The “Needle Drop” is commonly referred to in movies when the director uses a pre existing and often well known or modern piece of popular music to enhance a scene. When this is done well it can elevate a scene into the stratosphere and can very often fuse the visual images presented with the musical choice forever in the public consciousness.
Staff and contributor reviews of the new releases that are worthy of special attention and classic recordings that psychonauts of all persuasions should possess.
“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.” – Jimi Hendrix
Be prepared to lose yourself in the maze of Smith's 'cosmic' mind, as he takes you on a journey to far off lands, distant planetary systems and to future possible worlds. Ready yourself to smile at the preposterous, to be panicked by the bizarre, to be fearful of the terrifying, to wonder at the order and chaos of Smith's poetic form, a cure all for the world weary and jaded heart. There is more here than found in the dreams of mortals, so play your copy of 'The Muse of Hyperborea'.
This is the 5th release by Cadabra Records, and the second album by Cadabra devoted to the short fiction of Howard Philips Lovecraft. In the gloom of your living room, intermittently illuminated by splinters of lightning revealing momentarily the hell behind nights dormant peeling epidermis, place the stylus in the groove of your copy of 'The Lurking Fear', then drape yourself across the green velvet couch, bedecked in your white marbled gown and prepare for the forbidden pleasures contained within.
Pino Donaggio's [Born 1941] first work for film. As the story goes, one of the film's Italian producers Ugo Mariotti spotted Donaggio on a Vaporetto on the Grand Canal in Venice and took it for a "sign", contacted him, reluctant at first because he had no experience in the field, he decided to accept. The London based producers didn't want an inexperienced composer but they were overruled by the films financiers. Not a particularly good pianist by his own admission he plays 'Laura's Theme' on the soundtrack with childlike naivety, Donaggio also plays flute on the love scene, and is an accomplished flautist, the results are stunning
With this music the roller-coaster dips into the carnival below, beyond the disfigured faces behind the masquerade. "I am everyone and no one. Everywhere. Nowhere. Call me... Darkman" Side A - Begins with 'Main Title', darkly ominous kettle drum and horn section augmented by flute flourishes, segues into 'Woe, The Darkman Woe', dark and sweet, makes me think of a whirley-gig smashing through a ceiling and landing in calm waters, softening horns and strings break and the piece ends in harp. 'Rebuilding/Failure', strings dominate and set a tender mood. 'Julie Transforms' is woodwind and ends with bells.
If you are partial to decay and pensive sadness in music then this score for a film set in Jacobean New England is for you, it certainly floats The Mayflower. It was with great delight I received the soundtrack for the psychological horror film 'The Witch' from the postman.
