Reissue of this classic from 1983.

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Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBnBdNyYiM

It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. In the years since, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies have released close to a dozen musical projects, including a growing library of studio albums and the scores for David Gordon Green’s trilogy of Halloween reboots. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.

Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone. The noir quality, then, is something you understand instinctively when you hear it. “Some of the music is heavy guitar riffs, which is not in old noir films,” Davies notes. “But somehow, it’s connected in an emotional way.”

The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.

“This is who we are, I think,” John summarizes. “Daniel’s the adventurer. He pushes for new sounds, new directions. He tries things that I haven’t thought of. He’s a lot more daring than I am, and he enriches the whole thing. Cody’s the musician. He’s a savant at music. He understands music. We depend on him to rescue us.”

And what about John’s contribution? With characteristic understatement, he concludes: “I’m the experience. I’ve done music for movies before.”

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Tracklist:

1.Chariots of Pumpkins (Halloween III)
2.69th St. Bridge (Escape from New York)
3.The Alley (War) (Big Trouble in Little China)
4.Wake Up (They Live)
5.Julie’s Dead (Assault on Precinct 13)
6.The Shape Enters Laurie’s Room (Halloween II)
7.Season of the Witch (Halloween III)
8.Love at a Distance (Prince of Darkness)
9.The Shape Stalks Again (Halloween II)
10.Burn it (The Thing)
11.Fuchs (The Thing)
12.To Mac’s Shack (The Thing)
13.Walk to the Lighthouse (The Fog)
14.Laurie’s Theme (Halloween)

By now everyone should know, John Carpenter is not only a celebrated filmmaker but also a musical maestro whose soundtracks have become synonymous with the genres of horror, suspense, and science fiction.

Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988) continues the celebration of his compositional genius via an excellently sequenced collection of some of his most iconic pieces of music from his extensive filmography, all newly recorded with his musical collaborators Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter.

The compilation includes selections from Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, They Live, Assault on Precinct 13, Prince of Darkness, The Fog, Halloween (and its sequels), and beyond. Among its highlights are the three lost cues from The Thing, previously unreleased and now re-recorded. The Thing marks one of the rare occasions that John Carpenter stepped away from scoring duties and entrusted the task to another composer, the legendary Ennio Morricone. Upon receiving Morricone’s score Carpenter felt that the film would benefit from the inclusion of additional music and took the initiative to record and insert multiple synth driven cues.

Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988) represents just a fraction of John Carpenter's impressive musical repertoire. His ability to capture the essence of his films through evocative melodies, atmospheric soundscapes, and innovative use of synths has solidified his status as one of the most influential composers in the history of cinema. With each haunting note and pulsating beat, his soundtracks continue to resonate with audiences, forever etching his name in the annals of film music history.

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Finally available again as a 12 “maxi single! From the legendary film music of John Carpenter’s box office hit “Assault On Precinct 13” from 1976, including the “John Anthony Scratch Mix” and the “Remix” of The End.

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Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlUpWPRgaOI

On Chrystia Cabral’s fourth album as SPELLLING, the Bay Area artist transforms her acclaimed avant-pop project into a mirror. Cabral’s lyrics for Portrait of My Heart tackle love, intimacy, anxiety, and alienation, trading the allegorical approach of much of her previous work for something pointed into her human heart. The album’s thematic forthrightness is echoed in its arrangements, making it the sharpest, most direct SPELLLING album to date. From the dark minimalism of her earliest music to the lavishly orchestrated prog-pop of 2021’s The Turning Wheel to this newly energetic expression of her creative spirit, Cabral has proved again and again that SPELLLING can be whatever she needs it to be. 

 The title track, with its propulsive drum groove and anthemic chorus of “I don’t belong here,” is the most potent embodiment of the album’s turn toward emotional directness. Once the main melody emerged, Cabral used the song as a tool to process her anxiety as a performer and opted for a tighter, more rock-oriented composition. This transformation mirrors the album’s broader shift toward energy and immediacy, driven by the core band of Wyatt Overson (guitar), Patrick Shelley (drums), and Giulio Xavier Cetto (bass), whose collaboration uncovers new contours of the SPELLLING sound. Cabral still writes and demos in isolation, but presenting the songs for Portrait of My Heart to her bandmates helped her discover their eventual lively, organic forms. So did working with a trio of producers—The Turning Wheel mixing engineer Drew Vandenberg, SZA collaborator Rob Bisel, and Yves Tumor producer Psymun. 

 Key guest contributions further shape the album. Chaz Bear (Toro y Moi) delivers SPELLLING’s first duet on “Mount Analogue,” Turnstile guitarist Pat McCrory turns Cabral’s original piano demo for “Alibi” into the crunchy, riff-y version that appears on the record, while Zulu’s Braxton Marcellous gives “Drain” its sludgy heft. These parts aren’t just incorporated seamlessly into the album; they feel like an integral part of its universe. 

Ultimately, though, Portrait of My Heart is nobody’s record but Cabral’s. She fearlessly draws the curtain back on parts of herself that she’s never included in SPELLLING before—her feelings of being an outsider, her overly guarded nature, the way she can throw herself recklessly into intimate relationships and then cool on them just as quickly. “It’s very much an open diary of all those sensations,” she says. 

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Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e7iff227D0

In June 2023, Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor shared the stage at the iconic Sydney Opera House during the Vivid Live Festival. This encounter reignited their creative partnership, laying the foundation for their collaborative new album All Worlds.

Drawing inspiration from the Golden Record sent into space as humanity's message to the unknown, All Worlds mirrors this longing for connection and understanding. Each track captures a fragment of emotion, culture, or memory, offering a kaleidoscopic view of the human experience.

The album’s title reflects the idea of collecting fragments from disparate places, feelings, and stories. Each song unveils a unique “world,” contributing to overarching themes of exploration and introspection. These “worlds” represent the inner landscapes we carry, shaping our identities. The title also gestures toward connection—as if these worlds float through space, waiting to be discovered and understood. Ultimately, All Worlds embodies the quest for belonging and meaning.

Through a sonic journey of isolation, resilience, and wonder, introspective lyrics intertwine with lush, evocative soundscapes. Retaining the dreamy atmospheres characteristic of both Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor, the album’s reverb-drenched production lends it an ethereal, nostalgic quality. While themes of melancholy and longing are central, energetic beats and uplifting arrangements introduce a bittersweet harmony that oscillates between vulnerability and euphoria.

The album marks a shift in tone, moving away from Lust For Youth’s synth-driven post-punk roots. Instead, All Worlds embraces a dance-oriented aesthetic, weaving pulsating rhythms and techno-inspired motifs with layered vocal samples. The result is a textured soundscape—an exploration of emotional fragility through shimmering production and introspective melodies.

Celebrating twelve years since their 2013 ambient-industrial album Pomegranate, All Worlds reflects the evolution of Lust For Youth and Croatian Amor. This album serves as both a response to their earlier work and a progression informed by a decade of growth and change. It deepens their exploration of sound and meaning, speaking directly to the present moment.

Like the Golden Record adrift in space, All Worlds is a collection of moments waiting to connect with those who choose to listen.

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Summertime Green Vinyl!

For almost everyone, the entry point for discovering the music of Q Lazzarus came via “Goodbye Horses.” The song first appeared in 1988, via Jonathan Demme’s Married to the Mob, but it would not become fully lodged into popular consciousness until it infamously materialized again in Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs in 1991. “Goodbye Horses” felt like a self-contained universe – dreamlike and wholly unusual, an instant classic that left listeners captivated and curious about the mysterious voice behind it. That voice belonged to Diane Luckey, a uniquely talented artist whose music was ahead of its time and who would ultimately remain largely unrecognized in her lifetime.

In conjunction with the release of Aridjis Fuentes’ documentary film Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives of Q Lazzarus, Sacred Bones is releasing a collection of songs that span the entirety of Q’s career, showcasing the different eras of her work and the full breadth of her personality. Released in collaboration with the family of Q, it has the distinction of being her first and only full-length release.

Recorded between 1985 and 1995, this trove of previously unreleased music reflects some of the most interesting facets of pop music from the past four decades in a way that feels both savvy and wildly eclectic. The titular “Goodbye Horses” remains a singular piece of spooky new wave perfection and one might imagine an entire Q Lazzarus album coiled around this aesthetic, but much like singers such as Alison Moyet, Annie Lennox, or Lisa Gerrard, Q’s chameleonic voice could lend itself perfectly to a variety of styles and settings. Her cover of Talking Heads’ “Heaven” transforms the song into a full-throated power ballad complete with tinkly piano flourishes, while her take on Gershwin’s “Summertime” sounds like the kind of dubby club redux that could have been a perfect companion to anything from Nightclubbing-era Grace Jones. Tracks like “My Mistake” and “Hellfire” flirt with house music and showcase just how brassy and belty Q’s voice could be when she really let loose, while “Don’t Let Go” sounds like the kind of bombastic radio single Cher might have released several decades ago. Elsewhere, songs like “Bang Bang” and “I See Your Eyes” espouse the kind of guitar-driven alt-rock sensibilities that, in a parallel universe, could have made them staples on 120 Minutes.

Goodbye Horses represents the potential for so many different kinds of careers that, for whatever reason, never fully materialized. That we now have these songs in the world, and a clearer picture of the person behind them, is nothing short of a blessing.

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Robin Carolan’s latest soundtrack for Robert Eggers’ highly anticipated Nosferatu is a haunting, gothic-infused and meticulously crafted work that draws from a vast palette of sounds, instruments, and inspirations. Following their successful collaboration on The Northman, Carolan reunites with Eggers to bring the legendary tale of Nosferatu to life, infusing the film with a score that is as complex and nuanced as the story itself.

With Daniel Pioro, one of Britain's most exciting young classical musicians, at the helm as the orchestra leader and first chair for a vast majority of the recording, the soundtrack features a vast orchestration, including 60 string players, a full choir, various horns and woodwinds, a harpist, and two percussionists. Despite the grandeur of the orchestration, one of the most challenging pieces was the music box used at the film's beginning. Carolan and Eggers struggled to perfect its sound, a process marked by their meticulous attention to detail, which Carolan describes as almost telepathic.

Set in the 1800s, Nosferatu allowed Carolan to incorporate contemporary instrumentation, though he made a deliberate effort to ensure the score didn't sound overly modern. Letty Stott, who also worked on The Northman, contributed ancient horns and pipes, enhancing the soundtrack’s eerie atmosphere. Additionally, percussionist Paul Clarvis custom-built a toaca-like instrument for added authenticity.

Carolan’s inspirations for the soundtrack were as eclectic as they were profound. He frequently drew upon the works of Bartok and Coil, while films like The Innocents, Angels and Insects, and Eyes Wide Shut provided cinematic inspiration. Additionally, he explored the more obscure side of Hammer Horror soundtracks and found a deep connection to the music of the Ukrainian film The Eve of Ivan Kupalo, which helped shape the score’s otherworldly tone.  

Carolan intentionally moved beyond the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the tale's melancholy and tragic elements while weaving in a sense of warped romanticism. The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also stands on its own as a testament to Carolan’s artistry and the enduring power of collaboration.

Tracklist:
1.1ONCE UPON A TIME
1.2COME TO ME
1.3PREMONITION
1.4HERR KNOCK
1.5ELLEN'S DREAM
1.6INCANTATION
1.7GOODBYE
1.8THE INN / MOROI
1.9SHRINE
1.10A CARRIAGE AWAITS
1.11COME BY THE FIRE
1.12DESTINY
1.13THE CASTLE
1.14COVENANT
1.15THE CRYPT
1.16LOST
1.17HYSTERICAL SPELL
1.18DEVOURANCE
1.19THE MONASTERY
1.20SOLOMONAR
1.21INCREASE THY THUNDERS
1.22THE PROFESSOR
1.23DREAMS GROW DARKER
1.24POSSESSION
1.25AN ARRIVAL
1.26A RETURN
1.27GRÜNEWALD
1.28DESPAIR IN MY COMING
1.29A CURIOUS MARK
1.30ORLOK'S SHADOW
1.31THE VAMPYR
1.32THE FIRST NIGHT
1.33DEATH, ALL AROUND US
1.34I KNOW HIM
1.35THE SECOND NIGHT
1.36THESE NIGHTMARES EXIST
1.37A PRIESTESS OF ISIS
1.38LAST GOODBYE
1.39NEVER SLEEP AGAIN
1.40THE THIRD NIGHT
1.41THE PRINCE OF RATS
1.42DAYBREAK
1.43LILIACS

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Oxblood Coloured Vinyl!

Robin Carolan’s latest soundtrack for Robert Eggers’ highly anticipated Nosferatu is a haunting, gothic-infused and meticulously crafted work that draws from a vast palette of sounds, instruments, and inspirations. Following their successful collaboration on The Northman, Carolan reunites with Eggers to bring the legendary tale of Nosferatu to life, infusing the film with a score that is as complex and nuanced as the story itself.

With Daniel Pioro, one of Britain's most exciting young classical musicians, at the helm as the orchestra leader and first chair for a vast majority of the recording, the soundtrack features a vast orchestration, including 60 string players, a full choir, various horns and woodwinds, a harpist, and two percussionists. Despite the grandeur of the orchestration, one of the most challenging pieces was the music box used at the film's beginning. Carolan and Eggers struggled to perfect its sound, a process marked by their meticulous attention to detail, which Carolan describes as almost telepathic.

Set in the 1800s, Nosferatu allowed Carolan to incorporate contemporary instrumentation, though he made a deliberate effort to ensure the score didn't sound overly modern. Letty Stott, who also worked on The Northman, contributed ancient horns and pipes, enhancing the soundtrack’s eerie atmosphere. Additionally, percussionist Paul Clarvis custom-built a toaca-like instrument for added authenticity.

Carolan’s inspirations for the soundtrack were as eclectic as they were profound. He frequently drew upon the works of Bartok and Coil, while films like The Innocents, Angels and Insects, and Eyes Wide Shut provided cinematic inspiration. Additionally, he explored the more obscure side of Hammer Horror soundtracks and found a deep connection to the music of the Ukrainian film The Eve of Ivan Kupalo, which helped shape the score’s otherworldly tone.  

Carolan intentionally moved beyond the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the tale's melancholy and tragic elements while weaving in a sense of warped romanticism. The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also stands on its own as a testament to Carolan’s artistry and the enduring power of collaboration.

Tracklist:
1.1ONCE UPON A TIME
1.2COME TO ME
1.3PREMONITION
1.4HERR KNOCK
1.5ELLEN'S DREAM
1.6INCANTATION
1.7GOODBYE
1.8THE INN / MOROI
1.9SHRINE
1.10A CARRIAGE AWAITS
1.11COME BY THE FIRE
1.12DESTINY
1.13THE CASTLE
1.14COVENANT
1.15THE CRYPT
1.16LOST
1.17HYSTERICAL SPELL
1.18DEVOURANCE
1.19THE MONASTERY
1.20SOLOMONAR
1.21INCREASE THY THUNDERS
1.22THE PROFESSOR
1.23DREAMS GROW DARKER
1.24POSSESSION
1.25AN ARRIVAL
1.26A RETURN
1.27GRÜNEWALD
1.28DESPAIR IN MY COMING
1.29A CURIOUS MARK
1.30ORLOK'S SHADOW
1.31THE VAMPYR
1.32THE FIRST NIGHT
1.33DEATH, ALL AROUND US
1.34I KNOW HIM
1.35THE SECOND NIGHT
1.36THESE NIGHTMARES EXIST
1.37A PRIESTESS OF ISIS
1.38LAST GOODBYE
1.39NEVER SLEEP AGAIN
1.40THE THIRD NIGHT
1.41THE PRINCE OF RATS
1.42DAYBREAK
1.43LILIACS

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Tip!

The origin of Chrystabell and David Lynch’s album Cellophane Memories comes from a vision that David experienced during a nighttime walk through a forest of tall trees, over the tops of which he saw a bright light. As he recalls it, the light became the lilt of Chrystabell’s voice and revealed a secret to him. It is from these mysterious convergences of light and sound, day and night, starry sky and black forest that Chrystabell and David’s collaboration has continued to blossom.

For Cellophane Memories, the two have traveled through different portals. Fittingly, many of the songs are set in fairytale forests, mountain peaks, swimming holes, crepus-cular highways and darkened bedrooms. These are the abodes of both loneliness and romance, the sorts of sublime landscapes where people often travel alone in search of a wayward lover. But they are also shapeless atmospheres—of color, weather and breath: blue and white skies, red roses, darkening thunderheads, swirling winds and summer perfumes, which quickly immerse the traveler in the supernatural sensations of other worlds.

Time is a mercurial creature in Chrystabell and David’s songs. The characters are little more than oblique sketches of time’s quotidian melodramas: people arrive and depart as strangers, strangers fall into despair and love, lovers part at the crossroads and re-unite in a dream. In this quantum matinee of everyday life, each character is both a star and a background extra. Elisions in time reappear over and over within Chrystabell’s vocals, which emerge and dissolve and loop back in layers of harmony and history. They are mantled by David’s, and late composer Angelo Badalamenti’s, orchestra of waldeinsamkeit-inspired strings, oneiric guitar glissandi and clouds of reverb, whose melodies are like the sensation of time pausing for a first kiss.

As with much of Chrystabell and David’s work from the past, Cellophane Memories returns us to a central question: what is a mystery? Alas, the riddle remains unanswered. But all mystery contains slivers of those conceits and feelings described above: the departing and the coming-back, the landscape, atmosphere and breath, the topsy turvy mechanisms of time, memories of the bygone, a distant light radiating from darkness, music within silence, love.

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Tip!

Limited Clear Vinyl!

The origin of Chrystabell and David Lynch’s album Cellophane Memories comes from a vision that David experienced during a nighttime walk through a forest of tall trees, over the tops of which he saw a bright light. As he recalls it, the light became the lilt of Chrystabell’s voice and revealed a secret to him. It is from these mysterious convergences of light and sound, day and night, starry sky and black forest that Chrystabell and David’s collaboration has continued to blossom.

For Cellophane Memories, the two have traveled through different portals. Fittingly, many of the songs are set in fairytale forests, mountain peaks, swimming holes, crepus-cular highways and darkened bedrooms. These are the abodes of both loneliness and romance, the sorts of sublime landscapes where people often travel alone in search of a wayward lover. But they are also shapeless atmospheres—of color, weather and breath: blue and white skies, red roses, darkening thunderheads, swirling winds and summer perfumes, which quickly immerse the traveler in the supernatural sensations of other worlds.

Time is a mercurial creature in Chrystabell and David’s songs. The characters are little more than oblique sketches of time’s quotidian melodramas: people arrive and depart as strangers, strangers fall into despair and love, lovers part at the crossroads and re-unite in a dream. In this quantum matinee of everyday life, each character is both a star and a background extra. Elisions in time reappear over and over within Chrystabell’s vocals, which emerge and dissolve and loop back in layers of harmony and history. They are mantled by David’s, and late composer Angelo Badalamenti’s, orchestra of waldeinsamkeit-inspired strings, oneiric guitar glissandi and clouds of reverb, whose melodies are like the sensation of time pausing for a first kiss.

As with much of Chrystabell and David’s work from the past, Cellophane Memories returns us to a central question: what is a mystery? Alas, the riddle remains unanswered. But all mystery contains slivers of those conceits and feelings described above: the departing and the coming-back, the landscape, atmosphere and breath, the topsy turvy mechanisms of time, memories of the bygone, a distant light radiating from darkness, music within silence, love.

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Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBnBdNyYiM

It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. In the years since, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies have released close to a dozen musical projects, including a growing library of studio albums and the scores for David Gordon Green’s trilogy of Halloween reboots. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.

Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone. The noir quality, then, is something you understand instinctively when you hear it. “Some of the music is heavy guitar riffs, which is not in old noir films,” Davies notes. “But somehow, it’s connected in an emotional way.”

The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.

“This is who we are, I think,” John summarizes. “Daniel’s the adventurer. He pushes for new sounds, new directions. He tries things that I haven’t thought of. He’s a lot more daring than I am, and he enriches the whole thing. Cody’s the musician. He’s a savant at music. He understands music. We depend on him to rescue us.”

And what about John’s contribution? With characteristic understatement, he concludes: “I’m the experience. I’ve done music for movies before.”

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After Xmal Deutschland’s success with four albums on cult labels such as 4AD, Huwe abandoned music to pursue her visual art career. But leaving her legacy in the past was not so easy.

Invited by her long-time friend Mona Mur, Huwe reconsidered her decades-long hiatus from music and decided to join Mur in her studio in Berlin. Together, they worked for a year and a half, composing, performing and producing the tracks from scratch, which would eventually become the album ‘Codes’. Integral to the overall sound experience was the input of Manuela Rickers who added her famed signature guitar style.

Initially inspired by the diary entries of Moshe Shnitzki, who, at the age of 17, left his home in 1942 to live in the cavernous White Russian forests as a partisan, Codes is about the human experience and what extremes can do to an individual. "The result is a poetic, musical cosmos that encompasses the following themes: forest, fear, pain, loss, violence, and loneliness but also beauty, longing, hope and the will to survive,” Huwe explains. These thematic extremities cause an erraticism to Codes- a passing thunderstorm, a cyclonic burst of nature’s force - but one that exudes anticipation amidst the chill.
With elegant production by Mur and Huwe and mixing and mastering by Jon Caffery (Joy Division, Gary Numan, Einstürzende Neubauten) epic builds crash and disseminate, the sleek synthesized drones of sound even feel claustrophobic at times.
Xmal Deutschland, now marked as forerunners of the post-punk movement, were never complacent but consistently ravenous in their attack throughout the 1980s. Huwe’s return is no different. Unexpected but long overdue, Codes is that missing page from post-punk’s history books, the freshly splayed paint across the decades-old canvas - it is the product of the tireless will to survive on her own terms.

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Oxblood Red Vinyl!

After Xmal Deutschland’s success with four albums on cult labels such as 4AD, Huwe abandoned music to pursue her visual art career. But leaving her legacy in the past was not so easy.

Invited by her long-time friend Mona Mur, Huwe reconsidered her decades-long hiatus from music and decided to join Mur in her studio in Berlin. Together, they worked for a year and a half, composing, performing and producing the tracks from scratch, which would eventually become the album ‘Codes’. Integral to the overall sound experience was the input of Manuela Rickers who added her famed signature guitar style.

Initially inspired by the diary entries of Moshe Shnitzki, who, at the age of 17, left his home in 1942 to live in the cavernous White Russian forests as a partisan, Codes is about the human experience and what extremes can do to an individual. "The result is a poetic, musical cosmos that encompasses the following themes: forest, fear, pain, loss, violence, and loneliness but also beauty, longing, hope and the will to survive,” Huwe explains. These thematic extremities cause an erraticism to Codes- a passing thunderstorm, a cyclonic burst of nature’s force - but one that exudes anticipation amidst the chill.
With elegant production by Mur and Huwe and mixing and mastering by Jon Caffery (Joy Division, Gary Numan, Einstürzende Neubauten) epic builds crash and disseminate, the sleek synthesized drones of sound even feel claustrophobic at times.
Xmal Deutschland, now marked as forerunners of the post-punk movement, were never complacent but consistently ravenous in their attack throughout the 1980s. Huwe’s return is no different. Unexpected but long overdue, Codes is that missing page from post-punk’s history books, the freshly splayed paint across the decades-old canvas - it is the product of the tireless will to survive on her own terms.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore

"Gothics” - a time before the word goth had even taken shape - believed in the do-it-yourself punk ethos that anyone could pick up an instrument. Gray clouds were starting to form and in the unlikely city of Hamburg, a brazen and haunting gang of five women formed Xmal Deutschland. As any true punk would, Xmal Deutschland’s members Caro May, Rita Simon, Manuela Rickers, Fiona Sangster and Anja Huwe, started the band despite any previous musical experience.

The “Schwarze Welt” seven-inch was released on the local punk label, ZickZack, in 1981 and introduced the band as an unsettling swarm of intensity. There’s an urgency in its repetitive dirge, a swirling mania that persists on the b-side with “Die Wolken” and “Großstadtindianer” whose crude synthesizer noises escalate intention. Most of all, Huwe’s uniquely venomous German vocals quickly became embedded in the unbridled and burgeoning scene of glamorous gloom.

Punk’s independence from the stiff grip of tradition allowed the band to find solace in anti-establishment art and music, far from the conventions of the past.With their peacocked hair and thick kohl-lined eyes, Xmal Deutschland’s music retained both a restlessness and delicacy, transcending any confines of the “Neue Deutsche Welle” movement (much like their colleagues and friends DAF and Einstürzende Neubauten) with the release of the “Incubus Succubus”single in 1982. It instantly became a post-punk classic. The guitar’s buzz ransacks through the melody as the ghoulish primitiveness of Huwe’s voice teases that maybe, just maybe, she is the nightmarish creature of which to be aware. The b-sides, “Zu Jung Zu Alt” and “Blut Ist Liebe,” keep strict militaristic dance beats as they teem in agitation.

That same year, the band performed in London as support for the Cocteau Twins; it was the platform they needed to ricochet into the arms of the ripped fishnet masses. Early Singles (1981-1982), is a map of the foundational movements of Xmal Deutschland, just seconds before takeoff. Bonus tracks on the compilation, “Kaelbermarsch” and a gritty live version of “Allein,” further accentuate their fusion of toughness with the quixotic decadence of atmospheric synthesizers.

The band’s pursuit of something greater is palpable with this release, a reflection of a time that introduced accessibility to new means of making music following the onset of punk.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore

Purple Vinyl!

"Gothics” - a time before the word goth had even taken shape - believed in the do-it-yourself punk ethos that anyone could pick up an instrument. Gray clouds were starting to form and in the unlikely city of Hamburg, a brazen and haunting gang of five women formed Xmal Deutschland. As any true punk would, Xmal Deutschland’s members Caro May, Rita Simon, Manuela Rickers, Fiona Sangster and Anja Huwe, started the band despite any previous musical experience.

The “Schwarze Welt” seven-inch was released on the local punk label, ZickZack, in 1981 and introduced the band as an unsettling swarm of intensity. There’s an urgency in its repetitive dirge, a swirling mania that persists on the b-side with “Die Wolken” and “Großstadtindianer” whose crude synthesizer noises escalate intention. Most of all, Huwe’s uniquely venomous German vocals quickly became embedded in the unbridled and burgeoning scene of glamorous gloom.

Punk’s independence from the stiff grip of tradition allowed the band to find solace in anti-establishment art and music, far from the conventions of the past.With their peacocked hair and thick kohl-lined eyes, Xmal Deutschland’s music retained both a restlessness and delicacy, transcending any confines of the “Neue Deutsche Welle” movement (much like their colleagues and friends DAF and Einstürzende Neubauten) with the release of the “Incubus Succubus”single in 1982. It instantly became a post-punk classic. The guitar’s buzz ransacks through the melody as the ghoulish primitiveness of Huwe’s voice teases that maybe, just maybe, she is the nightmarish creature of which to be aware. The b-sides, “Zu Jung Zu Alt” and “Blut Ist Liebe,” keep strict militaristic dance beats as they teem in agitation.

That same year, the band performed in London as support for the Cocteau Twins; it was the platform they needed to ricochet into the arms of the ripped fishnet masses. Early Singles (1981-1982), is a map of the foundational movements of Xmal Deutschland, just seconds before takeoff. Bonus tracks on the compilation, “Kaelbermarsch” and a gritty live version of “Allein,” further accentuate their fusion of toughness with the quixotic decadence of atmospheric synthesizers.

The band’s pursuit of something greater is palpable with this release, a reflection of a time that introduced accessibility to new means of making music following the onset of punk.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore

Tracklist:
1.Intro Descent
2.Live Eternal
3.Bigger, Stronger, Faster
4.Capture
5.Main Titles
6.The Brothers
7.Drone Interrogation
8.A Symbol of Life
9.Heavy Weight
10.Reflective Dreams
11.Infinity Techno
12.Escaping Suite
13.Aftermath
14.Rip Fights
15.Final Fight
16.Ascend Finale
17.Divinity 2 Infinity: The Odyssey (DJ Muggs featuring Kool Keith) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfSAHFtG3FE

Legendary hip hop pioneer DJ Muggs and frequent David Lynch collaborator Dean Hurley join forces for the original score to the 2023 Sundance premiering feature film Divinity. Equal parts sonically punishing and ethereal, the soundtrack delivers a unique punch that further intensifies the mind-bending, acid-trip experience of the film.

Divinity Is a sci-fi dystopian odyssey produced by Steven Soderbergh and helmed by visionary director Eddie Alcazar. Set in the distant future, scientist Sterling Pierce dedicated his life to the quest for immortality, slowly making progress developing a serum named Divinity. Jaxxon Pierce, his son, now controls and profits from his father’s once benevolent dream. Society on their barren planet has been entirely perverted by the supremacy and pervasiveness of the drug. Two mysterious brothers arrive with a plan to abduct the mogul, and with the help of a woman named Nikita, they set on a trajectory hurtling toward true immortality.

Amidst the film’s extraordinary tapestry of stark aesthetics and themes, the score is a ten tonbarbell of sonic weight. Crafted with 8-bit samplers, Wavestation synths, extended choir and string techniques, the soundtrack manages to swing wildly between the arenas of both music and sound design. Like all rich soundtracks, listening to the score on its own reconjures the imagery of the film in the screen of the listener’s mind, an aural experience that manages to encapsulate and pulse a matched intensity of the film.

Tracks like ‘The Brothers’ and ‘Reflective Dreams’ cascade Vangelis-esque tones, painting with broad strokes of cinematic grandeur and ethereal wonder. ‘Main Titles’ and ‘Infinity Techno’ conversely swing hard into relentless, punishing sonics; with brutal, pulsing energy representative of the twisted, relentless pursuit of immortality. A standout of the album is undoubtedly “Divinity 2 Infinity: The Odyssey,” featuring cult hip-hop hero and lyrical-savant Kool Keith. Written for the film’s end credits, the track is a satisfying throwback to the 90’s original soundtrack cut bespoke-tailored to the film’s narrative themes.

DJ Muggs and Dean Hurley’s synergy yields a soundtrack that takes Divinity beyond the screen and into a multi-dimensional experience, inviting its listener along uncharted auralterrain for an unforgettable odyssey in sound.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore

Tracklist:

1.Chariots of Pumpkins (Halloween III)
2.69th St. Bridge (Escape from New York)
3.The Alley (War) (Big Trouble in Little China)
4.Wake Up (They Live)
5.Julie’s Dead (Assault on Precinct 13)
6.The Shape Enters Laurie’s Room (Halloween II)
7.Season of the Witch (Halloween III)
8.Love at a Distance (Prince of Darkness)
9.The Shape Stalks Again (Halloween II)
10.Burn it (The Thing)
11.Fuchs (The Thing)
12.To Mac’s Shack (The Thing)
13.Walk to the Lighthouse (The Fog)
14.Laurie’s Theme (Halloween)

By now everyone should know, John Carpenter is not only a celebrated filmmaker but also a musical maestro whose soundtracks have become synonymous with the genres of horror, suspense, and science fiction.

Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988) continues the celebration of his compositional genius via an excellently sequenced collection of some of his most iconic pieces of music from his extensive filmography, all newly recorded with his musical collaborators Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter.

The compilation includes selections from Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, They Live, Assault on Precinct 13, Prince of Darkness, The Fog, Halloween (and its sequels), and beyond. Among its highlights are the three lost cues from The Thing, previously unreleased and now re-recorded. The Thing marks one of the rare occasions that John Carpenter stepped away from scoring duties and entrusted the task to another composer, the legendary Ennio Morricone. Upon receiving Morricone’s score Carpenter felt that the film would benefit from the inclusion of additional music and took the initiative to record and insert multiple synth driven cues.

Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988) represents just a fraction of John Carpenter's impressive musical repertoire. His ability to capture the essence of his films through evocative melodies, atmospheric soundscapes, and innovative use of synths has solidified his status as one of the most influential composers in the history of cinema. With each haunting note and pulsating beat, his soundtracks continue to resonate with audiences, forever etching his name in the annals of film music history.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore