So, Okay, who remembers when they were in primary school, how at Christmas time the teacher would usually allow pupils to bring in some music of their choice to play at the annual holiday party? Yeah? Yeah! I remember kids in my class bringing in their tapes of stuff like Ant & Dec, 911, Scatman John, all the hits basically. Me? Well, I unwittingly made choices that I’m pretty sure made a big contribution in establishing me as the class loner for all eternity. Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, y’know, all the hits basically. I may not have found myself invited to too many McDonalds birthday parties, but whatevs. This was the stuff I was raised on, and to this day I still stand behind my decisions. It ain’t always about the crunk!

To put things straight, modern classical as a scene doesn’t really do much for me. Either too pompous and self satisfied, or a tad too “Tesco’s checkout”, if you catch my drift. Frankly where have all the ugly, awkward looking classical composers gone? Why do they all look like they could be in Hollyoaks now? Yes, these days I usually obtain my classical kicks out of film music, so I thought I’d treat you to some real, erm…treats!

Lubos Fiser – The Magic Yard

Valerie and her Week of Wonders (Valerie a Tyden Du), a surrealist Czech film from 1970 is a bit of a tricky one to summarise really, but here goes anyway. Basically, Valerie is a teenage girl who finds herself going through something of a sexual awakening. When she comes into the possession of a pair of magical pearl earrings, she finds they give her the ability to see the world around her as it really is, exposing all the corruption and depravity that exists, specifically within the world of organised religion. Vampiric grandmothers, a priest baring an uncanny resemblance to Nosferatu, authoritative paedophiles and blood speckled daisies are just some of the images contained within the fantastically dark fable. All of which is perfectly accompanied by a hypnotic, and beautifully eerie score composed by Lubos Fiser. It’s mixture of traditional baroque folk, and sensual, whimsical chamber orchestrations have led the few people lucky enough to have heard the soundtrack to justifiably compare it to the music that accompanied that film about some strange Scottish folks who were a bit partial to burning Christians in wicker men. Personally I would say it puts me more in mind of the kind of stuff Belbury Poly are making at the moment; essentially chidrens music to terrify children with. The sound of innocence twisted into something truly sinister.

Unexpectedly coming across something so beautiful within the confines of something so revolting, can elevate that certain thing into being something very special indeed. Like finding a solitary flower existing within the cracks of a concrete wasteland. This piece of music taken from the soundtrack to Cannibal Holocaust has become my definition of this idea. If one knew nothing of the film beforehand, I’m very doubtful if listening to this majestic piece of music anyone could possibly conjure in their imaginations the kinds of images that actually take place in Cannibal Holocaust. Notorious for being one of the most vile and hardcore of exploitation horror films made in the 198Os, and still banned in many countries to this day, witness this film and you’ll get to witness in vomit inducing realism scenes of rape, mutilation, cannibalism (obviously), impalement, and even worse, animal torture scenes that very disturbingly were not faked for the cameras. So horrid was the film, it’s director found himself in court defending himself against allegations of murder and snuff movie making. Clearly, family fun all the way then!

Riz Ortolani – Adulteress’ Punishment

Riz Ortolani, the man behind the music, went above and beyond what most musicians would have come up with for a film of this ilk, and this piece is a perfect example. With its lusciously moody ascending strings and ominous, lurking synth tones, subtle hints of the kind of darkness and depravity that lurk within the film are given away, but nothing will prepare you for thinking anything as grand as this could ever coexist with something so downright grimey

- – - -

Oh BTW

After Thursdays’ awesome Hawnay Troof ++ Joakim bash the Do hits back this Friday, 2nd of March with These New Puritans- Southend Kids make art pop with jagged edges & brittle melodies, they sound a bit like Joy Division live at les Baines Douches, post the punk.

One of the most anticipated gigs of the year.

AT THE CORE CLUB
11-4
5quid with flyer
Buy tickets at Resident/Rounder records, it’s going to be a total sell-out.

Do DJs and special guests almighty The She Set play the hits.

We Live by Night.

Epilogue -
This post is tagged with christmas time grime holiday party music primary school pupils yeah yeah