Anworth Kirk 2

Something wicked this way comes. Another unsolicited, dark and spectral missive drops through the Sound Awareness letterbox in the form of a new Anworth Kirk release.  Packaged in a rat chewed, hand pasted sleeve, this release is a much more caliginous and sage affair than its sister record. Like all good records, musically, it is difficult to pin down, part spirit rapping improv, part dim and eerie soundtrack, intense folk musique elides into Victorian grand parlour room Giallo schlock then dissipates in sound weaving patterns of lecture hall mesmerism. This is music of the ether, dark, nebulous and with many voices. Digital layering creates a seamless and complex atemporality, the folkloric becomes entwined with the technological present creating an utterly compelling and spellbinding new form of avant garde shadow electronica. This is a record to seek out and communicate with.

Ritual

Fantastic news.  Finders Keepers are venturing into the world of literature with a reprint of David Pinner's proto Wickerman novel. Originally published in 1967 by New Authors Limited, the book has languished in rare obscurity. I just hope Finders Keepers see fit to reprint the wonderful Peter Edwards cover graphics.

Anworth Kirk

Strange things have been coming through my letterbox of late.  This morning, I received a whole batch of mail related to the blog, a recording of sub aquatic exotica by Dolphins Into The Future, a book on rubber fetish wear and a collection of films made by the artist John Latham.  Also amongst the mail, was an anonymous parcel with scant information as to the identity of the sender.  Slightly anxious that I was being stalked, I set about finding out who had sent it.  It took a while, but eventually, after a little research, I twigged who was responsible. This particular package contained a record, and a very interesting one at that.  At times, the recording sounds like a soundtrack, albeit of the vaguely oddball and twisted kind.  It's a strange mixture of spectral electronics and cunning folk musique concrete.  The disc is immersed in an ill distempered paganism with shimmering moments of intense haunting fragility. The record graphics impart very little information apart from a photograph of Anworth Kirk (a location used in the The Wicker Man film) and a page of a book (which I think relates to the Pendle witchcraft trial of 1612) which was glued onto the back of the hand stitched cover.  I found the music contained spellbinding and for those who enjoyed the recent Broadcast and Focus Group collaboration, they will find much to love about this record. As to when it's actually released, I'll keep you posted.

Valkoinen Peura

"Valkoinen Peura", also known as "The White Reindeer" is a Finnish film which won a Golden Globe in 1952. It's an absolute gem of a film and rarely shown outside of Finland.  The film itself defies the stereotypical horror genre and seems immersed in both folktale and ritual, capturing the loneliness, myth and mysticism of the Finnish landscape.  Seek out and enjoy.

Museum Of Witchcraft, Boscastle

The Museum Of Witchcraft in Boscastle houses the world's largest collection of artifacts devoted to witchcraft in all its forms. It's a fascinating collection and I could have spent many more hours reading and looking at the vast range of material available.  The museum has a very open curatorial approach, mixing both the sacred and the profane, the highbrow with the lowbrow.  I was particularly intrigued by the poppets on display as I'd recently read both "The Uncanny" by Sigmund Freud and the catalogue of Mike Kelley's show of the same name.  I'm currently enjoying "A History of the Pendle Witches and Their Magic: Wicked Enchantments" by Joyce Froome and the wonderful collection of "Songs Of Witchcraft And Magic From The British Folk Tradition" which I came across in the museum's shop.