This LP is the first joint release for two labels known for their obsessive crate digging, for uncovering some of the wildest, strangest and most beguiling music around. Melbourne’ Dual Planet has been on a roll lately with some remarkable excavation work from local krautrock influenced Melbournians Cybotron and Steve Maxwell Von Braund, whilst Finders Keepers keeps peeling back the iron curtain (and every other curtain) and discovering all manner of tripped out psychedelic weirdness on an alarmingly regular basis. It makes sense for such eclectic folk to join forces and Monster Skies; their new label bears the fruit of their varied experience.
The first three pieces alone demonstrate that this is going to be a wild ride. A high concept sci fi spoken word piece from 1980 by American blues trio turned synth and electric harmonica trio Clone, a bouncy electric jig from Suzanne Ciani (she’ the one who supplied the sound effects to Meco’ disco Star Wars album), and then a deep dark ambient drone from Italian library music weirdo Teisco. If you’re after eclecticism then welcome home.
The beauty of Pianta (Dual Planet) and Votel (Finders Keepers) is that they’re basically brands themselves. There’s little point searching out the names of this compilation for artists you know because much of it comes from limited private presses or obscure long forgotten moments of history in far away lands. All you can do is place yourself in their hands and enjoy the admittedly wild ride.
Possibly the biggest name here is Polish composer Andrzej Korzynski, best known in the West for his soundtrack to the 80′ Sam Neil horror film Possession. In recent years he’ been tracked down and championed by Finders Keepers as one of the most eclectic, adventurous and fascinating composers hiding behind the iron curtain. The piece here Zombie is a relentless electro throb possessing a peculiarly cold 80′ sheen. It’s the kind of music that reminds you of so much, but is just a little bit off, with devastatingly shrill sounds careering in and out over much warmer sequences, a little like Harold Faltymeyer trapped in the freezer.
There’ also an Andy Votel edit of the aforementioned Steve Maxwell Von Braund’ incredibly Monster Planet that synthesizes all the vocals and the funk into a more manageable size morsel from what is ostensibly one of the most ambitious and highly underrated albums of outsider synth excursions you’ll ever come across – direct from Melbourne circa 1976.
There’ some truly weird stuff here, Val Stephen’ Abstractum lives up to its name with all manner of odd electronic squiggles and there’ suitably spacey sounds from Doctor Who composer Don Harper, as well as an elongated second piece from Clone where they electronically flail themselves over the most basic organ beat you will ever hear. Is it foxtrot or cha cha?
The oddest moment comes from French synth pop duo X Ray Pop. It’s possibly the most pop moment on the album, but with scrawling guitars, a delayed hip-hop beat and these very bizarre vocals, The Night of The Living Dead will leave you scratching your head. Are they serious?
It’s all quite spooky and spacey, with lots of drones and synths, possessed with a certain otherworldly darkness – or at the very least moroseness. Some pieces only come in for minute or so of creepiness, whilst others develop over ten. From tape music experiments to mutant pop, synth wig outs and electronic jigs, these two have just done what they do best – excavate and reanimate some of the weirdest, most beautiful and underappreciated music that escaped our, and pretty much everyone else’ attention in the 60′, 70′ and 80′.
As a listening experience this collection is diverse, at times challenging, but endlessly fascinating with all kinds of malformed misshapen nuggets just waiting to be discovered. As statement of intent for a label you’d have to suggest they’ve left themselves open to go anywhere. The sky is the limit. And the sky is just a little bit evil.
