MORGENSTERN, BARBARA bm (Monika) cd 15.98
Sometimes a record just comes at the perfect time. It was one of the first truly crisp and cold days we've experienced this winter here in San Francisco and Barbara Morgenstern's new record landed at aQ offering up songs that were just made to be heard during the colder months of the year. With a live band by her side and her great piano playing mixed with subtle electronics, this is an album filled with driving strength and such a strong and shining elegance. Kind of like if The Notwist and PJ Harvey or Marianne Faithfull got to collaborate, pop songs that are so smartly arranged but don't waste time trying to show you how smart they are. Morgenstern's not afraid to unleash her pop sensibility and does it with a piercing determination creating the kind of record that doesn't give in to easy emotions or one sided perspective. It's fitting that she alternates between English and German vocals. A record that you can listen to when you're sad or happy, determined or in a rut. It makes you want to put on your heaviest and sharpest looking pea coat and take to the icy streets watching your breath become clouds and taking in the simple pleasures, just soaking up your surroundings.
Morgenstern also covers Robert Wyatt's "Camouflage" and Wyatt sings with her as apparently he's a big fan of her work. They both display that rare elegance that's hard to find in modern music without it feeling too forced or saccharine. Morgenstern has come a long way from her techno beginnings and we're so excited to enjoy that evolution. While this is turning out to be one of our favorite records for the cold and rainy days that lie ahead we're pretty sure this will be a record we keep near us at all times, rain or shine.
MPEG Stream: "Driving My Car"
MPEG Stream: "Come To Berlin"
MPEG Stream: "Camouflage (With Robert Wyatt)"

MORGENSTERN, BARBARA Fjorden (Monika) cd 16.98
Ms. Morgenstern is a German (and German-language) singer/songwriter in the indie-pop-electronica genre. While she lacks the extraordinary vocal abilities (or unique quirks) of, say, a Bjork, she has a nice, intimate voice and her music is warm and lovely: mellow electronic beats, sad guitar melodies, cinematic/romantic moods.
Many of the tracks on this, her second album, were produced by Stefan Betke (aka Pole), and several make use of his signature crackling "surface noise" technique (also a hallmark of Tarwater, whose Robert Lippok also appears on this disc, drumming on one track, which he co-wrote with Morgenstern)... For fans of, among other folks: Andrea Parker, Laub, Lali Puna, To Rococo Rot, and the other artists already namechecked above. Pleasant, nice.
RealAudio clip: "Tag Und Nacht"

MORI, IKUE B/Sides (Tzadik) cd 16.98
More music from the wonderful Ikue Mori and her drum machines--with some other great downtown NYC performers on board: Anthony Coleman, Zeena Parkins, Erik Friedlander, and others.

MORI, IKUE Bhima Swarga (Tzadik) dvd 30.00

MORI, IKUE Garden (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Her first collection of all-drum machine (+ effects and bamboo) compositions. Beautiful electronic beat-scapes.

MORI, IKUE Labyrinth (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Former no-wave (ex-DNA) drummer Ikue Mori has established a career in downtown NYC, performing solo and collaborating with others, as an improvisor with specially modified drum machines! This new Tzadik disc, though, sees her utilizing a laptop computer instead. The result is an album of tinkling, skittering, liquid, percussive electronica. Some of the tracks kinda sound like an army of clocks (from tiny watches to grandfather-sized) that's been recorded and then played backwards, at constantly shifting speeds. Revving motors and flowing streams also come to mind. Very active, very textural, mesmerizing.
RealAudio clip: "Pulse"

MORI, IKUE Myrninerest (Tzadik) cd 16.98

MORIMOTO, YASUGI Ayahuasca (original music) (self-released) cassette 14.98

MORIMOTO, YASUGI San Pedro (mix tape) (self-released) cassette 14.98

MORISSETTE, ALANIS So-Called Chaos (Maverick) cd 16.98

MORISSETTE, ALANIS Under Rug Swept (Maverick) cd 16.98
Whole record we heard haven't. But song MTV on lately kind of we like. Pleasure guilty of sort a guess I.

MORK GRYNING Maelstrom Chaos (No Fashion) cd 14.98
Furious and epic black metal a la Dimmu Borgir but with more dynamics and less cheesy keyboards/atmosphere. Strange groovy breakdowns, and super catchy riffs as well as weirdly melodic parts and some really inventive out of the ordinary guitar playing. Buzzing Mayhemic blasts of crushing violence butt up against serene acoustic interludes, occasional operatic vocal breaks, almost mosh-worthy bridges and some ripping eighties guitar solos! Another band that doesn't necessarily bring anything brand new to the table, but one that manages to do what everyone else has been doing, only much, much better.
RealAudio clip: "Templars"
RealAudio clip: "Maelstrom Chaos"

MORK GRYNING Pieces Of Primal Expressionism (No Fashion) cd 14.98

MORK GRYNING s/t (Black Lodge) cd 17.98

MORKER Hostmakter (Northern Silence) cd 14.98
We had never really heard Morker before. Our first experience with them was on a split lp with Draugsang which was too limited and too expensive for us to get enough to list (we actually do have a couple copies in stock, just ask), but we liked what we heard so we decided to get a handful of the new full length, number two from these Swedes it's pretty excellent.
We spend a lot of time focusing our energies on things that are damaged and demented and fucked up and bizarre and not always entirely musical, but once in a while it hits the spot, especially metalwise to get a blast of something heavy and brutal and black but still melodic and catchy, and thus we have Hostmakter, a gorgeous collection of melodic black metal, which reminds us alternately of old Dimmu Borgir, Dissection and Dark Tranquility, all bands we most definitely love, and who traffic in a style of black metal that seems to have fallen out of favor, or maybe we've just been too preoccupied with the seedy filthy underbelly of black metal to notice. Whatever the reason, this disc is hitting the spot for sure, each track is epic and hooky and melodic, the vocals still raw and raspy, the guitars still buzzing and frenzied, but those black elements are wrapped around something much more musical, melodies soar, guitars tangle up in Maiden-ish harmonies, there's definitely a power metal element too, the songs are peppered with interludes and breakdowns, arpeggiated clean guitars, doleful piano, all providing brief respite from Morker's epic majestic black bombast.
Definitely recommended.
MPEG Stream: "I Flodens Forsande Brus"
MPEG Stream: "Segertag"
MPEG Stream: "Mitt Arv"

MORKHEIM Danske Hymer Til Morket (NOTHingness) cd-r 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's been a while since we heard from NOTHingness records, but they're back, after a year-long hiatus, with a killer slab of heathen funereal slow motion dooooooooooooom. By now we shouldn't really need to go into too much detail about all those extra 'o's but, needless to say, Danske Hymer Til Morket is massive, and glacial, sloooooooow, and ultra heavy, a tarpit trudge through an expansive landscape of warm washed out synths, slow plodding drums, and downtuned distorted guitars, spread out like the thick black wings of some beast, completely blotting out the sun and smothering the earth in thick pitch black shadow.
Unlike a lot of the funeral doom we've been digging lately, the sound of Morkheim is actually quite melodic, reminiscent of the classic UK doom bands like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, but of course slowed waaaay down and dipped in filth, left to crawl bloody and broken across a soundscape of lurching, slithering rumble and buzz.
The keyboards that wash over everything here definitely remind us of ultradoom legends Skepticism, and it's easy to hear Moss and Esoteric and the like, but it's the melodies, and the synths, and the strange mix of the classic and the modern, that results in some strange hybrid, epic and majestic, dark and droning, brutal and black, that makes Danske Hymer Til Morket so interesting. Just check out the album closer, an all acoustic Viking lament, with just simple fingerpicked guitars and soaring majestic vocals, that manages to somehow sound just as heavy and intense as the trudging pummel of the rest of the record.
LIMITED TO 111 COPIES!!!
MPEG Stream: "Ragnarok"
MPEG Stream: "De Gamles Dod"

MORKOBOT Morto (Supernatural Cat) cd 17.98
This futuristic-psychedelic Italian band from the Malleus/Ufomammut outer space orbit has come back to visit Earth again, blasting and baffling our senses with the intense radiation of the three long tracks that comprise this 40 minute disc/trip. As with their previous Monstro, the trio of Lin, Lan and Len again indulge in heavy, throbbing, occasionally spaced-out instrumentals with a rhythmic, industrial edge - something like Godflesh gone postrock amok. Or imagine the soundtrack to an alien autopsy that mixed up the internal organs of Lightning Bolt, Shellac, and Ufomammut. Sick.
MoRkObOt's guitars (both basses!) are distorted and drilling, laced with noise and FX, that gives way to moody electronic expanses, brushed with restrained, jazzy drumming. Indeed, we said "occasionally spaced-out" but maybe it's the other way around, the bulk the album actually consisting of near-ambient void-drone interrupted by the frantic panic of urgent, abrupt riffage and rigid clangorous rhythms. While this idiosyncratic band doesn't sound like most of the "doom" music we sell, believe us it's plenty ominous and intense, the doom it portends (a catastrophic asteroid impact? our sun going nova? the eventual heat-death of the universe?) not in doubt.
MPEG Stream: "Morto part I"
MPEG Stream: "Morto part II"
MPEG Stream: "Morto part III"

MORKOBOT MoStRo (Supernatural Cat) cd 24.00
Weird name. Weird band. Cool band! First thing to note: this is from the same folks who brought us Ufomammut's Lucifer Songs. In fact, Supernatural Cat is Ufomammut's label. And yes, as we were hoping, MoRkObOt are another HEAVY, spaced-out band of freaky Italians. But while Ufomammut sound like Electric Wizard playing Hawkwind songs, these guys exhibit a more precise -and- alien sounding technique in their all-instrumental compositions, which are definitely very heavy and DISTORTED a la Ufomammut. It's as if Ufomammut built a spaceship, took off from Earth, went up into outer space, and found these guys already there, orbiting some far off galaxy in a blinking robot vessel!!
The MoRkObOt trio -- Lin on bass and synth, Lan on bass, and Len on drums -- obviously have a lot of the same influences as Ufomammut, including the aforementioned Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, and Godflesh... with the latter influence maybe more prominent here, though this isn't all darkly depressive, instead it's sometimes almost energetically happy, like these guys have been popping pills they bought in a shady spaceport cantina. Some tracks are all about repetitive rhythmic pummel... or jaunty, twisting riffery... others feature passages of ominous synthy ambient drone and disturbing sound FX... it's all very psychedelic and sci-fi sounding, like a band jamming around the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. By the time you've experienced the last track, the 23+ minute "Poldon", you're waaaay out in space, maybe never to return... We pretty sure that this will appeal to fans of Titan and Zombi and Circle, and of course the other bands mentioned above!
Another thing to note: these REALLY swank and elaborate, hand-printed, hand-assembled packages (for the cd and the 10" both, they're equally cool lookin', and come in various random colors) are LIMITED. The cd contains a 500 numbered copies of the cd, 500 numbered copies of the vinyl (which, by the way, contains a much shorter version of "Poldon" than the cd does). Both formats feature a wire-bound booklet featuring cool artwork for each track, Voivod-style! Ufomammut's "Malleus Art Lab" is responsible for all the far out art, design, and execution.
MPEG Stream: "Zorgongollac"
MPEG Stream: "Cammut"
MPEG Stream: "Poldon"

MORKOBOT MoStRo (Supernatural Cat) 10" 29.00
Weird name. Weird band. Cool band! First thing to note: this is from the same folks who brought us Ufomammut's Lucifer Songs. In fact, Supernatural Cat is Ufomammut's label. And yes, as we were hoping, MoRkObOt are another HEAVY, spaced-out band of freaky Italians. But while Ufomammut sound like Electric Wizard playing Hawkwind songs, these guys exhibit a more precise -and- alien sounding technique in their all-instrumental compositions, which are definitely very heavy and DISTORTED a la Ufomammut. It's as if Ufomammut built a spaceship, took off from Earth, went up into outer space, and found these guys already there, orbiting some far off galaxy in a blinking robot vessel!!
The MoRkObOt trio -- Lin on bass and synth, Lan on bass, and Len on drums -- obviously have a lot of the same influences as Ufomammut, including the aforementioned Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, and Godflesh... with the latter influence maybe more prominent here, though this isn't all darkly depressive, instead it's sometimes almost energetically happy, like these guys have been popping pills they bought in a shady spaceport cantina. Some tracks are all about repetitive rhythmic pummel... or jaunty, twisting riffery... others feature passages of ominous synthy ambient drone and disturbing sound FX... it's all very psychedelic and sci-fi sounding, like a band jamming around the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. By the time you've experienced the last track, the 23+ minute "Poldon", you're waaaay out in space, maybe never to return... We pretty sure that this will appeal to fans of Titan and Zombi and Circle, and of course the other bands mentioned above!
Another thing to note: these REALLY swank and elaborate, hand-printed, hand-assembled packages (for the cd and the 10" both, they're equally cool lookin', and come in various random colors) are LIMITED. The cd contains a 500 numbered copies of the cd, 500 numbered copies of the vinyl (which, by the way, contains a much shorter version of "Poldon" than the cd does). Both formats feature a wire-bound booklet featuring cool artwork for each track, Voivod-style! Ufomammut's "Malleus Art Lab" is responsible for all the far out art, design, and execution.
MPEG Stream: "Zorgongollac"
MPEG Stream: "Cammut"
MPEG Stream: "Poldon"

MORLEY, MICHAEL The Pavilion of Fools (Corpus Hermeticum) cd 16.98

MORNING BENDERS, THE Big Echo (Rough Trade) cd 13.98
Watch out Girls (the band!) cause there's another sweet sounding Bay Area pop band we think could be the next big 'breakout' Bay Area band. Well, except for the fact that they've moved away to Brooklyn or someplace already. With Big Echo, their Rough Trade debut, The Morning Benders have created a sweeping and sensational indie pop record that brings to mind a more driving, sunshiney Grizzly Bear, The Shins at their most effervescent, and Death Cab For Cutie at their most triumphant. While there has been no shortage of bands drawing from similar influences, there is something so warm and sincere about The Morning Benders' sound. The songs never feel forced and resonate with an authentic heartfelt quality. The album brimming with totally catchy hooks, the kind that should be blasting all over commercial radio in a perfect world. If (like us) you love exquisite indie pop that stays in your head and just begs to find its way on to a mix tape for your secret crush, you can't do much better than The Morning Benders!
MPEG Stream: "Excuses"
MPEG Stream: "Pleasure Sighs"
MPEG Stream: "All Day Daylight"

MORNING BENDERS, THE Big Echo (Rough Trade) lp 13.98
Watch out Girls (the band!) cause there's another sweet sounding Bay Area pop band we think could be the next big 'breakout' Bay Area band. Well, except for the fact that they've moved away to Brooklyn or someplace already. With Big Echo, their Rough Trade debut, The Morning Benders have created a sweeping and sensational indie pop record that brings to mind a more driving, sunshiney Grizzly Bear, The Shins at their most effervescent, and Death Cab For Cutie at their most triumphant. While there has been no shortage of bands drawing from similar influences, there is something so warm and sincere about The Morning Benders' sound. The songs never feel forced and resonate with an authentic heartfelt quality. The album brimming with totally catchy hooks, the kind that should be blasting all over commercial radio in a perfect world. If (like us) you love exquisite indie pop that stays in your head and just begs to find its way on to a mix tape for your secret crush, you can't do much better than The Morning Benders!
MPEG Stream: "Excuses"
MPEG Stream: "Pleasure Sighs"
MPEG Stream: "All Day Daylight"

MORNING RECORDINGS Music For Places (Better Looking / Loose Thread) cd 8.98
A few months ago our ears were treated to the newest record from Morning Recordings, The Welcome Kinetic. While it was our first time hearing from this Chicago based project led by Pramod Tummala, it felt like hearing from an old dear friend who you turn to when you need lots of warmth and woozy comfort. Needless to say we've grown so much in love with that record, that we decided we definitely wanted to check out their earlier release, since somehow we missed out the first time around.
Music For Places is another gem of delicately crafted and richly layered mellow and drifty pop that's perfect for daydreams and those mornings when you barely wanna do anything except roll around in your pajamas and sip some delicious tea.
Tummala uses everything from harmonium, vibraphone, optigan, guitar, piano, Hammond organ and his narcotic and soothing voice to create a record that so gently lifts you up and makes you float ever so slightly on cool summer breezes, but with a musical core to the songs that warms you up at the same time. With a bunch of his talented friends from the Chicago scene lending a hand (Fred Lonberg-Holm, Barry Phipps, Jon Hensley, etc.) Music For Places has that same richness and soft touch that reminds us of Yo La Tengo's And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, Red Stars Theory's swan song Life In A Bubble Can Be Beautiful and Bedhead's Transaction de Novo. All beautiful albums, and we can now add Music For Places to that illustrious list. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Airports"
MPEG Stream: "Lake Part 2"
MPEG Stream: "Summer Tapes"

MORNING RECORDINGS The Welcome Kinetic (Loose Thread) cd 12.98
Dreamy. Drowsy. Droney. Dulcet. Aww shucks, we have to admit we're a sucker for anything with hammered dulcimer and vibes. Aren't you!? Those round warm tones just feel so right! But this Chicago band's second album has a lot more goin' on with that our ears are snuggling up close to.
They're distinctly 'Chicago' sounding (the city not the band). We knew as soon as we heard a few bars that they were from the Windy City. In fact, fans of gentle jazzy pop with chops breezers Sea And Cake and Archer Prewitt, take note! This might be your new favorite too! Seemingly equally inspired by '70s soft rock (think: 10CC, Bread, Burt Bacharach), '60s exotica (a la Les Baxter, Martin Denny), '90s slowcore (y'know, Low, Ida, Yo La Tengo's Georgia Hubley)... yeah, all the good stuff! Hushed, intimate and sweet, Morning Recordings make it seem like they're playing their music just for you. Have you guessed yet that we're pretty smitten with this album? Well, they push our newfound luv over the top when they let it be known that their roster includes Barry Phipps (of The Coctails) and guest singer Edith Frost -- both longtime aQ faves. We could continue gushing, but let's just say, "Wow, what a dreamboat!" So very very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "In Twilight"
MPEG Stream: "Songs From A Hotel Bar"

MORNING SPY Subsequent Light (self-released) cd 9.98
Here's the debut album from this SF sweet sunny group. The male and female lead singers take turns charming the listener with their very dissimilar singing styles. It actually sounds like two completely different bands. The male sung songs sound a lot like Destroyer or Mountain Goats. Very folky and wistful. In sharp contrast, the female sung tunes are much more toothsome 'n' perky. Very much like K Records' Pacific Northwest-y lo-fi pop. It'll be interesting to see on future recordings if either one ends up becoming the dominant sound of the band or if they continue to keep things as markedly split personality.
MPEG Stream: "I Am The Time"
MPEG Stream: "Hey Kirsten"

MORNING SPY The Silver Age (Keep) cd 9.98
If you recall Morning Spy's debut cd Subsequent Light from 2004, you may remember this SF band having something of a split personality (with each side defined mostly by boy versus girl vocals and folksy versus pop styles)... and they still do, although as we predicted, they're leaning more heavily to one side these days (psst, it's the boy-sung side). For those who're unfamiliar with this bright'n'breezy band, here's the lowdown: when the fella sings (on songs such as "Ask Us To Dance"), Morning Spy sound totally like a fine hybrid of Luna and Destroyer (albeit minus Dan Bejar's tweaked lyrics). When the gal sings it's a much more pastel-hued pop affair a la K Records' International Pop Underground circa 1992. A great sophomore release!
MPEG Stream: "Ask Us To Dance"
MPEG Stream: "Voices And Vigils"

MORODER, GIORGIO E=MC2 (Oasis) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Soooo wonderfully vacuous! Unabashed rump-shakin' boogie beats, ebullient falsetto vocals... what more do you want from disco king Mr. Moroder? This is the re-issue of his 1979 release of completely electronic dance tracks - one of the earliest examples of such music. Co-produced by Harold Faltermeyer. Oh and just so you know, if you got the Best Of compilation that we reviewed a few lists back, some of those cuts are originally from this album 'cuz they are some of his bestest. Contains the original six tracks, plus two bonuses from '78. Just boogie, baby!
RealAudio clip: "Baby Blue"
RealAudio clip: "Love's in You, Love's in Me"

MORODER, GIORGIO From Here to Eternity (Oasis) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Incredible reissue from 1977 reminiscent of his production on Donna Summer's "I Feel Love." On his own, he still proves himself as a formidable producer laying down disco grooves that will take you to a place where you are always in polyester, dancing in the spotlight. Highly recommended.

MORODER, GIORGIO The Best of... (Repertoire) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
What with the current retro electro boogie wonderkinds like Adult. and Ladytron, this is a more than timely release of that suave disco dance-meister with the bad-ass moustache, Giorgio Moroder. "Best of" may be a bit of a misnomer though as this compilation includes the groan-inducing "Solitary Man" and Flashdance ballad "Lady Lady". Nevertheless, this is a highly entertaining no-holds-barred retrospective. From his silly, bubblegum Ohio Express-ish debut single "Looky Looky" from 1969, to his glammy Spirit In The Sky-esque "Son Of My Father" in '72, and on into the Aqua Velva disco years and beyond. It's not until the fifth track though that the disco rump-shakin' truly kicks in with oozing over-sexed vengeance - "I Wanna Funk With You Tonight"... indeed. The major Moroder highlights though come in mid-cd with the relentlessly groovy "Chase", vocoder-active "E=MC2" and "Baby Blue". His later tracks may raise a few eyebrows (like the aforementioned cringers as well as "American Dream"), but they just might also remind you of a certain recording studio scene in the movie Boogie Nights... which is alright with me. You got the touch!
RealAudio clip: "Stop"
RealAudio clip: "Looky Looky"
RealAudio clip: "I Wanna Funk With You Tonight"
RealAudio clip: "Baby Blue"

MORPHINE B-Sides And Otherwise (Rykodisc) cd 15.98
Morphine rarities, from soundtracks, singles, live radio shows, Japanese bonus tracks, compilations, all that sort of thing.

MORPHINE Bootleg Detroit (Ryko) cd 17.98
A live Morphine gig from '94, on the "Cure For Pain Tour", captured by a fan in the audience and hence admittedly lo-fi, but band-approved, with some of the proceeds from this release going to the Mark Sandman Music Education Fund, in memory of the late Morphine main-man. Includes two 'enhanced' cd-rom tracks.

MORPHINE The Night (Dreamworks/Ryko) cd 16.98
Posthumous release by Morphine.

MORRICONE, ENNIO 4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio (Dagored) lp 14.98

MORRICONE, ENNIO Classic Italian Soundtracks (DRG Movies) cd 15.98
Soundtracks to the films of Dario Argento composed by Ennio Morricone. Contains tracks from the films "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage", "The Cat o'Nine Tails" and "Four Flies On Grey Velvet". Also contains a 5 minute interview track Dario Argento.

MORRICONE, ENNIO Crime And Dissonance (Ipecac) 2cd 17.98
Ok, this has been a tough one to do. I mean, Italian soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone is such a world reknowned genius of the genre, what can you say? And if someone isn't all that familiar with his music, how to explain the wonder and weirdness of it all? Maybe it would be best to make them a really good Morricone compilation to listen to...hey that's just what this is! So, buy this double cd and acquaint yourself. Even if you're already a Morricone connoisseur, you probably don't have every single film score that's been plundered here, so you're gonna want this too. These are all gems from classic soundtracks mostly circa 1969-1973, pretty much all from thrillers and suspense films, hence the title Crime And Dissonance. At any rate, we don't think there's any of his spaghetti western stuff here. So this isn't meant as any sort of comprehensive, "essential" Morricone overview, but it does provide plenty of Morricone's best, most edgy, thrilling compositions in one handy package. It's a clastrophobic collage of slinky grooves, avant-garde electro-acoustic textures, exotic melodicism, and shocking funk and free jazz. Taken together, this collection could be the soundtrack to the most suspenseful, intense and freaky movie never made!! Highly, highly recommended.
One thing: this could have done with more in the way of liner notes. The necessary credits are provided but no track-by-track or movie-by-movie discussion (something we don't have the space or the expertise for here, either, by the way), only a brief one-paragraph commentary by noted Morricone appreciator John Zorn which is certainly well meant but for some reason is mainly about how much Zorn's pal and Ipecac label boss Mike Patton shares certain aspects of Morricone's brilliance. Let us quote: "Mike Patton has pulled together a rare collection of Morricone tracks that reflect his connection to the Maestro via a shared passion and commitment ot the extreme and experimental. Psychedelic sitars, heavy breathing, screams, screeches, electric guitar feedback... much of Morricone's language here keenly intersects with the abstract metal soundscapes of Patton's own music, giving us fresh insights into their deeply powerful and uncompromising aesthetics."
All well and good (and nicely descriptive of the wilder aspects of Morricone's music as highlighted on this collection), but we're a little surprised that Mike Patton would want Zorn drawing such flattering comparisons, if only for modesty's sake. Plus, it gives the impression that Patton himself selected these tracks from his own collection, at the very least. But a glance at the fine print tells otherwise: this was in fact compiled by none other than Alan Bishop of the Sun City Girls!! Which is cool with us. But it makes one wonder why Mike Patton should play such a large part in Zorn's liner notes. Though Patton, as much as Zorn, certainly does make his Morricone influence apparent in his music, and this disc certainly points that out! Anyway, with Alan Bishop picking the tracks, you could regard this as sort of like a Sublime Frequencies volume devoted to the sounds found in the moviehouses of early '70s Rome. Radio Morricone, maybe? Many of the soundtracks excerpted here are out on cd, so this is a good sampler towards further purchases, and certainly a great mix by itself!
MPEG Stream: "Gli Intoccabili (Titoli)"
MPEG Stream: "Fumeria D'Oppio"
MPEG Stream: "Esplicitamente Sospeso"
MPEG Stream: "Sequenza 10"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Danger: Diabolik (OST) (Sycodelic (M.D.W.C.G.C.G.)) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
One of the early filmworks from Mario Bava (best known for his horror flicks), Danger: Diabolik is a spectacular, unusual and campy romp of a movie. From 1967, it's an Italian comic book come to life complete with wonderfully mad leaps of logic, a bevy of foxy ladies, and a suitably sexy musical accompaniment. Move over Batman! James Bond, step aside! You're no match for Diabolik who we should mention is no super-hero. He's a super-criminal wrapped in skin-tight black leather and latex. This soundtrack offers up a smattering of gleefully stilted dialogue snippets including the fab "Dry up, stupid!" line, but the seemingly relentless revisiting of the main track "Deep Down"- slinkily kitten-crooned, perky horns, slow'n'wistful, sly Peter Gunn-esque and oh so many more - may quickly wear on your nerves without D:D's swoonful eye candy. FYI: Even if you've yet to see the film, you might already be familiar with its kitschful flair. Mike Patton (in Fantomas) and the Beastie Boys have both plundered this amazing film for it's seriously astounding set designs and stunningly sleek wardrobe.
RealAudio clip: "Driving Decoys"
RealAudio clip: "Criminal / Justice Solution"
RealAudio clip: "Charading Chauffeurs In Wait"
RealAudio clip: "Deep Down"
RealAudio clip: "Valmont (Underworld Don) Philosophies"
RealAudio clip: "Money Orgy"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Ecce Homo (Dagored) cd 15.98
Yet another in the seemingly endless stream of Morricone soundtracks released on Italian label Dagored. This cd contains the previously unreleased original film versions of all 16 tracks of Venuta Dal Mare (the main titles through to the finale) as well as the concert suite version. This is Morricone in his suspenseful strings and flute mode. Perhaps a little too suspenseful? It just seems to go on and on and on. For completists only.

MORRICONE, ENNIO Forza G (Cinevox) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The soundtrack to a 1971 Duccio Tessari film about from what I can gather competitive airplanery and romance. The synopsis: "A Young Guy Fascinated by life in the clouds becomes a pilot in the Italian flying team, the Frecce Tricolori. His Dream to become a successful pilot leads him to experiment hightly dangerous feats, which enable him and the rest of the team to beat the English team in an international flying competition." Hmmmmm, looking past that moronic plot, I listened to the music with an open mind cuz I love love love Ennio Morricone. The music is very light and whimsical in a '70s optimistic sort of way. Plucking string sound, tinkling bells. He does a version of the theme music in his signature western style, with the horns and all. Happy and light, appropriate for an ironic tea party or listening with your mom. Certainly for the Morricone completist, but not by any stretch of the imagination his best.
RealAudio clip: "Sospesi Fra Le Nuvole"
RealAudio clip: "Forza G"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Four Velvet Flies / Quattro Mosche di Velluto Grigio (Cinevox) cd 16.98
Was this film a comedy or a thriller? It's hard to tell from the soundtrack, which was composed by our favorite score maestro Ennio Morricone. (Did anyone else see him at the Academy Awards? He's such a legend that I was kind of surprised he's still alive.) This half hour slip of a score for "Quattro Mosche di Velluto Grigio" ("The Four Velvet Flies" or "Four Flies On Grey Velvet" depending on who's doing the translating) starts out all pop-like with psychedelic piano, wailing guitar, and wordless vocalizations, all bespeaking some sort of '60s madcap caper film, then these quickly devolve into sinister rumblings and tense atmospheres.
RealAudio clip: "4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Giornata Nera Per L'ariete (Dagored) cd 14.98

MORRICONE, ENNIO Gli Intoccabili (Dagored) cd 14.98
Although "Gli Intoccabili" ("The Untouchables") is the soundtrack to a 1968 gangster thriller starring John Cassavetes, Peter Falk, and Britt Ekland, this is not the most exciting of Ennio Morricone's soundtracks. In fact, the main theme "La Ballata Di Hank McCain" is a mellow pop song straining towards epic portents of doom for the main character, apparently. It's a dark thrill of a song, like Scott Walker if produced by Burt Bacharach. The rest of the album, however, is merely quiet and nice, slightly melancholy, slightly sweet -- tasteful E-Z listening.
RealAudio clip: "La Ballata Di Hank McCain"
RealAudio clip: "Defilee"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura (Dagored) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At long last, this rather legendary soundtrack album shows up on cd in our racks. Morricone appreciators, "kosmigroov" junkies, and experimental improv fans have all been salivating over rumors of this re-issue, and all that eager anticipation is quite justified. Genius Italian soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone is best known for both his lounge-style pop music for Italian sex kitten comedies and other flicks, and also of course for his stunning, atmospheric (and archetypal) soundtracks to Westerns such as For a Few Dollars More. Here at AQ, we worship Morricone.
So what a pleasant thrill discover that this soundtrack to a 1971 erotic thriller called The Cold Eyes of Fear does indeed live up to its reputation, and instead of those usual expected Morricone sounds, we're treated to complex, sinister jazz strikingly similar to '70s electric-era Miles Davis circa "Live/Evil" and "Get Up With It". We can't imagine what must be going on in the film while this deliciously avant garde material is playing. There's simmering trumpet (blown by Morricone himself!), catwalking bass, pell mell drumming and other weird atmospheric percussive effects. It makes sense that the soundtrack was performed by Morricone's own outfit of musical innovators, the Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza who've themselves been the subject of two recent and highly-regarded reissues. This soundtrack takes the Gruppo's 20th century chamber-improv and adds some definite grooves, although there's plenty of totally free sounding moments as well. Highly recommended!
RealAudio clip: "Seguita"
RealAudio clip: "Evaporazione"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura (Dagored) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At long last, this rather legendary soundtrack album shows up on cd in our racks. Morricone appreciators, "kosmigroov" junkies, and experimental improv fans have all been salivating over rumors of this re-issue, and all that eager anticipation is quite justified. Genius Italian soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone is best known for both his lounge-style pop music for Italian sex kitten comedies and other flicks, and also of course for his stunning, atmospheric (and archetypal) soundtracks to Westerns such as For a Few Dollars More. Here at AQ, we worship Morricone.
So what a pleasant thrill discover that this soundtrack to a 1971 erotic thriller called The Cold Eyes of Fear does indeed live up to its reputation, and instead of those usual expected Morricone sounds, we're treated to complex, sinister jazz strikingly similar to '70s electric-era Miles Davis circa "Live/Evil" and "Get Up With It". We can't imagine what must be going on in the film while this deliciously avant garde material is playing. There's simmering trumpet (blown by Morricone himself!), catwalking bass, pell mell drumming and other weird atmospheric percussive effects. It makes sense that the soundtrack was performed by Morricone's own outfit of musical innovators, the Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza who've themselves been the subject of two recent and highly-regarded reissues. This soundtrack takes the Gruppo's 20th century chamber-improv and adds some definite grooves, although there's plenty of totally free sounding moments as well. Highly recommended!

MORRICONE, ENNIO Holocaust 2000/Sesso In Confessionale (Spalax) cd 14.98
Soundtracks to two Morricone-scored films, on cd for the first time.

MORRICONE, ENNIO Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (OST) (EMI / Edel) cd 17.98
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly! An amazing classic. It took a little while for us to list this baby since it was rereleased last year, but that doesn't mean we don't absolutely adore it!!! The film features incredible scenic shots and notable performances by Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Mario Brega, and was directed by Sergio Leone. Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo could be the one film that really transcended the spaghetti western. You can aaaaaalmost forget while watching that it was made by Italians in Spain.
A brilliant and epic soundtrack utilized that whistle of "doo-da-doo-da-doo" that came to iconify the mood of the film for generations of movie-watchers. Used over and over again throughout the soundtrack in intricate ways over a variety of instruments, it is never cheesy or lack-luster. Some great tension building moments here with an impressive orchestration that maintains that sort of Italian sexiness. Incredible!
This version is the 2004 Italian rerelease with some engineering and musicians notes as well as some pretty awful photoshop butchery from video stills. We love it! If you don't already have a copy, definitely pick this one up.
MPEG Stream: "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"
MPEG Stream: "Il Triello"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Il Mercenario (Gianni Dell'Orso) cd 16.98
This is the Ennio Morricone soundtrack to the 1968 film "Il Mercenario', a story about a Mexican General of the Revolution and his corrupt hired mercenary. Stereotypically spaghetti western stuff (lots of whoops and yee haws). Creepy whistling amidst dramatic reverb percussion and western acoustic guitar, interspersed with drunken rowdy songs sung in Spanish. There are some extremely beautiful and lonely guitar n' organ moments on this soundtrack, and it is at these times you can tell there is some sort of love story amidst all the fighting. The chorus with trumpet in the finale places this in ranks of other Morricone western greats like A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!
RealAudio clip: "Bamba Vivace"
RealAudio clip: "Il Mercenario"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Il Poliziotto Della Brigata Criminale (Dagored) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
One of Morricone's FINEST soundtracks, this is from an obscure 1975 French crime thriller starring Jean-Paul Belmondo. Dreamy, almost unearthly female vocals, clear and high remind us that Morricone not only did spaghetti westerns, but made space age pop as well. Intense arpeggiated piano accented with wailing sax, and some of the creepiest swirling swarms of violins I have ever heard (think Gorecki). This will definitely appeal to fans of another bestselling soundtrack here at Aquarius: "The Taking of Pelham 123". Very, very cool.

MORRICONE, ENNIO Il Prefetto Di Ferro/Il Mostro (Spalax) cd 14.98
Soundtracks to two Morricone-scored films, on cd for the first time.

MORRICONE, ENNIO Il Serpente (Dagored) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In terms of listenability on its own, without filmic images, Il Serpente is one of Morricone's better soundtracks, and thus it's a nice surprise, as it's been hard to keep track of all the reissues. Although the 1972 Italian / French production (released in the USA as "Night Flight from Moscow") is a cold war spy thriller starring Yul Brynner, Henry Fonda, and Dirk Bogarde, the theme song nevertheless sounds like a love theme -- and one of the most moving love themes Morricone ever composed, with alternately plucked 'n soaring strings and a woman's wordless siren song. Fucking gorgeous! (It's the first sample below.) Several of the following tracks echo that theme in melody and tone, yet there are also healthy doses of wah-wah guitar and pychedelic organ (no doubt for a chase scene), funereal organs, a martial parade interlude, avant percussive playfulness (let's see, I'm thinking empty warehouse filled with life size statues of Stalin), and lots more. The contrast between the theme song and the other more sprightly touches make this an interesting, winning listen all on its own. Really well done. A Windy fave.
RealAudio clip: "Canzone Lontana"
RealAudio clip: "Nadine"

MORRICONE, ENNIO Il Serpente (Dagored) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
In terms of listenability on its own, without filmic images, Il Serpente is one of Morricone's better soundtracks, and thus it's a nice surprise, as it's been hard to keep track of all the reissues. Although the 1972 Italian / French production (released in the USA as "Night Flight from Moscow") is a cold war spy thriller starring Yul Brynner, Henry Fonda, and Dirk Bogarde, the theme song nevertheless sounds like a love theme -- and one of the most moving love themes Morricone ever composed, with alternately plucked 'n soaring strings and a woman's wordless siren song. Fucking gorgeous! (It's the first sample below.) Several of the following tracks echo that theme in melody and tone, yet there are also healthy doses of wah-wah guitar and pychedelic organ (no doubt for a chase scene), funereal organs, a martial parade interlude, avant percussive playfulness (let's see, I'm thinking empty warehouse filled with life size statues of Stalin), and lots more. The contrast between the theme song and the other more sprightly touches make this an interesting, winning listen all on its own. Really well done. A Windy fave.