Get Carter OST - Roy Budd [1971]

We ends the month as we begins, with vintage unglamorous UK crime, and exchanging The Sweeney's scummy London for turn of 70s Newcastle. Blighted, reeking neglect, industrial detritus, rotting slums, slag heaps, hard men and brutalised women. The Swingin' 60s are not so much buried as erased from history. Cometh the hour, cometh Michael Caine at the top of his game as randy, revengeful anti-hero Jack Carter.


In game topping form too is Roy Budd. The music clinically frames both degraded environment and Caine's muted cool and sporadic extreme violence. Seedy drinking den r'n'b intermixed with main theme variations: spine-tingling harpsichord shards drenched in gloomy reverb and echo. Opening bass-driven funk riff over tablas percussion is bleakly sublime.


Essential.

Oddi wrth y brawd

piss holes in the snow

Discipline - King Crimson [1981]

Belew enlivens Fripp prissiness with elephantosity. Regulated, tight and entirely on the money. Rock as methodological stricture from men with skills. Sweet.

Oddi wrth y brawd
brouhaha

Totem Two - Master Musicians of Bukkake [2010]

Part the second: electro-ritualistic excursion into outer inner reaches. Psyched guitar, analogue synth chant n esoteric heavy requiem. Deluded west Anatolian coast death cult. Outer spaced gamelan, dusty plainsong o'er celestial deserts; spiced Krishna gathering meditations. Fremen sufi sect achieving enlightenment scrawling deranged nu age psychosis on crystal walled cave of the apocalypse.


Yes, that good.

Oddi wrth y brawd
apokatastasis

Melancholia - William Basinski [2003]

14 short, er... melancholy tape-loops from early 80s. Akin to Satie's less jovial moments played by Boards of Canada on faulty equipment...on an overcast day. Soothingly repetitious and proof that Mr. Basinski is more than a disintegrating one trick load of pony. Efficacious as a fistful of xanax.

Oddi wrth y brawd
better than dolphins

The Peel Sessions 1987-1993 - Datblygu [2008]

As the late Laird of Peel Acres would have it: "[Datblygu are] the best incentive anyone could have for learning Welsh”.


Uchafbwynt bob dydd o'r wythnos oedd tiwnio i mewn i raglen John Peel ar radio un wrth wneud fy ngwaith cartref. Rwy'n cofio gorwedd ar fy ngwely unig un noson pan chwaraeodd John Peel gang o ferched yn canu, "whisky makes me frisky, gin makes me sin, brandy makes me randy and rum makes me come". Rown i'n ysu am gyfarfod a'r math yna o ferched yn hytrach nag eistedd mewn dosbarthiadau boring yn yr ysgol. A dyna reswm arall pam y ffurfiais i Datblygu. Down i ddim eisiau gwneud lot o arian - yr uchelgais oedd art, rhyw, drygs ac alcohol.

 - David R. Edwards

We sang in Welsh with all the US/English influences because it had to be done. I didn't like the fact that Welsh music was seen to be male voice choirs, folk music and all the clichés. I suppose that I wanted to modernise Welsh language culture. Welsh is a language with unlimited potential but I didn't appreciate a lot that was being manifested in it. I tried to change things. Hundreds of people saw the point so I'm glad I bothered.

 – more David R Edwards

Hundreds..... 

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trio

buyo

The Music of ITC - Various [2009]

Incorporated Television Company's finest. Beyond luxuriating dans la funk brass bossa jazzy suspense of it all, the genius herein be not one-off the wrist successive theme after another but immersive arrays, suites if you will, comprising title music, outros, specials, alternates, incidental music and cues. Amounting to 113 tracks across two CDS.


Why is Edwin Astley not a household name? Seriously, why?


A
1-6 Danger Man [half hour series] - Edwin Astley
7-13 Danger Man [hour series]  - Edwin Astley 
14-15 Gideon's Way  - Edwin Astley 
16-22 The Baron  - Edwin Astley 
23-31 The Saint  - Edwin Astley 
32-37 Man In A Suitcase - Ron Grainer, Albert Elms
38-44 The Prisoner - Ron Grainer, Albert Elms, Robert Farnon
45-53 The Champions - Tony Hatch, Edwin Astley, Albert Elms
54-61 Department S  - Edwin Astley 

B
1-6 Randall & Hopkirk  - Edwin Astley 
7-13 Strange Report - Roger Webb
14-17 The Persuaders - John Barry
18-25 Jason King - Laurie Johnstone
26-33 The Protectors - Mitch Murray & Peter Callander, John Cameron
34-36 The Adventurer - John Barry
37-44 The Zoo Gang - Paul McCartney & Wings, Ken Thorne
45-52 Return Of The Saint - Brian Dee, John Scott, Guido & Maurizio De Angelis

Oddi wrth y brawd

more than pete townshend's father-in-law

edwin, star

Roforofo Fight - Fela Kuti [1972]

Afro-Funk-Jazz tour de force. Needs y brawd say more.


Oddi wrth y brawd
oforofor

It's A Mean Old World To Try To Live In- Reverend Pearly Brown [1975]

Dig the soulful voice and lucid guitar of very right Reverend Pearly Brown. Blind street singer n preacher with religious repertoire spiritual, holy blues, gospel n slave song. Stunning.

Oddi wrth y brawd
nothin' but joy

Eight-Hand Sets and Holy Steps - Various [1978]

Top drawer proto-country blues, string band and sacred music, sampling North Carolina Afro-American tradition mid 1800s - early 1900s. Dance tunes n ballads played on guitar, banjo, fiddle, harmonica (and bones...). Spirituals by congregation, singing group, n individual to guitar / harmonica accompaniment. Recorded in 70s by NC musicians steeped in tradition. Sparkling lodestar mainline to authentic US heritage. Don't you dare miss it.

01 Wildwood Blues Speak - James "Guitar Slim" Stephens (vocal)
02 Corinna - Elizabeth "Babe" Reid (banjo), and James Borders (bones)
03 Georgia Buck - Joe and Odell Thompson (fiddle and banjo)
04 Breakaway - Roosevelt May (vocal and harmonica)
05 John Henry - Cora Phillips and Elizabeth "Babe" Reid (guitar and banjo)
06 Going Downtown - Joe and Odell Thompson (fiddle and banjo)
07 Buckdance - Algia Mae Hinton (guitar)
08 Chicken - Percy Lassiter (vocal and guitar)
09 Out on the Farm - Elester Anderson (vocal and guitar) 
10 Honeybabe - Algia Mae Hinton (vocal and guitar) 
11 Boll Weevil - Percy Lassiter (vocal and guitar) 
12 Chicken, Lord, Lord - Algia Mae Hinton (vocal and guitar) 
13 When You See Me Praying - Second St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church
14 Lord, What Shall I Do - Thomas Burt, vocal and guitar
15 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - Roosevelt May, vocal and harmonica
16 Your Close Friend - James "Guitar Slim" Stephens (vocal and guitar) 
17 Death is Coming Back After You - Rev. Rassie Moore (vocal and guitar) 
18 Satan, We're Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down - Second St. Paul Junior Choir
19 Sweet Home - Algia Mae Hinton (vocal and guitar)
20 Traveling Shoes - The Badgett Sisters

21 Joshua - The Gospel Jubilators

Oddi wrth y brawd

going downtown

Totem One - Master Musicians of Bukkake [2009]

Scattering pearly kosmiche globules as fires throb and sparks fly upwards. MMoB roam ancient liquid silk roads essaying Tibetan analogue synth chant, near east death cult malarkey  - at one point purloining Hawkwind's Hassan I Sahba Anatolian riffage - and generally come on like misbehaving  new dark age-ist raggamuffin vendors of exotic ritual n ceremony.

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bukkakeru

See Mi Yah - Rhythm and Sound [2005]

Basic Channel-ists Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald: burial mix series collecting vocal contributions from collaborators old and new. 

Oddi wrth y brawd
OKYah

Solaris - Eduard Artemiev [1972]

Disquieting, meditative electroacoustic musique concrète for the masses.


(Composed on Russian ANS synthesiser folks)


01 Part I, Bach 
02 Part II 
03 Part III 
04 Part IV 
05 Part V 
06 Part VI 
07 Part VII 
08. Part VIII, Bach (Remix #1) 
09 Part IX 
10 Part X 
11 Part XI 
12 Part XII, Bach (Remix #2) 
13 Part XIII 
14 Part XIV 
15 Part XV 
16 Part XVI, Bach (Remix #3) 
17 Part XVII, Bach 2 


Oddi wrth y brawd
space is the place

Cameroon Baka Pygmy Music - Various [1977]

Pejorative sobriquet notwithstanding, an entrancing polyphonic delight: work song, dance, lullaby and tunes whereby to potter around hut, hearth and rainforest. Dense, cyclical contrapuntal communal vocalising. Almost casually adept. Gamelan-like, sense a never quite revealed super-pattern shrouded in amaranthine repetition.

(Smile on Holy Warbles' tireless ethnomusicology)


Oddi wrth y brawd
jengi

No Other - Gene Clark [1974]

Bare, big celestial malaise. Fear. Paranoia.

Oddi wrth y brawd

no other

The American Dreamer OST - Various [1971]

01 Gene Clark: American Dreamer
02 Hello People: Pass Me By
03 John Manning: Whole Song
04 Gene Clark: Outlaw Song
05 Chris Sikelianos: Easy Rider, 1970
06 John Buck Wilkin: The Screaming Metaphysical Blues
07 John Manning: Hard Road To New Mexico
08 John Buck Wilkin: Look At Me, Mama
09 John Buck Wilkin: Sun, Moon, And Stars
10 Abbey Road Singers: Other Side Of This Life

During post-production for The Last Movie, Hopper wanders the desert around his Taos, New Mexico home, wasted n waxing philosophical. Acoustic soundtrack a shining nugget in the rough. Yippiee!

Oddi wrth y brawd

Or don't cowboys have fantasies?

Alien Dreamtime - Space Time Continuum with Terence McKenna

Multi-media event live document. San Francisco February 1993. Spoken word, visuals, music n didgeridoo.

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teleological

Children of the Drones - Various

Spooky, warped, & wigged-out. Apparently took Fearlono (Cottage of electric Hell!) ages  and whole lot of Mr Miyagi to mix. Mega-lithic.

Oddi wrth y brawd
king of the castle

Krautrocksampler - Julian Cope [1995]

Essential ur-text concerning die Grosse Kosmische Musik.


"When I wrote the book, the main reason for doing so was to stop it getting mixed up with all that prog-rock crap that experimental fans love, and to introduce the word 'Krautrock' in a positive, pouting glamrock way. So many journalists pussyfooted around the term and called others xenophobic for using it, which was the main stumbling block in the way of its advancement. And Alan and Steve Freeman at Ultima Thule told me they'd been working on their tome [The Crack in the Cosmic Egg] for years but were spurred on to complete it purely because they knew I was getting mine out first. I don't feel like really updating the book much - it's a period piece written at a time when no fucker was interested and now all these neo-Krautheads are at me saying it's out of date. Fuck them!"

 - Lord Yatesbury

Oddi wrth y brawd
teil eins
teil zwei

Begegnungen II - Eno, Moebius, Roedelius, Plank [1985]

Something of a selection box: driving horizonwards Neu homage (Conditionierer); proto psy trance (Speed Display); gagaku influenced ambient (Mr Livingstone); fruity Eno vocal atmospherics a la Another Green World (Broken Head). Both prescient and strangely outmoded. 

Oddi wrth y brawd

langer atem

Double Heads 1980-81 - Les Rallizes Denudes [Hadaka No Rallizes]

Enter Takeshi Mizutani's world of total cultural assault. These late period recordings dial down squall n sub bass battering  - juste un tad -  and so present excellent point of entry for the uninitiated.


Also, featuring far out Rallizes stalwart Fujio Yamaguchi.

Live 14 Aug. 1980
1-1. 造花の原野 (7:21)
1-2. 夜より深 (16:16)
1-3. 白い目覚め (6:24)


Live 14 Aug. 1980
2-1. 夜、暗殺者の夜 (12:27)
2-2. Fantastique (13:06)
2-3. 夜の収穫者達 (8:32)
2-4.The Last One (27:50)


Live 29 Oct. 1980
3-1. 夜より深 (15:43)
3-2. 氷の炎 (19:27)
3-3. 夜より深 Part 2 (11:00)


Live 29 Oct. 1980
4-1. Enter The Mirror (12:20)
4-2. 夜、暗殺者の夜 (13:22)
4-3. The Last One (19:23)


Live 23 Mar. 1981
5-1. 夜、暗殺者の夜 (16:00)
5-2. 夜より深 Part 2 (30:41)


Live 23 Mar. 1981
6-1. The Last One (24:24)
6-2. 氷の炎 (20:57)

Oddi wrth y brawd
1
2
3

Shut It! The Music of the Sweeney - Various [2001]

Thames TV go a cockney blaxploitation bundle.....the slags.

I sometimes hate this bastard place. 'Sa bloody holiday camp for thieves n weirdos. All the rubbish. You age prematurely trying 't sort somma them out. Try n protect the public n all they do is call you fascist. You nail a villain and some ponced up pin-striped 'Ampstead barrister screws it up like n old fag packet on a point of procedure. Then pops up for a game of squash n a glass of Madeira. He's taking 'ome thirty grand a year and we can just about afford ten days in Eastbourne n a second hand car. Aargh...it's all bloody wrong my son!

- Gospel according to DI Jack Regan

Oddi wrth y brawd
fancy a drink?