LAIBACH release a brand new album, SPECTRE, on CD, vinyl and download on 3 March 2014. The deluxe edition of the album will come with four extra tracks plus the SPECTRE Partybook: a laminated linen bound party membership book with SPECTRE’s manifesto and an invite to register your allegiance to its thesis.
SPECTRE follows the band’s widely acclaimed conceptual album VOLK (2006) – where Laibach interpreted national anthems of historically imperialistic nations – and the release of the side projects LAIBACHKUNSTDERFUGE (2008) and IRON SKY: The Original Film Soundtrack (2012).
SPECTRE’s release will be followed by a worldwide tour, which includes dates at KOKO, London as well as the band’s first foray into China: a live date on 22 March will be preceded by a Laibach Kunst exhibition (17 January-20 March), plus a Laibach Seminar at the City University of Hong Kong on 21 March.
Laibach has once again ‘re-invented’ itself in a newly born, yet polished and solid, formation. And, as is now customary, Laibach calls into question all the rigid and cemented interpretations (and prejudices) about itself, about its music, intentions, philosophy and ideology. Laibach are masters of escape, true escape artists. And yet, despite everything, SPECTRE resonates as a real and full-blooded Laibachian work and nothing else.
With SPECTRE Laibach has created a big, important, and almost dangerous step forward; it seems that this time it has fatally crossed the Rubicon. On this album the group – which has never defined itself politically, but has, nevertheless, constantly analysed politics through its work – comes across as politically engaged as never before. SPECTRE literally sounds like a political manifesto manifest in poetic form. Titles and lyrics couldn’t be more direct. With these lyrics and songs, Laibach, who has always given a controversial impression – or an impression of controversy – especially in terms of its political orientation, is now very clearly taking a position on the political spectrum and probably irreversibly abolishing its own (to some extent quite comfortable) political ‘freedom’ and neutrality.
The album opens with The Whistleblowers, a contagiously optimistic piece of classic “militant & symphonic” Laibach, sounding like the sequel to Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts’s 1914 “Colonel Bogey March”. This rousing whistle along track – “From North and South / We come from East and West / Breathing as one / Living in fame / Or dying in flame”” alludes to the heroism of the new, ‘digital’ Prometheans of freedom - Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange.
No History, knows no mercy, and leaves no doubt: Laibach require uncompromising action, they demand bravery and boldness and seek heroes “who will be the creed of a new political faith”. And, in one of the verses of this song, listeners can find a mini-‘manifesto’ about the album itself, its sonic expression, and the position of the group in relation to its own history.
In amongst these rallying calls from the band, sits a rare Laibach love song: We Are Millions And Millions Are One deals with love in today’s impossible times, times which are dangerously close to the fictional reality of classic anti-utopian novels such as Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We (Мы), Laibach’s inspiration for this song.
Ending the album is the elegant utopian song Koran a track that shows the possibility of a better and fairer world – on Earth or in the hereafter. Koran – which literally means ‘recitation’ (also another key Laibachian trait) –, of course, to some extent also refers to the series of uprisings, revolutions and wars in the Arab world that have been taking place in the past few years and which refuse to sink. Consequently, the album ends with the (in)complete, open, unfinished sound of a piano key...
SPECTRE Tracklisting:
The Whistleblowers
No History
Eat Liver!
Americana
We Are Millions And Millions Are One
Eurovision
Walk With Me
Bossanova
Resistance Is Futile
Koran
TOUR DATES - 2014
6 March - Luzern, Schüür, CH
7 March - Weinheim, Café Central, DE
8 March - Paris, Trabendo FR
10 March - Leuven, Het Depot, BE
12 March - London, KOKO, UK
13 March - Amsterdam, Melkweg, NL
14 March - Cologne, Stollwerk, DE
15 March - Schorndorf (nr Stuttgart), Manufaktur, DE
16 March - Munich, Technikum, DE
22 March - Hong Kong - The Vine Center, CN
2 April - Rome, Orion Club, IT
3 April - Trezzo (Milan), Live Club, IT
4 April - Frankfurt am Main – Mousontrum, DE
5 April - Dresden – Reithalle, DE
7 April - Berlin, Volksbühne, DE
8 April - Hamburg, Uebel & Gefrährlich, DE
10 April - Malmö, Babel, SE
12 April - Poznan, C.K. Zamek, PL
13 April - Gdansk, B90, PL
15 April - Wien, Arena, AT
16 April - Budapest, A38, HU
18 April - Praha, Archa Theatre, CZ
9 May - Zagreb, Tvornica Kulture, HR
In 2014 Summer Darkness will not have a summer edition. This year Summer Darkness says its farewell to Tivoli Oudegracht as location with the winter edition, which is set for February 21st with: Hocico, Aesthetic Perfection, Faderhead, Terrolokaust, Winterkaelte and special guest Johan van Roy of Suicide Commando.
After 11 successful editions of the largest Dutch dark underground lifestyle festival it is time for a moment of reflection. The festival has always had an eye for innovation, but innovation obviously doesn’t just happen, the festival will now take an extra year to find new interpretations for innovation.
There are several conditions that make this a good time for a sabbatical. In the summer of 2014, the Dom Square, the heart of the festival with the market, stage and terrace, is unavailable due to excavations. The German Amphi Festival has decided to move to the last weekend of July, which for years has been the fixed festival weekend of Summer Darkness. The organization of the festival will have a new home at TivoliVredenburg, this all given, it is a good moment to think about the future.
The various Summer Darkness presents concerts, like May 18th Näo, Puin + Hoop & Distel and June 14th The Cruxshadows, and the dark undergound club night Cyberia will continue.
www.summerdarkness.nl/festival/news/message/title/Summer-Darkness-takes-sabbatical
Arrow Video is excited to announce the UK Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD release of the 1985 cult horror classic THE STUFF which will be available to own in the UK from 10th March. This deluxe edition, which represents the first time the film will be released on Blu-ray in the UK, features packaging that showcases a fantastically gloopy, newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin. But retro purists need fear not - as they will find that the reversible sleeve is adorned with the original UK VHS art by poster art legend Graham Humphreys!
Featuring a bumper crop of bonus features such as documentary Can’t Get Enough of The Stuff: Making Larry Cohen’s Classic Creature Feature, an all-new 52-minute documentary featuring director Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, actress Andrea Marcovicci, Steve Neill (mechanical makeup effects) and Kim Newman. Alongside this, the disc will also feature an introduction and trailer commentary by director and The Stuff fan Darren Bousman (Saw II, Saw III).
Synopsis
The Stuff is the new dessert taking supermarket shelves by storm. It’s delicious, low in calories and – better still – doesn’t stain the family carpet… What’s not to like?! Well, for a start it has a life of its own, and we’re not talking friendly live bacteria…
Young Jason seems to be the only one who doesn’t love The Stuff – in fact he won’t go anywhere near it, after having seen the pudding crawling around the fridge one night. What’s more, everyone who eats The Stuff has started acting really weird… Now, teaming up with wise-cracking industrial saboteur “Moe”, Jason must put a stop to The Stuff and the organisation behind it or face a gooey, gloopy demise.
Coming courtesy of horror auteur Larry Cohen (director of the It’s Alive series and scribe behind the Maniac Cop trilogy), The Stuff is a titillating treat for the taste-buds which blends elements of films such as Street Trash with the straight-up B-movie flavour of The Blob. So grab a spoon and dig on into The Stuff – the taste that delivers… much more than you bargained for!
Special Features
· New High Definition restoration of the film from a brand new 2K scan of the original camera negative
· High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the film
· Original stereo 2.0 audio
· Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
· Can’t Get Enough of The Stuff: Making Larry Cohen’s Classic Creature Feature – Documentary featuring Larry Cohen, producer Paul Kurta, actress Andrea Marcovicci, Steve Neill (mechanical makeup effects) and Kim Newman
· Introduction and trailer commentary by director and The Stuff fan Darren Bousman (Saw II, Saw III)
· Original Trailer
· Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
· Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Joel Harley, illustrated with original stills and promotional materials
Minimal, atmospheric, deep, obscure, murky and wistfully poetic: here's the new Noise Trade Company, the project led by the elettronic/industrial/post-punk alchemist Gianluca Becuzzi and Elena De Angeli.
Unfaithful Believers is the album that in 2014 will delight fans by a repertoire full of alienanting, pale sound, supported mainly by skeletal scans of drum machines, expanded dark-ambient noises, reverberating Badalmenti/Tarantino-like arpeggios performed by Fabrizio Biscontri and by the significant vocal expressions sung by the two protagonists.
Evocative harmonies, lyrics of great effect, aesthetic and brave experimentalism add charm to the structures of the ten songs included in the tracklist, with a strong, movie-like atmosphere. Stories of forbidden love and death, passion consummated in secret, Beauty and Evil merge in the echo of a ‘place of the mind’ which could be Twin Peaks.
After a year from the previous "Reformation" the platform offers a new full-lengh which, if listened with complete partecipation, will offer nocturnal glimpses, decadent images, darkness and feelings of perdition.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Benelux celebrates the last season of the groundbreaking hitseries Breaking Bad in a very special way. In the Belgian Kinepolis-theatres you can take part of a Breaking Bad Marathon on 16th February 2014 that will be held in 3 locations.
On Sunday 16th February 2014 the fans can feel the ultimate Breaking Bad-vibe as then you can see the last 8 episodes from the season that’s been given 6 Emmy® Awards and 2 Golden Globes®. That is six days before its DVD-release and hasn’t been showed on television before.
The Breaking Bad Marathon locations are: Kinepolis Antwerpen, Kinepolis Gent and Kinepolis Leuven. The price is € 24,95 each, including dinner and drink or €19,95 for those who have a Kinepolis Student Card, also including drink and dinner.
Click here for tickets.
Breaking Bad Marathon Programme
15u30 : Reception
16u00 : Episode 1&2 à 95mins
17u35 : Break – 10mins
17u45 : Episode3 & 4 à 95mins
19u20 : Break - dinner – 35mins
19u55 : Episode 5 & 6 à 95mins
21u30 : Break – 10mins
21u40 : Episode 7 & 8 à 110mins
23u30 : End
And if you can’t get enough of it, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Benelux releases on 19th February Breaking Bad: The Complete Series featuring 55 hours of Breaking Bad!
Below you can see the thrilling trailer from this event.
