Badaboum - (2015) ST LP

Badaboum, french all-star girl group includes Krine (Headwar), Armelle (The Dreams) and Solene (Dudu geva) and is affiliated to the famous Grande Triple Alliance de l'Est posse (Ah Kraken, Feeling of love, Scorpion Violente). They play a form of post punk music akin to Liliput/ Kleenex and Malaria adding their own reverbed idiosyncracies and eerie organ lines, chanting in indecipherable italian, mock german and plain french. Taking turns on drums and blowing thru severed reeds, Badaboum will bring you as much joy as chaos and spook.

Jack Nitzsche - (1984) The Razor's Edge LP

Somerset Maugham's Larry Darrell (Bill Murray) goes from World War I to a coal mine to the Himalayas seeking inner peace.

..the privilege of being alive..

Joe Delia - (2014) Ms.45 LP

Like Abel Ferrara, Death Waltz Recording Company are not prone to shying away from the more extreme corners of culture, and are delighted to be presenting a true underground classic for the first time ever. Ferrara’s pictures often tread the line between grindhouse trash and art-films with insightful social commentary – and unflinching realism – and MS. 45 is his most notorious film, with much of its power coming from Joe Delia’s grimy yet haunting music. A sparse piano motif initially creates a lonely voice for the (mute) heroine but it’s overshadowed by wailing trumpet, electric guitar, and menacing synths that paint a disturbing musical picture of the world she inhabits.

Delia’s music is so great at creating a vivid image in your head and you begin to imagine the grubby streets, the sleazy sex-shops, the leering onlookers, with it building and building until it reaches sensory assault. The instruments sound as violent as the acts on screen, as loud synth stings ring out like gunshots, edgy jazz beats unnerve you, and a repeating brass motif becomes a theme for violence and vengeance – even during the awesome ‘Dance Party’. You may need a shower after listening, but you’ll be right back to play it again and again

Incredibly this soundtrack has NEVER been released in any format, we went back to the original master tapes and worked with composer Joe Delia to clean up the original elements.

Fuck off! You heard me get fucked! Get bent.

John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - (2013) They Live LP

Grab your sunglasses, your bubblegum, and your shotgun as Death Waltz Recording Company is bringing back John Carpenter and Alan Howarth’s brilliant score to THEY LIVE. A classic story of one man fighting for the freedom of the world with a great science fiction twist, the movie is full of amazing dialogue and also contains the greatest fistfight in the history of cinema. Like most of Carpenter’s films, THEY LIVE has an urban western feel to it, which is emphasized by the infectious score.

Carpenter and Howarth’s main theme conjures up images of a lone cowboy entering town, with the main melody augmented with the sounds of harmonica and saxophone. There’s a carefree attitude which reflects Rowdy Roddy Piper’s character, but the score takes on a more sinister tone when he realises he doesn’t know anything about what’s really going on. Carpenter’s signature synth tones create an uncomfortable atmosphere, but the main bass line is always fighting against them, never giving up. Electric guitar is used fleetingly, but brilliantly, and the whole score embodies the kind of rebelling against authority Carpenter is famous for. THEY LIVE will rock your world without the need for a Brazilian plastic surgeon to put you back together again.

Put the glasses on! Put 'em on!

Michael Gore - (1984) Music And Dialogue From The Motion Picture Terms Of Endearment LP

Widow Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and her daughter, Emma (Debra Winger), have a strong bond, but Emma marries teacher Flap Horton (Jeff Daniels) against her mother's wishes. When the marriage grows sour due to Flap's cheating, Emma eventually splits from him, returning to her mother, who is involved with a former astronaut (Jack Nicholson). Soon, Emma learns that she has terminal cancer. In the hospital, supported by Aurora, she tries to make peace with Flap and her children.

Grandma, Grandma!

Ralph Jones - (2014) The Slumber Party Massacre LP

Death Waltz Recording Company would like to extend to you a very special invitation: a first-class ticket to THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE and its energetic electronic soundscape. Ridiculed on release but later celebrated by some as a feminist parody of slasher films, the picture is fueled by Ralph Jones’ synth score that remembers the first rule of comedy: never let the audience know you’re in on the joke. Away from the film, the music retains a sense of wit and playfulness amidst the tension that makes it a riot to listen to.

Jones’ score wears its influences on its sleeve, with nods to the giants of the world of musical horror – JAWS and HALLOWEEN – as well as a more gothic sensibility, with parts sounding like they should come from an electric organ in an ancient cathedral. He ramps up the tension using rhythmic pulses and atmospheric electric piano, with shrill background parts that sound like a field full of electronic crickets. And his talent for creating catchy melodies is certainly demonstrated here, with not only upbeat and bouncy tones but also haunting motifs that make you uncomfortable with the greatest of ease. Another synth spectacular that will guarantee you have a great time, whether you’re slumbering, partying, or massacring.

'Pizza. Delivery.' What's the Damage? 'Six... So far.'

Sigur Ros - (2015) Von 2xLP

The heaps of praise during 2000 surrounding 1999's Ágætis Byrjun brought surprisingly little attention to Sigur Rós' first record, released in 1997. Remaining available only through the band's Icelandic label, it took some effort to obtain, but those who did get a copy probably found it to be just as adventurous as Agætis. Though darker and more fractured than the string-laden nooks of the follow-up, it's just as sprawling and outright bombastic. It's remarkable that such a young band would be this experimental at this stage in their lifespan, but the sheer breadth gets to be an albatross. Poking fun at '70s prog rock is just as easy as shooting at cement gargoyles on a suburban rooftop, especially when you're an indie kid or a fan of post-rock. But Sigur Rós makes Yes look like the Minutemen. Whittled down to 40 minutes, Von would be considerably more effective than it already is. As a mood setter, the 10-minute opening track really takes about three minutes to do what it needs, and a few other spots seem to drag on for the sake of sucking time. That doesn't prevent Von from being impressive, veering from Gavin Bryars-style aquatic minimalism to My Bloody Valentine-style dream pop. Varying states of isolationist ambience run throughout, whether evoking unrest or tranquil rest. You can practically envision a stray headboard floating through the Sinking of the Titanic-type passages, and the lush "Myrkur" comes from a planet where MBV's Kevin Shields and Kitchens of Distinction's Julian Swales are accorded the level or worship that Earth gives to Hendrix and Clapton. And then there's that voice, one of the most distinctly unintelligible voices since the Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser. Boy? Girl? One would be hard-pressed to guess without liner notes. Based on pure sound, Von is just as much of a treat as the acclaimed follow-up.

Steve Treatment - (2015) All Dressed For Tomorrow LP

Brilliant DIY 'n' roll from Steve Treatment, one of the most fascinating but less heralded figures of the late '70s British punk/DIY scene. Bonding over a shared love for Marc Bolan, Steve and the nascent Swell Maps would play and hang out together around London. The Maps backed Steve on his first single, released on their own Rather Records in 1978. All Dressed for Tomorrow includes said record and Steve Treatment's other two singles from 1979, plus chosen highlights from 1977-1979 recordings, unreleased at the time. Raw, unkempt, experimental glam rock magic. The extensive liner notes by Chuck Warner (Hyped to Death, Messthetics), accompanied by copious photos and memorabilia, cover not just the music but also Steve's varied interactions with Marc Bolan, the Swell Maps, The Moors Murderers, Derek Jarman... among others.

Streams A & B.

Thee Oh Sees & Total Control - (2011) Split LP

Out of San Francisco come Thee Oh Sees and from Melbourne, Australia, come Total Control firing on all cylinders. Recorded by Chris Woodhouse, this shit sounds good; as it always does on a Woodhouse recording. OK, so while this 12″ split was released late last year, it really oughta be mentioned some more.
John Dwyer (Hospitals, Coachwhips, Pink and Brown) and the prolific Oh Sees are sung veterans of the garage rock scene  and John has been smart enough to release this split with synth-punkers Total Control on his own label Castle Face Records. Some solid Oh Sees tracks appear here including “Dead Energy” and the boogie of “AA Warm Breeze”– but turning the record over is where the bigger gold nuggets lay hidden.
The younger of the two bands, Total Control, include members of Eddy Current Suppression Ring, and UV Race…a who’s who of Australian top-notch musicians. This is a superb follow up to the Hengebeat LP (Iron Lung) earlier in the year.  Their side of the wax kicks off with the dark and twisted, “Nervous Harvest”, followed by the brilliantly simple “For Lease”; the songs not really losing intensity before the needle hits the last groove.  There are four songs by each band on this record. Different styles, yet they complement each other and a nice example of the quality of material these bands are able to produce.  Thee Oh Sees prove an already legendary live band, and Total Control are quite possibly Warsaw/Joy Division for a new generation. Ok, no pressure for 2012/2013 guys.

Total Control - (2014) Typical System LP

These Melbourne weirdos' 2011 debut, Henge Beat, was a really exceptional leftfield rock record – one of the best to come out of Australia's underground in recent years, and there's a lot of strong competition in that area, not least from the members' own other bands – and this follow-up is perhaps even better. They're still in the business of shunting messy, fleshy guitars and steely, machine-dream synths together in terrifically unobvious ways here, and doing it with more depth and breadth than ever. There's the dense, metronomic punk chug of Expensive Dog; Black Spring's needling, alien boogie; and on Flesh War, a real goosebumps moment when singer Daniel Stewart's icy, deadpan boom breaks into a shockingly pretty synth-pop chorus. Postpunk, hardcore, krautrock and odd, spacey lounge-jazz are all sucked up and bent brilliantly out of shape over the course of an album that's abrasive but accessible, awkward but assured. Properly special stuff.

Streams A & B.

VA - (1985) Pumping Iron II The Women LP

Pumping Iron II was made as a follow-up to the groundbreaking 1977 film Pumping Iron. The Caesars World Cup was a contest created specifically for the film. The competitors were a mix of professional and amateur bodybuilders, which was actually a violation of IFBB rules. Charles Gaines, one of the writers of the film, was included on the contest's judging panel. He was interviewed for the movie but not identified, and had never previously seen a female bodybuilding contest.
Pumping Iron II has been criticized for not providing an honest look at the sport.[citation needed] The 1985 production focuses primarily on Bev Francis and Rachel McLish. Francis was actually a world champion powerlifter with no bodybuilding experience (though she later became one of the top competitors in the sport in the late 1980s). She arrived in the US and was trained during filming by 1972 AAU Mr. America, Steve Michalik, who also guest posed in the film. Francis was easily the most muscular woman in the contest, but lacked the "feminine" physique of female bodybuilders of the time, and finished only eighth. McLish, a two-time Ms. Olympia winner, was the most successful woman in the sport's history at that time. Though she had done more than any other woman to popularize the sport, the producers chose to portray her as the "villain".

The feminine look.

L.O.T.I.O.N. - (2015) Digital Control And Man's Obsolesence D.C.A.M.O. LP

The internet said:

Between L.O.T.I.O.N.’s Legacy of Terror In Occupied Nations demo and their now infamous live show, it has been hard to tell what to expect from Digital Control And Man’s Obsolescence. These current New York inhabitants have made quite a name for themselves, making quite a bit of noise mixing both reverberations and mediums with the typical setup of a rock band. While both “Fukushima Fallout” and “Goodbye Humans” are both on the demo, they are barely comparable songs to what is laid before you on their first full length LP, which not only keeps true to their sound but expands upon it.

“Militarized Urban Zone(Redux)” sounds like what I imagine war sounds like. The whistle and clamor of chaos pushes only for confusion, and awakens weird memories whilst forming new nightmares. It is hard not to hearken these sounds to something I would be obsessed with in the 90s, but I’m sure everyone, especially the band, are bored of such comparisons by now. “Ultimate Wound Kit” is as industrial-driven as the rest of the record, but has two of the catchiest guitar parts on the whole album. The songs use repetition, not out of laziness, but to create an almost trance-like state that feels ritualistic.

The driving words of “They do this to people” on repeat in “Torture Report,” laid over layers of latent obstinate noise that pulls itself together and apart simultaneously, makes the song intriguingly auspicious and a true standout. The beat crushes on over an evacuation order as it descends into “Fukushima Fallout,” which devolves into the most filth-dredged song of L.O.T.I.O.N.’s 25 minute stay. There is not enough time to reflect in its three and half minutes before it rings out like an abandoned Casio mid acid trip that is abruptly forced into “The Machine.” Perhaps the most “punk” on the album, it as obtrusive as the content of it’s lyrics.

“Vid the Pigs” slips into a more mid-tempo feel that beacons for the filming of police as an act of rebellion. While this may on the surface seem like a generic anti-police punk style song, it holds more relevance than a flash in the pan call to arms. We certainly live in a time (in America) of abject injustice. Though we may sometimes push against technology and its intrusive aspects, we hold great power in its tiny packaging. We hold the power to tell the truth, and to force accountability on wrongdoers, and in that we have created an even greater responsibility that is placed in the hands of all of us. The overarching lyrical content may seem perversely esoteric on the surface, but considering the shape of our modern culture, we are actually living in twisted times reminiscent of a downtrodden Dan Carlin monologue or Discharge lyrics – a time of lies, deceit, genocide and almost Orwellian government control. These are not words that tell of the past or forebode of some future, but those who choose to tell of a time, present, who has serious issues that need to be addressed in a forthcoming manor. Issues easy to turn away from, ones you can hide from in your everyday lives, ones begging to be heard. At a minimum, I feel it is a time to reflect upon what is happening to the humans that surround us, especially those put in less fortunate positions. If it takes a song to help us contemplate what is important in our society, than I applaud it.

“Born In 1984” pushes away from mid-tempo and charges almost catastrophically until petering to some unbridled repetition, before a calm voice transitions to an even more discordant song with “Welcome to the Civilized World.” Its incessant clang creeps on over lyrics of violence and ignorance punctuated by a beyond haunting chorus. It is interesting that a collection of music could be so unabashedly anti-technology when it is so electronically driven – “Computers Don’t Have a Heartbeat” seems almost post-ironic in it’s emphatic disposition. The beat sits almost dormant behind overly confrontational guitar tracks, causing a disturbing dichotomy further illustrated in it’s final chorus that leads directly into the almost M.A.N.-sounding riff of “System Error.” Throughout it’s duration, the onslaught of aggression has been forthcoming and constant, culminating in a full on noise assault that falls into what is perhaps the catchiest beat of the album on “Goodbye Humans.”  Screams of progress ring out as farewells are hurled towards our beloved race. As the album winds to its final moments we are left to look upon our own existence and what it means not only to us, but to those we share this planet with. What our future holds may not be certain, but it is important to remember that it is up to us and us alone.