European Exploitation Soundtrack

Tune in to Channel 99, I am back after a one year long sabbatical! Today's gem comes from a film that never existed, yet we have the soundtrack to prove otherwise.

Hailing from the analogue-obsessed dungeons of Leeds, The Sorcerers have once again conjured a reel of dusty, heavy-lidded Ethio-jazz that sounds like it was pulled straight from a forgotten European exploitation flick of the early 70s.

"Opening Titles" is exactly what it claims to be—the curtain raiser for their sophomore LP, In Search of The Lost City of The Monkey God. It kicks in with a menacing, rolling drum break that immediately sets a scene of peril. You can practically see the grainy 16mm footage of a jeep winding through a dense jungle as the credits roll in yellow font.

The production here is impeccable. ATA Records are masters of the "fake vintage" aesthetic, but it never feels like pastiche. It feels like an artifact. The flute floats ominously above a bed of vibraphone and a stalking bassline, while the bass clarinet adds that low-end growl that Mulatu Astatke made famous. It’s moody, it’s cinematic, and it’s got that grimy library funk texture that we live for around here.

If you dig the sounds of The shimmering vibraphone, Addis Ababa via Yorkshire, and Soundtracks for movies in your head, this one is essential.

The Sorcerers - Opening Title
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnDqfF68dYQ