Fanzines Plethora

[ Watch Video: YouTube in HD, or download MP4 ]

Boing Boing Video presents a new music video from The NASA Project ("North America South America"): "Strange Enough," featuring Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fatlip of The Pharycyde, and what I am told were the last recorded lyrics by Ol Dirty Bastard of Wu Tang (RIP).

The song's infectious, the animation's delicious—with original artwork by Stephan Doitschinoff. Video directed by Lorna T and Studio Giblets, produced by Terence Teh.

NASA project co-founder Sam Spiegel tells Boing Boing, "Calma, Terence, and Lorna blew our mind with this new video. It's a Dante's Inferno of Brazilian art which fits the song perfectly."

You can buy the N.A.S.A. album here: N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo. The whole thing's amazing.

(Special thanks to Susan Applegate and Syd Garon)

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CREDITS:

© 2009 Spectrophonic Sound under license to Anti- Records

Strange Enough (feat. Karen O, Ol' Dirty Bastard, & Fatlip)

all original artwork by

Stephan Doitschinoff

produced by

Terence Teh

directed by

Lorna T & Studio Giblets

Story by

Lorna T & Terence Teh

storyboards

Stewart Wagstaff & Sam Taylor

compositing

Stewart Wagstaff, Tom Loughlin, Sam Taylor, Michael Eaton, Gavin Edwards, Bjorn-Erik Aschim

live-action director

Andrew Corrigan

Editing

Stewart Wagstaff, Tom Loughlin, Sam Taylor

2d animation

Andreas Polyviou, Sam Taylor

3d Animation

Sam Taylor

prop construction

Max Taylor, Sam Taylor, Aleksandra Magdziarek

puppeteers

Stewart Wagstaff, Andrew Corrigan, Sam Taylor Aleksandra Magdziarek, Max Taylor, Aya Suzuki

digital graphics

Stewart Wagstaff, Tom Loughlin, Sam Taylor
Aleksandra Magdziarek, Max Taylor, John Leigh

theatre curtain design

Amber Bessey

special thanks

Leona Ekembe, Chris King

and everyone else who helped out

SQUEAK E. CLEAN PRODUCTIONS CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Syd Garon

SQUEAK E. CLEAN PRODUCTIONS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Susan Applegate

Andrew sez, "Some brilliant madman has turned Jeff Wayne's 1978 version of The War of the Worlds into an hour-long dubstep mix. Available to stream or download for free. H.G. Wells' classic, performed with narration by Richard Burton, Phil Lynott and David Essex. Oh, and just a touch of bass. Just a tiny amount, really."

I'm not much of a dubstep fan, but woah. I mean, woah.

War of the Worlds (Thanks, Andrew!)

Dangerous Minds is my favorite blog in the world (okay, other than this one!). A recent Brad Laner post unearthing this radio documentary on the making of the moody Moog '70s hit "I'm Not In Love" by 10cc is a perfect case in point. The song was released in June, 1975. Brad writes,

[It's] a song that I've always been very intrigued with. I love that it's both a rigorous formal experiment and a tremendously succesful pop tune, to say nothing of its dark and deeply melancholic atmosphere. It's easily one of the best radio hits of the 70's and I can't imagine ever tiring of it.

I couldn't agree more. I have such strong memories associated with this tune, from my own seventies childhood. They involve forests, long car drives, and grief and loss and everlasting love. I can listen to the song over and over and over again without tiring of it, but I can't listen to the song without being immersed in that child-mind, and the emotional environment that surrounded me back then. That's what great art does.

The 9:41 audio documentary reveals some of the analog-era soundcraft and technology behind that magic, some of which was very new at the time. Endless loops and multilayered "aaahs," a synth heartbeat in place of a drum, and hyperbolic chord overlays of some 256 voices, exhaling all at once. A Moog cathedral.

YouTube commenters identify the radio documentary as coming from a BBC Radio 6 documentary about 10cc as part of their "Producers" series, broadcast in 2009. Anyone have a direct link to the original at BBC? I'll post here, if so. I'm not crazy about the random, fan-edited still image montage in this YouTube copy, but hey, I appreciate that someone preserved the doc so I can't complain too much.

THE MAKING OF 10CC'S I'M NOT IN LOVE [ dangerousminds.net ]

MP3 download for "I'm Not in Love": Amazon link.

Bonus: The long-circulated grossout internet rumor about the band's name? False.

Here's nerdcore rapper MC Frontalot's single "First World Problem" from his latest album Zero Day, animated by Shawna Mills of Brooklyn. Frontalot sez, "The song is deep nerdcore and a wee bit political. The video tells a secondary story which interweaves thematically. Enjoy!"

MC Frontalot - First World Problem [OFFICIAL VIDEO] (Thanks, MC Frontalot)

Available at Amazon.com

The Rage
Written by John Bisson and Robert Kurtzman
Directed by Robert Kurtzman

“A Mega-Dose of Pure Terror”

Synopsis: A mad scientist is experimenting with viral Rage in the middle of the woods. One of the victims of this crazy doctor’s experiment goes mad, escapes and kills the Doctor himself before escaping into the woods, where he meets his death from the Virus. After eating the corpse of the infected victim, the Rage Virus spread to the wild vultures. This causes a lot of horrific problems for visitors and campers to the woods. The birds attack several hikers in the area, spreading and mutating the virus into the plant-life as well. The Vultures infect victims by spraying this yellow slime into their faces. After a group of concert goers get tangled up in this mess when their RV is pretty much decimated by a Raging Zombie and air bombed by Raging Vultures. The surviving members of the party then run into the woods, where they are picked off one by one. A number of raging birds, plants, leeches and other infected people attack them, until the remainders are finally taken by the doctor. There we get to meet a killer dwarf who is wearing the face and clothing of a little girl who was killed earlier in the movie. The final scene is filled with wit and outrageous, over-the-top gore and banter that make this movie what it is. This wonderful splatter house movie has everything that makes the movie rather enjoyable.

Pros: If you enjoy Splatter House horror, this film definitely pulls from that. While not being on the same cult-classic level as Evil Dead (also written by Robert Kurtzman), it definitely should have a decent following for those that like this genre featuring lots of blood, sex, drugs and rock and roll, even a special appearance by the band Mushroomhead, an alternative metal band that performs with black masks and unique theatrical live shows. The CGI is not bad for the cost of the movie. They are a bit choppy, but give the birds a creepy feel. Though the use of CGI for poop when one of the zombie men gets a pole rammed into his ass was a bit over the top. Several of the scene’s are laid out very similar to Haunted House rooms/scenes. I am putting this in the Pro’s because I know a lot of people enjoy having that thrill behind their stories. One of the ending fight scenes has a bad guy coming from several different hiding places at the Heroin.

Cons: It is a low budget Splatter House film. If you’re looking for Resident Evil type of effects, you won’t find it. The plot can be slow moving at point, but they make up for it with lots of blood and gore. The acting is up and down in the movie. Repetitive phrases get a bit boring. (How many times can we say “We have to keep moving) There are even a couple of veteran B-movie stars in the film, who struggle saying their lines. A lot of the male cast as trouble finding emotion behind their lines, and they tend to come out flat or forced. The cat fights seem almost forced in the acting. Almost like best friends are trying to act angry at each other and failing at it. There is also a forest sex scene that was added, that didn’t add much to the development to the story.

Special Effects: Splatter House blood and guts, CGI vultures that are passable, surgery/torture scenes that did make me look away. There were also a couple of scenes involving vomit and feces which gave me a queasy stomach at best, and made me gag at worse.

Overall: If you are into the low budget, Splatter House movie genre, this is definitely a good one to add to your collection. This movie is not for everyone though. If you do not enjoy low budget movies, I would suggest you stay away, as you will not be as entertained by the effects. This is also a good background movie to have on.

Available at Amazon.com

1. Theme from “The Rage
2. Injecting the Formula
3. In the Forest Deep
4. Dr. V’s Lab
5. Feeding Time
6. Don’t Go in There
7. Uncle Ben Montage
8. Crash Aftermath
9. Uncle Ben Under the Winnebago
10. The Waterfall
11. Birds of Prey
12. Meet Dr. V
13. Kiss the Monkey
14. Dr. V’s Theme
15. Surrounded
16. Breakthrough
17. Showdown in the Lab
18. Gor
19. Final Confrontation with Dr. V.

Musically this soundtrack does a lot for developing and using certain themes within its structure. The Rage Theme is used in several of the tracks, and developed very nicely over the length of the album. The percussion rhythms are used very nicely in adding tension and a faster pace to the Tracks.

One thing that really stood out to me was how each theme was used. The Rage Theme would only be used in parts of the soundtrack dealing the Rage. It was developed and expanded upon as a theme when The Rage virus appears in a new way. Moving from people, to birds, to plants and leeches, the virus mutates several times, therefore the theme for Rage was heard and was evolved into new ideas without losing the feel of it. Each character even has their own types of themes. They use variations on the Rage with an added theme on top. It is very simple and scaled down overall, so as not to lose the listening audience because of extreme dissonance.

The use of special effects was very simple yet very effective. A rustle of wind in one track, or the screech of birds in another, a slow moaning-like sounds are all very effectively used to add a wonderful feel.

Overall feel of the album is that is blends together very nicely, works to effectively add to the suspense and horror presented in the film. While not a relaxing soundtrack, it does work well for listening with no lyrics. The tracks also, are not that long. On average about 2.5-3 minutes per track, so the lack of lyrics in the music to help it move is not necessary.

One thing I wanted to see in this soundtrack as a track written with or inspired by the band Mushroom Head. They were featured in the film and nowhere in the soundtrack are they even eluded too. Even a hidden track would have been awesome.

If you like B-horror movies, this soundtrack is great. It gives you a good representation of the movie. If you are a fan of Midnight Syndicate, this album is similar to all their other albums. It tells a story through the use of music and development of themes, which is what they are good at.

Review by Crystal Mazur

Related posts:

1. Drag Me To Hell Movie Review
2. Midnight Syndicate’s The Rage Soundtrack
3. Devils Rejects Movie Review

Former Boing Boing guestblogger and sound artist Meara O'Reilly says,

This coming Friday July 9th I'm going to be debuting new Chladni Music (accompanied by a glass bottle orchestra!) at the Berkeley Art Museum. The show marks the opening of my friend David Wilson's installation and residency at BAM called "Gatherings", and I'm thrilled to be a part: the whole evening is designed as a "Sun Ceremony" involving an 8 foot handmade globe, light projections, singing, and drumming all over (and on) the museum, so come ready to make some beautiful noise! Doors are at 6pm, Sun Ceremony begins at 7:30.

Tickets are $5.

On Sundays, most Pakistanis will turn away from their usual Indian TV consumption and catch Coke Studios on one of the many Pakistani channels that have syndicated it. I blogged about the show last year.

I wanted to share a new song that was in the second episode of the new season. The song is called Moomal Rano. I'm not familiar with the Sindhi poets and singers, so here's the description from the Coke Studios website:

Shah Jo Raag fakirs from Bhit Shah take centre stage with 'Moomal Rano', a sur from Shah Jo Raag Risalo. As they sing and chant 'Moomal Rano', the fakirs also mark a monumental first of collaborating their unique five-stringed dhamboora with western instruments.

The singers are natives to Bhit Shah, an area in the Sindh province that is known for the great poet Abdul Latif Bhithai. The men singing the sur are known as fakirs. The term fakir means many things. In colloquial Urdu, it can be used as a derogatory term for a street beggar. In the best sense, a fakir is someone who dedicated his/her time for the worship of God and lives a fairly ascetic life. From what I'm told, you can catch the fakirs performing at the tomb of Abdul Latif Bhitai.

The sur and translation follow...

O mian, Allah mian...
O God, my Lord

(repeat)

Russ ma russan ghoryo

Even if you are upset with me, I am still willing to lay down my life for you

Chudd raana raida-ee

My lord, speak to me once again

Lapay tij latif chay, kamil khachaie

My lord, forgive your Latif for all his faults and mistakes



Oooooo kar maaf madai

Forgive all the mistakes

Ta sodha sukhiyani theeyaanm mian

I will only be at peace when my Lord will reciprocate my love

O Allah, kar maaf madai

My lord, forgive all my faults

Waee (Vai)

Ao rana ruh raat tunjhi chaangul khay chandan chariyaan

My lord, stay with me tonight and I'll make sure that the Beast (camel) you ride is taken care of as well

Raatiyaan deehaan rooh-a mein tann tunhinjhi taat

My lips move all the time remembering you, be it day or night

Waithi nit niharyaan

I sit, gazing into the distance waiting for your return

Acheen jay pirbhaat

Waiting till the wee hours of the morning

Mookhay aeen mehndra waee tuhjhi waat

It is only the song of your remembrance (waee) that I have on my lips, my Lord

Adyun, Abdul Latif chaee daatar deedum daat

O sisters, the Lord will be forgiving and will shower his blessings on Latif


(Shah Jo Risalo by Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai)

(Lyrics and translation by Mohammad Qasim Maka, professor and director Institute of Sindhology)

Coke Studios

Photographer Glen E. Friedman's show at the Light House Cinema in Dublin opens tomorrow, July 8, and features 40 pieces from throughout his career— shots of the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Black Flag and Minor Threat are in the mix. On launch night, there will be a screening of the Fugazi documentary Instrument. (Above: The great Black Flag.)

Christian sez, "To promote Creative Commons licensed music and the musicians behind it, Musikpiraten e.V. launches this year once again the Free! Music! Contest. Last year we had about 60 submissions, this year our goal is 150! Until the end of July, musicians and bands who are releasing their music under a Creative Commons license, can register for the contest. Until August 22th there will be an additional remix-phase: the participating artists are invited to submit single stems or acapellas in addition to the individual songs. By submitting individual tracks or the submission of music videos, the chance to be added onto the sampler that will be a result of the contest, will be increased - if only just a little bit."

Free! Music! Contest 2010 (Thanks, Christian!)

I'd read that glam rocker/lounge singer Jobriath lived in a pyramid, but I'd always imagined something spacious and opulent, maybe even glass. Would never have guessed it was a cosy victorian brick-n-slate cottage designed by Mumm-Ra.