Sacred Bones US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Is John Carpenter the most formidable force in 20th Century US moviemaking? He must certainly be in the running. Say what you will about the genres he focuses on (horror, suspense, sci fi, slasher, those details aren't significant. Instead, what's important to remember is that for decades the director has dedicated his career to creating not just vivid on-screen worlds, but atmospheres and feelings. Taking ownership of his own scores is a big part of that, and in many ways Carpenter's tunes are as memorable as his plots. Here joined by son Cody, and Lost Themes I & II sparring partner Daniel Davies, many of the most iconic tones, keys, melodies, and hooks from more than 20 years of cinematic delights are presented as new - and we couldn't be happier.

Review: It's taken some time to get here, and wherever that is, you can bet everything in your bank account Follakzoid are not done yet. Originally hailing from Santiago, Chile, but now based in Mexico City, over the past 16 years output has gone through various mutations and stylistic developments, shapeshifting depending on where home was at that time and who was involved in the production and writing processes. Melding post punk, psychedelic rock, Krautrock and electronica, largely improvised sessions give birth to mutant tracks that live in the dark, strobe-hued corners of industrial rooms and subterranean dens. Following up the critically acclaimed I (released in 2019), V represents yet another evolution in sound, as elements of techno are brought to the fore, accentuating the dance floor potential of all they do.

Review: A new collection of tracks by 60s and 70s electronic music visionary Mort Garson, including his soundtrack for the CBS News live coverage of the moon landings and music from a National Geographic documentary on them in 1970, is being released to co-incide with Garson's 99th birthday. Expect a cavalcade of elegant Moog manoeuvres that will whisk you back in time rather than back to the future or into sapce, but treat you to some euphoric, uplifting and beautiful melodies along the way.

Review: Canadian composer, arranger, songwriter, and electronic music pioneer Mort Garson just keeps on giving, even now, 15 years after his death. Archival releases since have come not-so-thick-and-fast, but occasional and well thought through, with Journey to the Moon & Beyond the latest example of this. Not, as the cover and title might suggest, the score to some forgotten 1970s animated classic, but instead a collection of stuff very few will have heard before, let alone had opportunity to buy, it's really something special. On the track list, then, you'll find the soundtrack to 1974 Blaxploitation movie Black Eye, or at least part of it. Similarly splendid, but in a very different way, are the grand tones of 'Zoos of the World', originally made to accompany a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name. Then there's the music he wrote for the 1969 moon landings, as used by CBS News at the time. History bottled, or rather pressed, get it while it's fresh (and in stock).

Review: Molchat Doma are one of the global music phenomenons of our time. The Belarusian trio first started causing a small stir among the kind of circles that actively hunt out Belarusian synth bands. That grew into widespread rumblings throughout the underground, driven by online shares as much as play on independent radio stations. Skip forward again, and the outfit can claim true viral sensation status, having conquered tastemakers and social networks across the world. Monument is their third album, and was largely written during Covid-19 quarantine in their hometown, Minsk. Again, it's an evolutionary thing. Post-punk vies for your attention next to synth pop, cold wave, New Wave and romantic electronica. Calling to mind, at various points, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Joy Division, among others, nevertheless those comparisons don't feel fair - the work here is fresher feeling and, ultimately, removed from the North Atlantic hegemony, so it should be analysed in that context.