JBLA came into being after Julian Jöckel (midnightopera) and Stuart Argabright (Ike Yard, Black Rain, o13) performed at a party in Brussels on the 5th of Oct. 2012 on invitation from Bernardo Risquez & Michael Langeder (Different Fountains).
They all had met for the first time the year before through Michael Kreitz from meakusma when Different Fountains & o13 played concerts in Eupen. After staying at Different Fountains studio the day after the Brussels event they set up a rather improvised jam session. Julian played synth on a yamaha dx7, Bernardo worked the low frequencies on an old eminent organ while Michael contributed machine sounds and took care of the live fx engineering. Stuart put together some words and brought a beat to the occasion of the jam session at the DF studio.
During the short Euro tour with Ike Yard, L.I.E.S label head Ron Morelli and artist Svengalisghost came to the Paris show and were talking with Stuart about the streetwalkers of Belleville, specifically the sad Chinese hookers out on the street. Combined with news about recent Foxxconn workers suicides in China and witnessing altercations close to the Air BnB where he stayed.
The Belleville EP are two cuts from that session with remixes from Ron Morelli + Svengalisghost and Vereker.
According to the label the newest single by Torul The Fall taken from the latest album 'Tonight We Dream Fiercely' is a song not to be missed.
And they're right as this splendid, claustrophobic synthpop with a very dark side..... Check it out!
Barnett and Coloccia are separated by two thousand miles; nevertheless this record was born primarily out of condensed in-person meetings rather than penpal file-trading. Following an initial exchange of ideas, the bulk of Retrieval was recorded over three intensive days at Otic Sound in Vancouver, with Coloccia contributing treated vocals, tape-manipulated acoustic recordings and AM radio sounds, and Barnett adding an array of synth instruments to create further loops, drum sounds and other rhythmic elements.They then reconvened at AVAST! studio in Seattle for a final session of mixing and editing with engineer/producer Randall Dunn. The resulting LP is about time and place, synthesis and environment. It's an invitation into the woods, to find that which reveals itself only to the lost. A grave, deeply introspective work, pastoral in essence but cosmic in scope. Opening with the stately, medievalist sequences of 'Harbor', Retrieval's narrative takes in subdued techno abstraction ('Hallway'), chrondritic psychedelia ('So, How Much Do You Know About Me?'), saw mill gear-grind ('Repeating Pit') and eldritch noise invocations ('Retrieval', 'Bird's Eye'). Throughout, it invigorates without consoling and today you can stream the entire LP at Pitchfork Advance. It's out next Monday - don't miss out this intense piece of music.
You can stream the album here.
About Barnett + Coloccia:
Artist and composer Faith Coloccia was a founding member of experimental group Everlovely Lightningheart, and is perhaps best known as one half of Mamiffer (alongside Aaron Turner, with whom she also runs the SIGE label and publishing imprint). She has contributed to recordings by House Of Low Culture, Boris and William Fowler Collins among others, and collaborations with Circle and Daniel Menche are forthcoming. Her work has appeared on such labels as Hydra Head, Daymare, Conspiracy Recordings and Profound Lore.
Alex Barnett played in Oakeater but since 2009 has been active primarily as a solo artist, with releases on Catholic Tapes, DRAFT, Nihilist and others. Most recently he contributed to the Mamiffer/Locrian record Bless Them That Curse
Arrow Video is thrilled to announce 16th December 2013 as the confirmed release date for Big Trouble in Little China, one of the most hotly anticipated Blu-ray titles of the year. John Carpenter’s iconic cult classic will be released as both a deluxe Blu-ray & also as a limited edition SteelBook featuring Drew Struzan’s iconic artwork.
Featuring a bumper crop of bonus features including newly filmed interviews with the director John Carpenter and star, Kurt Russell as well as Carpenter’s long-time producer Larry Franco and the film’s stunt coordinator Jeff Imada, cinematographer Dean Cundey and a further wealth of archive content. The Blu-ray producer’s Francesco Simeoni says of the release “Big Trouble was a dream come true, it’s such an iconic film and to be able to work on a new version of this was a real treat. Technically one of our most complicated discs with acres of content to fit in whilst making everything easy to navigate and user friendly our technical team made this all seamless on the final disc and we are really pleased with the final presentation. The film’s restoration from Twentieth Century Fox was a gift, it’s never looked so good and we can’t wait for our fans to enjoy this package for Christmas.”
A commercial failure upon release in cinemas the film was mishandled by the studio and interviewees Carpenter and Russell especially make no bones about what happened. Finding a secondary life on home video and becoming a bona fide cult classic the film has enjoyed a great reputation on VHS and DVD and now for the first time can be enjoyed in this definitive edition.
Synopsis
Following Escape from New York and The Thing, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell re-unite for this mystical, action, adventure, comedy, kung-fu, monster, ghost story!
Russell plays Jack Burton, a reasonable guy who is about to experience some unreasonable things in San Francisco’s Chinatown. As his friend’s fiancée is kidnapped Jack becomes embroiled in a centuries-old battle between good and evil. At the root of it all is Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who rules an empire of evil spirits. Jack goes to the rescue dodging demons, goblins and the unstoppable Three Storms as he battles through Lo Pan’s dark domain.
One of Carpenters most enjoyable and best loved films, Big Trouble in Little China brilliantly juggles delirious set-pieces, comedy and kung-fu action with a razor sharp script of corking one-liners, as Jack would say “It’s all in the reflexes”.
The super-deluxe package, which is available both as a standard Blu-ray and as a limited edition Blu-ray SteelBook, is full of special features and bonus material. The special features for this edition include:
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the film from a digital transfer prepared by Twentieth Century Fox
Optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and uncompressed Stereo 2.0
Isolated 5.1 DTS-HD Isolated Score Soundtrac
Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell
Return to Little China – A brand new interview with John Carpenter
Being Jack Burton – A brand new interview with Kurt Russell
Carpenter and I – A brand new interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey
Producing Big Trouble – A new interview with producer Larry Franco
Staging Little Trouble – A new interview with stuntman Jeff Imada
Interview with visual effects producer Richard Edlund
Vintage Making-of featurette featuring cast and crew
Extended Ending
Deleted Scenes
Music Video
Gallery of behind-the-scenes images
3 original trailers
TV Spots
Booklet featuring new writing on the film by John Kenneth Muir, author of The Films of John Carpenter, as well as a re-print of an interview with production designer John Lloyd and make-up effects artist Steve Johnson on the design and effects of the film, illustrated with archive stills and posters
The standard release is available with a reversible Sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw and the Limited Edition SteelBook is presented with the original iconic Drew Struzan artwork
Seabound, the moniker under which the duo of Frank Spinath (vocals) and Martin Vorbrodt (electronics) collaborate, is one of the most highly regarded acts in the dark electronic scene. A unique ability to combine cutting edge, modern music and emotional vocals and lyrics to create an atmospheric, compelling work separate Seabound from its contemporaries. Speak In Storms is possibly Seabound’s strongest effort to date.
It is cohesive, with the ominous tension started in early tracks like “For Life” and “Contraband.” The tension keeps building through to the danceable “Everything,” which seems to be a deep exhalation of breath, a release. The relief is short lived, as “Lair” builds once again from the darker atmospherics, taking the listener once again into the moody world of Seabound. Speak in Storms is a compelling piece of work; it’s the sound of broken dreams, of loss and anger, and, of course, love.
