Lovely wild movie about the russsian underground scene in leningrad / st. petersburg of the 8oies and the music of victor tsoi and the band Кино (Kino).
See it still in berlin indie cinemas like krokodil, b-ware or wolf.
Inspired by latest compilations by Chicago´s Numero Records label, here´s my mix of beloved hardly known two and a half minutes R&B and soul tracks mostly from the late 60ies embraced and contrasted with some remarkable indie, kraut and postpunk tracks by Piscine & Charles, the Departmentstore Santas or Little Wings.
It´s all about love and nostalgia b.t.w. : “lost at the sea – that´s where you’ll find me”
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Tracklist by request.
It´s a one – take recording with some tiny faults, so sorry, most tracks are vinyl cuts of some mono recordings, so if you want to listen to clear sound, better go away and listen to spotify.
So let´s starts this beautiful autumn sunday with a short walk through latest releases and reissues that stuck in my mind:
First let´s talk about Toronto´s Producer and solo musician Sandro Perri´s first LP since years, called In another life out via constellation records.
Two long tracks, the first one “In another live” 24 Minutes long, the other one “Everybody´s Paris” split up into three variations of the song by Perri himself, Andre Ethier and Dan Bejar.
The track “In another life” is a masterpiece of a song. Listen:
The way how the electronic patterns counteract with the fragile repetitive melody is amazing and reminds of early Sandro Perri songs like Requiem for a fox (on his debut EP plays Polmo Polpo) or Double Suicide (tiny mirrors).
The song could simply last forever.
Everybody´s Paris is more of a classical song, with piano (Sandro Perri Version), soprano saxophone (Andre Ethier version). But except for the Dan Bejar (of Destroyer) version, which is with Dan´s way of singing an exceptional interpretation, the b – side is more of a remix album of a single than a proper LP side.
So, please more of “another life”, Sandro Perri.
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Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre released a new EP called “Right on” – listen to the title track above – out via their a records label. It´s part of a full LP called simply Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe, out since 12.th october on the same label.
The EP contains after first listen two good songs, the title track above with a killer keyboard sound and the psych-rock track grunewald, a kind of NICO hommage. The rest seems a bit uninspired and the voice of Tess Parks reminds of a outdated cover of 90iés grunge heroins like Hole or the Breeders. But hey, it´s work in progress and come on, two songs in a EP is more than ok.
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Lets stay a bit with psychedelic, but let´s go east: Arşivplak is a quite new turkish psych folk label that released two years ago some obscure turkish disco moog edits. Now comes a 7 EP with tracks by Şeker Oğlan with 4 amazing turkish dance tracks.
After the amazing oriental krauty arabian nights trilogy by Abdul el Omari and the bellydances by Hany Mehanna, Belgiums Radio Martiko continues the middle eastern dance grooves of the 60ies and 70ies this time with more classical Egyptian music. First is a compilation by Zamaan Ya Sukkar with 60ies jazzy orchestra sounds and a nice little 10″ of film music by Abd al-Rahman al-Khamissi (respectable families). Another two oriental treasures.
Listen:
Zamaan Ya Sukkar – زمان يا سكر
Compilation (LP+DL). Zamaan Ya Sukkar is a rich musical portrait from the time when Cairo was the vibrant cultural heart of the Middle East and the grandeur of the leading orchestras was incomparable. Unearthed latin and jazz-tinged tracks will let your mind drift off to the glamorous nightlife of 60’s Cairo. Meet some forgotten souls of the Egyptian music scene and cinema world. Sensual voices and Bollywood-like orchestra sounds inflame the senses of the body with an intangible exotic twist! All music is remastered from original 45’s produced by Sono Cairo.
Music from the Soundtrack “Respectable Families” Abd al-Rahman al-Khamissi – عبد الرحمن الخميسي
Compilation (10″ EP+DL) – Dark Tango, mysterious Twist and psychedelic Cha-cha-cha! Nothing you would expect from a Sixties Egyptian soundtrack. Romanticist and artistic all-rounder Abd al-Rahman al-Khamissi stands out with this absolute timeless musical production for his 1969 movie “Respectable Families’. Four abstract instrumental dances to express poetry through music!
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Basement Beehive, the Girl Group Underground
(whole playlist)
Last one of today is Numero´s compilation Basement Beehive, the Girl Group Underground. Last week, there was a Numero label pop-up store action in berlin in Acud. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the way they sold their releases. Although there were some rare 7″ and some subscriber only lp´s like the echoes del africa LP, the prices were almost as high than those in stores, so no way of trying out some more far out stuff (although I spend a lot of money anyhow).
But this little compilation of female girl groups of the 60ies with 28 sweet soul songs on the lp and even 56 songs digital and on the cd made my day and I am ok with Numero again.
Who do we become when we live our dreams? It’s all here—the high hairdos, the dreams and schemes, the tender camp, the wedding bell fantasias and chaste tragedies. Sister acts, studio receptionists, classmates, angelic voices of the 1960s; some legendary, many hidden in the basement of expired rainbows. Gathered on this deluxe double CD are 56 (28 on the 2LP) foiled escape attempts, now free to soar in girl group heaven.
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Annex 22.10.
At last, let´s talk about Matthew Houck´s band Phosphorescent, who played an amazing concert at Franzz club last saturday in Berlin. Last time I saw him was around 2003 maybe 2004, just around the corner together with Castanets in old nbi club. He was wearing a jacket with some glimmering lights, playing solo guitar. It was an incredible intense concert that time. Now around 15 years later, with a bigger label (dead oceans) in the back, a big truck outside the club, having moved to Nashvile from NYC, he came with full band: Two drummers, 2 keyboards, 2 guitars. And it worked out pretty well, although personally, the 3 songs he played solo with guitar – guess it was c´est la vie, wolves and there from here, were still even more outstanding and heartbreaking.
Same for the album – except maybe for the boring title of the LP, c´eat la vie – he still keeps the tension between great pop melodies, Neil Young kind of country folk and rock n´ roll, always with an melancholic look.
A selection of dystopian fall tracks, commenting the political shape of the world these days. Inspired by lonnie hollies “I woke up in a fucked-up america”, as well by leo ferré´s “il n y´a plus rien” (in a self made dub edit),, opening with an old song called “crepuscule”, which can be translated with”twilight” but as well with “decline”.
To quote John Goodman in “Tremé” on the politics after New Orleans´ Katrina:
“Fuck you, you fucking fucks”.
But there´s hope after all! In the 2nd part of the mix you´ll find some refreshing 70ies soul, reggae & some indie tunes from the turn of the century.
w/
Amelita Galli-Curzi / Áine O’Dwyer / Mathe Ballsaal & the gondwana orchestra / Allen Toussaint / Lucky Luke / Sarah Louise / In Aeternam Vale & Anneq / Whitney / Low / Moses Sumney / Smog / Lonnie Holley / leo ferre / Psychic TV / Faust / Lapis / Kalima / Gloria Barnes / Hortense Ellis / Death Cab For Cutie Jeffrey Lewis / Eric’s Trip
I saw a mesmerizing existentialistic movie by Wolfgang Fischer called Styx whose premiere was yesterday in kino international.
Seldom I saw a similar movie with hardly any dialogues (don´t be afraid of German language – there are maybe 3 sentences at all, the rest is Englisch or the sound of the Ocean) but yet the movie is so intense and in no movement lacking “dialogues”.
Fischer said it the Q & A, that the film took almost 9 years in the making and has been adapted permanently to the recent political refugee and migration debates and political changes, esp. the criminalization of the search and rescue ngo – vessels.
To see the philosophical dilemma and the reality to be left alone in the deadly sea is almost imbearable. Some scenes like the one the Women is falling into the water and the kid is taking over the boat is a (quite rough) model of the fact, that sometimes only a radical change of perspective leads in the end to a change of behavior.
This film experiment is a masterpiece and has to be shown to all EU institutions, especially to frontex and in schools and universities.
Wolfgang Fischer and the amazing actress Susanne Wolff with the moderator at the q & a yesterday.
Lately I saw a few good movies I like to talk about, but let´s start the sunday selection with a new new EP by 23 year old Sudan Archives called Sink out since a few month already via Stones Throw.
As you might know I´m not a big fan of nowadays r&b music, but Sudan Archives music is so eclectic! You´ll find african instruments, deep soul, singer – song writer melodies, electronic moments, just rich and beautiful. This is the second release after the 2017 Debut EP.
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Another treasure is Gloria Barnes only release from 1971 called Uptown via Maple Records(reissued by colemine) . Gloria Barnes. It´s an Album of incredible raw northern Soul with an irresistable voice, backed by Lee Moses and the ohio players.
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Now to something complete different: Movies
Here are two movies I like to mention, I have seen the last weeks: Gundermann by Andreas Dresen and BlacKKKlansman by Spike Lee.
Gundermann
(in German sorry, though the film is only to be seen in German OV)
Gunderman war ein Musiker, Baggerfahrer, wurde der Bruce Springsteen der Lausitz genannt, war bei der Staatssicherheit wurde aber auch von ihr selbst beobachtet, er war nicht sehr sympathisch, ein Macho und ziemlich selbstverliebt aber er war vor allem eines: authentisch und die Musik und seine Lieder mit der einzigartigen schrägen Poesie berühren bis heute. Der Film von Andreas Dresen setzt ihm ein würdiges Andenken ohne ihn zu idealisieren.
Hier 3 Songs vom letzten Konzert “Krams” kurz vor seinem Tod – er wurde nur 43 Jahre alt.
“hier führt mich meine Reise – nicht weit, aber tief ”
(hier bin ich geboren,krams)
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For the amazing Spike Lee Film, just go see it without reading a lot about it before, though the story is true but almost unbelievable.
Der heute in Frankreich lebende Kumut Imesh möchte noch einmal seine Fluchtroute nachverfolgen, die vom Bürgerkrieg an der Elfenbeinküste über den Niger und Marokko bis ans Mittelmeer reichte – dieses Mal allerdings mit der Kamera in der Hand.
Borderline Europe e.V, trixiewiz e.V. und OASE Berlin e.V. laden in Zusammenarbeit mit der FilmInitiative Köln e.V. zur Vorführung des Films “To Return” und anschließender Diskussion mit den Regisseur David Fedele und Co- Regisseur Kumut Imesh ein.
Der Film wurde von FilmInitiative Köln e.V. für den Fokus „Innerafrikanische Migration“ des 16. Kölner Afrika Film Festival (13. – 23.9.2018) ausgewählt und Deutsch untertitelt – gefördert im Fonds TURN der Kulturstiftung des Bundes.
Die Einladung der Regisseur*innen wurde im Rahmen eine Kooperation mit den Vereine trixiewiz e.V., Borderline Europe e.V. und OASE Berlin e.V. ermöglicht.
Im Anschluss an den Film laden wir zur Diskussion mit den Filmemachern und Andrea Stäritz von Borderline Europe e.V. über die aktuelle Situation an der EU Außengrenze in Nordafrika ein.
Die Diskussion moderieren Teresita Cannella (trixiewiz e.V) und Jochen Schwarz (Flüchtlingsrat Berlin / OASE Berlin e.V).
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David Fedele – director / producer / editor / sound design
David Fedele is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, born in Australia and now spending most of his time between the European and African continents. He is particularly interested in exploring cultural, humanitarian and social justice issues, and his films have covered such diverse topics as sub-Saharan African migration in Morocco, electronic waste in Ghana, and illegal logging in Papua New Guinea. His films have been broadcast and screened widely around the world, winning numerous prizes.
David’s previous film THE LAND BETWEEN (2014, 78mins) was awarded “Best Feature-length Documentary” at the FIFE International Environmental Film Festival in Paris, and has since been broadcast and screened hundreds of times around the world, winning many awards including Naples Human Rights Film Festival (Best Film), Festival of Migrant Film (Best Film) and Lampedusa Infestival (Best Film). It was also screened at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. http://www.thelandbetweenfilm.com
In 2014, David was selected to participate at Berlinale Talents as part of Berlin International Film Festival. He was also a jury member at the Cinema Planeta International Environmental Film Festival 2014 in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and president of the jury at the SREM International Environmental Film Festival 2015 in Srem, Serbia. http://www.david-fedele.com
Kumut Imesh – co-director / camera / protagonist
Originally from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, Kumut was forced to flee civil war in his country in 2004. Seeking a peaceful and safe place to live, he began the long journey across the African continent before finally arriving in Morocco, where he spent 7 years. While in Morocco he worked closely with NGOs and associations working closely with other migrants, providing support and assistance.
In 2013 he met the film director David Fedele in Morocco, and he worked as the translator for the film The Land Between. During this time, Kumut developed a very keen interest in documentary filmmaking, especially the potential to tell stories from an African perspective, and the original idea to make a film retracing his journey across Africa was born.
In 2014 Kumut arrived in Europe, and was granted asylum. He currently lives as a refugee with his wife and small child in France, working as a webmaster. He is also the founder and president of ACSORE (Actions of Solidarity for Refugees), an association in France that works for the social and educational integration of asylum seekers and refugees.
REVENIR is Kumut’s first film.
Plot:
For years, the stories of West African migrants and refugees have been told through the lenses of foreign journalists. Now there is a story from the inside. Part road-trip, part memoir, part journalistic investigation, REVENIR follows Kumut Imesh, a refugee from the Ivory Coast now living in France, as he returns to the African continent and attempts to retrace the same journey that he himself took when forced to flee civil war in his country … But this time with a camera in his hand. Traveling alone, Kumut will be documenting his own journey; both as the main protagonist in front of the camera, as well as the person behind it, revealing the human struggle for freedom and dignity on one of the most dangerous migratory routes in the world. A controversial film experiment, a courageous journey and a unique collaboration between filmmaker and refugee; which is not without consequences.
Écoute, écoute… Dans le silence de la mer, il y a comme un balancement maudit qui vous met le coeur à l’heure, avec le sable qui se remonte un peu, comme les vieilles putes qui remontent leur peau, qui tirent la couverture.
Immobile… L’immobilité, ça dérange le siècle. C’est un peu le sourire de la vitesse, et ça sourit pas lerche, la vitesse, en ces temps.
Les amants de la mer s’en vont en Bretagne ou à Tahiti… C’est vraiment con, les amants.
Il n’y a plus rien!
by the little dog laughed / 08/18 – photo is a cover still of léo ferré´s lp
(as a part of the little dog beat poetry mixtapes)
joe le taxi