, howling winds, shrieking animalistic sounds and strange voices are implemented to enhance the unnerving atmosphere. Macchi takes you on a trip, to a dark, hellish future, one which I will be returning to often.

Year of Release: 1971
Label: St Germain Des Prés
Catalog: St GDP 117
Genres: Library Music, Avant-garde, Experimental
Bitrate: 256kbps

Track List:
A1. Chambre Anachronique
A2. Nouvelles Planètes
A3. Appel Spatial
A4. Moduule Lunaire
B1. Capsule en Panne
B2. Forme Planétaire
B3. Gare Spatiale
B4. Extra-Terrestre
B5. Limite Extrême
B6. Nébuleuses
B7. Bande Radioactive

Download: Egisto Macchi - Futurissimo (St Germain Des Prés - St GDP 117)
Download Size: 61MB

Phallus Dei - Pornocrates

As I promised several people, more Phallus Dei. If you want more info about the band, go here. Phallus Dei put a lot of time & creative effort into writing their songs. The payoff is an immaculate sounding & composed piece of musick. This is one powerful album.

"Monumental." On Pornocrates the line-up is the same as Cyberflesh.

Phallus Dei is: Oliver St. Lingam - vocals & sequencing; Mk. E - guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, bass, & keyboards; Joris Huijbregts - bass, keyboards, accordion, & sequencing; & Richard van Kruysdijk - drums, percussion, synthesizer, keyboards, guitar, & sequencing. Written, arranged, produced & performed by Phallus Dei.

Year of Release: 1994
Label: Paragoric PA 06
Genre: Electronic Industrial

Tracklist:

Dog (Prologue)
On Aloneness
The Arising (A New Day Version)
Unguided Love
Pornocrates (Bloodlust a Go-Go version)
Insignificance
Ladyshave
The Outer Bone
Circles on Circles (Dreams ov Channel Five version)
Never to Believe (My Release version)
Veiled Statues
Dead Birds Floating
Current Lullabye (Epilogue)

Download: Phallus Dei - Pornocrates
Download Size: 109.9MB

World's End Girlfriend - Dream's End Come True (2002 - 320kbps)

I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the people of Japan during this very difficult time for their nation. I wanted to dedicate a post to Japan the day after the earthquake and tsunami struck. However, I have found it rather difficult to put my thoughts and feelings into words the day after the disaster, and didn't have enough free time at my disposal in the days that followed to be able to dedicate a post until now.

I was up watching Al Jazeera Live late at night when the news broke that an earthquake had struck off the coast of Japan. Although a tsunami warning was issued, I didn't expect one to form. The earthquake was first described as only being a 7.8, in contrast to the upgraded 9.0 it would eventually be categorized as. A few minutes later I watched in disbelief and horror as the massive debris-filled wave destroyed everything in its path - images which I'm sure have been burned into the minds of all who watched the widely circulated footage. My first thought was of how the destruction I was witnessing was undoubtedly occurring all along Japan's coastline, and would result in a massive loss of life.

I know what it is like to lose everything and be forced to start your life completely from scratch, although my past circumstances do not begin to compare with the loss that many people are experiencing in Japan. With that in mind, the disaster in Japan affected me in a way which I never would have imagined. I feel a great deal of empathy and sympathy for the millions in Japan who have been directly and indirectly affected by this disaster. I can't even begin to imagine witnessing such a horrifyingly surreal monstrosity swallow up everything you hold near and dear to you in person, and what it must be like to attempt to pick up the pieces after you have lost everything in such a horrifying manner. It has been difficult enough to experience vicariously. To make matters worse, the rescue efforts have been hampered by countless aftershocks, a blizzard, and the ongoing nuclear crisis, thus extinguishing the possibility of being rescued for many.

As difficult as it was for me to find the words required to express my sympathy, it was even more difficult to select which album would be the most appropriate for the situation. In the end, I decided that this album by World's End Girlfriend best captured the complex range of thoughts and emotions presented by this series of disasters. World's End Girlfriend is actually the solo project of Katsuhiko Maeda, a mysterious Japanese artist who combines neoclassical elements with experimental electronic sounds. "Dream's End Come True" was the third full length album released by World's End Girlfriend, and marks a transition toward more dark and experimental music for Maeda. The dark synths and dissonant, chaotic electronic glitches remind me of the horror and confusion that no doubt invaded the minds of the Japanese people when the earthquake and tsunami decimated a great deal of the East Coast of Japan.

However, the album is not without its lighter moments, and features beautiful string movements and piano melodies throughout, which reminds me of the hope I feel for the future of Japan. Like the mythical Phoenix, Japan has risen from the ashes of destruction once before, and I have no doubt that the Japanese people have the willpower and resolve to do so again. The songs are lengthy, with each one clocking in at more than eight minutes in length, culminating in the 25 minute epic, "Imperfect Love Song," which closes out the album in dramatic fashion.

I want to close this post out by saying that I would like to extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has experienced loss of any type due to this tragic disaster. I wish the Japanese people the best of luck in the near future and far beyond.

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Midi Creative/Noble
Catalog # CXCA-1118
Genres: Experimental, Avant-Garde, Post-Rock
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Singing Under The Rainbow
2. Caroling Hellwalker
3. All Imperfect Love Song
4. Wonderland Falling Tomorrow

Download: World's End Girlfriend - Dream's End Come True
Download Size: 99MB

Muslimgauze - Port Said EP (1999 - 320kbps)

What could be a better excuse for me to post up something by my favorite band Muslimgauze, the non de guerre of Bryn Jones.


Bryn used his musick to paint a statement about the conditions in the Arab world. He used the artwork of his covers to paint a picture of rebellion. We are featuring musick from the countries affected by or involved in the current popular resurgence in the Middle East but I find that Jones, an outsider from Manchester, England faithfully & honestly presented those same feeling of unrest.

The ultra-prolific Bryn Jones was infatuated with the politics, music, sound, & feel of the Middle East. Almost every single release of his has sampled Middle Eastern speech, percussion, instruments, etc. to make some of the most incredible music out there, ranging from noise to dub to hip hop to ambient to.. well, whatever Port Said is.

Since this is a very limited release, long out of print, I thought it would be excellent to post here. Although it is named after Egypt’s famous port, Port Said is unique among Jones’ releases in that it's one of few Muslimgauze release with absolutely NO Middle Eastern influence.

Year of Release: 1999
Label: Audio.NL 004
Genre: Trance

Tracklist:
Port Said 1
Port Said 2

Download: Muslimgauze - Port Said ep
Download Size: 46.2MB (ripped at 320Kbps)

Edward Artemiev - Warmth of Earth (1985 - V 0 bitrate)

Edward Artemiev is a Russian composer of electronic music and film scores. He was born in 1937 and studied music at the Moscow Conservatory. He was around during the early days of electronic music and in the 1970s got accolades for his scores to the films of Andre Tarkovsky, such as Solaris, Stalker, and The Mirror. Over the years he has scored music for over 120 films. He is also the father of electronic artist Artemiy Artemiev.

Earlier in the month I posted the album The Moods by Edward Artemiev at M=R. After that I got to wondering what, if any, other albums were put out by Artemiev in the eighties. That's when I discovered Warmth of Earth. I was completely blown away by this album. It was not what I was expecting at all after listening to The Moods, which apparently features the same group of musicians, Boomerang Ensemble. In fact I'm not sure if I have ever heard anything quite like it. Artemiev brings his avantgarde sensibilities into the world of progressive rock with electronic and occassional pop dance flourishes, but it is performed with such passion that it elevates it above anything else I've heard from the same era that could bear those labels. Maybe it's the Russian synthesizers that makes it sound so unique to me. The back of the albums states that this is a vocal and instrumental suite to the lyrics by Yuri Rytkheu. The songs with vocals are performed by Jeanne Rohzdestvenskaya who in my opinion gives those tracks the extra charge that makes them so memorable, despite the fact that I don't speak Russian. It sounds best with headphones on, so you can catch every nuance of the production. It is clear that a lot of thought went in to this recording. Sometimes the symphonic arrangements are so layered that you'll want to listen to it over and over to absorb it. It is a product that is at once very contemporary for its era, but also totally timeless.

Here is a quote from the back cover of the album:

Though surrounded by numerous colorful cultural
events modern man finds real sources of inspiration
in legends, songs and tales which have reached us.
The man of the old Chukot and Eskimo legends
lived in a magic world animating nature, natural
phenomena and even diseases which purportedly
were transferred from one nomadic camp to
another by little human-like creatures "Rakkans"
on tiny sledge drawn by tiny dogs.
The instrumental music and songs from ancient
legends, born by the talent of the composer
Edward Artemiev and sung by the excellent singer
Jeanne Rohzdestvenskaya are in my
opinion a noble attempt to link
different stages of the development
of human culture, distant in time but close
in meaning - from our ancestor's first cry of
amazement to contemporary poetry and music
in search of eternal beauty.

YURI RYTKHEU

Warmth of Earth was remastered in 1999 and released on CD in France. In 2009 the label Belle Antique remastered it and released an SHM-CD in Japan. This version is highly unavailable to most people in the world, and that is what you will get here today. The sound quality is superb.

Year of Release: 1985 (Remastered 2009)
Label: Belle Antique
Catalog Number: BELLE 91519
Genres: Progressive/Symphonic Rock, Electronic
Bitrate: -V 0
FLAC upgrade available upon request.

Track List:
1. Birth Of Earth (3:01)
2. Who I Am! (6:37)
3. Warmth Of Earth (3:52)
4. On The Bank Of The Milky Way (3:46)
5. Farewell (3:14)
6. Expectation (4:20)
7. Rakkans (5:23)
8. Hope (3:42)
9. Where Are You ? (5:46)
10. Lonely Sail (3:44)
11. Hymn to Man (9:16)
12. Birth Of Earth (LP Ver.) (3:04)
13. Who I Am! (LP Ver.) (6:34)
14. Hope (LP Ver.) (3:44)
15. Hymn To Man (LP Ver.) (9:15)

Download: Edward Artemiev - Warmth of Earth (1985, 2009 Remaster)
Download Size: 146MB

Joel Vandroogenbroeck - Biomechanoïd (Colorsound - CS01 - 1980 - 192kbps)

When I saw the Biomechanoïd cover art by H.R. Giger, I was disturbed and intrigued enough to seek out this bizarre album, the first release by the German label Colorsound Library. It is composed by Joel Vandroogenbroeck of the experimental/krautrock act Brainticket.

Biomechanoïd is an avant-garde album of electronic sound effects and soundscapes, with snippets of piano and other instruments. The album opens with "Dark Plasma" which effectively brings to mind bubbling, boiling liquids, with a series of strange metallic drones in the background. The two album highlights for me are "Sign from Space" and "Lost Planet". "Sign from Space" is a mind-bending little trip through some dark territory. Odd vibrations and electronic calls are interrupted by screeching signals from another world. It feels like you are getting closer and closer to some secret, but then it vanishes. It’s pretty cool. “Lost Planet” is an amazing sci-fi synthesizer freak-out that makes me picture ascending from outer space to the surface of some terrifying but beautiful world. I also enjoyed the album closer “Galaxy Recall”, a two minute hypnotism. I'm curious to know what other library albums by Vandroogenbroeck sound like. Let the search commence.

Year of Release: 1980
Label:Colorsound
Catalog #: CS01
Genres: Electronic, Library Music, Avant-garde, Ambient, Noise
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track list:
A1 Dark Plasma 4:30
A2 Elements 4:55
A3 Sign From Space 4:30
A4 Strange Lady 3:00
A5 Plastic Gnome 2:05
B1 Voices 1:46
B2 Metallic Agony 5:40
B3 Lost Planet 5:30
B4 Asteroids 2:20
B5 Interstellar Insects 2:28
B6 Galaxy Recall 2:07

Download: Joel Vandroogenbroeck - Biomechanoïd (CS01 - 1980)
Download Size: 60MB

VA - Espace Et Actualité (Musique Pour L'Image - MPI 505) (1967 - 320kbps)

When January rolled around I had originally planned to offer up an eclection selection of library music, however, once I started going through my collection I couldn't resist continuing my dark and twisted library music series. As a visitor recently pointed out, the majority of people who collect and share library music often focus on the releases containing funky breaks, which have been sampled by DJs to create hip-hop beats since the genre first emerged. I wanted to focus on the dark corners of the library music world, and concentrate on a few masterpieces which are all too often passed over for the more upbeat library LPs featuring funky beats and cheerful moog synthesizers. Don't get me wrong, I love those type of library music LPs just as much as the next person, and they helped to introduce me to the amazing world of library music. However, as far as library music goes, those beat-heavy LPs make up the more mainstream side of production music, and I'm all about exploring the more obscure and unsung albums. For those interested, I fully intend to share some of my favorite upbeat library LPs once I finish with my series of dark & twisted library music. After that I plan to share a few releases from each of my favorite library labels.

"Espace Et Actualité" (MP 505) was released on the French label, Musique Pour L'Image" in 1967. The A side contains music from three different artists, while side B consists of music from Patrice Sciortino. Claude Vasori, Robert Hermel and François Bayle comprise the composers featured on side A. Of these three composers Claude Vasori is the only one I'm really familiar with. He released the majority of his music on the Musique Pour L'Image label. I have a few of these releases, including Energie - MPI 541 (1972), Musique Pop Pour Images En Mouvement - MPI 529 (1971), and Action, Charme, Espace - MPI 502 (1967) if anyone would be interested in seeing them posted in the future. The music on this side consists of mysterious and mildly ominous spaced-out ambient tunes. While the music isn't bad, it is overshadowed by the selection of music presented by Patrice Sciortino on the B side, which is much more engaging and unique.

Side B alone makes this library LP worth downloading in my opinion. French composer Patrice Sciortino is responsible for all of the tracks on the B-Side. Sciortino studied at Pierre Schaeffer's GRM (Groupe de Recherche Musicale), along with the aforementioned Claude Vasori. He went on to compose music for theatre and production libraries in the 1960s. Sciortino is often remembered among library music collectors for releasing several amazing percussion themed LPs, including Percupulsions (Neuilly - MC 8002) and Percussion Power (Mondiophone - 46.503). The majority of his work was released on the Neuilly label, and sublabels Crea Sound and Mondiophone.

Espace Et Actualité contains some of the earliest library music that Scioritini composed. It is a bit more constrained than some of his wilder efforts in subsequent years. Sciortino's avant-garde approach to library music, with an emphasis on percussion, brings to mind Camille Sauvage (aka Eric Framond), particularly Fantasmagories, albeit much more reserved in nature. Sciortino manages to strike a wonderful balance with his music. The music manages to be rather sparse, yet engaging at the same time. The inclusion of bells and harps gives the music a delicate sound, while powerful and discordant piano melodies bring some harshness to the compositions. The music is primarily dark in nature, yet light undertones emerge through the darkness, if only for brief moments.

I wouldn't say this release is as strong as some of the previously dark and twisted library LPs I have shared, as it is a bit more reserved in nature than my previous selections. However, this is a solid album in its own right, particulary the music found on the B-Side by Patrice Sciortino. Those of you who enjoyed the previous selections in my dark and twisted library series should find this one quite enjoyable as well.

Year of Release: 1967
Label: Musique Pour L'Image
Catalog #: MPI 505
Genres: Library Music, Ambient, Avant-Garde, Experimental
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
A1. Claude Vasori - De´part Fuse´e
A2. Robert Hermel - Industrie Spatiale
A3. François Bayle - Titan
A4. Claude Vasori - Espace Chromatique
A5. François Bayle - Andromede
A6. Robert Hermel - Apesanteur
B1. Patrice Sciortino - Alchimie Rythmique
B2. Patrice Sciortino - Ville Sanse Vie
B3. Patrice Sciortino - Abimes Souterrains
B4. Patrice Sciortino - Danger Sous Roche
B5. Patrice Sciortino - Approache Dramatique
B6. Patrice Sciortino - Hostilite´
B7. Patrice Sciortino - Tumulte

Download: VA - Espace Et Actualité (Musique Pour L'Image - MPI 505)
Download Size: 68MB

Charles Bernstein - Cujo / The Covenant: Original Soundtracks (Promo - 1983/1985 - 320kbps)

This is a promo release for two scores by Charles Bernstein, known to me by his iconic score for A Nightmare On Elm Street. Yet another Stephen King treat is served up with Cujo, a film that probably scarred me for life when I saw it as a youngster. A once lovable Saint Bernard slowly transforms into a rabid instrument of Karma, ferociously dispatching a string of mostly unlikable characters. Watching this movie, it probably won't be apparent until later that you are watching a horror film. It is in part due to the score which follows what I like to call the "JAWS" formula. John Williams created music for that film which often didn't match the onscreen action very well. There are scenes where the music plays quite light-heartedly when it should be revving up the tension. The first half of Bernstein's Cujo plays it quite classy and pretty, with zero hints of horror or suspense. Halfway through Cujo things begin to get dark, and it is from this point on that Bernstein shows his horror chops on this release. As for The Covenant, I have never seen it, and IMDB doesn't even have a page for it. About the music, I can say it fits perfectly with the Nightmare Before Christmas theme. Bernstein sticks mostly to orchestral arrangements with elements of mystery, suspense and horror, and the occasional choral accompaniment or electronic creepiness. He pays tribute to the late great Jerry Goldsmith and his score for The Omen with the funny parenthetical titles on the main and end titles. If anyone has any information on the film this score comes from, please comment.

Year of Films Release: 1983/1985
Label: N/A, Promo
Catalog #: CBPRO - 001
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Electronic
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1-13 from Cujo
1. Theme From Cujo (02:41)
2. Main Title - The Hunt (02:15)
3. Main Title - The House (02:11)
4. Bedtime Poem (01:59)
5. Cujo & Boy (01:21)
6. End Of The Day (02:58)
7. Foggy Morning Cujo (02:12)
8. Cujo Dark (02:35)
9. Cujo Pulse (01:15)
10. Entrance To Isolation (03:09)
11. A Very Bad Dog (03:09)
12. Dog Attacks (03:56)
13. End Titles (02:42)
14-25 from The Covenant
14. Main Title (Ave Goldsmith) (02:10)
15. The Legend Of The Damned (02:30)
16. Slow Death In Ballard (02:25)
17. The Seduction (02:06)
18. The Unholy Of Mercer Island (02:30)
19. Darkness Falls In Wallingford (00:56)
20. Voices Of The Damned (02:16)
21. Fife Demons (03:17)
22. Death Of A Friend (01:53)
23. The Summoning (00:46)
24. The Black Lake (04:59)
25. Finale/End Title (Jerry Satani) (01:35)

Download: Charles Bernstein - Cujo / The Covenant: Original Soundtracks
Download Size: 137MB

Elia Cmiral - Stigmata: Music from the Original Score (1999 - 320kbps)

Stigmata is a 1999 film starring Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne. I saw this movie when it came out, but I don't remember much about it. Must not have been too impressive if I can't remember a thing. I looked it up and the story has something to do with the Catholic church and all kinds of cover-ups about bizarre supernatural happenings. It probably is not really a horror movie. Anyway, the important part is the music.

This promo release is by Czech-born composer Elia Cmiral. I don't really know of his other music, other than Battlefield Earth (terrible movie, interesting score). Cmiral has made a big impression on me though with Stigmata. It is very dark and moody electronic music, that goes from sinister ambience to violent unrest, with the occasional female vocals to enhance the emotional impact. If you are familiar with Graeme Revell's The Crow, you can expect a similar flavor here. I am almost tempted to say this is better than The Crow, but I won't go that far. It will suffice to say that it is damn good and I have no doubt that regular readers of Digital Meld0wn will appreciate it.

Year of Release: 1999
Label: N/A
Catalog #: ECCD 1000
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Electronic, Horror
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps
FLAC upgrade available upon request.

Track List:
1. Stigmata (06:30)
2. Subway Attack (02:47)
3. Aramaic Script (04:33)
4. Francis of Assisi (02:02)
5. Gospel Commission (04:00)
6. Evil & Franki's Rebirth (05:08)
7. Lost Scroll (03:02)
8. Smells Like Jasmine (01:24)
9. Why Do I Get Stigmata? (02:56)
10. She Is Just A Messenger (02:10)
11. A Man On The Mission (02:52)

Download: Elia Cmiral - Stigmata (Promo Score)
Download Size: 84MB

Michael Kamen & Orbital - Event Horizon: Selections from the Motion Picture Soundtrack (1997 - 320kbps)

Event Horizon is a 1997 sci-fi/horror movie from British director Paul W.S. Anderson. Most of his films are crap, Event Horizon and the first Resident Evil movie are the only ones I have enjoyed. The film plays up the haunted space ship idea with gory aplomb, and actually gave me sweaty nightmares after I first saw it when I was a teenager. There is some pretty disturbing imagery. It makes me wonder how much worse it would have been, had the studio not gotten cold feet and forced Anderson to cut 30 minutes and a whole lot of gore out of the theatrical release.

The music in the film was a combination of an avant-garde orchestral score from Michael Kamen and electronic dance music from British duo Orbital. Now, within the film this works quite well in my opinion, but there have been a lot of negative reviews in regards to the album. It is important to note that an album is exactly what this is. It does not really represent the music in the film in any logical fashion. The music is not presented in chronological film order or even as individual cues, as most film score fans would prefer. It is presented as four suites that do a mash-up of the two disparate styles. So I think its best to look at this release as an album, and not necessarily a score. Even though I'm not really a fan of Orbital, this album is pretty damn cool. Some have complained that the Orbital contributions take center stage, being much louder than anything else. I can understand that complaint, but honestly it should be expected. We are talking about electronic dance music here, which often is a casualty of the loudness war, but yes the album could have been mixed more equally. I say give this one a listen, you may enjoy it as much as I do. If anything at all, you'll have something freaky to play at your Halloween party next year.

Year of Release: 1997
Label: London Records
Catalog Number: 422-828-939-2
Genres: Soundtrack, Horror, Electronic, Avant-garde
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps
FLAC upgrade available upon request.

Tracklist:
1. The Forward Decks (14:01)
(a) Lewis & Clark, (b) Neptune, (c) Claire, (d) First Containment, (e) Core, (f) Metal, (g) Second Containment, (h) Airlock
2. The Main Access Corridor (12:04)
(a) Singularity, (b) Ducts, (c) Turbulence, (d) Medical, (e) Gravity Drive
3. Engineering (13:24)
(a) Tomb, (b) Blood, (c) Countdown, (d) Outer Door, (e) Bio Scan
4. The Event Horizon (04:55)
(a) Weir, (b) Event Horizon

Download: Michael Kamen & Orbital - Event Horizon (Selections from the Soundtrack)
Download Size: 98MB

John Carpenter & Dave Davies - Village of the Damned: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1995 - 320kbps)

The John Carpenter 1995 remake of Village of the Damned was apparently a box office bomb. Creepy, brainy, philosophical sci-fi/horror can sometimes be too much for the average moviegoer! I have not seen the 1960 original version yet, and I have not watched the remake since it came out but I remember liking it. I plan on watching it again, because I am sure there was quite a lot in the film that didn't register in my thirteen year old brain. I love my parents for letting me watch weird stuff. Seriously, I think other kids in my class were deprived.

As for the music, John Carpenter scores with me again (sorry, couldn't resist). He teams up with Dave Davies of Kinks fame to deliver a bizarre soundtrack. It has the signature Carpenter electronic style throughout, but is slightly lighter in tone, with almost a triumphant vibe in some parts, namely the March of the Children. Listening to this track really makes me want to watch the movie. Another stand-out track is Burning Desire, with it's throbbing bass and percussion and ghastly keys that are interrupted by a period of low and sickly ambiance that builds slightly before coming to an unsettling close. I also have to mention the track The Brick Wall which brings in some more great tribal-like percussion and bass pulsing. This soundtrack is nice and short, too, clocking in at thirty-three minutes and never outstaying its welcome.

Year of Release: 1995
Label: Varese Sarabande
Catalog Number: VSD-5629
Genres: Soundtrack, Horror, Electronic
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps
FLAC upgrade available upon request

Tracklist:
1. March of the Children (08:03)
2. Children’s Carol (01:40)
3. Angel of Death (01:37)
4. Daybreak (01:12)
5. The Fair (01:32)
6. The Children’s Theme (01:15)
7. Ben’s Death (03:17)
8. The Funeral (01:54)
9. Midwich Shuffle (02:05)
10. Baptism (01:04)
11. Burning Desire (04:58)
12. Welcome Home, Ben (01:06)
13. The Brick Wall (03:22)

Download: John Carpenter & Dave Davies - Village of the Damned (Original Soundtrack)
Download Size: 76MB

Manuel De Sica - Cemetary Man (Dellamorte Dellamore) Original Soundtrack (1994 - 320kbps)

Continuing with my theme within a theme of Italian horror for "Halloween Countdown 2010", I present to you the soundtrack to another personal favorite, Cemetary Man, better known to some by it's Italian title of "Dellamorte Dellamore". Cemetary Man is a horror-comedy film released in 1994, based on the 1991 novel by Tiziano Sclavi. While the film wasn't a commercial success upon its release, nor were the critics kind to it, it has managed to gain a cult following over the years. It is one of the finest examples of turn of the millennium Italian gothic fantasy. Overflowing with atmosphere, dark humor and bitter romance.

I'm honestly not a big fan of horror-comedies, but Cemetary Man caiters to my sick sense of humour with its black comedy, while still managing to satisfy in the horror department as well. The protaginist of the film is Francesco Dellamorte, the caretaker of a small cemetary in Buffalora, Italy, who lives a lonely and depressing life by day. At night he faces the difficult task of exterminating the dead who rise from the grave approximately seven days after they are buried at the cemetary. He is assisted in ridding the cemetary of its zombie infestation by his television-addicted and mentally handicapped assistant, Gnaghi. While not dishing out death he suffers from a tumultuous love life, dealing with the heartbreak brought on by a series of mysterious women, each of which inevitably succumb to a tragic death.

The score to Cemetary Man was composed by Manuel De Sica, a prolific composer who has written over one hundred musical scores for television and film since 1969. His score is a curious hybrid of classic Ennio Morricone and throbbing Goblin excess, striking the perfect balance with it's catchy rhythms and delicious dark tones, offering the perfect auditory accompaniment to the film. As was common with many Italian horror films during this period, the music was created using synthesizers, although there may be a few tracks that utilize traditional instrumentation as well. It is diffucult for me to tell if this is the case though, and since there isn't much information online about the soundtrack I can't say for sure. De Sica shows off his range quiet well throughout the score, brilliantly transitioning from ominous orchestral style cues, to those with a bit more rock and funk flavor added, all the while managing to keep the foreboding atmosphere intact.

It's time for me to study so I'm going to go ahead and end this here. I'm going to try my best to put up at least one more post before the day is done, but it all depends on how well I'm able to grasp the material I'm studying. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this amazing soundtrack, and as always, please leave a comment to let me know what you thought about it.

Year of Release: 1994
Label: GDM Music (GDM 2004)
Genre: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Electronic
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Dellamorte Dellamore
2. Buffalora's Cemetary
3. Francesco's Thoughts
4. The First "She"
5. The Making of the Skull
6. Will I See Her Again
7. The Ossuary
8. Ignis Fatuus
9. After The Fly
10. Gnachi
11. The Moon on the Island of Death
12. On Augusto's Grave
13. Ressurrcturis
14. The Run of the Death Motorbyke
15. Small Living Dead
16. Before the Earthquake
17. "She" Returner
18. The Death That Lives
19. Shoot the Living
20. Stolen Murders
21. The Life That Dies
22. Lethal Shot
23. The Death Is A Whore
24. The Rest of the World (Doesn't Exist)
25. Dellamorte Dellamore

Download: Manuel De Sica - Cemetary Man (Dellamorte Dellamore) Original Soundtrack
Download Size: 113MB

Jay Chattaway - Maniac Cop Original Soundtrack (1988 - 320kbps)

With my last post I shared John Harrison's score to "Creepshow", one of the better horror scores of the '80s that made use of synthesizers to create the majority of the music. This time up I'm presenting another great example of a synth-heavy horror score, Jay Chattaway's score to "Maniac Cop". The '80s produced a slew of slasher flicks full of senseless violence and plotholes galore, and "Maniac Cop" was no exception as they attempted to cash in on the craze. While it didn't manage to avoid the cliches, the complex action scenes throughout the series did help to distinguish it from other horror films of the time. The score by Jay Chattaway certainly didn't hurt either, and I consider it one another great example of a synthesized horror score from the '80s that really shines. Chattaway also composed scores for a couple of other '80s horror flicks, the similarly titled "Maniac", and "Stephen King's Silver Bullet", but avoided the horror genre for the rest of his career. This album was released in 1988 by Phoenix Records, and has long been out of print. As I mentioned in my post from yesterday, I haven't been feeling too well the last couple of days. For those interested, you should be able to find out plenty of information concerning this release online. I apologize for not going more into depth with my review, but hopefully I'll be feeling better soon.

Year of Release: 1988
Label: Phoenix Records
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Electronic
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Main Title
2. A Night In The Park
3. Flashback Montage
4. The Chase
5. Morning Train
6. Face Down
7. Sally's Drive
8. On The Ledge
9. Splash Dance
10. Epilogue

Download: Jay Chattaway - Maniac Cop Original Soundtrack
Download Size: 55MB

Catching Some Zzzzzzs

Thought I'd leave you with this last post before I go catch some Zzzzzzs. I set out to post musick from each letter of the alphabet & I finally made it to Z.

Since this is Zero_ii's blog & he's a Z, I thought I better end on a high note. Now I'm a Nothin', which is like a Zero. In fact I use the Ø as my symbol (NØ) & I did model my nom de plume after another Zero named Earl. But when I set out to accomplish somethin', well I see it through to fruition. Hence Nothin' Sez Somethin' or in this case, does. I finally got this alphabet thing licked (but man is my tongue dry). Without further ado...

Zru Vogue - Zruisms 1980- 1984

Zru Vogue is an American independent band composing, recording & producing ethno-electro avant-pop surrealist rock for postmoderns.

Zru Vogue formed in Palo Alto, California in 1980, when two musicians, Andrew L. Jackson & Rick Cuevas got together with friends Tom & Nancy. Their musick was inspired by pop, punk & dada. They began experimenting by mixing up: African tribal & Middle Eastern rhythms; ambient; British-influenced avant-garde rock; minimalist electronics; & funk-rock guitars.

Their name came from a ‘zine headline “Zero Risk Unobtainable”. Andrew wrote a song with that title, then another called “Z.R.U. Part Two”. Somewhat randomly the ZRU was coupled with Vogue, thus Zru Vogue.

Zru Vogue’s first single, Febuary 1981's “Nakweda Dream b/w Cumulonimbus” on San Francisco label Adolescent Records was critically acclaimed in the alternative press. Sub-Pop magazine named it the best independent single of 1981. The first 3,000 copies sold out within months, mostly by mail order & another 3,000 were pressed & distributed.

From 1982 to 1984, Zru Vogue released an album (Zru Vogue, The Album [1982]) & an EP (Zru Vogue Now! / Possibly Imagined / The Artist [1984]). In 1985, Zru Vogue disbanded. The core duo of Rick Cuevas & Andrew L. Jackson made solo records through the late 80s & 90s.

Relocated to San Francisco, Andrew & Rick resurrected Zru Vogue in 2002, adding drummer Patrick Coyne to the line-up. They have released four albums of new material since 2004: Beautiful Again (2004); Unlimited Enjoyment Instant Gratification (2005); The Exile (2006); & their latest, Eleven Eyes (2009).

Zruism 1980-84 includes the complete studio recordings of Zru Vogue from 1980 to 1984. The musicians here are: Andrew L. Jackson (known then as Andrew Finkle) - guitar & vocals; Rick Cuevas - guitar & bass; Tom Sanders - bass; Nancy Miller - drums, Max Tyrell - multi-instrumentalist, with Zelda Blue (80-81) & Lawan Angelique (83-84).

Year of Release: 1998
Label: Zru Vogue
Genre: Dream-pop, Art-funk

Tracklist:
Cumulonimbus
Nakweda Dream
Do the Zru
The Dream Stops
Loubella Extendables
Pretty Girl
Exploring the Underworld
For the Time
Ubuhuha
Big Fish Swing
Now!
Possibly Imagined
The Artist

Download: Zru Vogue - Zruism 1980-84
Download Size: 144MB (ripped at 320 Kbps)

Zmiya - Somamdenlo

Zmiya is a band from Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France. They began as a more basic French hip-hop electro unit before altering their sound, becoming a very Eastern & Arabic sounding band. Their music is a world musick mix of traditional influences & modern electronic rhythms. Most of their songs have a peaceful shamanistic feel. Zmiya blend ethno with electro, using a diverse range of traditional instruments from around the world, such as: oud; hurdy-gurdy; didjeridoo; balaphon; arghoul; & kora mixed with subtle electro beats & samples.

Somamdenlo was released in 2004 by the Prikosnovénie label, also located in Nantes. It is currently out of print.

Zmiya here are: Jerome Ettinger - vocals, arghoul (a double-pipe, single-reed woodwind instrument that consists of two tubes: a melody pipe with between five & seven holes & a longer drone pipe) & programming; Sebah - kora (African lute-harp), guitar, & programming; Julien Bonvoisin - bass; Matthieu Rousseau - drums; along with four musickians from Cairo on vocals, percussion, rababa, arghoul, & kawala. Female & male vocals alternate throughout the album.

Year of Release: 2004
Label: Prikosnovénie PRIK087
Genre: Tribal, Electro

Tracklist:
Somamdenlo
Magical Time
Desert
Douma
Al Mostafa
Zmiya
Terra Nova
Redjah

Download: Zmiya - Somamdenlo
Download Size: 71.4MB (ripped at 320Kbps)

Zillatron - Lord of the Harvest

The electronic spawn of Godzilla is about to funktify your fuzzface. Yes, indeed, it is none other than Bootsy Collins in one of his many various personalities...this time Zillatron Fuzzface Bootsy, the Lord of the Harvest (of souls, we might ask???).

Describing the musick on this album is no simple matter. There are elements of metal, funk metal, funk, hip-hop & some leftfield type stuff as might be expected with Bill Laswell, Buckethead, & Bernie Worrell having their hands in this album. This is one of the earlier projects featuring these cats, much in line with later releases by Praxis or other Bill Laswell releases. Fans of Bootsy's work with Praxis should definitely enjoy this, but it still packs enough straight forward funk punch for more diehard Rubber Band fans.

A great concept for Bootsy has him playing bass as only he can. The theme of paranoia, both from within & without, is excellent. An extremely ambitious project utilizing: some heavy HEAVY fuzz bass; funked up guitar sounds from Buckethead; vocal samples from the film Naked Lunch; & other high weirdness. Zillatron lays down a coherent (if chaotic) landscape of funk fused with almost industrial music. It is very futuristic-sounding 'Cyberfunk' with snatches of techno, rock, & spaced-out ambient sounds all vying for supremacy. All the weirdness is capped off by a real zinger of a song, the hauntingly beautiful finale "The Passion Continues", a song that reverently references some great lines from some great ParliaFunkaRubber songs of the past.

Take the time to really listen to this album, both musickally & lyrically. You will not be disappointed.

"This Record is Dedicated to Eddie Hazel - The Maggot Brain of Funkadelic"

Zillatron is: Bootsy Collins - bass, sampler, & vocals; Buckethead - guitar; Bernie Worrell - piano, organ, & synthesizer; Bill Laswell - noises; Brenda Holloway, Debra Barsha, Kristen Gray, Momma Collins, & Patti Willis - backing vocals; & Grandmaster Melle Mel & Umar Bin Hassan (of the legendary Last Poets) - rapping & chanting. Recorded at Greenpoint Studio & Bootzilla Studio.

Year of Release: 1993
Label: Rykodisc RCD 10301
Genre: Funk Metal

Tracklist:
C.B.I. Files (Central Bug Intelligence)
Bugg Lite
Fuzz Face
Exterminate
Smell the Secrets
Count Zero
Bootsy & the Beast
No Fly Zone (The Devil’s Playground)
The Passion Continues

Download: Zillatron - Lord of the Harvest
Download Size: 99.6MB (ripped at 320Kbps)

Zwell - Open Air

Zwell is the performance name for Jean Libert, of Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, France & a constantly changing cast of supporting characters. Libert was born in Lille, France. He sang in rock bands in another life & now plays in his kitchen among pigs, dragonflies, & beer. He uses boom boxes, synths, guitars, bells, street sounds & vocals to create his own brand of outsider musick.

Here he gets by with a little help from his friends: Antonio Mas - Spanish guitars; Karine - vocals, bass & keyboards; Marc Dechaumont- mandolin; Gian Lucca Houalla - drums; & Yves Alain for all the rest.

This is all I know about Zwell, so just listen & enjoy.

Year of Release: 1999
Label: My Dining Room Records
Genre: Outsider

Tracklist:
A Fairy Tale
Beat Boxes
Colma Train
Dirty Tricks
Fly Even Higher
I Married the Sun
Open Air
White Shirts
Mezzo il Mare
Mumble Doll
Peeling the Lichees
Trini Lopez
In the Moon
Spin Doctors

Download: Zwell - Open Air
Download Size: 91.5MB (ripped at 320Kbps)

Zyce - Transgressive

Zyce is a progressive psytrance project created by Nikola Kozik from Nova Pazova, Serbia. Since he was quite young, Nikola was interested in music. He gained experience playing in numerous rock, reggae & metal bends in his native Serbia. After years of playing, Nikola found himself gravitating to electronic music.

Nikola is a prolific artists. Aside from Zyce, his progressive trance solo project, he is involved in: Vertex , a progressive house project with Slobodan Gacesa; Zyce & Fox, a psytrance collaboration with Petar Lisica as part of the Tesserac Tstudio organization; & Ectima, a progressive tech-trance unit with Dalibor Delic (aka Flegma). He has released musick on labels such us: Spin Twist Records; Mikrokosmos Records; IONO music; Blue Tunes; Plusquam Records; & Synergetic Records.

There is a very fertile Progressive scene of his home country Serbia. Although his first material using the Zyce name was released as recently as 2008, it stood head & shoulders above much of the other musick in its genre because of both its technical & creative skills. Now only two years later, he delivers his second studio album. I usually don’t post things that are this contemporary, but this is an artist who deserves to be heard.

Transgressive utilizes solid melodies while plowing a distinctive acoustic furrow, creating a very laid-back & dreamy atmosphere. Nikola plays guitar, bass, keyboards, & drums with equal ability. Far from being claustrophobic, the 10 tracks on this album feel like a tender spring breeze against the listener's face.

Year of Release: 2010
Label: Spin Twist Records SPN1CD034
Genre: Progressive Trance, Psychedelic

Tracklist:
Blue Body
Earth in the Flame (with Flegma)
Hush
Nemesis
Intoxicated (Zyce remix by Martin)
Off-duty
Basic (remix)
Wonderland (with Nok)
Absorb
Moon Riders

Download: Zyce - Transgressive
Download Size: 148MB (ripped at 320Kbps)

ZZZZZZ - Holeigans

ZZZZZZ is a musical project by the band's only member, artist Tomas Johansson of Stockholm, Sweden. The music had been growing for a few years as intangible ideas & thoughts in Tomas’ head.

At Liljevalch's (Sweden's most renowned art gallery) 2000 Spring Exhibition, Tomas Johansson was exhibiting three paintings: "Which hole is the way out?"; "Holeigan Spiral"; & "The Bump" which depicted holeigans sitting in their holes. They were large paintings with an alien character as central figure. The whole concept was built on a simple ‘expressionlessness’ which, in its simplicity, became extremely expressive.

This expressive expressionlessness became the central concept that led to the creation of this musick. These Holeigan figures also illustrate the cover. The music is not really about the holeigans, but was created in the holeigans spirit...minimilistic & clinical with a pinch of humor in a juxtaposed calming yet desolate feeling.

Tomas’ musickal background is as a bassist in Swedish heavy & death/trash metal bands, but his influences span over a much broader spectrum, including a heavy dose of German ‘krautrock’ such as Kraftwerk. This musick has in fact been described as ‘ Kraftwerk meets Monty Python.’

All the songs on the CD are produced, composed, arranged, performed & recorded by Tomas, except the final bonus track "ZZZZZZ (L’Babe remix by Lizette)" which is produced, arranged, performed & recorded by Lizette von Panajott. Lizett also is responsible for the mix of the album. Mastering was done by Henrik Jonsson at Polar Studios, Stockholm, Sweden.

Year of Release: 2004
Label: Blue Lemon International
Genre: Experimental, Electronic

Tracklist:
The Operator
Hole
The Bump
Love
Electromonominimilistic Dimension
ZZZZZZ version 2.0
Another Mind
Something Nothing
ZZZZZZ (I´Babe Remix by Lizette) - bonus track

Download: ZZZZZZ - Holeigans
Download Size: 141MB (ripped at 320Kbps)

So adios all my DM friends, bedwise is rightwise now, right right right.

A.K. Klosowski & Pyrolator - Home Taping Is Killing Music

"Demented pop music from the very early days of sampling"This album was passed on to me by one of my friends on last.fm If you are reading this Metawirt, thank you very much for introducing me to this wonderful gem, as well as all the other music that you regularly recommend. Metawirt was also kind enough to set up a last.fm artist page, which unfortunately didn't exist until he created it. To my knowledge this is the only project that A.K. Klosowski worked on. There are two bonus tracks included which are a collaborative effort by Klosowski and T. Eckart. I am unsure if these were included on the original release, or if these were included on a reissue. If any of you have any more information on this release please pass it on. I haven't been able to dig up much information on this project, and I'm short on time at the moment, so I will pass on the information that Metawirt posted on last.fm:

"In 1984 Pyrolator (aka Kurt Dahlke, specialist for music & computer and early part of “Fehlfarben”, “Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft” and later part of “Der Plan”) teamed up with A.K. Klosowski for the groundbreaking sampling experiment Home Taping Is Killing Music:
Demented pop music from the very early days of sampling. Numerous artists are credited as being the sample sources, but good luck to you finding them." - Metawirt

Year of Release: 1984
Label: Captain Trip
Genre: Electronic, Sampling, Sound Collage
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Overtüre
2. Österreich
3. Tschak
4. Hammond
5. Agana Wudiov
6. What Made You So No Good
7. Heimat
8. Dahomey
9. You know, I Need...
10. ZV9
Bonus Tracks by A.K. Klosowski & T. Eckart
11. HiFidelity
12. China First On Mars

Download: A.K. Klosowski & Pyrolator - Home Taping Is Killing Music
Download Size: 58MB

DJ Chaos X - Live Mixxx (2006)

DJ Chaos X is one of the many aliases of Yamantaka Eye, better known as one of the founders of the noise rock group Boredoms. I posted an album "Planetary Natural Love Gas 19999", by DJ Pica Pica Pica, which was very well received here, so I thought that I would share yet another Yamantaka Eye release. In my opinion the album released under his DJ Pica Pica Pica alias is overall a much better album, although those who prefer rock may favor the DJ Chaos X release. You can find the DJ Pica Pica Pica album here: http://digitalmeltd0wn.blogspot.com/2010/02/dj-pica-pica-planetary-natural-love-gas.html

The DJ Pica Pica Pica release was an extremely eclectic album, featuring every genre under the sun. While "Live Mixxx" is also a well rounded release, it primarily leans toward a more rock oriented approach, featuring rock, punk rock, and experimental music. The Beatles, Suicidal Tendencies, Dow Jones and the Industrials, and Bad Brains are a few of the artists sampled on the album. The tracks on this album are very short in length. There are 45 tracks in just over a 50 minute time span. Each track averages a little over a minute in length, although there are several that are well under a minute.

To the best of my knowledge the tracks do not have names, so I will not be providing a track listing. Although if I am mistaken I would greatly appreciate it if someone could correct me and provide a proper track listing. I do know that very few CDs were issued for this release, but I don't have any figures for the exact amount that were released. The album is now out of print, and extremely difficult to find a physical copy.

Before I close this post, I would also like to ask everyone to please take the time to leave a comment. This isn't something that I normally ask people to do. Although it is always very encouraging and appreciated whenever you readers do post a comment, it doesn't upset me when a post doesn't receive comments, as it does with many other bloggers. If I'm not receiving many comments, I take it as a sign that I need to do a better job selecting material to share here. The reason I am asking everyone to take the time to comment is to let me know if there is a particular genre that they would like to see featured more on Digital Meltd0wn in the future, and if everyone enjoys the most recent material posted here, or if you prefer the material that I posted when I first started this blog (Punk, Psych, and Garage Rock). To those who will comment, I would like to go ahead and thank you in advance. I hope you all enjoy this rare gem.

Year of Release: 2006
Genres: Experimental, Punk Rock, Sound Collage
Bitrate: 192kbps

Download: DJ Chaos X - Live Mixxx
Download Size: 71MB

Subduction - Bad News from the Inner Solar System (Digital Meltd0wn Records / Psyche Zenobia Music Joint Release) (2009 - 256kbps)

SSubduction is an avant-garde electronic project brought to life by the duo of William (Brian) Van Huss and Ian Briscoe. They formed with the intention of releasing one collaborative effort capable of perfectly capturing the unique bond that exists between the two, as well as humanity as a whole, yet also comparing and contrasting what makes them unique as indivduals, painting a bleak musical picture of the great divide between two souls and the .

Little is known about the mysterious Ian Briscoe. Briscoe builds and plays his own moog synthesizers, including those heard on this album. He also contributes vocals on the track "Celebrate". William Van Huss is certainly a mysterious and enigmatic figure in his own right, although he happens to have the better documented artistic career of the two. Van Huss is a multi-talented artist, known for producing works in several different mediums. In 1989 he founded Psyche Zenobia, a company created for the purpose of distributing his creative works. Although he has received the most recognition for his musical output, he has also responsible for producing numerous paintings, drawings, poems, essays, fanzines and photography pieces. Under the Psyche Zenobia Music imprint, he has released five albums to date, including this joint release with Digital Meltd0wn Records. "Bad News From the Inner Solar System" could be considered a "return to roots" album for him. One of his first bands, Ghoul Feeding, was a noise rock band that experimented with improvised sounds using a wide variety of found instruments. His career demonstrates an undeniable ability to continuously evolve as a musician, always seeking out and exploring new territory, with his music reflecting his growth and maturity on a personal level.

"Bad News from the Inner Solar System" is anything but a conventional album, and attempting to pigeonhole it into a specific genre would be futile. "How Very Much (I've Loved You)" utilizes tape loops, moog synthesizer, and various other elements. The tape loops are samples from the notorious "death tape" recordings of the Jonestown massacre, discovered by the FBI during the aftermath. The samples, accompanied by what sounds like blasts of steam, along with an eerie moog give the track a very haunting sound remeniscent of early industrial musicians such as Throbbing Gristle.

The next track uses samples in a much more upbeat way. All of the samples used in "Greetings" are from the Voyager Golden Record, a gold plated phonographic record containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, which both Voyager spacecraft carried during their launch in 1977. The track opens with a sample of a female singing a Peruvian wedding song recorded by John Cohen, followed by samples of songs from Indonesia and Africa, and finally the U.N. President's greeting for those who might discover the Golden Record. These samples are backed up by a groovy beat, which wouldn't seem out of place in an old school hip-hop record. One might normally expect to hear such songs accompanied by bongo or djembe drums, yet it works perfectly in this case and helps to tie it all together.

"Celebrate" is the only track on the album which features vocals contributed by the artists involved. Ian Briscoe delivers the vocals on this one, which backed up by Van Huss on stylophone and short wave radio. It could be considered EBM (Electronic Body Music), as it combines elements of both industrial and electronic dance music.

The grand finale of the album is the epic "Anything In here", which clocks in at just under 23 minutes. It could be considered an electronic jam session of sorts, as it was recorded live in one session. As with the previous tracks, it features a variety of different synth instruments, audio samples, and various other sound effects. Some of the samples used are taken from the movie "The Fly". The sound similar to a fax machine heard throughout is actually the teleportation device from the movie.

This is an outstanding debut release from the duo of Briscoe and Van Huss. "Bad News from the Inner Solar System" is at times earthly, at others celestial, often desolate, and yet heartening also. If the goal was to make a statement concerning the human condition, it achieves it remarkably. If you consider yourself a fan of experimental music, or the other genres mentioned, you owe it to yourself to listen to this.

Year of Release: 2009
Label: Digital Meltd0wn Records/Psyche Zenobia Music
Catalog #: DM 001
Genre: Experimental, Sound Collage, Electronic
Bitrate: 256kbps

Track List:
1. How Very Much (I've Loved You)
2. Greetings
3. Celebration
4. Anything In Here

Download: Subduction - Bad News From The Inner Solar System
Download Size: 67MB

Soundcloud: Play or Download on Soundcloud

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Bonus Drippers

Black Moth Super Rainbow is my favorite contemporary electronic act. They separate themselves from the rest of the pack by playing an experimental blend of lo-fi electronica and psychedelic rock. In July of 2008, just before releasing their highly anticipated Drippers EP, they released Bonus Drippers (The Older Unreleased and Hard-To-Find Songs) to the world for free. These tracks were initially meant to be included on a CD/vinyl release but loss of the source material led the band to release them in mp3 format. Links to these files can also be found on the band's website here

Bonus Drippers presents tracks from each phase of BMSR's brief recording history, ranging from "Melting on the Meadow" a 2003 outtake from Start a People, to "The Dark Forest Joggers", a track which was exclusively released (until now) with the vinyl edition of Dandelion Gum. Most of the tracks are very brief, with "Unfinished Sketch" and "Unfinished Sketch 2" clocking in at under 30 seconds, and the remaining tracks clocking in around the two minute mark. While it is slightly less polished and enjoyable as their previous releases, Bonus Drippers is a fun and worthwhile listening experience. You can't beat that price either.

Year of Release: 2008
Label Self-Released
Genre: Electronic, Psychedelic
Bitare: 320kbps

Track List:
1. The Dark Forest Joggers (Dandelion Gum Vinyl Exclusive)
2. Unfinished Sketch 1 (Unreleased 2007)
3. Let's Burst (Unreleased 2005)
4. Flower Beast (Unreleased 2005)
5. Melting On The Meadow (Start A People Outtake, 2003)
6. Unfinished Sketch 2 (Unreleased 2005)
7. Day On A Bike (Unreleased 2006)
8. Unfinished Sketch 3 (Unreleased 2006)
9. Side 9 (Unreleased Studio Version, 2004)

Download: Black Moth Super Rainbow - Bonus Drippers
Download Size: 22MB

Raymond Scott - Manhattan Research, Inc.

Manhattan Research Inc. is a two-CD compilation of electronic music created by the musician, composer and inventor, Raymond Scott and his company, "Manhattan Research Inc." Posthumously released in 2000 by Basta Music of Holland, the album contains selected samples of Scott's work from the 1950s and 1960s for film soundtracks, commercials, and for his own technical and musical experiments. The synthesizers, sequencers, and drum-machines used were designed and constructed by Raymond Scott.

Scott would often describe Manhattan Research Inc. as "More than a think factory - a dream center where the excitement of tomorrow is made available today." The material, while never intended for commercial release, provides insight into Scott's work. Included among the tracks on the album are commercials for companies such as Ford Motor and IBM, a humorous "Audio Logo" collage entitled "Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night!", and various collaborations with Jim Henson (of Muppets fame). The album features a number of Scott's inventions including the Clavivox keyboard, Circle Machine, Bass Line Generator, Rhythm Modulator, Karloff, Bandito the Bongo Artist, and the auto-composing Electronium.

Much of the audio selections, as well as the images for the accompanying 144-page book, were culled from the University of Missouri Kansas City's extensive collection of Raymond Scott material. Album producers Gert-Jan Blom and Jeff Winner worked with several of the university's staff in choosing material for the project. During the process, the two producers were impressed by the quality and fidelity of the recordings, despite being some thirty to forty years old. Due to Scott's meticulous attention to detail, "They were so well recorded that almost no audio correction was necessary during the mastering" of the album." In the CD notes, Blom & Winner write, "Scott sought to master all aspects of sound capture and manipulation. His special interest in the technical aspects of recording, combined with the state-of-the-art facilities at his disposal, provided him with enormous hands-on experience as an engineer.

Year of Recording: 1953-1969
Year of Release: 2000
Label: Basta
Genre: Early Electronic, Experimental
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:

DISC 1
1. Manhattan Research, Inc. Copyright
2. Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.
3. Bendix "The Tomorrow People"
4. Lightworks
5. The Bass-Line Generator
6. Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night
7. B. C. 1675
8. Vim
9. Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful
10. Sprite "Melonball Bounce"
11. Sprite "Melonball Bounce"
12. Wheels That Go
13. Limbo: The Organized Mind
14. Portofino
15. County Fair
16. Lady Gaylord
17. Good Air
18. IBM MT/St : "The Paperwork Explosion"
19. Domino
20. Super Cheer
21. Cheer: Revision 3
22. Twilight In Turkey
23. Vicks: Medicated Cough Drops
24. Vicks: Formula 44
25. Auto-Lite: Spark Plugs
26. Nescafe
27. Awake
28. Backwards Overload
29. Bufferin: "Memories" (Original)
30. Bandito The Bongo Artist
31. Night And Day
32. Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. "395"
33. K2r
34. IBM Probe
35. Gmgm 1a
36. The Rhythm Modulator

DISC 2
1. Ohio Plus
2. In The Hall Of The Mountain Queen
3. General Motors: Futurama
4. Portofino 2
5. The Wild Piece
6. Take Me To Your Violin Teacher
7. Ripples (Original Soundtrack)
8. Cyclic Bit
9. Ripples (Montage)
10. The Wing Thing
11. County Fair (Instrumental)
12. Cindy Electronium
13. Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night! (Instr.)
14. Hostess: Twinkies
15. Hostess: Twinkies (Instr.)
16. Ohio Bell: Thermo Fax
17. The Pygmy Taxi Corporation
18. Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (Announce Copy, Take 1)
19. Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.
20. Lightworks (Slow)
21. IBM Mt/St: "The Paperwork Explosion" (Instr.)
22. Auto-Lite: "Ford Family"
23. Auto-Lite: "Ford Family" (Instr.)
24. Auto-Lite: "Wheels"
25. Bufferin: "Memories" (Demo)
26. Space Mystery (Montage)
27. The Toy Trumpet
28. Backward Beeps
29. Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful
30. Lightworks (Instr. )
31. When Will It End?
32. Bendix 2: The Tomorrow People
33. Electronic Audio Logos, Inc.

Download: Raymond Scott - Manhattan Research, Inc. (Disc 1)
Download Size: 76MB

Download: Raymond Scott - Manhattan Research, Inc. (Disc 2)
Download Size: 81MB