dextervoid

[dextervoid]

How do I deal with my tragic heart? When my mind can't stop infatuation and my soul is lost in limerence. This mix is a coping mechanism. It solves nothing. But it is a way of creatively expressing my foolish feelings. I hope it conveys anxiety, yearning, comedy, and heartfelt generosity.

[dextervoid]

Dexter Void on The Wire

My relationship with music is to some extent volatile and tempestuous. With years of crate digging, record buying, cognitive cataloguing and obsessive research elapsed, I’ve unintentionally tried to forage a deeper understanding of what music itself means to me. Connecting the dots to unearth a definition or simply continue the quest to hear, touch and feel a song or artist. “Volatile” because it can be overwhelming, and “tempestuous” as it has on many occasions, impelled me to destroy the essence of my music fixation. This is either by haphazardly clearing out records once bought in various formats, or just deleting significant amounts of music files. Where I find myself inevitably swept-up by throwaway culture, I then return, only to find myself in a chasm of regret and doubt yet again. I eventually seek out and rediscover the music I deleted. It can be problematic. And now, should anyone ever ask me “what kind of music do you like?”, I think it’s easier to quip by uttering: “I hate music” and leave it at that, as I simply can’t explain it. It’s a temperamental bond. 

This brings me to The Wire, another place where my enthusiasm for the music magazine veers into insanity. I’ve been subscribed on-and-off over the years, and for some reason, my relationship with it has been equally tempered. I often question myself: “Why?” However, I’ve gone full circle and arrived at a certain dedication. It’s a publication I can rely on in the world of music. So herein lies my ode, or a love letter to one of the best. 

The Wire, issue 211, September 2001 featuring Björk

Looking back on becoming a teen, I remember being drawn to alternative music, labels and artists. Assisted by older siblings, this new outlook helped me wave goodbye to the shameless mainstream pop I had been following. When at college, I remember buying the occasional copy of Sleazenation and Jockey Slut, after inspiration leapt at me when browsing them. At the time I almost religiously bought NME every week, which marginally served as a good window into the world of alternative music. If I remember correctly, this was around the whole indie explosion circa 2000 onwards! There were other great titles knocking about too. The superb Careless Talk Costs Lives, Plan B, and Rock-A-Rolla, which without realising at the time actually went against the grain of mainstream music, especially when considering the more conformist and overall tame regular press like Mojo, Uncut, The Word, Clash, and god-forbid, Q. That’s not to say these didn’t have personalities and traits of their own. This were all good for a short while, but I craved something different. 

But how did I discover The Wire? Reminiscing about this, it was a photocopied cover article of Boredoms for the September 2002 issue that my sister sent me. This was due to my then fascination with Japanese culture and music. Pizzicato 5, Shonen Knife, eX-Girl, Melt Banana and the Sushi 3003 and Sushi 4004 J-pop compilations on the German Bungalow label were the order of the day. The Boredoms photocopied interview arrived randomly in the post. I think my sister foresaw opening my mind with something entirely different from the Japanese underground. The article felt wild and acutely alienating at that age. I had no idea what the music was like, the grown-up writing style of The Wire was perplexing to me and had me clasping at the dictionary. The striped-back abstract nature of the page layout was wholly different to what I was used to. This memory sticks in my mind but I didn’t start reading The Wire properly until a few years later, when I’d buy the odd copy or peruse elsewhere. A few years on, my brother then subscribed me as a gift for a couple of years which greatly increased my interest. 

The Wire, issue 223, September 2002, featuring Boredoms

Eventually, I subscribed myself. Yay! In recent years, I let The Wire team know about my growing fondness. They bizarrely published an email I sent on the Letters page in the May 2020 issue featuring Diamanda Galás on the cover. Under the heading “Excellence by design” they transmitted the email word for word which spoke of my obsession about the music they include and the artistic approach they apply. Everything from the unassuming covers to the typeface! I suggested a sort of celebration for issue 500 or when they reach 40 in 2022 (which they did by putting on a series of events), but I also encouraged the idea of an anthology to document their existence. I do wince at myself for this gush though! Prior to this, they published the 15 records I’d been listening to on the Charts page in the November 2008 issue – a cover feature dedicated to “Unofficial Channels.” Featuring albums by Metalux, Tipsy, Combustible Edison, Gang Gang Dance, and other oddities, the inclusion of the list made me ecstatic. It coincided with the release of my first zine called Kelpie, which collected naive and unskilled drawings for bands and artists. This was somehow significant to me and sealed my wide-eyed enthusiasm. 

Dexter Void's 15 albums from issue 297, November 2008

The Wire must realise they have a dedicated fanbase, which can sometimes verge on cult? Yet, there were times when a slight disillusion crept in. Especially when the viewpoint projected onto them is that of a pretentious one, willing to accept any old avant-garde rumblings and parps. Therefore, a few years here and there were lost because of this notion. When lockdown hit, I resubscribed my loyalty and gradually reached a place of dedication, with the aim of collecting every issue published – which may take the next 20 years! 

Alongside a monthly dose of meticulous reviews and extensive interviews, the regular sections such as the Invisible Jukebox, The Inner Sleeve, its Epiphanies page and Global Ear sincerely exhilarate the soul and mind, especially as some feature the input of artists themselves. Other informative segments like The Primer, or all the way back to Savage Pencil’s Trip Or Squeek satirical comic, serve as a reassuring area of solace, eagerly awaited each month.  

This leads me on to The Wire Tapper. It’s something of a curiosity, a menagerie of global sounds signalling deep into my tender membrane. The quest to collect each CD became another obsession but easier to complete. They act as a way of bringing some of the music you read about to life, and what I love about the CDs is the uninhibited idea of freedom by whoever is compiling. They vigorously take us further into the music. Always a surprise, always fascinating. In fact, to this day, a lot of the music on those discs has remained in my memory, weirdly taking on a relentless stature of importance, which sounds downright theatrical. The CDs I heard as a younger fella propelled me on to discover music by the likes of Badawi, Gas, Jin Hi Kim, Felix Kubin, Paavoharju, The Master Musicians of Hop-Frog, Sagan, Phog Masheen and an incalculable number of others! 

The Wire Tapper CDs cover sleeves (1 to 64)

They lay the groundwork and do the hard graft making it easier for me to investigate and discover many mind-boggling musical experiments. The revolving cast of regular writers, contributors and freelancers all seem to have a Wire-esque demeanour, so it all feels intimately familiar and cohesive. That’s not to say there hasn’t been any duds along the way, not everything is guaranteed to be enjoyed or even understood. It’s just an attempt to broaden a musical landscape and knowledge, and sometimes you come a cropper. Yet, these are the risks you should take. Something you once dismissed can easily return when you least expect it, inhabiting a small nook and cranny somewhere in the psyche. 

Their way of writing is something I can only aspire to. I sometimes hope they’d realise or have an understanding that this nincompoop intensely follows what they say. It sounds like it’s verging on cult, but is only all encompassing. On the occasion they do find criticism, mainly in reviews, it’s always intriguingly justified, and usually backed up with thought-out knowledge or subtle perception, not forgetting a wry sense of shrewdness too. It taps into the mentality of going deeper to understand music and sound, exploring it in ways others don’t. For instance, issue 481 featuring The Haxan Cloak on the cover featured a review in the Global column. Along with the lush description of the music, the writer pointed out how the record label sleevenotes were a little hot-headed and full of fantasy, when really, the crux of it demanded, “It’s brilliantly recorded and totally fascinating music; it needs context, not romantic mystification.” 

My naive email to The Wire, published in issue 435, May 2020

For me, The Wire is an important magazine that champions the unusual, the unconventional and uncompromising. But I don’t really know how others view it - maybe as a pompous or stringent entity, something of indifference, but I reckon those individuals lean into the traditional rock and pop camp, which leaves little legroom for the mind-bending depths The Wire scales. The Wire isn’t for everyone of course, which is fine. I wonder why it took me so long to go full circle and realise it’s one that speaks to me. I'm grateful for what they do. 

For some years now, when the topic of music drops into conversation, and I unwittingly express some sort of passion, I try to make it clear that I don’t know anything about music and would never claim to either. It’s an important factor of my personality. I’m not intelligent or skilled at anything in particular, but there’s a deep-down fire pit of neurosis aflame within me that continuously desires music. 

Many thanks to The Wire ~~ Dexter Void 🖤

Dexter Void’s favourite 15 tracks from “The Wire Tapper” CDs

Roedelius • Deep Blue 

Nassim Maalouf • Tarab (Rast) 

Jin Hi Kim • EK For JC 

Badawi • Evocation 

Sagan • Jabpunplusone 

The Master Musicians of Hop-Frog • Song of the South 

Phog Masheeen • Survey of Brutality 

Setsubun Bean Unit • Gujo Ondo 

Paavoharju • Pimeänkarkelo 

Matti Bye • Eikern, 1977 

Lealani • Floating 

Rizan Sa’id • Kinana 

Meridian Brothers • Puya del Empresario 

Kamilya Jubran & Werner Hasler • Yama 

Maxx Mann • Bloody And Blue (Instrumental)

[dextervoid]

Songs inspired by the sea, ships, nautical adventures and other bodies of water.

[dextervoid]

Dexter Void's Top 100 Films

I’d never claim to know anything about moviemaking, and the history of cinema, or even behold an in-depth knowledge of directors and actors, let along reel off well-known quotes. So, taking an intuitive approach to my favourites, this list of top 100 films is often based on the emotional states encountered when viewing them, as well as a vision of what’s technically impressive. And in undertaking something like this, it’s more-so interesting to unravel the characteristics of the self. In no way a movie-buff, it was still difficult to sift through the favourites oscillating in the mind and finally settle on the final 100. You can be captivated by film, but they also place the viewer within a memory or scenario, something that holds dear to the heart, and therefore encases it in place. And once you have the list, what do you do with it? It seemed like I had to prove why, and so a reasoning needed to be presented. There’s likely to be spoilers here, as well as agreements and/or debates, but I encourage everyone to create one. There can’t be a wrong answer if you think intensely enough about it. I therefore hope you enjoy interpreting my top 100 films. 

#1 

RATCATCHER 

Lynne Ramsay, 1999, UK 

You’d be forgiven for thinking not much actually happens during this sensitive gritty drama. It is, however, a beautiful debut by Lynne Ramsay, its refinement woven into the simplicity of its characters’ lives and surroundings. There’s a plain darkness scurrying underneath; Glasgow as industrial landscape, the canal as a dangerous entity and the binmen strike of the late ‘70s. We see young lad, James retreating into a world of confusion and curiosity, as he can only hope of a new life in a newly developed part of the city. His day-to-day existence is wistfully coerced and entangled by a crowd of odd locals and hostile environments. His imagination and aspiration, dashed against his own anguish and despair, take him to a place only he can truly fathom. 

William Eadie as young lad James in Ratcatcher

#2 

ORLANDO 

Sally Potter, 1992, UK 

This stately and often insightful historical account of England confused me for many years, my naïve mind not fully able to grasp, or follow the fantastical story. Eventually, its intricacies entranced my brain chasm; a sheer elegance found in Tilda Swinton marching headstrong through the various eras. These are well portrayed and historically detailed, at least to my eye, while she dazzles and transforms through each classical period to the next, leading a story of many layers. The soundtrack equally envelops my nimble frame in sheer mystique, while we experience Quentin Crisp as Queen Elizabeth I and Jimmy Somerville as a celestial chanteuse, pouring a non-binary serenade to an early ‘90s house beat. It all unfolds as a melting pot of abstract and noble plight. 

Tilda Swinton as one of the reinventions of Orlando

#3 

ZATOICHI 

Takeshi Kitano, 2003, Japan 

A reimagined story about a blind swordsman, told uniquely by Takeshi Kitano. Where previous films focused on featuring extended bursts of violence, revenge and blood in a more modern context, the nineteenth century feudal setting for the samurai-cum-masseuse brings acts of redemption, vengeance and ironic humour to the table. A riveting soundtrack propels us forward, revealing not only the story itself, but also bringing to life your own prefabricated dreams and desires. 

Takeshi Kitano directs and stars as Zatoichi, the blind swordsman

#4 

DEATH BECOMES HER 

Robert Zemeckis, 1992, USA 

Seeing this black comedy as a kid, I was engrossed by the hilarity of two feisty women (Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep) battling it out to cause as much damage and harm as possible with no success. All manner of special FX enables them to contort and distort their newly everlasting bodies to amusing repercussions. All the while, a perplexed Bruce Willis merely looks on. As a grown-up, the film now unravels so many sociological ideas and theories around greed, narcissism and vanity. The desperation for immortality and one's legacy envelops the aura of this picture. This all somehow makes it a shrewd observation, underpinned by much slapstick and screwball.  

Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep as immortal beings in Death Becomes Her

#5 

ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER 

Pedro Almodóvar, 1999, Spain 

Almodóvar deserves a place on a film list. His stories and direction are exuberant, full of life, colour and passion. I simply adore how All About My Mother is melodramatic with a huge heart, with a cast of characters to match. Bold and knee-deep in depth, their hardships captivate the audience, and all with a firm ironic nod to the 1950 classic, All About Eve starring Bette Davis. 

Cecilia Roth standing aside a poster of Marisa Paredes in All About My Mother

#6 

I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE 

Jacques Tourneur, 1943, USA 

The West Indies backdrop to this mysterious B-movie weaves an opaque, if not feverish impression. Its title is somewhat misleading and not the ‘zombies’ we’d typically imagine. Transported to the Caribbean, the determination of nurse Betsy Connell is steadfast as she tries to seek answers and remedies from a so-called witchdoctor, something of intrinsic folklore. The wonderful use of shadows and lighting create an eerie landscape, while the deployment of silence along creaky verandas, dark hallways and blustery crop fields keep the viewer engaged. We feel the loss and grief of the interwoven characters, while distant voodoo rhythms and whispers of superstition make for an unsettling environment, perfectly matching the tension that’s unable to hide from the lustrous moonlight. 

'Zombie' Christine Gordon with Francis Dee & Tom Conway in I Walked with a Zombie

#7 

GHOST WORLD 

Terry Zwigoff, 2001, USA 

It perfectly captures many things; the pressure of youth, and the confusion that comes from being a misfit, not to mention the boredom of smalltown life. Outsider Enid sure does relish in the cynicism of everything that obeys the patriarchy, but it’s fascinating to watch her carve out her place in the world. The film touches on the inevitable passage of drifting apart and the excitement of meeting someone new, the trappings of being a nerd and the absolute hypocrisy of others. At the end of all this discovery, what do we have to show for it? You eventually must tread your own path. 

Scarlett Johansson and Thora Birch in Ghost World

#8 

SECRETS & LIES 

Mike Leigh, 1996, UK 

Mike Leigh is a wonderful filmmaker and likely one of my favourites. With Secrets & Lies, he illustrates a delicate story and processes it in a complex family system via gritty drama. It’s full of, well, secrets and lies. It delves even deeper into your soul with characters who are honest and simple, full of their hidden pain and anguish, all-the-while projecting back our own doubts or feelings. It’s something Leigh does entirely well and is all the more heartfelt for it.  

Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Brenda Blethyn in Secrets & Lies

#9 

LA REINE MARGOT 

Patrice Chéreau, 1994, France 

Striding ahead, not leaving me enough time to catch my breath, this opulent epic flourishes in its own gore and violence. We witness a loveless royal marriage, the decadence of sixteenth century France and the impending combat between Protestants and Catholics in the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The fast-paced story unfurls a complex narrative of deceit, unions and passion, encroaching briskly to finally imbue its own blood. The percussion-based and droning string-led Medieval style soundtrack simply thrives, especially in the wild boar chase, all helping elevate the darkly humorous tale of lust, deception, revenge and its so-called allies. 

Daniel Auteuil and Isabelle Adjani in La Reine Margot

#10 

DOLLS 

Takeshi Kitano, 2002, Japan 

A second movie by Kitano in my top ten; Dolls seems to represent a translucent trio of human emotion, interwoven with, at times, an overbearing abstract demeanour. The striking costumes, landscapes and seasons that adorn the three sections can veer into overblown romanticism, with the viewer requiring a patient manner. But your gesture of poise is well rewarded, as we gracefully shuffle along with the bound lovers, overlapped by other love stories. This all serves to intensify our own accounts of grief, sadness and obsession with a tender eye that pays a wholehearted tribute to Japanese Bunraku puppet theatre.  

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Miho Kanno as bound lovers in Dolls

#11 

THE LADY EVE 

Preston Sturges, 1941, USA 

It’s worth noting that certain pictures from the 1930s-1950s have had an impact early on, instilling a viewpoint outlining the key components that make up a film. The Lady Eve is full-on screwball tomfoolery, hilarious one-liners and observations, all steered by the marvellous Barbara Stanwyck. It’s a riotous gallop of deceit and fraud, which interferes with, and plays havoc with the naïve, yet loveable gestures offered from Henry Ford. Taking place partly on a cruise liner, we also travel by overnight train where the antics only blossom further when the headstrong Stanwyck reinvents herself as an English aristocrat. The dinner party scene is unforgettable! 

#12 

MOROCCO 

Josef von Sternberg, 1930, USA 

Marlene Dietrich is something of an enigma. She dazzled me from a young age, and Morocco was an early viewing that started a spellbinding journey. The mysterious setting flits around human emotion and its quest for true love. Experimental lighting and camerawork are on display here, and we have the eye-pleasing Gary Cooper as the Légionnaire Dietrich craves. All-the-while, her fabulous and often gender-bending ceremony at the nightclub lures us into a world of unknowns. We react to the sentiments throughout, all building to a brooding bar scene, its piano dirge willing us on to join her at the film’s hushed and plaintive finale. 

#13 

BORN YESTERDAY 

George Cukor, 1950, USA 

It’s engrossing to witness a brash tycoon hiring a well-educated journalist, who’s only remit is to teach a so-called dumb blonde mistress and make her seem more appealing and presentable to important folks. We witness her brush-up on etiquette, culture and American history, which is why it’s funny to see the original intention fail. The Oscar winning performance by Judy Holliday is deserved, even if she is playing a feisty, irritable character, you’re rooting for her all the way as she sheds her boisterous and rough around the edges persona.  

#14 

SLEEPING BEAUTY 

Clyde Geronimi, 1959, USA 

This could be considered an odd Disney choice on the list, especially when the studio produced classics such as Dumbo, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. What I love about Sleeping Beauty is its angular animation motif and slightly darker tinted colour palette, backed by the astounding Tchaikovsky score. It dissolves some of the regular Disney cuteness and more-so brings sheer horror to the medieval table, and to me, also feels like a farewell to the 1950s. Maleficent is depicted as truly evil, and her gothic Forbidden Mountain only enriches the mystery. There is light relief in the form of three good fairies, and it’s somewhat amusing how aloof Aurora and Prince Philip seem to be. Even more comical is the sheer shock from the aristocracy at the thought of him wanting to marry ‘a peasant girl’. 

#15 

SUNSET BLVD 

Billy Wilder, 1950, USA 

This darkly humorous and satirical look at Hollywood as an industry and its supposed has-beens certainly feels like a scathing attack on the studios that birthed them. Documenting the mere descent of a faded silent film star into insanity, played superbly by Gloria Swansons, it cleverly captures that desperation to be an immortal glowing icon. Rather exceptional considering Swanson herself was from the silent era, while it also features cameos from other silent luminaries including Buster Keaton and Anna Q. Nilsson. It has a fiery, sordid eye looking down on us with comical, if not reproachful one-liners concerning the state of the current film industry, as well as bygone glory days. You can also read much into it from a modern context; our throwaway society and obsession with maintaining youth, the desperation clinging to an omnipotent plain.  

#16 

CABARET 

Bob Fosse, 1972, USA 

The escapades and frolics of Sally Bowels remain in your tortured soul and brings a dose of longing to the somewhat fancy-free times it portrays. Berlin at the onset and gradual rise of Nazi Germany is startling against the backdrop of the 1930s. It explores offbeat flapper girl-types, styles and idioms, all wrenched with a sort of seedy psycho-sexual prowess shimmying with oddball reprobates, their quirkiness free and easy. Joel Gray as Master of Ceremonies is fabulous in an untouchable sculpture-like way, as is Liza Minelli as Ms Sally Bowles in a role that seemed to be made for her. Musicals aren’t entirely my thing (and downright rubbish in my opinion), yet Cabaret features gut-wrenching timeless songs with an equal level of humour, soul and yearning. Bob Fosse’s choreography is rowdy, inventive and gaudy, all in the gender-bending style of 1930s swing and chanson mimicking that of the seedy underbelly of an abstract Kit Kat Klub. This is something he explored in his previous picture Sweet Charity, but with the added rise and sobering integration of the Nazi’s in Cabaret, we have a more thought-provoking outcome.  

#17 

THE PIANO 

Jane Campion, 1993, New Zealand 

There are two striking components to this tale of loss and obsession; a lush and vibrantly moist landscape around a painstakingly pertinent costume drama which transcends beyond that of others. With unbudging characters, the gothic-drenched romance has a burden as heavy and unwieldly as the grand piano isolated on the beach. The muted lead of Ada McGrath communicates not only through sign, signal, and notetaking, but through the piano itself; an overbearing hulk of a figure that often yields heart-wrenching conclusions. Along with it, the Michael Nyman score leads us gallantly through the New Zealand wilderness with an equally obsessive eye. 

#18 

THE LITTLE MERMAID 

Ron Clements and John Musker, 1989, USA 

A second Disney choice here is from the contemporary era, dating back to when the studio more-or-less kickstarted their renaissance, and guided them through the ‘90s and beyond, thus rejuvenating the corporation after some stagnant years in the wilderness. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, The Little Mermaid features outlandish, larger-than-life characters, a blend of brilliant songs and gleaming aquatic animation. The adventure glides along on a riveting underwater current of straightforward storytelling, never shying away from a charming sense of humour or darker depths of despair. 

#19 

THE WIZARD OF OZ 

Victor Fleming, 1939, USA 

Undoubtedly on many movie lists; a poignant ode to childhood and uncomplicated fantasy which only develops your melancholic gears as you grow older. Guaranteed to bring me to tears every time, yet I question why? In a modern context, it’s nostalgia for a dreamworld that embraces a sumptuous colour palette after so much sepia, all of which is further enhanced by flamboyant and vulnerable characters, sing-along tunes and a yearning for something you can’t quite comprehend.  

Charles Coburn, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve

#20 

MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY 

Woody Allen, 1993, USA 

A riotous crime-solving excursion carried out by Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. They perfectly bounce off one another while they attempt to unravel and piece together a mosaic of strange goings-on and mysterious incidences, all in a hilariously slapdash way. With many gags along the way, Allen offers viewers just a pinch of insight into what’s happening as we try to keep up with their haphazard detective work, culminating in a delightfully perfectly imperfect choreographed tape machine manipulation. You might not perceive any bold statements, but it does lure viewers into a rather inquisitive journey, keeping you on the edge of your seat. 

#21 

HEAVENLY CREATURES 

Peter Jackson, 1994, New Zealand 

Based on the true story of two inseparable girls, who form a close friendship and consciously decide to commit murder when forced apart. The adaptation is devastating in its subtlety, interspersed with gallant fantasy worlds from the viewpoint of a young mind when presented with an inaccessible, and out of reach worldview. This is brilliantly emphasised by the slightly claustrophobic social setting of 1950s New Zealand, and lead actors Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet, in her debut role, offering their off-kilter and oddball personas with a captivating charm. Watching the friendship grow as an outsider brings forth the voyeur in you, and the heartbreak felt on both sides towards the films climax is none other than disturbing.  

#22 

THE PIANO TEACHER 

Michael Haneke , 2001, France 

Precisely what is deep-rooted within the disposition of the main character in The Piano Teacher is one that can trouble you, or is it a reflection of the faults you see in yourself? Played exquisitely by Isabelle Huppert, her psycho-sexual prowess and bizarre way of thinking erupts throughout and results in a desperate plea mired in transgression.  

#23 

THE CIRCLE 

Jafar Panahi, 2000, Iran 

It’s easy for me to speak highly of how The Circle is an exemplary modern-day account depicting the oppression women face in Iran. But watching a late night showing on Channel 4 in the early 2000s with no expectation as to what it was about threw me off guard. In fact, it was broadcast as a double bill with another Iranian film, possibly by Panahi. I don’t recall the name, but it was a primitive shot of a conversation in a cable car. Back to The Circle, we’re fully devoted to the women we traipse behind and feel fully engaged with the difficulties they face, thus going full circle, as it were, only to arrive back where we started. It’s a powerful message.  

#24 

AMÉLIE 

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001, France 

One of those films where every little detail seems meticulously thought out and executed with effortless grace yet runs seamlessly from scene to scene. It can attempt to be too kooky at times, but the bountiful tale of intriguing romance and a colour scheme to match harnesses my attention. With the aim of secretly bringing joy to the people around her, it has a unique feelgood factor usually missing from similar comedies. Amélie is more rooted in humanism than the directors previous work, which includes the excellent Delicatessen and overtly industrial The City of Lost Children, and it seems to take rapturous delight in knowing this. With musical accompaniment from Yann Tiersen to help elevate the comic strip style skits and distinctive humour, we grow to be far-more concerned with the fate of our do-gooder.   

#25 

SIDEWAYS 

Alexander Payne, 2004, USA 

A movie that doesn’t get old. The cynical and wry ‘I told-you-so' style comedy of errors still resonates today and more-so feels like a coming of ‘middle-age’ movie. The friendship between the leads, Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church is a poignant one as they both slip into trouble on their vineyard, wine tasting and golfing road trip. The film reflects charmingly upon the mistakes, regrets and missed chances one encounters in life. 

#26 

DISHONORED 

Josef von Sternberg, 1931, USA 

My first Marlene Dietrich film, a subtle and suave picture that’s surely underestimated. With a nonchalant and suggestive demeanour, agent X-27 is deadly serious and beautiful when it comes to spying on those Russians. Its many exciting scenes flaunt the screen; a fantastical masque ball, a deceitfully dim-witted milk maid pursuit and ultimately the beautiful agent's final condemnation.  

#27 

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION 

Fred Schepisi, 1993, USA 

“Chaos, control, chaos, control” tears through this slapstick tale of tomfoolery and imposter satire. The ever-present metropolitan skyline of early ‘90s New York heaves to a revolving cast of characters. Cantankerous trust-fund brats of the affluent, confused art dealers, and college misfits collide frantically, duped by a young Will Smith, who misleads beautifully in a conniving sphere of innocence. Simply controlled chaotically. 

#28 

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 

David Frankel, 2006, USA 

A go-to hangover film. It always makes me laugh and feel a little bit hopeful, which seems rather gooey of me! Meryl Streep as editor of leading fashion magazine, Runway is startling, if only for her unbelievable demands and emotional detachment to the people around her. Anne Hathaway is all eager-eyes and transformative sprite in the world of fashion, leaving desperate Emily Blunt a nervous wreck. Despite a rather maudlin boyfriend character and slops of mush towards the end, it otherwise serves as a nice way of dipping your toe into an unforgiving industry – a scene involving a cerulean sweater is delightfully comical and unnerving. No doubt a crowd-pleaser and a so-called chick-flick (a genre term I’m not fond of), it smoothly immerses us in the preposterous domain of fashion, publishing and all that vacuous pizzazz. 

#29 

ALL ABOUT EVE 

Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950, USA 

With many memorable lines and scenes fraught with tensions that sizzle around an abundant cast, we act as a spectator to a shy understudy, slyly navigating their way into the lives of top Broadway stars and industry people, manipulating her ascent. Superbly played out, we contemplate themes of longevity, legacy, youth and hypocrisy, all swimming in a pool of narcissism. Bette Davis runs amok in a whirlwind of frantic composure, her close allies around her aiming to ease the ego with charm and confusion. You better believe it when Margo Channing defiantly intones, “Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night”.   

Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada

#30 

CARNIVAL OF SOULS 

Herk Harvey, 1962, USA 

Perhaps one reason I’m drawn to this film is due to the title being immortalised by not just one, but two of my favourite bands. Birmingham’s Pram match organ-driven dub pulsations to lyrics interpreting the mysterious dance sequences and alluring spooky painted faces, whilst Rhode Island's Combustible Edison create a haunting atmosphere of Wurlitzer melodies that probe the mind echoing a similar sound heard in the film. A warped emotion that descends the staircase of your mind into a state of unconscious. What we have is a rather simple B-movie horror that fancies playing on the psychological side of our neurosis with melodramatic effect. The unsure and confused car casualty, played by Candace Hilligoss, drifting as a waif-like somnambulist through a world now not her own is delightfully unearthly. 

#31 

MANHATTAN 

Woody Allen, 1979, USA 

As a viewer, I wonder if this serves as social commentary, celebrating New York life, and the many expressions and struggles we endure. It pursues a thoughtful glimpse at the way friendships and relationships blossom, only to become strained while existing within the confines of a contemporary twentieth century. Shot in the fast-paced and ironic way Woody Allen is accustomed to, these characters are full of life, bursting with energy and philosophies all at once, which ultimately might just be their undoing. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton bounce off one another again perfectly and are effortlessly well placed in this romantic vision of the Big Apple. 

#32 

FASTER PUSSYCAT… KILL! KILL! 

Russ Meyer, 1965, USA 

Probably the only Russ Meyer film I can stand to sit through. However, it is a B-movie classic and a good exercise in exploitation. Located in a sort of bumfuck nowhere, (or the middle of the Californian desert to be more precise), the fierce trio of bad-ass go-go girls get their kicks out of drag racing and generally wreaking havoc as brassy and brazen nomads. Along the way, Tura Satana, Haji and Lori Williams kill a jock, kidnap a sap and infiltrate a hick’s farmhouse in the hope of laundering his millions of cash dollars. The acting is big and over the top, the many one-liners ricochet in-and-out of sexual innuendos, as their schemes dart around like the testosterone of the hick’s hulky dimwit son.  

#33 

THRONE OF BLOOD 

Akira Kurosawa, 1957, Japan 

One of my early adventures into Japanese cinema courtesy of my brother, undoubtedly fuelled by a teenage obsession with all things from the land of the rising sun. Masterminded by mood maestro Akira Kurosawa, his reimaging of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a Shogun-era, Feudal state of Japan is spellbinding. The eerie castle atmosphere and landscape draws you in, gloomily clinging to you much like the dense forest and torrential downpours the unforgiving fortress submits. The imperial gestures, grand battles and delectable Japanese etiquette give way to a yarn-spinning sorceress who prophesises a divine climb, and in due course, detrimental downfall.  

#34 

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY 

Woody Allen, 1994, USA 

It was difficult to decide the placement of my three chosen Woody Allen films, I enjoy them quite equally. This is an absolute triumph though, and hilariously shows off the farcical nature of theatre in all its manifestations. From casting, rehearsals, drawbacks and setbacks, the characters self-absorbed pretence right from the get-go to the final performance is a whole other drama unto itself.  

#35 

KING KONG 

Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933, USA 

An early childhood memory, subsequently embedded as a key favourite, the adventure story takes us from the misty and smog-filled harbour of New York City to exotic islands where the giant ape roams as a gated mystical godlike figure. The haunting score, superb camera work and animatronic beasts collide in what is a technical marvel for the time. An eerie, trance-like lurch permeates throughout, and when we eventually return to the glitz of all-consuming Manhattan, a thrilling finale ensues and sees Carl Denham starkly concluding “It wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast”. 

#36 

THE DRAUGHTSMAN’S CONTRACT 

Peter Greenaway, 1982, UK 

Set pieces galore, overt costuming and a grand location litters the atmosphere in this seemingly low-key, dialogue heavy, sexual satire, poking fun at the aristocracy. Saddled with a strident and morosely ironic Michael Nyman composition, the draughtsman in question beautifully attempts to map out the estate grounds, greeting mysterious encounters along the way. It’s not entirely clear what the meaning may be, but repeated viewings help unravel more than we realise. 

#37 

SOME LIKE IT HOT 

Billy Wilder, 1959, USA 

A stupendous tour de force in the art of farce and comedy with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis dragging it up in style whilst on the run. The frolics continue with a wonderous Marilyn Monroe as the love interest. Wilder gave cinemagoers some tremendous pictures over his illustrious career, with Some Like It Hot shoving its way to the forefront with clever storytelling, goofy fun, and important themes and ideas boldly explored for its time.  

#38 

AUTUMN SONATA 

Ingmar Bergman, 1978, Sweden 

A tender and revelatory meeting between mother and daughter, wrought with family truths, ties and personal wrongdoings. For the most part, the reflective dialogue transposes during the early hours of the morning, encased in an oppressive light and heavy atmosphere, the viewer attempts to alleviate the often-uncomfortable situation. Having not seen many Bergman films (apart from the often ridiculed The Seventh Seal or whimsical Wild Strawberries), this could be viewed as an odd choice, and perhaps won’t suit many. Think of it as looking into your own soul, your grievances and astute sentiments projected onto the characters themselves, hopeful of laying indifferences to rest.  

#39 

SHALLOW GRAVE 

Danny Boyle, 1994, UK 

I enjoy the dark and cynical route this black comedy takes; from the ominous obsession slowly eating away and absorbing the characters, tearing them apart. It’s a venomous neurosis which creeps meticulously into their behaviour. The gory-tinged horror embellishes and encroaches around the large apartment, which is utilised here well enough to become a character all its own, thus witnessing the final undoing of the dislocated pals. 

Toshiro Mifune and Isuzu Yamada in Throne of Blood

#40 

BRASSED OFF 

Mark Herman, 1996, UK 

One of those northern working-class comedies, very much in line with The Full Monty and Billy Elliott, that cheekily blows its own horn and stands out for depicting community and an eagerness to achieve in the face of adversity. With the local coal mine due to close, it signals the death bell for the colliery brass band. So, the miners and their dedicated band leader, played attentively by Pete Postlethwaite, steam ahead with practice for a national competition, while the members lives become intertwined and complicated. Full of foolhardy fun and pensive observations and introspections, it seems to me it achieves a well-thought meaning that one shouldn’t give up, no matter what obstacles we face. Along with all of this, the traditional songs and original score starkly resonate honesty and pride to boot!  

#41 

GAS FOOD LODGING 

Allison Anders, 1992, USA 

A lovely oddball of a picture, where I feel like a hanger-on to the daily lives of three women living in a trailer park in a New Mexico town. There’s something genuinely woven into the simplicity of their surroundings and an abiding yearning for something else. In this case, love, or at least figuring out your place in the world. Characters are portrayed unassumingly without veering into cliché or irritation. The film deserves your patience as we observe and grapple with the pressure of youth, midlife disillusion, mixed messages and confused confrontations, with the ever-present longing of escaping a deadbeat town. These resonate from start to finish. 

#42 

THOSE WHO LOVE ME CAN TAKE THE TRAIN 

Patrice Chéreau, 1998, France 

For me, the first half of Patrice Chéreau’s follow-up to La Reine Margot can induce motion sickness! Taking place on a train from Paris to Limoges, a motley group of individuals embark on a journey of self-discovery and revelatory perceptions of one another, whom all claim to have known a recently deceased artist, who’s funeral they’re roving towards. There are dramas en route, many of these waifs and oddballs determined and self-indulged behaviour revealing a multitude of aspects we name grief. Whether they’re genuine or not, remains to be seen. Yet, despite their disparate connections, they gel together well. The film is helped by fast-paced scenes and an artfully directed cord tangling it together in one interesting cluster, not only on the train, but also within the giant cemetery and at the artists bohemian house for the wake.    

#43 

RED DUST 

Victor Fleming, 1932, USA 

Jean Harlow shines in this somewhat simple and aloof romance concerning a rubber plantation owner and the trouble he finds himself in with his mistress. Harlow brings a feisty and zippy-like liveliness to proceedings, as Clark Gable does his darndest to nullify her, locking horns in a befuddled way. The Indonesian setting infuses with Oriental eloquence, the oppressive heat layering a veil of earth and soil over the sexual tension.   

#44 

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN 

Pedro Almodóvar, 1988, Spain 

One of Almodóvar’s more satirical (at least to me) films captures all his usual intricacies and characteristics; fast moving sentimentality, vibrant sets and locations, madcap characters, and major doses of regret and heartbreak. Featuring the fabulous ‘mambo taxi’, we witness the outrageous happenings played out in front of us. This is all induced by a scorching Spanish heat and temperament, playfully scattered around Almodóvar’s obsession with the art of cinema-making itself. 

#45 

TOGETHER 

Lukas Moodysson, 2000, Sweden 

Lukas Moodysson does such a good job of recreating the 1970s, you can easily be misled to believe this was indeed filmed during that period. The characters are depicted and played accurately with a sensitive sheen of Swedish melodrama. The troubles and issues (as well as frolics) one can expect from living in a hippie commune are presented very naturally. No matter how trivial they may seem, it raises questions about how we are as a society and our small place within it.    

#46 

LES DIABOLIQUES 

Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955, France 

At the time of release, cinemagoers may have been horrified by the cunning events depicted on screen. As time progresses, attitudes towards violence and murder change, evident from its classification downgrading from 18 to a 12 the last time I checked. Anyhow, as a viewer, I allow myself to be drawn into its twisted web of tricks and deceit played out by the vampish and shrewd Simone Signoret along with the timid, nervy Véra Clouzot. The queasy air of unease is something one should be shrouded in as it builds towards an unsuspecting climax of twists and turns.  

#47 

A FOREIGN AFFAIR 

Billy Wilder, 1948, USA 

A later film starring Marlene Dietrich whereby she isn’t the leading lady but very much dominates with her presence. That’s not to take away from the splendid performance by Jean Arthur, who does a fabulous job of portraying a prim and proper congresswoman, who is out to do away with immoral and subversive behaviours lurking in the underbelly of post-war Berlin. The scenes at the nightclub are raucous, where mistress Dietrich sings Black Market. There’s a sense of humour pulling at the films cord, while footage of a ruined Berlin is startling bleak.  

#48 

ROPE 

Alfred Hitchcock, 1948, USA 

With so many incredible Hitchcock films to choose from and digest, Rope is the one that left a stain on my mind. Maybe it’s the simplicity; one apartment, a revolving array of characters, and absorbing dialogue that brings various theories and philosophies to the table. The suspense is thrilling throughout, as we speculate whether the trunk, now being used as a buffet table will be opened or not.  

#49 

PECKER 

John Waters, 1998, USA 

I’ve attempted to whittle down my selection of John Waters films and found myself returning to Pecker more often than others. His early films, whilst subversive and completely uncompromising, give me a headache, quite literally and I emerge perplexed from some sort of discarded husk. His films from the later part of the ‘80s and into the ‘90s are much easier to take. Pecker comprises Waters ingenious and perceptive wit for trash in a more watered-down sense, all-the-while painting a rather odd depiction of Baltimore life and its residents, the main subject matter for the budding photographer Pecker. 

Chihiro voiced by Deveigh Chase in Spirited Away

#50 

SPIRITED AWAY 

Hayao Miyazaki, 2001, Japan 

Being a teenager when this Japanese anime was first released, it now takes on the nostalgia-induced cliché/coma that comes with so-called childhood memories, but Spirited Away is justified in that respect. It’s strikingly beautiful; from the intricate animation and colours to an exuberant potpourri of fantastical characters, overly sentimental and gallant sounds, interspersed with truly grotesque and terrifying depictions of human emotion and imagination. The Japanese and English language versions both emit the same soul, designating equal charm whichever way you experience it; a testament to the genuine magic and fantasy. Other titles from Studio Ghibli before and after are lovely but nothing compares to Hayao Miyazaki’s sublime and wonderful Spirited Away. 

#51 

ANOTHER YEAR 

Mike Leigh, 2010, UK 

Mike Leigh is likely to be high on the list of favourite film makers for many. For me, he sparks a sense of sentimentality and anxiety-ridden realism in my aorta chambers. There’s an essence of kitchen-sink drama-like qualities to his work too, a bit like the sensitive anguish we get with Ken Loach (Kes, Poor Cow, The Wind That Shakes the Barley), yet less forced perhaps. Another Year finds Leigh analysing the psyche of the human spirit by those comfortable enough to help others. Split across the seasons, it delves deep into various types of characters, family members and friends, exploring troubles with heartachingly tenderness. Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent are wholly believable as the offbeat straight-talking and caring couple, Sheen’s character acting as a diligent matriarch, although she allows space for her acquaintances to reel in their own misgivings and apprehensions. 

#52 

BELLE DU JOUR 

Luis Buñuel, 1967, France 

A glimpse into the daily life of a bored bourgeois housewife, this Buñuel picture contains a burning sense of desire that resides inside, waiting for some sort of emancipation. Catherine Deneuve approaches the part with both a nimble directness and gentle aloofness, not without a glint of wide-eyed naivety in her eye. Coming from a well-established avant-garde director, the metaphors are sure to make me think what exactly this all means, but it’s surely an exhilarating trip. 

#53 

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 

Jonathan Demme, 1991, USA 

The horror genre isn’t one I completely go for in cinema; perhaps being drawn to the more psychological and fancifully manipulative films are what pique my disillusion. These are very much welcome. This psycho-horror genuinely spreads a chill through my feeble frame. The eerie opening lays an ominous tone, and that encroaching feeling lurches throughout the entire picture. The mind of its killer, Buffalo Bill crawls into your thinking, as does that of detective Clarice Starling, played effortlessly by Jodie Foster. A terrifying night vision scene ensues towards the finale, requiring us to lift ourselves out of the dumps of a dank and dangerous place.  

#54 

STRAY DOG 

Akira Kurosawa, 1949, Japan 

The oppressive Tokyo summer heat always felt like an overarching character in Kurosawa’s gangster crime thriller. With his often-cast main man, Toshirô Mifune scrabbles around the darker and undesirable parts of town in search of his stolen pistol, the heat sweltering and intensifying as the story progresses. What’s beautiful about the film is the way our inexperienced detective slowly learns more about his own work when directly impacted by a crime. 

#55 

THE BIRDCAGE 

Mike Nichols, 1996, USA 

An up-to-date rework of the classic La Cage aux Folles, faithfully depicted, and perhaps taken even further on screen by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. I love the way it lures me in with the lounge revival and tiki exotica backdrop of the 1990s and its fabulously glitzy hijinks of cabaret nightlife, succinctly pouting at you. With laughs and much camp mischief to be had, the heart of what family means is unveiled with nuances of acute generosity.  

#56 

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK 

Peter Weir, 1975, Australia 

The sense of loss paired with what we’d consider a conspiracy theory-like disappearance is brimming with boarding school innocence and sexual tension, made incredibly more difficult by the strict Victorian setting in the Australian outback. There’s something strangely supernatural swimming, almost floating between the rocky landscape and naturally formed columns. It’s almost gut-wrenching to witness the downfall of the matriarchal boarding house mistress, serving as a sort of profound metaphor about the unravelling of our own perceptions of people and the human condition. 

#57 

PRIVATE PARTS 

Betty Thomas, 1997, USA 

The life and times of Howard Stern are played out by himself in true-to-life lurid fashion, and even if you don’t know much about the outrageous U.S. national radio show presenter, just be thankful that his story is told. Fascinating to watch his rise from smalltown radio show host to mega personality, observing the ways he broke barriers and crossed boundaries in mainstream, corporate MOR America, all with tongue firmly in (ass) cheek notoriety. 

#58 

HAIRSPRAY 

John Waters, 1988, USA 

Following his early films of pure gross-out and bile contaminated hilarity, John Waters 1988 commercially viable Hairspray has all the right components, welding together a sardonic look at the faults of the 1960s, all purposely wrapped up in family fun viewing. The cast is brilliant, firm Waters favourites Divine and Mink Stole revolve around Ricki Lake, Deborah Harry, Sonny Bono and Ruth Brown as the zany Motormouth Maybelle, who assuredly has some of the most memorable lines put to celluloid: “Papa Tooney. We've got a Looney” and “No matter what you've heard, we are gonna teach the white children how to do The Bird!”. Waters tackles the civil rights movement with dirty aplomb, poking fun at a white dominated society, as well as the ludicrous age of teenage youth with utter wry mockery. 

#59 

THE ELEPHANT MAN 

David Lynch, 1980, USA 

I thought it might be a tricky decision choosing which Lynch film(s) would feature here, but then it became apparent it wasn’t so. His movies are great exercises in otherworldly dreamlike realms but for me can be too all consuming and bloated in pretentious soup. Whether it be the insanely complex Mullholland Drive, endless Inland Empire, convoluted Lost Highway, or regrettably irritating Eraserhead, they all seem slightly devoid of the sincere emotion I seek. Yet, this is where The Elephant Man trudges in. Shot in beautiful black and white, the dreamy trance-like pace and atmosphere only adds to the refined tenderness revealed from the so-called ‘monster’. It’s gut-wrenching to watch as he’s burdened by the harsh Victorian society around him, and the corruption inflicted upon our apprehensive protagonist. 

Roaming the mysterious Australian landscape in Picnic at Hanging Rock

#60 

A TASTE OF HONEY 

Tony Richardson, 1961, UK 

A rather gritty and grubby adaptation of the Shelagh Delaney play depicting British life in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. When transferred to screen, it might well play on and pigeonhole certain types of people, yet manages to capture working-class lives with simplicity, as well as the situations communities faced at the time. Catfights and squabbles between the mother, played incredibly convincingly by Dora Bryan and daughter Rita Tushingham, are slightly unnerving and uncomfortable, while the film gives weight to so-called outcasts; Paul Danquah as its black sailor and Murray Melvin as closeted homosexual. Tony Richardson’s direction circles a sense of longing and dread to proceedings, especially potent in a patriarchal, white-straight man dominated society. 

#61 

MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON 

Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, 1943, USA 

A short avant-garde collection of dream state imagery to confuse and befuddle the mind. What it means exactly is up to you, but you must allow yourself to be immersed in the deep chasm of unrealities and esoteric abandonment. 

#62 

DANCER IN THE DARK 

Lars von Trier, 2000, Denmark 

There was only ever going to be one Lars von Trier film on the list, and obviously because it features Björk in the lead role. The story is like a knot of nerves, slowly unravelling as tragic melodrama, all interspersed with musical numbers based on musique concrète, otherwise reflecting the drab surroundings Björk’s character, Selma, finds herself in. These act as pure escapism and pays homage to musicals while being rather anti-musical, dispelling traditional conventions entirely. It adheres to the Dogme ‘95 concept, which you could say was better utilised in films such as Breaking The Waves or Festen, but it still trickles through here notwithstanding. The first time I watched Dancer In The Dark, I’d only recently discovered Björk, so inevitably bawled my eyes out over the adversities Selma was placed in. Even though a lengthy watch with jerky camerawork, I still believe the film is great, discarding the clichéd predictions of Hollywood, yet adoring the classic musicals of the silver screen at the same time, whilst serving bold manipulation. I’m just not entirely sure what Von Trier was attempting to say about our harsh society.  

#63 

AUGUST 32ND ON EARTH 

Denis Villeneuve, 1998, Canada 

This French-Canadian indie really took me by surprise. It involves a somewhat bizarre plot based around its main character, played by Pascale Bussières, wanting to have a baby with her friend, spurred on by surviving a car accident. Something like a wake-up call, or a last chance? Even stranger is the desire to conceive in the salt desert of Utah. Despite the selfishness of the main character, this curious story kept me on a hook, mainly to see where it would lead next. That would be a rendezvous in a weird mini pod, all futuristic techno oddness, drunken and revelatory and sees the pair questioning their kinship. This all seems a million miles away from Villeneuve’s later films; Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the Dune remake! 

#64 

BRIEF ENCOUNTER 

David Lean, 1945, UK 

A rather sentimental British film by my standards, but it manages to tap into a yearning and sense of adventure that we as people somehow unwittingly lose being part of the system. Propelled by the intensity of Rachmaninov, the train station setting and a very English post-war rebuild, the understated demeanour is concealed in wonderment. 

#65 

A PORTUGUESA 

Rita Azevedo Gomes, 2018, Portugal 

An extremely minimal film, certainly in terms of dialogue, but what it lacks in script, makes up for in grand and controlled theatrical gestures. Every detail feels painstakingly accurate and abundant, so much so, I put my trust in there being no historical inaccuracies to otherwise demystify the experience. The viewer does require patience, as each scene is framed to be some sort of artistic masterpiece - this involves very little panning shots or camera movement whatsoever, from what I remember. It’s a triumph of photography and cinematography, yet one I feel will be largely ignored.  

#66 

VERONIKA VOSS 

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1982, Germany 

Obsession and narcotics liquefy in this dreamscape by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. His films all have heart and soul, and even though Veronika Voss herself is rather loathsome, perhaps we should understand it’s the system and omnipresent machine we’re sucked into that’s at fault. With a haunting soundtrack swaying among the trauma of our morphine dependent recluse, and desperate washout, one gets the sense her ongoing issues are building to a downward crescendo.  

#67 

INNOCENCE 

Lucile Hadzihalilovic, 2004, France 

Within the same stylistic vein as Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie or Delicatessen, this eerie, slow-burning horror is saturated in opulent green and red pigmentation, and innocently treads a path depicting the upward development of youth and the inevitable journey into the real world. The sumptuous and peculiar imagery of a tucked away boarding house and quietly vicious superiority from its pupils is uniquely frightful. As they clamber towards their debut, it’s even more intriguing when considering the darker undertones of its two dejected and repressed mademoiselles. It all makes sense when the dark fairytale is over, and the final allegory is a reflection on the very loss of innocence. 

#68 

OFFSIDE 

Jafar Panahi, 2006, Iran 

I didn’t think a film about football could sneak into my list, but here we have a triumph at showing the struggle women in Iran face. The majority of scenes are shot, quite literally offside where female football fans are penned in after being discovered illegally watching the game within the stadium. It has that guerilla style of filming throughout, and we hear from different types of women, ignored and dismissed by bumbling security guards and officials. With a celebratory, and slightly sentimental finish, we’re merely left to contemplate. 

#69 

PERSONAL SERVICES 

Terry Jones, 1987, UK 

I weirdly love how this film portrays a grimy London, a sooty-laced air imbued with a strained and rigid seediness that’s all very English. The settings and locations are dreary, and dull, but awash with a diverse array of sexual taboos and kinks. The film acts as an exploration on the rise of Cynthia Payne, brothel hostess and sometime dominatrix, all overlaid with dark humour and hijinks, and played by Julie Walters superbly. It’s also a nice partner film to Wish You Were Here from the same year, based on the childhood of Cynthia Payne (both films feature David Leland as writer) and are well-worth a watch.  

Björk in Dancer in the Dark

#70 

THE FULL MONTY 

Peter Cattaneo, 1997, UK 

Without really meaning to, I automatically lump this together with other working-class films set in the north, such as Brassed Off and Billy Elliott. These films are full of antics and cheeky comedy, clenched teeth and a genuine heart. They also act as a nice distraction, if not amusing counterpart to the realism served by the likes of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. What we get with The Full Monty is a jubilant look at the will of the human spirit when challenged. In this case, we witness a bunch of unemployed steel workers dealing with their immediate situation in the best way they know how, and what better way to do this than put on a striptease act. It touches on what it means for self-respect and their awareness of it. There’s laughs to be had amongst the day-to-day strife's, but their unwavering ambition remains the same. 

#71 

JURASSIC PARK 

Steven Spielberg, 1993, USA 

Including this adventure classic on the list might be considered an obvious choice and it can veer into camp parody at times. But with so many memories ingrained since childhood, how could it not be added? It has all the components you need for an action-fantasy adventure, aging rather well in the process. It strangely has heart too, as we witness a crestfallen Richard Attenborough, but the dynamic trio in the form of Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum lead the charge on a rescue mission. The film paces along perfectly, building plot pieces that lead to high intensity action complete with impressive dino-CGI and animatronics, as well as the all-important magic only Spielberg can conjure.   

#72 

CARRIE 

Brian De Palma, 1976, USA 

The horrors of coming of age and secondary school are enough to instil panic and anger in large doses. Enduring such memories alongside Carrie, who summons frightful telekinesis and the paranormal, immediately puts me on her side in. The film itself straddles elements of goofy comedy, classic horror manipulations, maniacal religious overtones, and lastly, delightful repercussions in a riotous bloodbath. I’m a regular schadenfreude. 

#73 

FESTEN 

Thomas Vinterberg, 1998, Denmark 

Underlying traumas and deep-rooted psychosis unearth and uproot themselves in this Dogme ’95 drama of intertwined family rifts and power dynamics. The unadulterated style of realism delivered through imposing camerawork is awkward, muddy and unnerving. With revelations slowly stirring in the strangely cramped castle setting, the troublesome dinner builds to a provocative nail-biting finale. 

#74 

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND 

Michel Gondry, 2004, USA 

The innate possibilities and yearning etched into celluloid here is what captures the imagination; a glimpse at realigning the human memory or evading it shall we say. But can you imagine that possibility; the chance to block out unwanted trauma or mistakes, dalliances or disputes, the chance to delete certain aspects of one's life, much to the dismay of others. Michel Gondry uses his inventive vision to create illusion and uncertainty, sometimes heartwarming and sometimes scary. It’s not surprising of me to feature the director due to his work on eight Björk music videos, his collaborative work with the singer always spellbinding. The synergy Gondry utilises with Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst is marvellous here too, each of them fantastic in their roles. He aims to push the limits with subtlety and poignancy in a swirl of odd strangeness.   

#75 

THE WATERMELON WOMAN 

Cheryl Dunye, 1996, USA 

Inescapably ‘90s in overall look and ambiance, The Watermelon Woman tackles subjects concerning perceptions of race, history, queerness and portrayals of people with a divine lo-fi resonance. It did a very convincing job of fooling me into thinking Dunye’s research into the typecast ‘Mammy’ of 1930s Hollywood was entirely real, all punctuated with her day-to-day life at the video store she works at and her continued search for a girlfriend.  

#76 

MON ONCLE 

Jacques Tati, 1958, France 

Something of a unique picture as we traverse the odd day-to-day happenings of an angular and sparse French home, complete with vibrant and colourful architecture, 1950s wacky and modernist appliances and the off-kilter airs-and-graces of a seasoned middle-class couple. Much tomfoolery is to be had at the factory and trips to an unconventional rickety house in town, it’s all tied together by snippets of bungling dialogue and well-choreographed fanciful movements that are entirely sweet and charming. 

#77 

HIGH HOPES 

Mike Leigh, 1988, UK 

Fascinating to see parts of old Kings Cross in the late ‘80s, and even more fascinating to try and understand the many close to the bone subjects Leigh aimed to illustrate here; class, wealth, socio-economic status, the patriarchy and the sheer drudgery of existence in a political landscape of Tory oppressed Britain. Played out over a constant dirge of cello, harpsichord and double bass, that’s either mournful or spritely depending on the mood, it raises more questions upon repeated viewings. It’s similar in style to Leigh’s subsequent films, Life Is Sweet and Naked, although less good-natured or preachy, and we’re left to wallow in a dread that seeps into the fabric of our being. I begin to wonder why such a cognitive demanding and traumatic look of the world could end up on my list, but it’s essential viewing for a perspective, and as the Marxist-leaning son Cyril states mid-film “It’s a different world now”, begging the question, what can we change?  

#78 

TRAINSPOTTING 

Danny Boyle, 1996, UK 

Following on from the murky grit of Shallow Grave, Danny Boyles Trainspotting pushes the horror even further. With an unabashed soundtrack matching the ongoing ecstasy and disregard for human existence, the implosion of the kaleidoscopic cast grips you in its defiled veins.  

#79 

MRS. DOUBTFIRE 

Chris Columbus, 1993, USA 

Robin Williams is somehow at his most outrageous here, his wacky nature tailored to fit the frumpy, but seasoned and respectable drag/ cross dresser persona of Mrs. Doubtfire. It treads a rather routine and corny ‘90s family film path, and at times overdoses with mushy sentimentality and messages about parenthood and responsibility. But there are many laughs and gags to be had along the way, with Williams the star of the show in a sea of dowdy characters - the restaurant scene towards the finale is a frenzied, chaotic and slapdash stroke of genius that’s full of character.  

Scarlett Johansson in Under The Skin

#80 

UNDER THE SKIN 

Jonathan Glazer, 2013, UK 

An eerily lustful concoction with an irresistible sound motif. It lures the viewer into something that seems to signify a new-age style of sci-fi and horror; intelligent sci-fi cinema but without any overlong grand statements? Under The Skin urges us to question our principles about human sexual nature, morality and our molecular place in the universe. The otherworldly alien, played subtly by Scarlett Johansson juxtaposed against the Scottish landscape and city, as well as some unusual guerrilla filming are all brilliant choices and resonate coldly in a sea of despondency and confusion. 

#81 

THE CREMATOR 

Juraj Herz, 1969, Czechoslovakia 

There’s a dark sense of humour pumping through the veins of this black comedy. Framed shots and cinematography are perceived as 1930s expressionism; precise angles and wide-open views of the crematorium, inside and out. The candid and somewhat gruff proclamations from the cremator himself, an antagonist played creepily by Rudolf Hrusínský are darkly twisted, as his obsession with death and murdering his family seep into the membrane. The discordant atmosphere and jarring imagery slowly trickle free, leaving what can only be understood as symbolism pertaining the onset of the Nazis.   

#82 

BOYS ON THE SIDE 

Herbert Ross, 1995, USA 

The road trip movie is a fun journey to embark on, especially with strong-willed women, no matter what triumphs, mishaps or dilemmas they unwittingly find themselves in. Despite her stellar performances in Sister Act, Ghost and Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Whoopi Goldberg is pretty much flawless here as the assured head-strong lesbian singer, whilst Drew Barrymore plays the rebellious gal rather convincingly. Both of whom join Mary-Louise Parker’s character on the move to California. The film plays around with the notion of sisterhood, approaching it with a tenderness and spontaneity which is heartwarming but not excessively comfortable in its pulpy mulch. It builds to a charming, if sombre finish and one that I wasn’t quite expecting. 

#83 

BUGSY MALONE 

Alan Parker, 1976, USA 

Other childhood favourites of this ilk can easily dissolve. Yet, Bugsy Malone is one that doesn’t, undoubtedly due to the speakeasy setting of the ‘30s, gangster mobs using cream-like substances to gun enemies down, and more importantly, an excellent set of memorable songs. The child-only actors are cast well, none of them overplayed or obnoxious. I might consider it a worthy contender as one of the best musicals, simply because the songs don’t irritate, and the story retains a sense of humour. As a spoof of old gangster films, the pie fight finale is a humdinger and gives way to a well-meaning merge of two opposing sides.  

#84 

BEING JOHN MALKOVICH 

Spike Jonze, 1999, USA 

Indeed, it’s a secret portal from the seventh and a half floor of a dreary office that leads to the mind of John Malkovich? This beguiling picture dissects obsession and identity considerably candidly, but mainly it injects a hefty dose for the bizarre into our bloodstreams.  

#85 

MURIEL’S WEDDING 

P.J. Hogan, 1994, Australia 

Although messy and farfetched in places, the Australian sense of humour is the winning formula here. With an ABBA soundtrack offering Muriel an escape to realise her dreams, it’s an offbeat romantic comedy with a hollow heart, although it does capture the essence of being a misfit, whether you’re a rebel or bit of a birdbrain. The pairing of Toni Collette and spiky Rachel Griffiths as pals with a tempestuous relationship works incredibly well and sees us through to the end. 

#86 

CLOUD ATLAS 

Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski, 2012, Germany 

The high-octane ride of Cloud Atlas leaves an undeniable aura of melancholy over my rumination. Its six stories are beautifully interwoven by the three directors, perfectly utilising the talents of its cast in dual roles spanning the hundreds of years it resides. There’s an abundance of harrowing emotions dispatched across these eras, and although not without a sense of humour along the way, its finale is a glimmer of hope in what is already considered to be a post-apocalyptic and uneasy dystopia.  

#87 

THE MIST 

Frank Darabont, 2007, USA 

Adapted from the Stephen King novel, this is an interesting take on the horror sci-fi genre, its impending sense of doom obscured by a peculiar mist. When the locals become trapped in a minimarket, caged by their own fears and hardships, you intensely feel the inevitable cabin fever settling in and the subsequent division between a community dealing with their fate. The viewers own understanding is also shrouded in mist, and the film inquisitively taunts with creatures, supposedly unleashed by a government facility experiment gone wrong. All very B-moviesque and dipped in conspiracy. The bone-chilling use of ‘The Host of Seraphim’ by Dead Can Dance is a concluding factor placing it on this list. 

#88 

THE FALL 

Tarsem Singh, 2006, USA 

Simply put, it’s a magical escape into the mind of a child’s viewpoint when the tales of a wounded stuntman are relayed to her from a hospital ward in the 1920s. The imagery is vibrant and colourful, dripping in opulence with a delightful enthusiasm trickling phantasmagorical-like from country to country and from each heroic character to the next. With an innocent vision from the child, her storyteller is equally affected by his much-desired morphine reliance to help fuel his disheartened disposition.  

#89 

RAN 

Akira Kurosawa, 1985, Japan 

A film from Kurosawa later in his career, it brings to life all the similar themes and ideas of samurais and warlords expressed previously in his 1940s-1960s epics, but with Ran, we have the added essence of these stories in bright, Technicolor-like opulence. Returning again to William Shakespeare, Kurosawa tackles King Lear and creates a tragedy all his own. Outstanding performances abound, and huge bouts of violence circle around instinctual notions of revenge, treachery and power. 

Halle Berry and Keith David in Cloud Atlas

#90 

WHITE MATERIAL 

Claire Denis, 2009, France 

The resilience and stubborn nature of Isabelle Huppert’s character in White Material is a strange one. The ominous onset of an uprising in an unnamed African French territory is ever-present and broods, no doubt on racial injustices and conflict. It makes for an unnerving and weighty, if not social-philosophical viewing, as she fights to maintain her coffee crop and manage the breakdown of her profession, business and family. 

#91 

THE GREEN RAY 

Éric Rohmer, 1986, France 

One of my more recent discoveries, the French directors work seems based purely on the whims and charms of human characteristics. Just check Rohmer’s Autumn Tale and A Tale of Springtime for deeds of curiosity and soul stirring sincerity. The Green Ray is an equally reserved story of relatable proportions, and one that flashes upon thine eye. The solo holiday is presented naturally, locking in those awkward moments when you play hanger-on, or are simply unsure of your place. The vague and disparate connections Delphine feels, played effortlessly by Marie Rivière, are applied with almost organic, and spontaneous finesse. This is fleeting, as optimism for romance hangs in the air and when we finally get there, the meaning behind the film title is eloquently given, if only for a split second. 

#92 

MORVERN CALLAR 

Lynne Ramsay, 2002, UK 

Following her debut Ratcatcher, Lynne Ramsey caringly guides characters in this adaption of Alan Warner’s novel. There’s a realism to the Scottish landscape and town, whether it be the supermarket Morvern works in, or an eerie party on a nearby Scottish isle, and not forgetting the insane hacking up of her dead boyfriend in the flat. These are all skilfully depicted to make us feel like imposters. The unworldly aura of Morvern’s straightforward life turned upside down is strikingly likable. After all, her boyfriend has just killed himself, so you can accept her naïvely altering his unpublished novel and passing it off as her own. A trip to the highlands to be rid of the remains is like horror-noir, while a later trip to Ibiza offers some relief; the shambolic and grief-stricken mind of Morvern issuing herself some much need catharsis.   

#93 

STRICTLY BALLROOM 

Baz Luhrmann, 1992, Australia 

Depicting the usual fare of lovable bogans from the same white trash barrel we see in other ‘90s Aussie hits (Muriel’s Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), we’re treated to a hilarious shimmy of dance routines, camp comedy, and heated disagreements. Let’s not forget the impassioned romance too, as essentially, we’re anchored in a love story here. It’s one Baz Luhrmann manages to enthusiastically tell, evading the clichéd pitfalls usually associated with the subject. The terribly desperate Australian Pan Pacific Championships are fraught when upended by Scott and Fran’s fierce and fervid Paso Doble, greatly piling on the ironic humour to the max. It’s a shame many of Luhrmann’s other films don’t bear the same results.   

#94 

THE LOVE WITCH 

Anna Biller, 2016, USA 

An entirely refreshing take on witchcraft; one that is grandiosely camp and a feminist ode to love. Backed by gentle harp plucks, we traipse through foliage, Victorian tearooms and elaborate set pieces serving as an enigmatic triptych. Our witch dabbles in anthropology using an assortment of apparatus and instruments, fusing potions made from herbs, menstruation pads and piss to cast spells, perfectly embellishing the vampy costumes and pagan symbolism. But we find our witch in a quandary from loving too much. The acting is crystallised, all clear and precise, slowly drawing on B-movie exaggeration, while locations are pure daydreams from a Technicolor phantoscope. 

#95 

THE PLAYER 

Robert Altman, 1992, USA 

From the drawn-out opening scene that eerily pans across a movie studio offices and parking lot, it ambiguously outlines a clear atmosphere. We act as peeping Tom to daily routines, goings-on, eager pitches and curious hate mail, and we get the idea that Hollywood is not all it seems. The film has an ominous layer of (star)dust thinly veiled over satirical proceedings, paying homage to classic Hollywood, film noir in particular. The studio executive is expertly ‘played’ by a crafty and shrewd Tim Robbins, and whence taking a darker turn, the satire doesn’t let up. Neither does our voyeurism as a shifty Lyle Lovett and hilarious Whoopi Goldberg play upon one another as an amusing detective duo. Full of star cameos, unique cinema references and perfectly framed shots, it’s a sinister glance into the cutthroat world of Hollywood itself, the lampooning rolling until the very end.   

#96 

LILYA 4-EVER 

Lukas Moodysson, 2002, Sweden 

Moodysson’s light-hearted and funny coming of age film, Show Me Love and the even funnier commune dwelling Together focused on the humility of people trying to simply get along in the disparate locales they found themselves. The devasting Lilya 4-Ever broke this run of breezy films abruptly, tackling the hard-hitting subject of sex trafficking. By starting in an unnamed area of the Soviet Union, we act as distressed bystanders to the mother abandoning her daughter, and the false hope granted to Lilya from a stranger with the promise a new life in Sweden. It’s heart-breaking to see the awful conditions and situations she finds herself, antagonising at such injustices. The only saving grace is her friendship with suicidal 13-year-old Volodja, who has a presence in her life, even after he’s gone. 

#97 

LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA 

Aki Kaurismäki, 1989, Finland 

We venture into the strangely strange here, but all with a firm tongue-in-cheek, although it sometimes doesn’t seem that way. We embark on a road trip with the Finnish klezmer music group and attempt to withstand their eccentric look and quirky sound to match. We follow their dim-witted bravado with an open heart as they try to make it or break it in corporate America, and then Mexico, observing an assortment of perceptions from folks along the way. 

The Leningrad Cowboys on the road in Leningrad Cowboys Go America

#98 

UN CHIEN ANDALOU 

Luis Buñuel, 1929, France 

An early surrealist short depicting the unconscious state a human mind can reach. The imagery is hypnotic, striking and bizarre. We onlook symbolism ranging from the slitting of an eye amidst roaming night-time clouds, an invasion of ants and strange dalliances in almost every corner of this dream realm, all backed by decidedly French musique. What can we expect when the screenplay was written by Salvador Dalí. None of it particularly makes sense, but to find any meaning would be missing the point. 

#99 

SECRET BALLOT 

Babak Payami, 2001, Iran 

From the opening shot of a ballot box landing in an unknown province of the middle east, we’re set-up for a film that’s as minimal as the vast landscape the registrar traverses in order to collect votes. Accompanied by a stringent, and often bewildered solider, who doesn’t seem to have much going on up top, it’s interesting to see how he slowly gains respect for the tenacious official seeking ballots. Much of the footage of residents in the remote areas could be classed as documentary, but the statements concerning the validity of their votes, or that voting itself doesn’t bring about any change for them, are rather frank in honesty. 

#100 

CHESS OF THE WIND 

Mohammad Reza Aslani, 1976, Iran 

Closing on this list was a difficult task with a handful of movies bubbling under vying to take #100’s place. Yet, I’ve settled on an Iranian oddity from the ‘70s set in the 1920s which serves as a gothic horror that slowly percolates unease and impending dread. The film itself was apparently lost forever at the turn of the Iranian Revolution, presumably never to see the light of day again. The characters, locale settings, Persian interiors and objects are all given equal focus throughout the restored picture, and with an assortment of themes explored, it all builds to a frantic crescendo of retribution. 

Fakhri Khorvash centre stage in Chess of the Wind

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A primitive mix of largely a cappella recordings and other vocal oddities, all stitched together in a very simple way. It’s hopefully entertaining and challenging in equal measure, and something that I hope summons joy, fear, sadness and laughter!

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a soundtrack-mix I created to celebrate and acknowledge Black History Month.

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An Exuberant Affair of Longing & Adventure - The Tomb Raider Suite, Album Review

The Tomb Raider Suite took place on a cold Sunday evening before Christmas in 2016. Festive cheer was in the air and hardcore Tomb Raider music fans descended upon Hammersmith Apollo to witness the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and City of London Choir interpret the classic pieces by composer Nathan McCree. I remember being a couple of minutes late, having caught the bus from Richmond following a few tipples at the very boozy annual Christmas sing-a-long, which usually finds a cacophony of kazoos mimicking ‘Seven Nation Army’ among other pop hits! Upon arrival, I tried to realign my composure and emotions, ready for a special performance of the video game music I’d been obsessed with for near-on twenty years. I always fantasised about the music of Tomb Raider being played live by an orchestra, and that I’d somehow release the soundtracks on vinyl LPs via my own video game music specialist label! A somewhat naïve idea I suppose, and one I was inept at pursuing to fruition.

Anyway, the show that evening was a remarkable success. As I climbed the steps to locate my seat, I felt chills shudder up my spine as I heard the avant-garde musique concrète from the opening ‘Caves’ level. It was slightly comical hearing this two-minute experimental piece of music resound in a huge auditorium, and not within the confines of my impassioned mind. Voice actress and original voice of Lara Croft, Shelley Blond presented, and interjected snippets of information throughout the course of the evening. Robert Ziegler conducted and Nathan McCree appeared onstage himself too, as did others, all coming out of the vaults to recognise and disclose their appreciation to the game and its female protagonist.

Following the concert, a successful Kickstarter crowdfunder saw the newly arranged pieces laid down in the studio at Abbey Road during the latter half of 2017. The results are The Tomb Raider Suite, finally released in 2018 in a variety of formats and deluxe packaging.

But what matters here is the wonderful music that McCree created some twenty years ago. He’s done a fantastic job of rearranging and composing the pieces for a full orchestra, and likely without the budget and tech constraints when the game was simply a mid ‘90s experiment for the still relatively new PlayStation console.

The album opens with the moody and claustrophobic ‘Temple of Xian’, a brief forty second piece from Tomb Raider II, which is lengthened to take on a more sincere role. Its melancholic and compassionate air sets up the tone for the listener and the type of journey they’ll entail. Harp plucks unfold gently like foliage as the Metro Voices Choir unleash the ever-so familiar, and overarching Tomb Raider theme tune and motif. The ‘Tomb Raider Theme’, a staple since 1996, is faithfully brought to life with clarinet and brass circulating almost mechanically like an orrery. Solo violin pierces through and swells under such emotional weight.

The Metro Choir carry this music in all respects and is very much a key component to the overall sound. The eerie and often ambiguous acapella vocals drift with unease on ‘Where The Depths Unfold’, and genuinely convey how the games are shrouded in mysticism with a solemn reverence for relics of the past and ancient civilisations. My favourite piece from this section is originally heard at the start of the Natla’s Mines level and is just as stirring in its performance here. Equally uplifting in parts and despondent in others, it echoes the Christian mystic music of German Abbess, Hildegard von Bingen several centuries prior.

The pace picks-up on the high intensity piece, ‘The T-Rex’, its strings, vibraphone and percussion bounding along frantically. The fact the piece is extended beyond the one-minute mark of the original will delight many, and overall, it feels as though these pieces have taken on a certain ‘radio edit’ friendliness, in order to fully realise their potential. The problem I had with the original game was how the music erupted on screen, only to disappear soon after. The music was also sparse in terms of presence, which is forgiven when the levels aim to emulate the claustrophobic nature of an underground tomb. To the present day, Nathan has arranged his pieces in an almost unpredictable, but moreover clever way – it’s like they’ve become radio hits of the classical world, and their reworkings are appreciated.

‘Longing For Home’ is sublime and sumptuous, the strings slickly wrapping around the listener, whilst ‘A Friend Since Gone’ peddles a 1970s passionate Ennio Morricone Italo-soundtrack, as the ever-lush strings envelop us in yearning. Likewise, ‘Time To Run’ gracefully energises as we lead into the Tomb Raider II section.

The ‘Tomb Raider II Theme’ is a little middling in comparison and the motif flogs the same tract on ‘Vertigo’, albeit with a darker tone. However, a firm fan favourite of the game was the rip-roaring anthem, ‘Venice’, which saw gamers speeding through the canals and vicious underbelly of the Mafia in the otherwise Renaissance city. The track is sublime and this studio recording is a pure joy to behold. The harpsichord rattles and jangles on as the triumphant strings soar. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d walked in on a recital from Handel himself!

Inducing goose bumps, it’s typical of nostalgia and the ecstatic impulse lurking within this music. Another classic moment from the sequel is when we drive a snowmobile in the Tibetan foothills. ‘The Skidoo’ unleashes a series of edgy pizzicato probes, as dramatically camp piano thuds are backed with the intensity of prolonged strings, all leading up to a crescendo of brass and thunderous timpani. The original version was presented as a fabulous quasi-techno track, so I feel the omission of some sort of electronic beat weakens it somewhat. And with the amount of reverb and layered instrumentation going on here, it can get lost in a frantic stew. Yet, the fantastic percussion leading us out is very much welcomed and is one of the albums joyous highlights.

By the time we reached Tomb Raider III, we all but knew the main soundtrack motifs and components, as well as the tried-and-tested game formula. The task for McCree was to come up with something as original and engaging as before, yet take listeners even further into the realms of mysticism and intrigue. Thankfully, he succeeded in doing so with the third instalment. The compositions are distinctly mature and delectably admirable, developing on an even grander scale. This is evident on ‘The Puzzle Element’, ‘Tony (The Loon)’ and ‘The Cavern Sewers’, which all reverberate with meek and enigmatic vibraphone, akin to the abstractions found on an Evelyn Glennie record.

One piece that stands out is the unashamedly mystic ‘Something Spooky In That Jungle’, which introduces tabla and drone as a welcome interval. It plods along with ease and in a diminished fashion, the ebb and flow of the strings sliding around sitar. It also briefly progresses into tiki exotica territory with poised marimba swaying in an emotional cauldron that embraces the essence of voodoo and Indian mythology. Superb.

Throughout the album, many sections revolve around a variation of themes, often taking on new forms altogether. It’s an intriguing listen, and having a good knowledge of the music, I feel quite a few of the shorter pieces are missing from the album. I believe they could’ve been utilised in some way, a gathering of musical ideas, if you will. However, for the sake of the album, it feels more complete without them, with the best musical moments harvested for the final performance.

To close the album, Nathan has included a new piece titled ‘In The Blood’, which celebrates the trilogy of games. It utilises themes already witnessed but has a lovely air of finality about it and summarises Nathan’s ambitions with his soundtracks. Weirdly, the inclusion of three medleys at the end doesn’t seem relevant to me. Nevertheless, The Tomb Raider Suite is a meticulously pensive concept and artefact, an extraordinary time capsule for a pop culture icon and gaming phenomenon.

https://www.tombraidersuite.com/

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Remarkable Poise: How the ‘Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven’ Soundtrack Glimmers in its Lifeblood

Rikimaru and Ayame are two highly skilled ninjas appointed by the state of Gouda in 16th Century Edo Japan. They sort out wrongdoings and put right treacherous behaviour from corrupt officials, gang leaders and bandits et al. They serve as the main protagonists in our story, their silent carnage carried out with caution and speculation, an intrepid patience governed by roving dexterity.

The sumptuous environments the pair roam are filled with equally assertive and emotive soundscapes. Initially, the music set to these locations seems frenetic and energetic, an overabundance of colour and electronic stridency abiding. Yet, delving deeper into the dark soul of this music, it sizes up to be a very downbeat affair of serious gesture. It possesses a certain aesthetic, the notion of stealth and solidarity enhanced emphatically through a collection of traditional sounding songs. It is the way of the ninja.

Japanese musician Noriyuki Asakura is the composer behind the stylish cinematic songs in Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, the third game in the series. He is well-known in Japan for composing music to successful anime series, television shows and other video games, Tenchu being the most famous.

Asakura brilliantly combines traditional Japanese music, its structures and styles, melding them together to form a sort of contemporary folk music that has traces of rock, electronica and even funk. It is well-produced, full of youthful buoyancy and grit. Avant-garde and experimental sounds can be spotted throughout, while the odd piece of dub will drift through too. The sound can be similar to that of the late ambient electronic artist Susumu Yokota, all styles and references forming a perfect pop mix, yet serious and conscious, not without its own sense of humility.

One of the early levels, ‘Bamboo Forest’ is a sure highlight. Its swaying guitar hangs among the foliage with hurdy gurdy, Italian Mafia-style strumming and peaceful naïve flute, of which delicately floats through an air of unease, settling on the soft layers of snow. ‘Limestone’ embodies a field recording of dripping water in a dank cave to identify its wispy rhythm, while a low-end plodding bass leads the way to a mysterious choir, all angelic and ominous. The environments in the game are mapped out perfectly to the music, but characters also play a large part in developing or directing the different elements. The spooky backdrop to ‘Turning Nature’ is another faultless piece, our objective to reach the hill without being spotted by all manner of ghouls. Metallic shards scrape and twist over one another, while a low Theremin sinewave bubbles and hovers ambiguously over a rhythm of drumming and various percussion motifs, all bringing to life the grotesque creatures from the wood.

The music was produced by Asakura who played and programmed the instruments, and more importantly scored the music to be played by a string orchestra. This shows another progression in videogame music whereby developers recognised the importance of a fully atmospheric game, the music playing a huge role here. Asakura had developed the score to the original 1998 version of Tenchu, a musically simpler affair but was assigned the project after submitting a highly-evocative vocal-led track written in the Hausa language by his wife. It was said to be based on his world experiences and in turn laid the foundation for the game sequels. The progression in Asakura’s song writing saw him placing more emphasis on dramatic and often cinematic themes. The opening song to Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven is ‘Sadamé’ and features vocals by a Japanese singer named Yui Murase. As the opening track to the game, it ups the melodrama somewhat with its shimmering cymbals and dramatic fanfare giving way to untidy, rather deceitful passages encouraging a dystopian world.

The gameplay itself is another fantastic element as to how the soundtrack works well. Slaying traitors and tricking enemies is empowering, so the playful bouncing beat and rolling bass of ‘Echigoya’ is simply marvellous as we intercept the rooftops. It is counteracted beautifully by Rikimaru and Ayame who leave but a trail of blood. ‘Ronin Village’ is set to a night time downpour and the music traipses lethargically, before enveloping with a patriotic chorus of soaring strings (which we can assume represents the villager’s faith in the higher council).

The only gripe that suffuses the game is the lack of voice direction. The actors voices are wooden and tiresome, even the animation of the characters during full motion videos and cut scenes to unravel pockets of storyline are sticky and irksome, awkward and pained. Bad scriptwriting and voice direction lets Tenchu down with a disastrous thump. My only escape of this was to switch the language settings to Japanese where western ears can encounter what we perceive as better dialogue.

The most traditional of sounds can be heard on ‘Silently Slay the Traitor’, an early level where we are to rescue a kidnapped official. Shamisen ripples gradually glow amid hovering basses of unease, while distant calls steeped deep in myth wail against a backdrop of subtle Taiko drumming. Towards the end of the game and indeed the soundtrack, we can tell the music is slowly reaching a peak, a tumultuous climax of battle. An echo of gongs open ‘Tenrai Fortress’ the piece introducing a mournful oboe motif, as delicate avant-garde pulses sprinkle around it. Dramatic drumming prevails before inviting all to be absorbed by a seductive gambol of Turkish leaning.

How does the music of Tenchu help to portray the extreme narrative, look and design of the game within? Players of the day marvelled at the sheer brutality and unforgiving nature of the game, the slow-pace it required to complete it. It induced long drawn-out waits down dark corridors, and asked the player to make strategic choices based on a selection of arsenal for each mission, while various routes could be taken before we completed the level. Location design was strangely convincing for a game that appeared in 2003 - the decadence of the royal living quarters we’re totally believable, while the gothic, otherworldly terrains such as the bamboo forest to the mechanical castle were equally as realistic. Its characters were severe, carrying out momentous acts of violence and courage, all for the better good of the common folk, and to honour the higher state. The camera angles would swoop and strike with as much static menace we deployed ourselves. Slitting throats and sensing our enemies fear all played a part in the progression of the game. This is partly why the game succeeds, this isn’t brash and harsh sounding electronica. It’s subtle and mysterious, poised with elegant gesture.

End-of-level characters feature throughout the game, and vary in difficulty to defeat. A critical fight usually takes place and one of the most exciting pieces of music in the game is unleashed. A techno track deployed with folk and rootsy instrumentation, ‘Decisive’ builds to a sincere crescendo of cascading strings, cymbal crashes and wacky brass stabs poking out onto the horizon. Later, as we face the tougher characters, other fight music soars with passion for battle, a definite Spanish influence filtering through in its guitar melodies, while Arabic strings glide over and above it all.

It is this passion that encourages the soundtrack to work so well. It is not overdone, the composer never indulging in his own interests at heart, ensuring the player is fully transported to the situation our ninja is in, the challenges and turmoil they face. And what they face is critical and powerful.

Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (2003)

01.   Sadamé

02.   Hut of Arsenal

03.   Echigoya

04.   Bamboo Forest

05.   Limestone

06.   Turning Nature

07.   Ronin Village

08.   Pointing From The South

09.   Decisive

10.   Spell Of Buddha

11.   Mechanical

12.   Scroll

13.   Silently Slay The Traitor

14.   Tenrai Fortress

15.   Finality

16.   Digress

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The Resourceful Approach of Vinylize

Reimagining Redundant Vinyl

I enjoy visiting charity shops and donating items to them. According to the Charity Retail Association, the number of charity shops in the UK has risen by 10% which is of course beneficial for the charitable organisations and the consumer in a time of austerity. A trip to any such shop in the UK is met with the usual assortment of bric-á-brac, an amalgamation of last season’s garments and piles upon piles of literature. The same goes for vinyl LPs. Dusty and creased records by artists such as Nana Mouskouri, Dire Straits, The Carpenters, Sade or Shirley Bassey can be rifled through endlessly. A never-ending menagerie of Top of the Pops compilations and classical recordings by Dvorák, Holst and Vivaldi et el can all be scanned... and not forgetting an ambush on old library music.

On occasion, one does find a rare gem, enticing enough for purchase, but with the general slog through these countless records, one begins to wonder whether these will ever grace a turntable again? Aged and outdated, surely there are ways in which these pieces of wax could be put to better use?

One company does just this. Vinylize is an eyewear company based in Hungary who dedicates itself to the production of high-quality eyewear frames made from discarded or otherwise redundant vinyl records. Its founder, Zachary Tipton felt inspired one day when he glimpsed his father’s record collection sitting in the corner of the garage. Three years later, Zachary along with his brother Zoltan established Tipton Eyeworks in 2004.

Communist records obtained from the Budapest flea markets provided Tipton with its first series of frames. Other collections have used vinyl from old socialist albums pressed by Hungarian, Polish and Czech record labels such as Hungaroton, Polskie Nagrania Muza and Supraphon. Of late, Tipton recently acquired over 10,000 records from the now defunct, Zagreb based label, Jugoton after it became apparent that its regional distributor was clearing out all its stock.

The Vinylize philosophy isn’t just to make high-end frames though. They embody a core sustainability ethic too. The company believes everybody has a duty to recycle and reuse as much as possible. The team of eight employees use and reuse all packing and protective materials, whilst holding an office consisting of no paper at all. With each purchase of these stylish and opulent spectacles, you’re given a free record spindle and 7” single. Other items for sale include carry cases in the form of a warped 7” single and leather bags. A truly bizarre bust (with a likeness of Darth Vader) has been crafted from a single LP allowing the eyewear to rest on a glorified plinth.

The manufacturing process behind the frames is fascinating. When Zachary first started experimenting, he’d purely slice and chop the vinyl up to create initial prototypes. Since then, the process has developed. Vinylize opt for thicker and hard wearing vinyl, usually reserved for higher quality music releases. The pop records that were produced in the ‘70s (which invariably shoved up to seven and eight tracks on a single side) are considered unusable for its general thin formation and unappealing slimmer grooves. Nonetheless, every record selected is checked before it goes into production.

Zachary laminates the record to biodegradable cellulose acetate using proprietary technology. Left to congeal overnight, they are then cut into shape with a table-saw and later milled into the frames with the aid of computer choreography. The frames are then placed in a sort of tombola and flung about with small wood blocks to ensure they acquire smooth and polished edges. A protective layer is removed and the all-important grooves of the bygone record remains intact.

The fact that these old and defunct records can be put to better use, rather than gathering dust or piling up in landfill is brilliant. European artists including DJ Haze, DJ Keyser and musician Suefo are just some of Vinylize’s fans, as is Elton John. It seems that Vinylize eyewear is the perfect accessory for vinyl connoisseurs or so-called fashionistas.

http://vinylize.com/

[dextervoid]

Vinyl Treatment, Most Desirable

Record Store Day attracts thousands of music and vinyl enthusiasts each year. Independent records stores, artists and labels collaborate to release limited edition runs of vinyl and CD albums, only available on that specific date. There's also the chance for fans to pick up special promotional items, witness intimate performances as well as join in with games and other festivities. Indeed, people flock to the independent record stores. These events seem to always delight and are a mad collision of frenetic energy with a rush of excitement, thus showing a somewhat humble side to the independent music industry.

The 2014 Record Store Day was another success. This year I wanted to get hold of the first ever vinyl pressing of Katastrophy Wife's 2004 album 'All Kneel' (the release only available until now on CD). I was victorious in my quest for the LP, getting my dirty mitts on one of the last copies courtesy of Rough Trade East. But then I started to ponder. I'd always questioned in previous years as to why this brilliant record was never released on vinyl the first time around.

Kat Bjelland was part of Babes In Toyland, a well regarded girl grunge band of the '90s, their 'Fontanelle' album reaching number 24 in the UK album charts in 1992. I find it surprising that 'All Kneel' wasn't granted the vinyl treatment ten years ago. It’s been widely reported in the media that vinyl sales are on the rise, signalling the demise of the CD. This follows the growth of digital downloads and more recently, the easy accessibility of streaming services such as Spotify, Rdio and Deezer. Vinyl sales have increased substantially in the last few years, helped somewhat by Record Store Day. It brings communities/ people together to celebrate the physical format but the decline in CD sales is also simply down to the fact that no one really purchases them any more - individuals opting for the aforementioned streaming services or YouTube channels which come at no additional cost. Yet, those who are feeling somewhat retro or nostalgic have taken the bold decision to dust off a turntable and start or build upon their record collection.

My vinyl desire with Katastrophy Wife became a reality, but I started to think about all the other albums I love that have never been bestowed with the same vinyl treatment.

With this in mind, I present to you a selection of recordings I think should be re-released on vinyl LP. These bands and their records deserve to have their excellent sounds moulded into wax. Not only that, imagine the original sleeve art significantly larger, the sight of the record spinning on your turntable and its welcome addition to your other LPs...

01. Anjali – Anjali (Wiiija)

The début album proper by former Voodoo Queens front-woman, Anjali Bhatia is a complete exotica classic. Why this was never released on vinyl LP is beyond me, simply because the sounds on Anjali's record harkens back to a time when music of this ilk could only be heard on vinyl. Anjali mixes the sounds of 1950's lounge, Tiki and easy listening with sultry and sensual lyrics. Her sighs and cries inspect grooves all hush-like, while Henry Mancini-style theatrical fanfares glare triumphantly. A type of '70s funk reverberates, all around a bleary galactic atmosphere of unease and intrigue. Anjali undeniably concocts a well-informed collage of influences. A vinyl version of this album would suit any bachelor pad or Mad Men set design.

Anjali

SIDE A: 01. Lazy Lagoon 02. Space Lust (In The Space Dust) 03. Arabian Queen 04. Dusk 05. Strawberry Mousse

SIDE B: 06. Mistress of Disguise 07. Nebula 08. Turquoise & Blue 09. Kulu 10. Twilight World 11. Kali Came

  02. Crack: We Are Rock – Cosmic Mind Flight (Tigerbeat6)

Little is known of this awesome, yet underrated electronic noise act from San Francisco. Their second release, 'Cosmic Mind Flight' was unfortunately never designated a vinyl version, which is surprising seeing as the Tigerbeat6 label is a dance music specialist, spreading the love with all manner of crazed techno and IDM. This album is fantastical and scintillating, a total electrifying experience upon the senses. Bizarre lyrics swirl among deviously fuzzy melodies and Casio keyboard hooks. 'Rainbows on frogs, horses with wings, all these shattered dreams, Krypton on glass or wicked water, yes I might be Satan's daughter' the two performance girls sing on 'Sparrow Hawk Man.' Snares punch you in the membrane and ever-increasing beats ride along into the weird electro world of Crack: We Are Rock. Hey Tigerbeat6, isn't this due a vinyl reissue? Even if no-one knows who the hell these crazy San Franciscans are?

~~ In fact, there's many CDs on the Tigerbeat6 label that should be pressed on wax, such as brilliant albums by; Dynasty, Zeigenbock Kopf, Eats Tapes, Electric Company, Knifehandchop, The Rip-Off Artist, Blectum From Blechdom etc.

Cosmic Mind Flight

SIDE A: 01. Wedlock 02. Our Friend Sisyphus 03. The Skull 04. Sparrow Hawk Man

SIDE B: 05. Black Horse Ride 06. Colonial 07. Baby Devil 08. Cosmic Mind Flight 09. County Cat

  03. Gang Gang Dance – Hillulah (Social Registry)

The experimental New York band, Gang Gang Dance released this four track live assemblage as a very limited handmade CDr, only available for purchase on their 2004 tour. It was later given a commercial CD release but I reckon the brilliant lo-fi mix of abstract noise and insane freak-outs could work perfectly on wax.

Hillulah

SIDE A: 01. Stanton St. / Knitting Factory 02. North Six

SIDE B: 03. Passerby 04. The Cooler

  04. Faun Fables first four albums ~ Early Song, Mother Twilight, Family Album, The Transit Rider (Drag City)

I am a huge fan of freak-folk band Faun Fables. Their storytelling through song works perfectly for me and their style of medieval tinged folk is breathtaking. But not only that, Dawn McCarthy's beautiful singing deserves to be woven into the grooves of a vinyl record. It seems strange to me that their albums have never been released on vinyl. They are in some respects the perfect fit, being one of those bands that again, harkens back to a humble time, way before the dawn of the modern age and technology. Similar acts like Espers, Fursaxa and Six Organs of Admittance have had most of their material in the vinyl format but with Faun Fables being such an obscure act, maybe their sales would suffer if such vinyl existed. The Brilliant Chicago label, Drag City did unleash a vinyl version of their fifth album (possibly due to the monetary success of Joanna Newsom) but maybe we could witness vinyl re-issues of Faun Fables albums once a year. That is something I would definitely wait for.

Early Song

SIDE A: 01. Muse 02. The Crumb 03. Old Village Churchyard 04. Apple Trees 05. Only A Miner

SIDE B: 06. Sometimes I Pray 07. Honey Baby Blues 08. Lullaby For Consciousness 09. O Death 10. Ode To Rejection 11. Bliss

Mother Twilight

SIDE A: 01. Begin 02. Sleepwalker 03. Shadowsound 04. Hela

SIDE B: 05. Traveller Returning 06. Train 07. Beautiful Blade

SIDE C: 08. Mother Twilight 09. Lightning Rods 10. Moth

SIDE D: 11. Girl That Said Goodbye 12. Washington State 13. Catch Me 14. Live Old

Family Album

SIDE A: 01. Eyes of a Bird 02. Poem 2 03. A Mother And A Piano 04. Lucy Belle

SIDE B: 05. Joshua 06. Nop of Time 07. Still Here 08. Preview

SIDE C: 09. Higher 10. Carousel With Madonna's 11. Rising Din

SIDE D: 12. Fear March 13. Eternal 14. Mouse Song 15. Old And Light

The Transit Rider

SIDE A: 01. Birth 02. Transit Theme 03. House Carpenter 04. In Speed

SIDE B: 05. Taki Pejzaz 06. Roadkill

SIDE C: 07. Earth's Kiss 08. Fire & Castration 09. The Questioning 10. I No Longer Wish To

SIDE D: 11. The Corwith Brothers 12. Dream on a Train 13. I'd Like To Be

05. The Residents – Tweedles (Mute)

You can't really pigeon hole The Residents, they have abused, exaggerated, contorted, de-constructed and scarred every style of music you can think of into their urn of avant-garde splendour. The Residents have unleashed a myriad of concept albums, multimedia projects and collaborated with a whole host of guest singers and musicians over the years. The one redeeming factor here is to be fully shrouded in mystery. It has worked for them. Their 2006 concept album, Tweedles, about the inner thoughts of a sexual predator and his lack of empathy is strangely disturbing but it was sadly never given a vinyl pressing. This could've been a welcome salvation for some?!

Tweedles

SIDE A: 01. Dreams 02. Almost Perfect 03. Mark of the Male 04. Life

SIDE B: 05. Isolation 06. Stop Signs 07. Elevation 08. Forgiveness

SIDE C: 09. Insincere 10. The Perfect Lover 11. Brown Cow 12. Sometimes

SIDE D: 13. Ugly (At The End) 14. Keep Talkin' 15. Shame On Me 16. Susie Smiles

[dextervoid]

Kwannon is a wonderful artist. Her music is woven upon a gentle thread, birthed from a far reaching spindle of mystery and enticement.

I was looking for something else, something to further my mind. I was already a follower of strange folk acts of a similar divine virtue, some being; Faun Fables, Fursaxa, Charalambides, and Espers. But with Kwannon, it was by sheer chance that my spirit would continue to sing and dance (in holiness?)

It is as adventurous as any freak-folk. There is a generous bow to Medieval chivalry while placid mist seeps through a night-time wood to reveal music of the ethereal. With humble attire and a hint for pagan rituals, Kwannon incessantly chants and beats out a rhythm with ancient percussion. Cryptic lyrics are foreboding yet opulent with operatic incandescence. It invokes a call of beauty, which gradually blossoms and unravels in sincere gesture.

Kwannon is Jenne Micale, a classically trained singer and former member of weird folk band Belladonna Bouquet. She uses even stranger instruments to fully realise and embellish her avant-garde project. The kantele, mountain dulcimer and harp are often employed, while influences ranging from theology, the pagan spirit, mysticism, Victorian and Romantic poets and the Carmina Gadelica also emerge.

If you have a disposition for the irregular, court Kwannon and her otherworldly dream for she is truly an original entity. Her albums are extremely limited now, so I urge you to discover her music, if you so dare to.

[dextervoid]

Drexciya

Faceless techno, anonymous or nameless in an aquatic world of ambiguity.

I’m drawn to the shore of the wild sea, walking trance-like into waves of electronic fuzz. I’m engulfed by the barren ocean. I am violently pummelled down 40 fathoms into some sort of vortex, alien but very much of this earth. Straight down in a whirlpool of desolation, to emerge in a land called Drexciya.

This land is like a secret utopia, disillusioned by the ways of above territories, mocking the self-righteous spectacle of conventional existence. Down here, I explore the piercing sine-waves fluctuating around my elastic skeleton. Down here, I wade through hi-tech scaffolding of marine melancholia. Rubbery bass-line bubbles tickle my membrane and develop like a disease inside my already infected mind.

I am a Wavejumper

Poseidon will surely display some aggression towards me? The sea goddess, Amphitrite will surely seduce my soul to tatters? Surely, I can only rely on Neptune to drive the currents?

There are only two Wavejumpers in existence...!!?? Noble James Stinson and possibly Noble Gerald Donald. They form Drexciya and save my life.

[dextervoid]

The strangest of realms embody many pathways, all inside the imagination of one. It’s cold and taut, mirroring the sublime and the regal. Angular shapes and apparatus weld their way across the damaged membrane of your skull. The strident and deliciously repulsive sounds that chisel, tap and scrape away at your scalp will leave you in a state of confusion - much like Mortal Kombat. Do we not like to dwell in the realm of scary emptiness, fitfully scattered with remnants of our past?

As Autechre, the duo of Rob Brown and Sean Booth have tread a vast range of terrain, edging further and further towards the rim of the universe. One wonders where their fragments of sound will echo or slowly resonate, all in a realm at the core of humanity’s thinking or as far away as one can deem

Incunabula ∙ Amber ∙ Tri Repetae ∙Chiastic Slide ∙ LP5 ∙ Confield ∙ Draft 7.30 ∙ Untilted ∙ Quaristice ∙ Oversteps ∙ Exai

[dextervoid]

An Observation in Overt Vitality: The Sound of Tekken is a Fanciful Sockdolager!

The evolution of Tekken is fascinating for the discerning fan. If you grew up as a teenager since the fighting games inception, you'll have witnessed a real progression between what the game was and what it is now. The music to the series has always served my curiosity and equally enticed. The music is exciting, bizarre and furiously outrageous in places, playing on the many emotions you can feel during a virtual fight, and if romantically placing yourself within those on-screen polygons, it will mimic the sentiments in those worlds too. I can sincerely say that the Tekken music is locked in my memory vault as genuine video-gaming music classics. Indeed, there have been highs and lows as well as peaks and the inevitable retraction as the game moves and frenetically evolves trying to keep up with the times, in the hope of influencing a new generation. This critique aims to document not only the games, but moreover my obsession with its unique music.

TEKKEN (1994) & TEKKEN 2 (1996) ~ The First Chapter   Translating as 'Iron Fist,' the first Tekken release for the PlayStation back in 1994 stated on its casing: "Seventeen of the world's deadliest fighters, explosive martial arts, and savage attacks..." The uninitiated will undoubtedly look upon the series with a critical eye, pointing out that it's merely mindless fighting, which essentially it does appear to be, but with everything there is more depth to what is presented. Delving deeper in true geeky fashion, pursuers will find a whole world of characters of varying virtual personalities, international locations, fighting and martial arts styles, storylines and plots and of course, the fantastically maniacal and intensely superb music.   The original Tekken release and its sequel Tekken 2 are very closely linked, not only in style, infrastructure and graphics but because much of the music was assigned to the sub-boss characters in Tekken 2. However, in the original, this music is set to locations around the world including Angkor Wat, Szechwan, Windermere and Chicago. In effect the songs sound resolutely Japanese being composed by a sound team at Namco in Japan. The overall sound of Tekken, if it were to be summed up is of a flamboyant and somewhat brash nature, electronically charged to spur on the on-going fight. There is also a twinge of melancholia and redemption in most of the tunes which only the listener can determine and discover of their own accord. Tekken's debut is like the sound of a dozen Japanese arcade systems crashing together with an array of Casio keyboards and Yamaha drum machine programs to form its own version of electro. The Namco sound team utilise what it appears to be some of the cheapest keyboard sounds of the day, which in hindsight twenty years on, actually sound delightfully retro. Chunky snares abruptly circle the mind while choppy chords strike and absorb the air, forming far-eastern melodies and patterns. The American hi-energy electro of kick boxer Bruce Irvin (Marine Stadium) is triumphant and sincere, pulling at you with its melancholic strings subtly swaying beneath an unapologetic reveille. The track attributed to Sumo wrestler Ganryu (Kyoto) is openly Japanese sounding. Woodblocks and gongs flutter amid distant chants while an Asian flute soars and descending chords advance. The Namco sound team do have a penchant for taking obvious traits of traditional music styles and pouring them into its brand of electro. The incredible track for the skilled female ninja Kunimitsu (Angkor Wat) in which there is a whole menagerie of worldly instruments revolving in as many sections feasibly possible is a great example of this ploy. Completely wild and crazy intense, the passionate strings ride, strike and glide quickly against a strident and constant beat, the marimba frantically pulsing and soaring to a dramatic conclusion. This is followed by the equally hyper Chinese stylised track for Xingyiquan master, Wang Jinrei (Szechwan) in which traditional stringed instruments are peddled amongst a Chinese wail pleading in-between. The merging of traditional and contemporary dance music here is interesting; an ecstatic use of colossal drum machines and confident trumpets with electro zaps drives the tune with insane gesture.

Tekken has been highly successful as a PlayStation game, the first instalment selling well over a million copies. That is a lot of gamers hearing this highly charged music without really giving it much thought. Critics at the time praised the games use of depicting martial arts moves and styles appropriately, thus making them popular with these communities. The meditative track for Kuma (Acropolis) serves as an air of respite before intensity ensues. Another wonderful and possibly underappreciated track is applied to Anna Williams (King George Island) Mysterious and cool like it’s beautiful but deadly fighter, a hesitant beat builds up to a fanfare of trumpets and strings and is notable for being more reserved than the other tracks in the game. So, the aforementioned tunes are just a handful that transferred over to the Tekken 2 sub-bosses and very much reflect the early '90s in terms of video gaming music, the composers successfully carving out a style of their own and moreover unique to the Tekken series. With the release of Tekken 2, the same sounds are deployed as a continuation, but the songs are fully formed composed pieces. The music of Tekken 2 is far more directional and more sophisticated losing the unabashed high-energy of yore. The composers were guaranteed a far greater budget following the success of the first game and it seems they were given the freedom to play around with sounds and structure. Tekken 2 certainly shows this advancement without losing what players loved about the game in the first place.   Elements of traditional music are kept intact but are far more exuberant than previous. Most evidently on Heihachi Mishima's 'As Bald As...' which features slick Koto drumming and drones or mysterious eastern virtue. 'Into Another Dimension' for the cyber-ninja Yoshimitsu boldly features the calls of a Noh play actor, Gagaku court music and the sounds of a Shō with various percussion before launching into a vibrant techno track! 'Emotionless Passion' for devious son Kazuya Mishima somehow sounds as though it has sprung from the 1980's with its seductive Japanese melodrama. The peaceful song for eco-fighter Jun Kazama in 'If You Only Knew' is somewhat out of place for a fighting game but proves that Tekken has a spiritual and joyous side and this ditty reflects Jun perfectly.   The Tekken 2 soundtrack is packed with amazing styles and tunes to mirror the personalities of the fighters, signifying where they come from and their mind-set. A stand out track exists during gameplay in the form of 'All Seeing Eye' for the sub-boss fight. A sublime piece of electronica with a far-eastern shimmer, on the rare occasion that it might be heard, its dark and mysterious overtones pulse and fluctuate building up an atmosphere of anticipation and unease. An angelic chorus gives way before retreating revealing a mid-section of subtle basses and keyboard tinkering’s ramping up the unease and anxiety. Marvellous! Probably a favourite among Tekken fans is the self-titled track for Michelle Chang. A return to retro with an über-electric sounding keyboard, the melody soars, sings and reaches high like an eagle. A choir hums and coos with optimistic, yet humble attire before spasticated keyboard jabs poke you enthusiastically and heavy snares take over. Classic! Another notable track of worldly charm is 'Ibis' for the Korean tae kwon do fighter Baek Doo San. A ramshackle of pounding drums and magnificent strings strike and slice against the brain in hypnotic style allowing for an ecstatic whine of a melody to lose all discipline and dive all depths of the abyss as possible! Utterly wild.   TEKKEN ~ Nobuyoshi Sano & Keiichi Okabe 01. Intro 02. Fire in the Heart 03. Kyoto 04. Kunimitsu 05. The Master 06. Kuma 07. Divine Fall 08. In The Mechanical Brain 09. Cast of India 10. Chicago 11. Death Valley 12. Lava Lounge 13. Outro   TEKKEN 2 ~ Nobuyoshi Sano & Keiichi Okabe 01. Are You Ready? 02. As Bald As... 03. All Seeing Eye 04. Two Different Sides 05. Artificiality 06. Into Another Dimension 07. If You Only Knew 08. Emotionless Passion 09. Can't Help Nobody 10. Michelle Chang 11. New York 12. Virtual Killer 13. Hollywood's Scandal 14. Ibis 15. Angel 16. Devil 17. Sense of Harmony

TEKKEN 3 (1998) & TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT (2000) ~ A Definitive Peak   Tekken had become hugely successful among gamers on an international scale and by 1998, the PlayStation was the video gaming console of choice for nearly everyone from the ages of 14-35! With Tekken 3, Namco would make video gaming history. Tekken 3 was unlike any other fighting game, some arguing that it remains the greatest fighting game/ beat-em-up ever created. Its sheer style, graphics, character design and gameplay goes unmatched. So with this, the music took a complete change of direction, shifting from the pop and electro/ techno sounds of Tekken 2 to become more guitar based integrating rock and punk formations. The music remains wholly electronic; the guitar sounds merely being sampled, warped and twisted into submission to create that all-encompassing Tekken ethos of high energy. Moreover, it feels mature and grown-up and as though it would like to be taken more seriously. As a soundtrack, it also possesses a very underground feeling in which some of the sounds are completely strange and experimental, while the drum loop and percussion library has clearly been ransacked for all it’s worth. Each character in the game is also designated an individual track for the first time so there is a lot to sift through.   The cosmic shades that represent cyber-ninja Yoshimitsu in 'Elevator Rock' swerve like devious slits to the eye with galactic force and can't be pigeonholed at all. Likewise, it's difficult for me to pin any sort of genre to the sublimely trashy sounds in Forest Law's 'Year of the Dragon,' the only link can be a Japanese one, possibly for its synthesisers bubbling away in the background conjuring up sincerity. Notable track 'Through The Sky' for Mexican wrestler King starts in this fashion before launching into a hybrid of rock and electronica lunacy. Past era genres are utilised too, reworking them for the Tekken style. For instance, the Nina Williams track 'Smooth' is slinky and sexy reverting back to a sort of '70s funk as is the case with 'Stair Hook' for tae kwon do street fighter Hwoarang where acid funk is the order of day. The Mardi Gras frivolity of 'Envy' for capoeira fighter Eddy Gordo is jubilant and a riot of colour, albeit with a straight-face. A revolving bass and driving beat puts listeners in a trance while scratching of wax urges some hip-hop dance moves.   It's as though Namco knew they were onto a good thing and there is plenty in this soundtrack to keep Tekken fans amused. Moving onto some of the hidden character tracks we'll find that the music becomes even stranger and wilder. For example, 'My Laser' perfectly depicts the cyborg Bryan Fury. You've never heard anything as insane in a videogame. A shuffling hi-hat commences amid electronic interference and feedback and as gloopy pulses present themselves the busiest bassline ever known to man takes over the brain. This is surely a lesson in drum 'n bass, industrial, avant-garde and gabba! Gun Jack's 'Neoprene Slide' is made up of colossal machinery fragments and long dirges of bass and low-end synths. The minimal electronica of Anna Williams 'Glitch' is enticing as elevator shaft like drones and flickering pulses shuddering up the spine accordingly.   You'll notice that all of the music in Tekken 3 has layer upon layer of detail going on. The song-space is full of various sound fragments filling up every possible area. The listener may need to work hard (if they so desire) to decipher or take it all in. Another trait to these songs that I've noticed is the excessive use of jerkiness which fills in the gaps between a so-called chorus and verse sections. It's a strange quirk but works nonetheless in this soundtrack, piecing the music together. Bringing us back down to earth then is the gallant 'fuck you' swagger of Heihachi Mishima's 'Trouble at the Casino' with its unhinged Tarantino-esque attitude, police sirens and relentless guitar hook. If there was to be an anthem it would probably be in the form of 'Route 66' for Julia Chang (adoptive daughter of Michelle Chang) Once we pass the strange elastic introduction, a scorching techno track is unleashed with vibrant guitar melody. A crazy mid-section pushes and probes us with lightning effect and serves as a peak to an incredible soundtrack.   I remember being a teenager at school when Tekken 3 was released and the excitement surrounding it. However, I was probably the only one that noticed the soundtrack for what it was worth and what it set out to achieve. The style and links to the characters made perfect sense to me. I used to record the music from the unlockable Tekken Theatre Mode onto cassette tapes. Thankfully 20 years later, we're able to download the music. Tekken 3 was certainly a peak in the series and everyone waited with anticipation to see what Namco would do next.   TEKKEN 3 ~ Nobuyoshi Sano & Keiichi Okabe 01. The King of Iron Fist Tournament 3 02. Turn It On 03. Street Violator 04. Year of the Dragon 05. Elevator Rock 06. Imitate the Situation 07. Through The Sky 08. Piston 09. Smooth 10. Stair Hook 11. Envy 12. My Laser 13. Glitch 14. Neoprene Slide 15. Slanted Eye 16. Scintillating 17. Route 66 18. Trouble at the Casino 19. The Transformation 20. Gon 21. Elastic on Retro

Following the massive success and rapid rise of Tekken, the game now seen as a serious contender in the fighting/ beat-em-up category of video gaming, it was around early 1999 that Namco announced a new side project in the form of Tekken Tag Tournament. The gaming press were buzzing with vivid and vibrant previews of the arcade version. Accompanying imagery featured shots of on-screen fights with well-known heavyweights such as Jin Kazama, Forest Law, Paul Phoenix and Ling Xiaoyu as well as the character select screen featuring some twenty initial fighters and an additional 15 or so to unlock! The fans saw this as a trilogy of sorts as fighters from the past were seemingly brought back from the dead to fight once again in this off-shoot. My highlight was the return of skilled female ninja Kunimitsu who I had been obsessed with for a few years. The game borrowed the same interface and similar graphic engine to Tekken 3 making this another classic among gamers. This was a great ploy on Namco's part to keep the momentum going while the company probably focused on devising how they could transform Tekken for the fourth game in the series.   But back to the music, Tekken Tag Tournament features the same high-adrenaline techno and pensive electronica as before. The guitar-ladened indie style of Tekken 3 was deleted somewhat to be replaced with aggressive sounding synthesizers. The game features a lot of comedic elements so some of the tracks take on a less serious mentality, mimicking this thinking. Ling Xiaoyu's 'Dealing the Disco' is like licking electronic candyfloss with its revolving bassline and '70s throwback beat. Likewise, 'One Time' for the school yard setting is fast-paced techno, intensified by repetitive chord strikes and ringing bell samples. The bubbling bass and swerving melody of Forest Law's 'Kung-Foo' is sheer hilarity as the whining chords reach the outer limits of the mind. It's not all comical abandon though as some of the tracks are extremely emotive and sincere. The Namco sound team, comprising of Akitaka Tōyama, Satoru Kōsaki and Yū Miyake elect the use of piano, electronic strings and the very Japanese sounding synthesisers you might associate with contemporary Asian pop. All of which, when pieced together form profound pieces of sound for an otherwise historic fight. Another component the composers have integrated for the first time is the use of warped vocals and dialogue to create sounds that fill in the gaps. Yoshimitsu's 'No Hope' features the repetitive phrase 'no mind, no ear, no nose, no shape...' This lyrical content is open to interpretation and probably not even meant to be understood or deciphered. Some of the vocals are so doctored that it merely becomes a strange sound lost among a landscape of sound, as heard on the insane ethnic techno of Eddy Gordo's 'Sunset' whereby human voices are so distorted or altered that they sound like unearthly instruments.   To gauge the sincerity that I find in this music, the listener needs to embody an open mind and deservedly an open heart. The beautiful serenade-like piece 'Yearning,' surprisingly for the brutally archaic Ogre is full of echoing piano keys and brass supposedly reverberating around the temple setting. This piece pulls at the heartstrings as the game reaches its climax. The fantastic dance track 'I Just Wanna Run Away' for tae kwon do fighter Hwoarang is probably the best of the set. A swelling bass revolves while all manner of percussion clatters, followed by earnest strings and the lyrical content 'I just wanna run away' repeated until we submit. The music used for the credits is one of the most passionate tracks I've heard in a videogame. Beautiful strings introduce themselves in melancholic fashion followed by a very Japanese-sounding string section all flowing with a focused hip-hop beat. The chorus forces you to melt into its all-encompassing grasp and you'll long for something or someone!   The disjointed electronica of 'Unknown' signifies where the music of Tekken could be heading, the sounds pulsing inwards and outwards in minimal accordance. Fans patiently waited.   TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT ~ Akitaka Tōyama, Satoru Kōsaki & Yū Miyake 01. You Could Almost Feel The Sky 02. Shatter 03. No Hope 04. One Time 05. Dealing the Disco 06. Full Round 07. I Just Wanna Run Away 08. Sunset 09. Ricochet 10. Kung-Foo 11. Falling Flower 12. He Spoke 13. Yearning 14. Unknown 15. Cease Revenge   TEKKEN 4 (2002) & TEKKEN 5 (2004) ~ The New Wave   With the release of Tekken 4 in 2002 a new wave of fighting game was introduced to the franchise. The style and presentation of the game takes a very minimal stance and generally seems reflective although very much more mature. The game features walled fighting situations and stages such as the lush jungle, claustrophobic laboratory and fun beach scene. For me however, this is where the series loses momentum and takes a step back, the music reflecting this. The soundtrack is convincing enough with its super slick sounds formed perfectly, but the songs lack a certain shrewdness and all-important oomph of previous soundtracks. Standout track 'Fighting Your Own Mind' set to the jungle scene features a didgeridoo working its way around a harsh techno beat and glitch ridden electronica sounds making way for a triumphant brass melody. Likewise, the show tune glamour of 'Jukebox' pierces the air with striking trumpets and strange, distorted vocals amid a seriously funky bass and a searing, '70s inspired pipe organ. The guitars are back for Tekken 4 and actually do a better job by being more focused, eliminating the crazy techno that was found in Tekken 3. 'Double Crossed' 'Criminal Control' and 'Strength in Numbers' are all heavy rock with live drumming programmed electronically.   As you can tell, the songs no longer represent a character but a fighting location (which are interesting enough) yet I personally feel this is why the music doesn't quite work for Tekken 4. The minimal concept ensued with a pared down fighter list. New fighters such as Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro and Craig Marduk were passable and old favourites such Jin Kazama, Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix and Yoshimitsu returned, but it still felt like something was missing. The bouncy and elastic dance track 'Go Easy On Me' for the beach scene seeks out retro sounding game show sounds and comical sine waves set to female coos and crooning. 'Fear' is an interesting take on industrial as a contemplative music genre and the similar grace of 'The Inner Shrine' works nicely too. Namco's dedication to updating the format is faultless but the overall product was a slight disappointment, a journalist at suave gaming magazine Edge summarising Tekken 4 as 'over familiar and curiously uninspired.'

TEKKEN 4 ~ Akitaka Tōyama, Satoru Kōsaki, Yū Miyake 01. False Delegation 02. Double Crossed 03. Fighting Your Own Mind 04. Go Easy On Me 05. Jukebox 06. After Removing 10 From A 07. Fear 08. The Inner Shrine 09. Criminal Control 10. Uninhibited 11. Touch & Go 12. Strength in Numbers 13. Edge of the Universe   A momentous shift occurred with the release of Tekken 5 for the Sony PlayStation. It became apparent that Namco made a key decision to revert back to the early Tekken releases, which was great news for fans if considering the lacklustre demeanour of Tekken 4. A whole host of characters were re-established, a fluid-like fighting system adopted while shamelessly gaudy and flamboyant graphics depicted our fighters in all their glory. More importantly, we were treated to some startling music which attempted to recapture the wild abandon of the original games thus making the franchise so great. 'Schizo-Fist' deploys a rubbery techno beat set against rural sounds of far-eastern woodwind, while the traditional sounds on 'Ka-En-No-Mai' are similar albeit incorporating a stringed pipa frenetically building up to a shy solo. There is a real mix here, the guitars returning once again but this time taking a nu-metal direction (which is something I usually deplore in videogame soundtracks) with some tracks embodying all manner of skewed lyrical content. The throbbing bassline and swaying sine waves of the menacing 'Unforgiven' submerges the listener with intrepid industrial unease. Equally, the brashly static 'Broken' launches into an anxiety-driven techno/ metal mash-up.   The pace is quick in Tekken 5, a live fast and die young mentality for a new generation of not so innocent adolescence. You can forgive Namco for trying to recapture what Tekken was all about, and it does to some extent work, but it can get tiresome as it seeks out the extroverted vein in us all. As with Tekken 4, the music represents fight locations and not the fighters which is a shame. In fact, the desired mystery surrounding the fighters in Tekken 5 is lost due to the copious amounts of storyline cinematic during gameplay explaining their lives and plots. Who wants to hear Nina and Anna Williams, born and bred in Ireland with American accents! There are gems; the blissful 'Formless Like Water' peddles a Susumu Yokota house music vibe, while the James Bond styling’s of 'Antares' are succulent and the dramatic and operatic 'Moonlit Wilderness' is elevating. But for every gem there is a distressing dud. As a result I try to forget they exist and exclude them from my soundtrack compilation. For example, the trance tune set to the poolside location is deplorable while the music set on an iceberg is merely pointless and does nothing to capture my heart. It is frustrating but these downsides usually sneak in when excess is in operation. Namco's efforts to redeem the past are a somewhat failure simply because the previous music of olde was completely wild in its infancy and not forced or strived for in the case of Tekken 5. TEKKEN 5 ~ Hiroshi Ōkubo 01. Neutrino 02. Schizo-Fist 03. Amoral 04. Unforgiven 05. Moonlit Wilderness 06. Formless Like Water 07. Ka-En-No-Mai 08. Who's Afraid Of... 09. Gold Rush 10. Broken 11. Antares 12. Jinpachi 13. Ground Zero 14. Volts Within And this is where my Tekken journey halted. There's only so far you can travel with a series of videogames before you lose interest and an individual’s awareness becomes stale. To be honest, I sought out Tekken 4 and Tekken 5 out of sheer curiosity, it merely being a coincidence they featured amicable soundtracks worthy of my ears. I have no idea in which direction Tekken is heading towards in these contemporary times, I only know it has spawned one of the worst movies of all time! Tekken, in terms of music and its style is very hard to place; electronica with a brassy and unapologetic bearing so as to mimic the fighter’s traits and situations, later going on to form various hybrids. I've been told that much of the early Tekken music resembles '70s prog-rock (which I found a rather surprising comment!) but nonetheless it indeed borrows many traditional elements that merge with technology, creating a new genre of music altogether. The whole series is definitely entertaining containing some of the best videogame music around.

TEKKEN ~ Arcade Classics (1994-1998) It is worth addressing that the arcade versions of the Tekken games featured completely different translations of the PlayStation remixed or rearranged music. Fans of Tekken might endlessly debate over which platform embodies the superior songs and sounds but ultimately they are all fantastic. Indeed, the arcade music is essentially the same piece of music but transcribed with different keyboards sounds, more frantic and abrasive beats and drum loops. The experience is overall euphoric, the zaniness never ceasing for the on-going fight. The original Tekken and sequel Tekken 2 featured the same cheap sounds which as stated previously seem rather nostalgic and retro - think of as many orchestral hits on a keyboard as you can! The highlights from my compilation of Tekken 2 arcade mixes includes the high-octane reworking of Yoshimitsu's 'Into Another Dimension' in which a curiosity shop of samples and instruments strike around the atmosphere while Jack-2's 'Artificiality' feels more developed than the arranged version. The comical arcade versions of tracks such as 'Michelle Chang' and 'New York' are high-paced avalanches of keyboards and beats splashing the ears with colossal sound. With Tekken 3 however, the arcade version/ arranged BGM differed so much that sometimes you couldn't trace any similarities proving that the Namco sound team really poured their souls into the characters and the music to represent them. Forest Law's 'Year of the Dragon' is evidently disparate to the arranged version, hard-core guitar motifs dripping down the wall. The arcade versions for Tekken 3 feature more prominent guitars in a punk vein, while other tracks are seemingly more laid back, the beats pacing along with a shoot-the-breeze swagger. The Nina Williams track 'Smooth' becomes a rave classic, intensifying with a section of alarms descending and ascending with a quirky stutter. The masked Mexican wrestler King and his 'Through The Sky' becomes a strange amalgamation of genres. A guitar hook, heard once in the rearranged version is utilised to astounding effect, thus turning the track into a childlike playground, mixed with a rock stadium sensibility all with a skittering trip-hop beat.

The individual’s perception of this music differs; depending on which version of Tekken you discover first (i.e. playing in an arcade or on PlayStation) You can't really define what the true version is. My ultimate favourite from Tekken 3's arcade tunes is definitely Lei Wulong's 'Piston.' It makes me want to dance around the room with wild attire, it's splashy hi-hats, jerky guitar riffs and melodies with fluctuating bassline twangs and soaring, passionate Japanese synthesizers make this a WINNER! TEKKEN 2: Arcade Remix ~ Nobuyoshi Sano & Keiichi Okabe 01. Are You Ready? (Metallic Mix) 02. As Bald As... (Hawk Mix) 03. Can't Help Nobody (Sincere Mix) 04. New York (Slapdash Mix) 05. Into Another Dimension (Woodblock Mix) 06. If You Only Knew (Field Mix) 07. Two Different Sides (Brief Encounter Mix) 08. Artificiality (Shifting Mix) 09. Virtual Killer (Ice Mix) 10. Michelle Chang (Robust Mix) 11. Hollywood's Scandal (Bullet Mix) 12. Fire in the Heart (Internal Thump Mix) 13. Kyoto (Starlight Mix) 14. Kunimitsu (Slice Mix) 15. The Master (Plaque Mix) 16. Ibis (Poacher Mix) 17. All Seeing Eye (Shudder Mix) 18. Divine Fall (Capitalism Mix) 19. Kuma (Xerxes Mix) 20. In The Mechanical Brain (Loose Screw Mix) 21. Cast of India (Marble Mix) 22. Chicago (Rubber Mix) 23. Death Valley (Brink Mix) 24. Lava Lounge (Fiji Mix)   TEKKEN 3: Arcade Remix ~ Nobuyoshi Sano & Keiichi Okabe, Minamo Takahashi & Yū Miyake 01. Enter The Tekken 02. Street Violator (New York Hustle Mix) 03. Elevator Rock (Double Edged Katana Mix) 04. Smooth (Showdown Mix) 05. Through The Sky (High Altitude Mix) 06. Piston (Shoot-Out Mix) 07. Stair Hook (Bomb Da Bass Mix) 08. Dr. Boskonovitch 09. K.O!! 10. Year of the Dragon (In Flux Mix) 11. Scintillating (Fairground Mix) 12. Envy (Cut & Scratch Mix) 13. The Transformation (Complicit Mix) 14. Trouble at the Casino (Super Corporation Mix) 15. Turn It On (Zoetrope Mix) 16. Tiger

[dextervoid]

A Euphoric End > Music for a Tragic Demise

Death, Suicide, Kamikaze, Martyrdom!

The subject of life ceasing to exist can be somewhat taboo. In general, people might find it a hard topic to discuss, depending on the context. Yet, our throwaway culture has devalued life in the last 25 years or so and humans will endeavour to kill one another, and they will continue to pursue war. Disagreements brim amid such hypocrisy and hate.

And suicide. The cliché of misery and depression surrounding this area is rife. I believe the act should embody not a miserable bearing but a kind of euphoria whereby the last moments of the individual should consist of an ecstatic virtue, reaching a higher plain. They seek and plough for bardo.

Music should play a key role here. To reach this level of heightened euphoria, one should envisage the music inside the brain. The meticulous, malevolent and downright sinister burrows of our brain cells twist and align in all sorts of absurd directions. This singular life we own, if ending should finish in epic proportion. Whatever the manner.

Here are my top compositions. Ideal for personal demise

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01: Keiichi Suzuki - A House on Fire and Massacres All Over - 10:46

Taken from the Takeshi Kitano directed film Zatoichi (my favourite film ever) this epic piece of electronica is beautifully reflective. The drones are other worldly, slowly drifting alongside a prodding bassline. After a time, these strange drones clear to reveal a graceful and light organ motif, pacing in the same manner. It's as though our eyes become flooded with light in the dark night. This is where the adventure/ scenario develops. I envisage myself as the proud ninja, chased in the heavy rain by Japanese warlords, shoguns and samurai, henceforth as the colossal drums strike. A ramshackle of snare and flickering hi-hats mimic my battle with my enemies. Another clearing in the music appears, It is then that I am struck. A blade slices my shoulder, my abdomen and cuts my throat. I frantically clasp at anything, the earth, my gushing throat. I try to pull the opponent to the ground, but I am too late. Finality has been granted.

02: Michael Nyman - A Watery Death - 05:34

Michael Nyman's soundtrack to the 1982 film 'The Draughtsman's Contract' is elegantly poetic. On the surface is typical Baroque High Society, all gallant and dignified. Yet underneath, lies a tapestry of violent deceptive charm. Deliciously pilling on fraud, corrupt misgivings, adultery and sexual tension.

The 2005 reworking of 'A Watery Death' is an incredible composition where a sense of foreboding suspense persists. There is an interval where an I told you so realisation and mentality slides its way into our thinking. Following this comes a triumphant swagger which alters this festoon of regret. The listener will become confident and comfortable. Slight anxiety seeps in through the cracks of the psyche but as the title suggests, the listener cannot walk on water - or did the listener know that all along. Or is this some act of vengeance? Anyhow, the inevitable result is a soggy, moss strewn mess. Discovered by an individual, it is unveiled by a fanfare of sarcastic trumpets. This moment doth declares that the listener has succumbed.

  03: Pulp - This Is Hardcore - 06:27

Another somewhat reflective and despairing piece of music by the brilliant pop band Pulp. Make what you will of the lyrical theme, it's not always so black and white. But when the cascading melodies and strings and piano stabs tumble down on my brain, it's unbearable. My skin tears and my emotions rip. All you can do is free-fall from the 12th floor of some tower block into the dark abyss.

'And Then It's Over'

04: Leila - To Win Her Love - 04:14

A broken heart, unrequited love can play a large part in the pursuit of pain. The natural ache within the confined chest, tugging at the spirit with subtlety can amount to a tsunami of uneven understanding. As evident in the lyrics by guest artist Luca Santucci, he explains wholeheartedly, amid Leila Arab's rubbery bassline spiralling out of control that...

'I will fly to the sun on Icarus wings' 'Walk barefoot over nettles that sting' 'Stone by stone, rebuild the Berlin wall' 'I'll climb a skyscraper, then watch myself fall'

05: Björk - Thunderbolt (King Cannibal Remix) - 08:07

Already supremely epic musically and lyrically, the King Cannibal remix of Björk's 'Thunderbolt' succeeds in taking the wanderer to further places cosmically beyond the realms of possibility. The galactic bassline swirls like a nebula gaining power and significance. The eventuality of lightning hitting my spine, does so with utmost epic proportions. As this occurs, King Cannibal unleashes a crescendo of trance-like chords and scintillating jubilation. In reality, I trudge along. Throws of wind, rain, and walls of catastrophic destruction waste me away into nothingness.  

06: Antiloop - In My Mind - 03:28

I randomly discovered this '90s trance hit by Swedish duo Antiloop on YouTube. 'In My Mind' possesses a genuine sincerity, usually devoid in songs of this nature. The accompanying video is fascinating too. Featuring a young woman in a ski jacket, sunglasses and massive headphones she strolls slowly down a street, through piercing sunlight. What I find most interesting is her supposedly lack of care in the world.

Adopting this formula, I envisage walking down a street in slow motion, bystanders knowing my intentions, but staring in fear and curiosity. The beats race past me and I am confident with my stride. I approach a mountain or volcano and climb. The hectic beats continue to race as the melancholic chords fiercely revolve around my mind. Humanity is over. I fall backwards, arms open into the magma within and let it engulf me.

07: Keiichi Suzuki - The Wasteland Massacre and the Reminiscence of Geisha - 12:25

Another wonderful composition taken from the Zatoichi soundtrack by musician Keiichi Suzuki. It is utterly beautiful embodying such emotion and poignant gesture. It's as though it has its own blood circulating freely in the foundations of its hypnotic strings, highly placid piano tinkering’s and gentle percussion. Everyone should undertake hearing this piece of music in an attempt to understand what their existence is about, and whether it has been worthwhile.

During the film, the lives of certain characters is being unravelled – the music playing an integral role in expressing this. It is touching and sentimental.

Neither murder or suicide, this is a piece of music I will shove into an alcove of my mind, ready to hear as I breathe my last breath. Whenever that will be.

[dextervoid]

I'm Drawn to the Danger of Falling for Combustible Edison's Charms

A List of Combustible Edison Songs

Cadillac • The Millionaire’s Holiday • Breakfast at Denny’s • Intermission • Cry Me a River • Impact! • Guadaloupe • Carnival of Souls • The Veldt • Surabaya Johnny • Spy Vs. Spy • Theme From ‘The Tiki Wonder Hour’ • Let’s Keep It Friendly • Monopoly Queen • Alright, Already • Bluebeard • The Checkered Flag • One Eyed Monkey • Solid State • Les Yeux Sans Visage • ‘52’ • Short Double Latté • Mudhead • Morticia • Objet D’Amour • The Corner Table • Lonelyville • Blue Light • Summer Samba • Satan Says • Metropolitan • Christmastime Is Here • Sleigh Ride • Hellraiser • Vertigogo • Utopia • Call of the Space Siren • Laura’s Aura • 20th Century • Cat O’ Nine Tails • Pink Victim • Dior • Hot & Bothered • Mr. Pushkin Came To Shove • Seduction • Tickled To Death • In The Garden of Earthly Delights

[dextervoid]

Destination Faux: The Wacky Sounds of Supersonic Racers and Street Racer

It is amusing to look back on the amount of cheaply published PlayStation video games released during the mid '90s. Many of the games lacked substance and longevity, yet they somehow served a purpose of temporary enjoyment for the casual gamer. A plethora of racing and motoring games (that filled the early stages of development bracket) swamped the shelves back then. Time has been unkind to these titles as many remain cast in a past shadow. If not fantastical or futuristic in scope they certainly based their gameplay around realism.

The Wipeout series springs to mind as one of the more successful brands which reached iconic status. Elsewhere, famous and indeed more grounded titles such as Gran Turismo, Rage Racer, Need for Speed, Colin McRae Rally and TOCA Touring Cars were undoubtedly well-produced with believable (at the time) graphics and overall portrayal. They were also perceived as very serious and concerned with emulating Formula 1 style tables and charting.

To balance this equation then, two comical racing games from my early days of PlayStation gaming rev through to add a little bit of fun. Geared towards children or young adults, Supersonic Racers and Street Racer embody a very amusing edge. They embrace tomfoolery and slapstick revelry with such innocence and nostalgic, childlike attire that they easily work, but only because of their fantastically entertaining soundtracks! Both of these racing games rely heavily on international locations for their unique racing routes and layouts. They draw upon the clichés of global destinations strewn across western eyes, also incorporating a series of worldly characters that drive around in colourful and downright silly vehicles. All this vivacious and vibrant lunacy drives the games forward exuberantly. I surely wouldn't have given these games much thought back in 1996 if it wasn't for the hypnotically charismatic music.

Supersonic Racers is cleverly executed and wields a wholehearted experience. Going by the name of Dare Devil Derby 3D in the states, the songs contain a genuine sincerity that is often lacking in games of this nature. If overtly cartoony, their zany brilliance is refreshing and emotionally agreeable. 'Dancing on a Star' 'Light as a Feather' and the beautiful lament of 'Despondent Sea Siren' grace the air with diligence and sincere compassion. If they don't totally match the crazy car chases on screen they certainly serve their purpose as a contradiction. 'My Heart Will Decide' set against the claustrophobic and oppressive busyness of the Metropolis level is another that perfectly pulls at the heart strings with its melancholic and reflective keyboard notes while the Christmassy ‘Take Off’ is jubilant and festive uniting the music with ski slopes and tundra.

With an arsenal of keyboards and minimal drum loops, video game music composer Gerard Gourley set out to create songs of loveliness, chopping up different string motifs based on global themes. The songs themselves don't go much farther than the two minute mark, but are better off because of this. Simple melodies and structures leave you wanting more. The pirates inspired 'One More Keg' rolls out an accordion style melody interjected by whimsical flute and marching drums, the brief melancholic interlude piles on the emotion before striking up a rebellious band of triumph. Likewise 'The Great Eastwood' for the Cowboys & Indians race circuits ride along much like a rickety locomotive. Subtle harp plucks spot themselves about the atmosphere while silky strings mediate a flow and Mexican mariachi percussion interjects. It all comes together nicely. The Arabian inspired 'Mesopotamia' rides a relatively elusive carpet of meditative mystery suitable for a belly dance. Strings slowly weave in and around archaic ruins, encouraging dramatic fanfare, all echoing of a unique adventure.

I’m hard pressed to find any reviews for Supersonic Racers since the internet was still in its infancy. However, I did manage to find one review in the archive of gaming website NowGamer. My perception of an awful review was opposed when I discovered that it was actually given a great write up. The journalist opens by commenting ‘Bloody marvellous. It’s so refreshing to finally see games on the PlayStation that have lasting playability, stalwart games that you can boot up months after purchase and still enjoy to the full.’ And it is true; the game is victorious due to its accessibility. Light-hearted and memorably fun music certainly plays a key role in this too. There is the option of altering the music to play a selection of field recordings set to the various locations, or players can opt for a trio of unconvincing techno tracks, which are generally harmless.

There isn't much to Supersonic Racers gameplay-wise; it's simple and fun. But it possesses an inventive allure and great sense of humour. The soundtrack stands on its own as a heartfelt and genuine repertoire. I do feel somewhat that it went completely unnoticed at the time of release so I’m hoping gamers will rediscover its wonder today.

Supersonic Racers

Super World

Foliage

Hammer Horror

One More Keg

Take Off

Dancing on a Star

Despondent Sea Siren

Light as a Feather

The Great Eastwood

My Heart Will Decide

Mesopotamia

Culture Clash

Deflate The World

Rewind

Gee Whizz!

Zzapp Acceleration

Moving onto the more obvious and trashy Street Racer which I gather was quite popular among gamers at the time. Street Racer was developed by Ubisoft for various gaming consoles and successfully made the jump to PlayStation. Although the graphics, structure and general presentation of this racing game seem cheap and rushed, it does feature some interesting characters that all have their own abilities, weapons and racecourses. It’s funny how similar the aesthetic between Supersonic Racers and Street Racer is whereby they feature comparable locations, music styling and almost exact gameplay.

Referring to NowGamer again for a review, the journalist states that ‘There is much more to Street Racer than initially meets the eye. Take a selection of left and right hand slaps, two special weapons and a turbo button, and what you have is an all-out manic racer with no holds barred.’

With this in mind, I’m happy to say that the soundtrack to Street Racer is again very cartoony and vibrant, but it twists the funny bone in large perpendicular circles. Composed by the elusive Brian Marshall, he gathered a petting zoo of global sounds and threw them down in order to represent the cultures and characters. ‘Azeri Sky’ for the Persian character Hodja shimmers and sways in clichéd Arabian style to a bubbling bass and punchy beat. The Halloween stimuli of ‘Haunted Hoax’ takes werewolf howls and thunder & lightening sound-effects across a Hammond organ led techno marathon while ‘Vanity Fair’ for Italian poseur Raphael is a brilliant piece of euro pop-cum-house trash. The trumpets fanfare while a piano backing tinkles away, leading players to tap their feet as sentimental strings glide over your mind.

The tunes are certainly catchy, more so hilarious and instantly likeable, following the same format for each. Consisting of an introduction, they repeat the melody before dithering away to form some sort of break/ interlude before embarking on an elongated outro of repetition, embellished by various percussion or little fragmented instrumental trimmings.

The Street Racer soundtrack doesn’t possess the same sensitivity or emotive charm of Supersonic Racers but is overtly flamboyant, steeped in hedonism. There are moments of clarity though beginning with the tune for Pamela Anderson look-a-like and only female character Surf in the song ‘Surfer Girl.’ Embracing grunge-like guitars and mildly assertive drum loops the melody is scintillating and mesmerising, urging the heart to bleed in reaction. Another great track is ‘Sound of a Superhero’ to represent the German pilot Helmut. Utilising a sample from classical opera ‘The Ride of the Valkyries’ by Richard Wagner, the intense strings soar over a hyped-up, elastic techno sound, somehow managing to represent the feelings of fear, regret, euphoria and determination in one big display of individual splendour.

The electric ‘Sanyo’ which represents none other than sumo wrestler Sumo is a fantastic swirl of colour that encourages us to dance with vibrancy. An obvious oriental melody plinks and plonks its way around a techno backing. This track is very reminiscent of the 187 Lockdown dance chart hit ‘Kung Fu’ from the '90s, or even more so New Order's 'Blue Monday!' There are some great rocking tunes too such as ‘Highway Toll,’ title music ‘Burning Rubber’ and the alternative gameplay mode ‘Rumble’ showing that the grunge era made an impact on our composer as well as cheap-sounding electronica.

Street Racer

Burning Rubber

Attributes

Azeri Sky

Haunted Hoax

Let The Earth Shake

Highway Toll

Vanity Fair

Surfer Girl

Sound of a Superhero

Sanyo

Rumble

Curtain Call

In retrospect, both of the racing games above really don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. I’m certain that not many gamers will remember them. However, they are full of fun and genuine nostalgia for a time when childhood was innocent and sacred. They also evoke the feeling, which NowGamer describe as ‘That evil “I’ll get you” attitude, that’s bound to destroy friendships.’

Temporarily anyway, you might as well buckle up.