A double offering from the British crime wave both unified by soundtracks composed by the forward thinking maestro Stanley Myers (No Way To Treat A Lady/Deer Hunter).
Featuring Finders Keepers Dj's in the theatre bar spinning Brit specific OST vinyl during the intervals.
Otley (1968) (Dick Clement, UK)
Swinging-sixties-spy-parody-crime-caper adapted from the Martin Waddell's novel of the same name starring Tom Courtenay and Leonard Rossiter. Otley, a hapless and light-fingered antiques dealer, is mistaken for a spy and grows into the part - to such an extent that the real spy falls in love with him. Sitting Target (1972) (Douglas Hickox, UK)
The first-ever R-Rated British movie which saw Lovejoy's Ian McShane accompany the animalistic Oliver Reed on a Pentonville escape mission fuelled by a bleeding heart, a gallon of red mist and a diabolical lust for revenge.
CACK4502 | MR. ONDIOLINE | MR. ONDIOLINE | 7" SINGLE | CACOPHONIC RECORDS
Since the true identity of this sinister masked electronic keyboard villain was revealed in Jean-Jacques Perrey’s recent autobiography the Mr. Ondioline EP has become one of the most wanted records amongst collectors of early electronics. As a controversial figure amongst the early musique concrete pioneers due to his painstaking ambition to put popular melody into edited tape music this debut release from 1960 hears Mr. Ondioline showcasing Perrey's Ondioline electronic keyboard (and synth precursor) while proudly celebrating the dawn of multi-track recording and tape editing. Pioneering, eerily nostalgic and creatively fearless this record brings electric melodies to your shining barstools and haunted ballrooms.
CACK4501 | THE KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA TRIO | KNIFE IN THE WATER | 7" SINGLE | CACOPHONIC RECORDS
A record of contended mythical existence amongst fans of Euro cinema and rare jazz for decades this Polish only EP contains all four themes to Polanski's first-ever feature film Knife In The Water composed by unanimously beloved Polish pianist Krzysztof Komeda. Featuring Roman Dylag (Bruno Spoerri’s Teddy Bär) and a radical inclusion of a Swedish trumpeter, the sought after Bernt Rosengren, this picture sleeve EP (complete with artwork from Polish poster legend Roslav Szaybo) is the only true existing companion piece to the other Komeda/Polanki soundtracks Cul De Sac and Rosemary's Baby released before his accidental death in April 1969. Having worked alongside Don Cherry, Michel Urbaniak and Gato Barbieri while unwaned by the clutches of communism this important artist deserves due focus.
On October 1st 2012 in a well-known Chennai shopping mall a young maverick Indian baker called Bhoopesh Pichaimani began to prepare a combined mixture of 600kg of chocolate mix, 150 kg of fresh cream, 240 kg of dark chocolate, 100kg of white chocolate, 80kg of sugar syrup, 60kg of fruit gel and 600 sugar sheets in an attempt to bake the longest chocolate cake known to modern man. Measuring 100 meters in length and weighing 1000kg, Bhoopesh enlisted the services of 25 fellow bakers and chocolatiers, using specially prepared ovens and state of the art equipment to assist with this colossal gesture, which was promptly cut into 1000 very unique slices which were sold for 1500rs each to raise money for charity. Every slice was individual in design and depicted dynamic
photographic and cinematic images leaving each sweet-toothed patron envious of the next participants’ eclectic choice...
If you are already listening to the celebratory and joyous electric mutant music found on this record then you would probably be able to draw a sonic parallel with the bizarre nature of the aforementioned culinary work of overambitious, vibrant and flamboyant gastronomic indulgence. For the uninitiated the composer of the music on this record is also a master craftsman who throughout the 1980s combined his off-the-wall ideas and sky high expectations using craft, experimental technology and a trusted team of participants to help concoct some truly bizarre local produce in mass quantity without compromise. Ilaiyaraaja, known to his family as Gnanadesikan, and to many of his zillion strong fan base as Isaignani (meaning musical genius in Tamil) represents the epitome of a nostalgic national treasure especially for a single solo composer in the Tamil micro music industry. His euphoric electrified music of the 70s and 80s (and beyond) captures every essence of joy and jubilation and is still used in celebration as much as it is celebrated in its own right. Ilaiyaraaja, a man of humble physical stature, sparsely equipped with a self-sufficient studio of compact electronic devices literally COMMANDS celebration with his single handed symphonies. With this in mind it seems fitting that the true motive behind the record- breaking baking of Bhoopesh Pichaimani’s ginormous cake (and the immense party that followed) was one of many celebrations in honour of the nation’s favourite and most radically varied Tamil composers - complete with cream filled portions depicting images of Ilaiyaraaja himself and record sleeves or key scenes in his soundtracked movies standing as edible trophies to match an elongated discography - a track record which continues to tantalise the taste buds and vibrate the ear buds of rotating music loving generations year after year. The fact that the Ilaiyaraaja himself didn’t attend the party was not unexpected; when Ilaiyaraaja’s not playing, he’s praying.
This compilation reveals more tasty treats from Finders Keepers’ ongoing obsession with
The Crown Prince Of Tamil Pop - focusing on his growth in the mid-1980s as a confident young composer adding freak pop fuel to the flickering flame of Kodambakkam’s Kollywood film industry, while embracing domestic synthesiser technology and fusing the power of electro and synth pop to his Carnatic canon.
In Chennai Ilaiyaraaja’s own musical kitchen still operates at full steam and it is often commented that Ilaiyaraaja lives, breathes (and eats?) the music that he makes. His studio utensils throughout his most creative and surprising period in the 1980s consisted of tape editing equipment, drum machines, sampling hardware and keyboards such as the Yamaha DX7 keyboard and synthesisers made by Korg. A modest set up which was perhaps overshadowed by the big budget Bollywood (Bombay) and Lollywood (Lahore) studios but still undermined the over zealous and gratuitously comparable industries using raw talent, multi-track tape economics, various syncopated noise boxes and, most importantly, a good sense of humour while prioritising post pop passion over price tag pride.
Ilaiyaraaja’s economy pop drafts were often written to moving picture without hesitation and committed to tape tracks in a single take making room for double bookings and energetic multitasking. Master copies were also simultaneously sent to the cutting room as well as the pressing plant for Ilaiyaraaja’s own Echo label to be distributed to predestined record shelves like an unspoken subscription series. It seems that by 1985 Ilaiyaraaja’s almost robotic and industrious organisational skills as a composer/arranger/player/singer and self-manager would be reflected by his musical output with the domestication of electronic music technology and the growth in popularity of synth pop and electro styled music. Rumour has it that when Ilaiyaraaja was taken to a New York music store to try out the first DX7 he arrived at 9am in the morning and didn’t leave until midnight having thoroughly inspected every feature on the keyboard in every combination like a true Zen master.
By the mid-80s the global rise in home studios and the abundance of new sounds opened the door for minimalism in pop as rhythm based midi-sequenced arrangements lead to an enhanced output for Ilaiyaraaja, who by 1986 was importing new digital equipment to compose film music for over 90% of the Kollywood film industry. These creative enhancements also coincided with the artist’s growing devotion to his personal religious practices, allowing him to live
a very focused lifestyle balancing both music production and prayer without the outside interruptions of public appearances, concerts and social networking (which was respected and admired by his fans and collaborators). It is in many ways ironic that the maestro of the new Tamil pop sound and ringmaster of homegrown party
music would never actually attend the celebrations in order to have a bite of his own giant cake.
The life and music of Ilaiyaraaja in many ways redefines the phrase ‘progressive’ in relation to global rock and pop and interjects a very broad palette of musical understanding into the mix on both a stylistic and academic level. At his peak Ilaiyaraaja had a clear scientific understanding of computers and sequencers as well as a keen ear for scarcely imported cassettes of western chart hits
by the likes of Michael Jackson, Prince and an evident influx of hip-pop and disco. But it was his unabashed interpolation of Carnatic music mixed with polyrhythms and traditional folk music that truly won him the hearts of a wider audience finally bearing the fruits of his laborious enthusiasm for music back in his early teenage years. Having started his musical career with little formal education and travelling with his elder stepbrother as part of a touring music group in the 1960s, the young Ilaiyaraaja managed to catch the eyes and ears of wide audiences resulting in a quick succession of stepping stones including a scholarship to learn classical guitar and an apprenticeship as a session musician in Chennai studios where he appeared on over 200 domestically distributed recordings (drawing parallels with a pre-Zeppelin Little Jimmy Page or Big Jim Sullivan). Using studio down time to record his own demos, while the other musicians pursued simple requirements such as food and sleep, his workaholic sensibilities and sonic sketch booking resulted in a plump dossier of songs which he would continue to share amongst prospective film directors on a help yourself basis throughout his career. Proficient in guitar and organ Ilaiyaraaja’s early induction as a harmonia player also led to him exploring the creative parameters of keyboarded electronic instruments and the use of Carnatic ragas presented in the context of Western pop songs featuring a unique new breed of Tamil playback singers. Over the years up-and-coming vocalists such as S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki, Mano, Jenky, P. Susheela and perhaps most significantly K. S. Chithra (hear her own dedicated Finders Keepers compilation FKR053) began to work almost exclusively with the composer as simultaneous careers rocketed above and beyond the Tamil film industry.
This compilation features songs
sung by all of these male and female vocalists (many in duet form) at their untouchable youthful prime and captures a lost era of experimental Tamil pop music that rarely bloomed beyond local picture houses and radio stations. In a country of eight million Tamil speakers these original records were very popular and released in short succession before being replaced with a rapid new influx of Ilaiyaraaja titles. On a global scale, after 30 years of restocks and no territorial distribution these original Tamil pressings are now genuine obscurities.
On 2nd June 2013 Ilaiyaraaja will find another good cause to celebrate. The event of the maestro’s 70th birthday shows no indication of him slowing down and for the last decade it has become common practice for his name and persona to share equal billing alongside the names of the films directors and principle actors. Having raised three musical children (each one a composer or a singer) with his late wife Jeera his legacy already has a head start on any unlikely contemporaries.
Defying any fair comparisons in the Western world (besides inadequate parallels to Joe Meek and Jean-Pierre Massiera) it is also virtually impossible to find similar electronic mavericks in the East. Imagine a mixture between Turkey’s Ilhan Mimaroglu and the acidic synthesiser ragas of Charanjit Singh and you’re still left short of the songs. Essentially, Ilaiyaraaja is to the local Kollywood film industry what RD Burman/Bappi Lahiri or M.Ashraf/ Tafo are to Bollywood and Lollywood but then remember that Ilaiyaraaja is a one-man band, with a single vision, zero competition and 1000kg cake with a different pattern on each slice. Like the title of his self- penned instrumental theme tune - one of his only non-film related compositions in a discography of over 4500 tracks (included here in its earliest form) - Don’t Compare!
B-movie junkies, gather round and prepare yourselves for what could only be described as a cinematic speedball bikesploitation clash double bill alongside bespoke biker psych soundtrack provided by Cock Diesel DJs in the Theatre Bar.
Stone (1974) (Australia) An undercover cop who joins the Grave Diggers motorbike gang to find out who's killing them off in Sandy Harbutt's globally influential Ozsploitaion feature that paved the way for Mad Max and so many more...
"...Oh my God! What a movie!" Quentin Tarantino (Not Quite Hollywood) Werewolves On Wheels (1971) (USA) Unholy biker creature feature by ex-Roger Corman protege Michel Levesque involving a biker gang, Satan worshipping monks and werewolf possession all in the hills of Hollywood.
Finders Keepers Records proudly presents their new monthly film night Hocus Focus at Manchester's best kept secret cinema The Dancehouse Theatre - showcasing lesser spotted but essential and inspirational global cinema alongside guest speakers, live scores and special guest DJs from twice the world over playing film music in the theatre bar.
The opening night features a Czech double bill from the world renowned Prague based Barrandov Studios - the studio behind Czech New Wave essentials such as Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders, Daisies and described by Roman Polanski as "the world's best studio."
Malá morská víla (The Little Mermaid) 1976
Mala Morska Vila (aka The Little Mermaid) is Karel Kachyna’s beautiful and surrealist 1976 retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale with stunning costumes and set design.
Saxana (The Girl On A Broomstick) 1972
Saxana (Girl On A Broomstick), The Czech Republic's 'other' favourite teenage witch flick (after Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders)tells the story of a rebellious hip young witch who escapes a 1000 year detention at witch school to wreak mischievous slapstick in the real world.
As one of the most prolific and viciously self-sufficient exponents of the early 80s French DIY/domestic synth pop scene X Ray Pop are a group who are easy to scratch the surface but almost impossible to get the bottom of. Peeping out of a warren of unexplored passages their seminal self-distributed debut singles and appearances on the genre defining alternative funk Alternative Funk Folie Distinguée compilation in 1984 made them an omnipresent fixture for the French tape wave scene that shaped a generation and influenced many more to follow. But beneath the trademark fluorescent sleeves stands the highly stacked foundations of endless cassette only releases that give this pocket punk husband and wife duo one of the most impressive and elusive back catalogues of all their cut ‘n’ paste French funk contemporaries. Plundering the depths of a self-estimated 400 recorded songs, X Ray Pop founder Didier Pilot has joined up with Finders Keepers sister label Cache Cache to reassess, rescue and reissue some of the bands most underexposed sonic snapshots, many of which were distributed in issues of less than 50 up to 500 for exclusive global releases in France, Spain, Portugal, Japan and America (where bands like Brian Ladd and Julie Frith's Psyclones and The Beastie Boys championed the band as a likeminded inspiration.)
From the earliest, lower levels of the X vault Cache Cache and Pilot resurrect one of the bands finest untravelled moments in the form of the rare tape only one-sider Pirate! - a spontaneous long player comprised of raw, rhythm heavy electronic versions of exclusive tracks alongside heavier and darker industrial versions of tracks that would later creep into the bands unhinged official pop discography.
Wearing their unabashed and generally incompatible influences of Can/Devo/Brigitte Bardot/Cramps/The Residents/Kraftwerk/Captain Beefheart/PIL/Brian Eno/Robert Wyattt/Gainsbourg/MAGMA proudly on their sleeves, this long lost tape captures a one day recording session which was originally released as 100 cassettes in 1985 at a time where various outside influences and competing labels were trying to snare the band into a slower more manageable pop entity. This is the sound of France’s two most highly charged battery operated cabaret cosmonauts at there hardest, loosest and uninhibited celebrating the dual-unison that can also be identified in similar two-headed freak funk outfits such as Moderne Mathermatiques, Stereolab, Ellie and Jacno and most notably (and perhaps unconsciously) Silver Apples to whom this release bears a welcome and femininised close comparison.
Catch this limited vinyl and digipacked CD for an early glimpse of an outer-national punk funk Neo-dadaist phenomenon that may well have eluded you until now and witness X Ray Pop at their most powerful. Pirate! labeled by Didier himself as The Dark Side OF The X provides a pre-curser to a forthcoming wider anthology of the groups work alternating erratic pulsating cosmic rock with dreamy metronomic private pop via their über legendary Casio-to-cassette production line. Otherwise, good luck finding an original copy, you deserve it!
