Digital Meltd0wn

MEGA Fix for Mozilla

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Tired of seeing this?

Since I started using MEGA as cloud for many uploads, there has been much rumbling & grumbling here about how it doesn't work or requires certain browsers only, how "it sucks ass" as one commenter opined. Well, Anonymous posted a comment on the Mordant Karma post that Mozilla provides an add-on & that it is "EZEE".

Well, here are links to two Mozilla provided add-ons, for anyone who doesn't want to change browsers, but wants to get stuff available only on MEGA:

iMEGA 0.2.11(for regular users ease of access)

MEGA extension 1.0.1(allowing firefox users to download)

The Apollo Stars - The Power of Source (1974 - 320Kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 05:19:00 +0000

Probably one of the weirdest records as far as the back story behind it!

Lord L.Ron Hubbard, known to his followers as The Source, assembled this funky jazz ensemble from members of Sea Org aboard the flagship of their fleet, The Apollo, originally named The Royal Scotman (supposed to be The Royal Scotsman, but typos & no spell-check in those days). The Sea Org is a unit of the Church of Scientology, comprising the church's most dedicated members. It was established on 12 August 1967 by Commodore L.Ron Hubbard, the science fiction church's founder. They initially resided on board three ships, the Diana, the Athena, & the Apollo because they where banned from nearly every country around the globe. In 1971, Sea Org assumed responsibility for the ecclesiastical development of the church, particularly the upper levels of its training known as Operating Thetan or OT. The band itself played a strange semi-skilled brand of garage jazz. The fact is that this band was assembled to gather recruits for Scientology with free "rock concerts" around the world.

The musick on this album was primarily imagined by L.Ron, honed to its razor sharp mediocrity aboard the Apollo. Then the musick was recorded over a period of days, recording 14 to 15 hours at a crack, directed by Hubbard. Hubbard had rented a movie theater in Portugal as the recording venue. As the Stars recorded, they were constantly badgered by Hubbard to fit their styles within the narrow confines of Hubbard's vision. He charged them a dollar for every wrong note they played (still, many wrong notes made it into the final recording). When it was over, the Stars owed Hubbard hundreds of dollars for their wrong notes.

If you are interested in things Scientological, read on…

Excerpt taken from Bare-Faced Messiah, a unauthorized biography of L. Ron Hubbard & Scientology by Russell Miller. The Church fought this book in the courts, but in the end lost their case. However, they have used their incredible influence to make sure copies of it are extremely hard to come by (& expensive). Pdf files can be found around the interweb, however. Read on…:

First, some Naval background data on Mr Hubbard, quoted from one of his spurious `official' biographies: 'He served in the South Pacific and in 1942 was relieved by fifteen officers of rank and was rushed home to take part in the 1942 battle against German submarines as Commanding Officer of a Corvette serving in the North Atlantic. In 1943 he was made Commodore of corvette squadrons and in 1944 he worked with amphibious forces.' Following was a list of seventeen medals awarded to Mr Hubbard, including the Purple Heart and the Navy Commendation Medal, many of them with bronze stars.

Miller writes, “On 18 June, the Navy Department replied, enclosing the four routine medals awarded to former Lieutenant Lafayette R. Hubbard, US Naval Reserve, and noting, 'The records in this Bureau fail to establish Mr Hubbard's entitlement to the other medals and awards listed in your request.'

The Commodore apparently had no difficulty circumventing this little problem: he quickly put into circulation an eight-by-ten color photograph of twenty-one medals and palms he had won during the war. Some were missing, he explained to the crew. He had actually won twenty-eight medals, but the remainder were awarded to him in secret because naval command were embarrassed that he had sunk a couple of subs in their own 'back yard'.

In the summer, the Commodore turned his attention from his own image to that of his ship. He was taken with an idea to improve the Apollo's public relations by staging free concerts and dance performances for the local residents at her regular ports of call. After hours of watching television in Queens, he considered himself an expert on popular music and modern dance and believed he had made important `discoveries' about the nature of rock music and the need for a strong heavy beat. He often demonstrated his theories to a mystified Jim Dincalci. On the ship, he was able to put his ideas into practice with his own band, the 'Apollo Stars', made up of volunteers from the crew chosen at auditions conducted by the Commodore with all the confidence and aplomb of a man who had spent a lifetime in show business.

Ken Urquhart, who probably knew more about music than anyone on board, resolutely refused to become involved. 'My favourite composer was Mozart, not the horrible, raucous noise they were making. They practiced on the deck most afternoons, playing music made up by LRH with a very primitive, animal beat. There was no way I was going to go near them.' Mike Goldstein, who had played drums in a semi-professional group while he was at university, volunteered to play with the Apollo Stars in order to get out of the RPF (Rehabilitation Project Force). 'LRH had said anyone in the RPF who was accepted for the band or the dance troupe would be let out. I volunteered because I thought anything was better than running around in a black boiler suit. I was wrong. The band was terrible, awful; it was the most embarrassing thing I have ever done.'

Hubbard's idea was that the Apollo Stars would be playing on the aft well deck each time the ship entered a harbor and that bookings for both the band and dance troupe would be arranged in advance at every port of call. Since he would be making appearances himself, he had a new uniform designed with a suitably theatrical flair. It featured a powder blue kepi with a lavishly gold-braided peak and a cloak in the same hue, lined with scarlet silk. He looked, Urquhart reported, 'most peculiar'.

Quentin Hubbard, now twenty, began rehearsing with the dance troupe and enjoyed it so much he made the mistake of telling his father he would like to be a dancer. 'Oh no you wouldn't,' Hubbard replied. 'I have other plans for you.' There was no further discussion and Quentin was no longer allowed to perform. Not long afterwards, he made a feeble attempt at suicide while the ship was docked at Funchal in Madeira.

'He'd gone missing ashore for a while,' said his friend Doreen Smith, 'and while people were out looking for him he just walked back on board. I went to see him in his cabin to make sure he was OK and found him lying on his bunk. He smiled at me and I said, "Hi, how are you feeling?" He said, "Not so good, my stomach's real upset." Then he said, "Doreen, I've done the most awful thing. I've taken a whole lot of pills." I said, "Oh shit. Get out of the bunk and don't go to sleep." I began walking him around the cabin and said, "You know I'm going to have to tell your Dad, don't you?" He nodded and said, "I know. He'll know what to do."'

Doreen ran to the Commodore's cabin and said 'Quentin's taken some pills.' Hubbard did not need it spelled out. He told Doreen to fetch some mustard from the galley and mixed it into a drink which he made Quentin gulp down. The boy vomited repeatedly and was taken to the sick bay to recover. His father sent down a message that as soon Quentin was well enough to leave the sick bay, he was to be assigned to the RPF. Mary Sue Hubbard, Hubbard’s third wife, who had a reputation for protecting her children against the excesses of the ship's regime, was powerless to intervene. She was supposed to be responsible for welfare on board -- indeed, she had won a special dispensation from the Commodore to allow married couples in the RPF to spend one night together a week -- but knew her husband was in a towering rage over Quentin and there was nothing she could do.

Rebecca Goldstein was among the inmates of the RPF when Quentin arrived. 'It was real tough for him,' she said. 'He was very delicate and refined, not at all self-important, very unlike his father. He had hardly any facial or body hair and it was very hard to say whether he had started shaving. There were rumors that he'd attempted suicide before. He cringed from his father, he was completely overwhelmed by him.'

The valiant attempts of the Apollo Stars and its associated dance troupe to win the hearts and minds of the Spanish and the Portuguese people did not meet with overwhelming success, although the political climate did not help. There had been a military coup in Portugal earlier in the year and the subsequent unease tended to make the Portuguese nervous of mysterious foreign ships calling at its ports for no apparent reason. The Apollo had also managed to upset the Spaniards by mistakenly attempting to enter a major naval base at El Firol.

The ship's real problem, however, was that its 'shore story' was wearing thin. Portuguese and Spanish port authorities were still being told that the Apollo was owned by a highly successful business consultancy firm, but all they could see was an old, rust-streaked ship, often festooned with ragged laundry and crewed by young people in tattered, ill-assorted uniforms. It was little wonder that suspicions mounted about its activities and rumors took hold that the ship was operated by the CIA.

Jim Dincalci, who had been put ashore to run a port office in Funchal, Madeira, became alarmed by the rumors. 'It seemed to be common knowledge in Madeira that the ship was not what it was supposed to be and most people seemed to think it was a CIA spy ship. I had made friends on the island and had contacts in local Communist cells. The word was that the Communists were out to get the ship next time she arrived in Madeira. I sent telexes to LRH warning him what was happening and advising him not come to Madeira until things had calmed down. I was absolutely shocked to see the ship come into the harbor.'

The Apollo arrived in Funchal on 7 October and moored in her usual berth. Emissaries were sent ashore to advertize a 'rock festival' to be held at the weekend, featuring the Apollo Stars. Late on the afternoon of Wednesday, 9 October, while Mary Sue and several members of the crew were ashore, a small crowd of young men began to gather on the quayside. By the way they were glowering and gesticulating at the ship, it was obvious to those on board that this was not a social call. Soon the crowd, which was growing all the time, began chanting 'C-I-A, C-I-A, C-I-A.'

Nervous Scientologists lining the rails of the ship tried chanting 'CIA' back at the crowd, but it did nothing to lower the tension. Then the first stone clanged against the Apollo's hull and a bottle smashed on the fore deck. More stones and bottles followed as the crowd's anger spread. The crew scattered to take shelter and began picking up the stones from the deck and throwing them back into the crowd. In a matter of moments it became a pitched battle.

Hubbard, who was watching what was going on from the bridge, got out a bullhorn and boomed 'Communista, Communista’ at the crowd. Then he began taking photographs of the stone-throwers with a flash unit, further inflaming their tempers. Several of the crew were hit by flying stones, including Kima Douglas, whose jaw was broken by a large lump of rock that hit her full in the face. On the quayside, one of the crowd opened his trousers, waggled his penis and took a direct hit with a well-aimed stone from the ship.

With stones and sticks and bottles flying in all directions, there was total confusion on board the Apollo. Some crew members would later describe the Commodore as being perfectly cool through the whole incident, others said he appeared to be terrified. Whatever his state, no one was taking charge and everyone was screaming orders. In one part of the ship someone was trying to get together a party to repel boarders; in another, the sea hoses were being run out and trained on the crowd in an attempt to persuade them to disperse.

Any remaining vestige of control among the rabble-rousers vanished when the ship turned its hoses on them. On the quayside there were several motor-cycles belonging to members of the crew and two of the ship's cars -- a Mini and a Fiat. All the motor-cycles were hurled into the harbor, then both cars were pushed over the edge of the quay, hitting the water with an enormous splash and quickly disappearing under the surface. Meanwhile, others in the crowd slipped the Apollo's mooring-lines from the bollards and she began to drift away from the quayside.

At this point, the Portuguese authorities belatedly appeared on the scene to restore order. Armed militia were put on board to provide protection, a pilot assisted with anchoring the ship in the harbor and a launch rescued those members of the crew who had been stranded ashore, including Mary Sue. The police demanded the film that Hubbard had been taking during the riot and the Commodore, mighty pleased with himself, dutifully handed over two rolls of unexposed film from cameras he had not been using. It was nightfall before the decks had been cleared of the broken glass and rubble.

Since it rather appeared as if the people of Madeira were no longer interested in a rock concert featuring the Apollo Stars, the ship sailed next day, leaving information with the harbor authorities in Funchal that she was heading for the Cape Verde Islands, 1500 miles to the south. She departed on a purposeful southerly course until she was out of sight. She then turned west, equally purposefully, prompting the crew to speculate with mounting excitement that the Commodore had decided to return to the United States.”

Then some more information on the actual making of this album.

From “The Apollo: Voyage of the Damned” by Neal Hamel:

Excerpt…

I Write the Songs That Make the Whole World Gag

“The picture on the cover of the Apollo Stars album shows a peculiarly grim-faced L. Ron Hubbard sitting before the controls of the mixing board, surrounded by his retinue, technical people and musicians.

Hubbard had spent tens of thousands of dollars to obtain the very best recording equipment, yet the Apollo Stars music on this album is technically and musically sub-par. Apparently Hubbard did not understand the basics of mixing. The music on the album sounds as if he did the mix while listening through headphones with cotton in his ears, never bothering to listen to it through speakers. The sound, distorted and mixed in the wrong proportions, is bunched into the right and left channels, an amateur's gross mistake. The rhythm guitarist was mixed in just as loud as the soloists. This way one can clearly hear the same two chords over and over and over and over again (while the high voltage saxophone player plays the ten notes that he knew over and over and over again). The muses were battered and bruised.

Once they had finalized a song, the Stars were only allowed to play their songs one way, no variation in notes, tempo or feeling. Hubbard, satisfied with a rendition of one of their pieces of music would decree that that rendition was the LRH Approved Version. If Hubbard caught them changing the music as he listened to local radio broadcasts there would be hell to pay.

The Apollo Stars were a part of a public relations campaign organized by Hubbard to improve the image of the much beleaguered Apollo. Like all the elements of Hubbard's public relations campaign, it failed and failed dramatically.

Once while docked in a Caribbean port and certainly without Hubbard's permission, the Apollo Stars participated in an all-night jam session with local musicians. Away from the oppressiveness of their hemisemidemigod, reports one of the musicians involved, the music had, for one night away from Hubbard, become enjoyable.

The decline of the Apollo Stars is a metaphor for the final year of the Apollo. Advance men would arrange free concerts for the locals as part of the arrival of the Apollo into ports. The official concerts deteriorated into lackluster affairs attended by bored locals. Finally the Stars were just abandoned as Hubbard reassigned the musicians to other duties. As things got more and more desperate, Hubbard sent a message to the US Guardian's Office head (DGUS), ordering that a land base be established as there were no places left for the Apollo to go. Hubbard said he was running out of time. The DGUS dispatched an assistant from his office in California to Florida and under the business name of Southern Land Development Corporation arranged the transfer of the Sea Org to a "Land Base".

The 'Voyage of the Damned' was over, but the on-shore migration ushered in another chapter in the sorry history of the Sea Org.”

Some final notes about musicians & others associated with the album. On the front cover, Annie Broeker is sitting on the left, then Dan Auerbach, & then Lord L.Ron. Tony Strawn is the other guy wearing a hat, back row right.

Annie Broeker is still a slave at the Int Base, the international headquarters of the Church of Scientology,standing on a 500-acre parcel of land in unincorporated Riverside County, California, outside of San Jacinto.

Dan Auerbach left the cult in 1982.

Tony was jailed for molesting a two pre-pubescent girls in Florida(Florida v. Strawn: Criminal Complaint).

Russ Meadows left the cult in 1983.

Neil Sarfati left the cult in 1978 & runs a large food distribution company.

Bill Potter died from AIDS in the late 1980's.

Kip Hansen left the cult in 1983.

Homer Schomer left the cult in 1982 & sued them.

Wayne Marple left the cult in 1982.

Seems as though most of the ‘Stars’ have fallen.

Year of Release: 1974

Label: Scientology Today, Yay!

Genre: Bad Funk/Jazz

Tracklist:

Side 1 –

The Power of Source

Summertime

Side 2 –

We’re Moving In

Johnny Comes Marching Home Again

My Dear Portugal(Meu Querido Portugal)

Download: The Apollo Stars – The Power of Source (320Kbps)

Download Size: 75.9MB
decryption code in comments
I have been asked for a link compatible with Mac. Here is a mirror:
Download: The Apollo Stars - The Power of Source (320Kbps)

The Re-Upping of D.M.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 23:47:00 +0000

Outta the blue I get an email from Digital Meltd0wn founder & chief Zer0_ii. He has returned from his adventures in darkest Africa & is ready to get this beast back in gear. Since Z's sojourn began, KimDotcom has been busted by the Feds & MegaUpload is no more. Then in the panic that followed, MediaFire started shaking in their boots & shut down most of our accounts. Now most of the links in posts of the past are no longer active. We have decided to do our best to re-upload as many as we can. It will be a long, drawn-out process, but ya gotta start somewhere. So I decided to start at the beginning of my tenure here. I have re-upped the seven oldest. There are more to come. If anything touches your fancy or fills your needs, have at it.

I received requests for: Alain Goraguer - La Planete Sauvage & Phil Spector's Greatest Hits. You will find them below.

Now Zer0_II has moved all the re-instated posts to the head of the class, so I removed them from the list. I think the only one he missed is Kill City, so I better get busy. I'll try to have some more this week-end, but there should be plenty to keep everyone busy. If there is anything anyone wanted re-uploaded, leave a comment here & we'll get to it as fast as we can. Thanks for your patience.

X – Adult Books b/w We’re Desperate 7” 45

Xmal Deutschland – Tocsin

Yellow Magic Orchestra – Solid StateSurvivor

Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson - Unnoticeable in a Tiny Town, Invisible in theCity

one more, trying out adrive
Chu Ishikawa - Tetsuo OST

before I fall asleep, here's some ZZZs for y'all, on adrive since I already got positive response from Mikhale on the Tetsuo post
Zru Vogue - Zruisms 1980-84
Zmiya - Somamdenlo
Zillatron - Lord of the Harvest
Zwell - Open Air
Zyce - Transgressive
Zzzzzz - Holeigans

here's the last of my posts, updated & up-to-date

Fawzi Chekili - Taqasim

Black Theama – The Collection

Muslimgauze – Port Saidep

Cheb Mami – Meli Meli

Hamid El Sha’eri - Raheel

Mikami Kan - Bang

Karasyozoku – Mischievous Sigyn 1923

JoyRide – We Come in Peace

The Nuclear Beauty Parlor/Awake split 7”

NØ

Neglected Skies - Diluted In Despair and Silence (2011)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:16:00 +0000

Neglected Skies is an Australian noise project started by a young man with quite some talent for it. Currently, only three tracks have been made for the project and two of them have been compiled in a demo called "Diluted in Despair and Silence." The tracks in this demo have a sort of sinister foreboding to them that puts one on edge while lulling them to sleep with droning atmospheric repetition. This is how the artist describes the project:

The music is purely intended for the user to sleep to and intends nothing more.

Key influences include The Descent of the Sun, A Cloud In Circle, Darkspace and Burzum.

Year of Release: 2009
Genre: Dark Ambient/Drone Noise.
Format: MP3
Bitrate: Varies

Track List:
1. Diluted In Despair and Silence
2. Gazing Into Blackened Dimensions

Download: Neglected Skies - Diluted in Despair and Silence
Download Size: 33.2MB

Black Merda - Black Merda (1970 - 320kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 01:34:00 +0000

After two months of horror and science-fiction themed posts, I've had a bit of trouble transitioning back to offering an eclectic selection of music this month, which many of you have come to expect from this blog. Considering I have another horror themed event lined up for December, it compounds the problem even further, as I have devoted most of my free time to researching and listening to horror-inspired music for the past three months.

I thought it might be best if I just continue to post albums that contrast with the darker material that I have been posting and will continue to post in December. While Black Merda's name might bring to mind the more morbid music that I've recently been sharing, they are actually a group which emerged during the late '60s that merged psychedelic rock. Before forming Black Merda, the three friends Anthony Hawkins, VC L. Veasey and Charles Hawkins all worked independently of one another as session musicians. Eventually they performed together as The Impacts, backing up several soul and R&B acts affialiated with Motown and Brunswick Records. In 1965 Edwin Starr hired the trio were hired to perform as the backing band for the single "Agent Double-O Soul". Starr was so impressed that he decided to hire the group as his permanent backing band afterwards, dubbing them the Soul Agents.

In the latter half of the '60s the group started undergoing a series of changes, which would eventually culminate in the formation of Black Merda. In 1966 the group was introduced to Jimi Hendrix, who would have a profound influence on the trio's approach to music. They began to drift away from their previous sound, choosing to refashion themselves as a rock power trio in the same vein as The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1967 Anthony Hawkin's brother Charles was also inducted into the group as a second guitar player to broad the group's sound. The group would continue to evolve, drawing inspiration from the newly emerging hard funk and soul scenes.

In 1968 the group decided to move on from their Soul Agents moniker and refashion themselves once again as Black Merda, a psychedelic funk rock group with socially conscious lyrics. In 1969 the group received their big break after Chess Records signed Black Merda to their label based on the recommendation of the famous Temptations member Eddie Kendricks. Chess released Black Merda's self-titled album in 1970. Despite being well received, the album suffered from a lack of promotion due to management changes that were taking place at Chess. The group's follow up efforts were also poorly promoted, prompting the members to return to performing as session musicians to make a living.

Looking back in hindsight the group is fondly remembered as one of the pioneering groups of the black psychedelic rock and heavy funk scene, paving the way for groups that expanded on their idea and would eventually eclipse them in fame, such as Fundadelic and The Bar-Kays. I consider Black Merda's self-titled debute album to be their best, and it ranks alongside some of my favorite forgotten groups that merged psychedelic rock with funk, soul and blues, such as Purple Image, the Cosmic Travelers, Blo, and Ofo The Black Company

Year of Release: 1970
Label: Chess
Genres: Psychedelic Rock, Funk, Soul
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Prophet
2. Think of Me
3. Cynthy-Ruth
4. Over And Over
5. Ashamed
6. Reality
7. Windsong
8. Good Luck
9. That's The Way It Goes
10. I Don't Want To Die
11. Set Me Free

Download: Black Merda - Black Merda
Download Size: 76MB

The Music of Islam Vol. 8: Folkloric Music of Tunisia (1997)

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:59:00 +0000

For those of you who missed it, in my last post I declared that I would be devoting my upcoming posts to the protesters and revolutionaries in Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen and Egypt. I would like to reiterate the point that I usually remain apolitical in my posts on Digital Meltd0wn. However, the historic nature of the events unfolding in the Middle East peaked my interest, and the overwhelming odds the protesters were faced with and able to overcome captured my heart. I had hoped to get my posts up much sooner, but fortunately NØ was able to put up a couple of amazing posts already. I want to dedicate my first post to Tunisia, the nation that defied all odds, and successfully mounted a peaceful revolution, which inspired massive protests across the Maghreb region of Africa and into the Middle East.

Unfortunately the media didn't cover the historic protests in Tunisia nearly as well as they are currently covering the mass protests taking place in Egypt at the moment. I have attempted to read up on what has taken place there, and although I feel as if I have a decent grasp of what has transpired, I also realize that such widespread revolt occurs due to complex issues that an outsider such as myself wouldn't necessarily be aware of. What I do know is that I am in awe of the courage within the Tunisians who rose up and took back their country. It takes a tremendous amount of bravery to stand up against a regime which has a well-known reputation for using brutal force against all who dared to oppose them.

The period immediately following a revolution is a very crucial time, which will determine the shape of things to come for Tunisia. Only time will tell what the future holds for Tunisia. The world is watching Tunisia closely now, hoping that the same determination shown by the Tunisian people during their revolutionary actions will continue to be displayed. I sincerely hope that Tunisia will become a model of success in the turbulent Maghreb region, and continue to influence other countries in a positive way. Hopefully Tunisians will continue to fight to forge a fair and honest government, maintain a strong human rights record, build a strong economy and create jobs for those in need of them.

I will be the first to admit that I am not intimately familiar with music from the Maghreb region, nor the Middle East. I have managed to collect roughly a dozen albums from nearly every country in the region, but I realize that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. I am making an effort to gain a new understanding and appreciation of the art and culture of Middle Eastern nations. I hope that some of you living in Tunisia will take the time to leave a message. I would like to hear your stories about what is taking place in Tunisia, and what you hope your country will be like in the future. I would also be very grateful if any of you could recommend me some music from your country. I am particularly interested in music that is associated with your revolution, as well as the mass protests taking place in other Middle Eastern countries.

Now, on to the music. This album is the 8th volume in a 17 volume box set, compiled by producer David Parsons, and released by the Celestial Harmonies label in 1997. Each volume in the Music of Islam box set comes with a booklet containing extensive liner notes. The liner notes do a much better job of accurately describing the complex compositions and Tunisian instruments than this amateur Western blogger with an untrained ear for Arabic music could hope to do. As I mentioned before, the liner notes are rather extensive, so I'm not going to include them in their entirety, but below I have included a lengthy excerpt containing some of the most relevant information:

"Recorded in a house in the medina (old quarter) of the city Tunis, this volume features the traditional instruments and songs of the folkloric music of Tunisia which thrive as a living testament to the wide spectrum of cultures and practices across the world of Islam. Tunisia's location and history have made it a cultural and musical crossroads for the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Tunisia is part of the Maghrib, literally "place in the sunset," or time of sunset," which comprises the countries of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Libya in Northern Africa. Tunisia is bordered by Algeria on the west, Libya on the southeast, and the Mediterranean to the east and north (Italy lies across the Strait of Sicily, some 144 kilometers away). The semi-arid southern region of the country merges into the Sahara desert.

Tunisia's history has been characterized by conquest: Carthage, Rome, the Vandals, and Byzantine, followed by Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and the French. Nearby the capital of Tunis is the site of Carthage, an ancient city-state formed in the 8th century C.E. By the 6th century C.E., the kingdom encompassed most of present-day Tunisia. Carthage fell to the Romans in 146 C.E. and became part of Rome's African Empire. The Vandals, a Germanic tribe from Spain, captured Carthage in 439 C.E. and perpetuated the impact that the norther Mediterranean now had on Africa. The Byzantine heirs of Rome eliminated the Vandals as a force in Africa by reconquering the provinces in 533 until the Muslim invasions of the 1/7 century. After the Arabic conquest in 26/647, the capital was moved from Carthage to al-Kaiouan. At this time, Arabic replaced Latin, Islam replaced Christianity, and new customs associated with Islamic life were introduced. Tunis became the capital city under Aghlabids (184-297/800-909) and attained its greatest prosperity under the Hafsid dynasty (625-982/1227-1574). The Turks took possession in 946/1539, followed by the Spaniards (981/1573) and the Ottoman Empire in 982/1574. It remained in the hands of the Ottoman Empire until Tunisia became part of the French colonial administyration as a protectorate in 1298/1881. The Republic of Tunia claimed its independence from France in 1376/1956.

Thirty centuries ago, Phoenicians established colonies on the coast of the land inhabited by people who would later be referred to as Berbers. The Greeks referred to the people using a derogatory term bararoi (barbarian) simply because the indigenous Burber people were so culturally different. Berber is actually the name of a language which has almost completely died out. Today, Berbers make up about two percent of the population and live in isolated villages in the south. Modern Tunisians derive their ancestry from a variety of ethnic groups who came to the region in waves of migration. In 897/1492 the last Arabs left in Spain and took refuge in the Maghrib. Later, Turks contributed to the population, Sub-Saharan lblacks, many of whom entered Tunisia as slaves, are yet another part of the population, as well as southern Europeans, many from Sicily. Among the population of 8.5 million, the majority are Arab-Berber who practice Islam as the dominant religion. Arabic is the official language whereas French is still the lanuage of commerce and in the press.

Tunis, the capital and largest city of Tunisia, situated along a coastal lagoon that opens into the Mediterranean Sea. The city was built by Arabs embellished by Turks, and is now flanked by the architecture of the French colonial period. The nucleus of Tunis is the densely populated medina (old city) with its low white buildings, inner courtyards, and narrow streets. In the X/16th century, Tunis became an important site for cultivating the nubah (classical Arabic: nawbah), an Andalusian form of art music popular in the Maghrib. It is also known in Tunisa as ma'luf.

Folk music is played for a variety of occasions, including weddings, festivals, and parties for celebration and dance. Like folk music in other parts of the Arabic world, the folk music of Tunisia features collective singing, small and large forms of solo singing, and instrumental music. The instruments and music played in folk ensembles are described in the following section.

The main melodic instrument heard on this recording is the mizwid (also called mezwed), a bagpipe played in the central regions of Tunisia. A bagpipe is a reed instrument with an airtight skin reservoir (bag). Various types of bagpipes are known in Asia, North Africa, and Europe. The wind enters through a blow pipe supplied by the lungs of the player or through a bellows. Melody is produced by manipulating fingered melody pipes (sometimes called chanters). The player compresses the bag to produce enough air to resonate through the reeds of melody pipes. An uninterrupted sound can be produced as the compressed wind from the bag passes therough the reeds. Oftentimes a drone pipe (unfingered) is inserted into the bag. The mizwid has two melody pipes and no drone pipes. Each pipe has five holes and at the end of each pipe, a section of cowhorn is attached which serves as a sound opening (thus, the more accurate name "bag-horn-pipe"). In instrumental music, the long flowing melodies of the mizwid seem to soar above the pulese of the percussion group. In vocal music, the mizwid echoes, punctuates, and connects individual vocal phrases.

The tabal (Arabic: tabl) is a double-headed cylindrical drum that comes in different sizes. The heads are covered with goatskin. It hangs across the player's chest and is beaten with the hand of a palm branch. The bendir (also called bandir or bindir), is a type of circular frame drum approximately 40-60cm in circumference. A frame drum consists of a membrane stretched over a light wooden frame. Drums of this type originated in the Middle East. The bendir has "snares" stretched across the inside of the head which vibrate against the membrane. The goblet drum darabukkah is traditionally made of wood or clay; however, newer models are made of brass or metal. Fresh skin, goatskin, or sheepskin, often glued to the rim of the body, cover the larger opening of the drum. The drabukkah may be held under the arm in a standing position or resting on the thigh when played in a seated position. The head is struck with both hands. Heavy beats are played in the middle of the drum and lighter beats are payed on the outer rim. Used for folk music, art music, in city and village settings, the darabukkah is a ubitquitous instrument in music of the Middle East. The tar is a tambourine (a type of frame drum) with five pairs of cymbals. It is normally held in the left hand and struck with the right. The tar may be played with fingers, knuckles and palms."

Year of Release: 1997
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Catalog #: 13148-2
Genres: Arabic Music, Traditional Folk,

Track List:
1. Medley
2. Mawwal 1
3. Baba Salem
4. Leliri Ya Mana Lotfi Jormana
5. Hay Leli Leli & Ala Bab Souika
6. El Guelb Ely Yehwek
7. Mawwal 2
8. Dhaouit Ayemek & Ma Indich Zahar
9. Nemdah Laktab

Download: The Music of Islam Vol. 8: Folkloric Music of Tunisia
Download Size: 101MB

Zombi - The Zombi Anthology (2005)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:25:00 +0000

I love old soundtracks by Goblin, John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, & Fabio Frizzi. When I hear this rare CD, I know I am not alone. Pittsburgh’s Zombi has carried the torch of awesome, dark, cinematic music since 2001. A duo comprised of Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra utilize live drums, electric bass and a collection of analog synthesizers to rock you to Earth and fly you to the cosmos. They have an impressive aptitude for lush, warm soundscapes. If you are a fan of any of the artists mentioned above, you may become a new fan of Zombi. They have a new album out as of last month, but go ahead and start here at the beginning. You won’t be sorry.

There is a short review of this disc here.

Year of Release: 2005
Label: VCO Records
Catalog #: VCO-001
Genre: Electronic, Progressive
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
— Zombi (2002) —

1. Sequence 1 (3:29)
2. Sequence 2 (2:24)
3. Sequence 3 (3:21)
4. Sequence 4 (2:09)
5. Sequence 5 (6:27)
6. Sequence 6 (2:42)
7. Sequence 7 (1:41)
8. Sequence 8 (2:49)

— Twilight Sentinel (2003) —

9. Sequence 8 (alternate version) (3:06)
10. Gemini, Part 2 (7:01)
11. Twilight Sentinel (6:49)
12. DMC-12 (plus hidden bonus track) (13:46)

Download: Zombi - The Zombi Anthology
Download Size: 125 MB

GBH - From Here To Reality (1990)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:38:00 +0000

GBH is:
a) great big hairdos
b) greasy butt holes
c) grievous bodily harm
d) a punk band formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England
e) all of the above

I've heard GBH fans talk down about this LP saying things like "they went too metal", "the production sucks", or "they overdid the double bass pedal". I respond with "if you're gonna complain about something, how about that lame cover art - that is just sad next to the cover art for their previous five studio LPs". For these ears, the album has always rocked and always will. It's sonic bliss through and through and I say forget the haters. It's not my favorite of their LPs, but it comes damn close.

Year of Release: 1990
Label: Globus International, Rough Justice
Catalog #: 21 0054-1 311
Genre: Punk
Media: Vinyl
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
A1 New Decade 3:04
A2 Trust Me I'm A Doctor 3:12
A3 B.M.T. 3:37
A4 Mass Production 3:03
A5 The Old School Of Self-Destruction 3:12
A6 You Don't Do Enough 3:03
B1 From Here To Reality 3:56
B2 Dirty Too Long 2:37
B3 Destroy 2:01
B4 Just In Time For The Epilogue 3:41
B5 Don't Leave Your Honey Down The Pits 3:46
B6 Moonshine Song 3:32

Download: GBH - From Here To Reality
Download Size: 89 MB

Various Artists - The Exorcist (1973)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:28:00 +0000

It is the time of year when many people go searching the internet for scary music for their parties or their own amusement. Undoubtedly there are thousands typing "the exorcist soundtrack" or "the shining soundtrack" into G00gle. It's understandable. The pieces of music used in William Friedkin's 1973 religious horror staple were well chosen. Penderecki pieces dominate this collection. It's always safe to go with Penderecki if you want to frighten your audience or generally instill a feeling of queasiness. I was listening to this album the other day to "wind down" after my brain was bombarded by a professor at school. My hair stood on end I kid you not. It was "just what the doctor ordered". Download and use generously for its therapeutic properties.

Year of Original Release: 1974
Year of Reissue: 2000
Label: Warner Bros.
Catalog #: WPCR-784
Genre: Soundtrack, Modern Classical
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
1. Iraq (01:57) - Jack Nitzche/Krzysztof Penderecki
2. Georgetown/Tubular Bells (05:27) - Mike Oldfield
3. Five Pieces For Orchestra, OP10 (01:16) - Anton Webern
4. Polymorphia (11:48) - Krzysztof Penderecki
5. String Quartet (07:11) - Krzysztof Penderecki
6. Windharp (02:41) - Harry Bee
7. Night of the Electoric Insects (01:38) - George Crumb
8. Kanon for Orchestra and Tape (09:48) - Krzysztof Penderecki
9. Tubular Bells (00:27) - Mike Oldfield
10. Fantasia for Strings (02:11) - Hans Werner Henze

Download: Various Artists - The Exorcist
Download Size: 99 MB

Guts Pie Earshot - Distorted Wonderland (1997)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:50:00 +0000

Guts Pie Earshot was formed in 1991 as an experimental noise-punk ensemble in Cologne, Germany. They are associated with the DIY and squatter punk communities and often play at tiny venues with a more intimate setting. They released two LPs with singer a.Punkt, her voice adding even more to their unusual sound, before GPE became the drum-n-cello instrumental duo that they remain today.

The first LP, Distorted Wonderland, I sought for some time before finally I found a copy in decent condition. This album is a smorgasbord of noise and grooves at times ringing out with a punk fury and other times a frenetic and cinematic adventure that is never dull. The synthesis of keyboard with the cello makes for a sort of magical realism in the realm of sound. This LP is brimming over with creativity and energy that always inspires me. I'm really happy to share it with you all today. Enjoy.

Year of Release: 1997
Label: Revolution Inside
Catalog #: RI 031
Genre: Punk, Avantgarde, Experimental
Media: Vinyl
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
A1 Reflection
A2 Sonic You
A3 Several Parts Of Life
A4 Sum
B1 Clean
B2 Feedback
B3 Me Grain
B4 Enemy Today
B5 Run From The Shadow (Live)

Download: Guts Pie Earshot - Distorted Wonderland (1997)
Download Size: 92 MB

Premature Ejaculation- Assertive Discipline (Now 320Kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:05:00 +0000

Here is another Premature Ejaculation release by request and my personal favorite Premature Ejaculation release. Originally released on cassette from the label, "The Happiest Place on Earth" in 1988, "Assertive Discipline" is one of the most pleasurable trips to a dark, isolated hell one can take. Assertive Discipline opens with "Bottling Room Part I & II," dark ambient pieces spliced with screams, horrifying gasps for air, and coughing samples. It leaves one with the feeling of being in a claustrophobe's nightmare. The creepy factor does not let up as the album moves on into "Dolls Theater," a chilling track featuring baby wails and an eerily placed rendition of "Rockabye Baby." And the track, "The Worst Hell," lives up to its title. I hope you enjoy this shared Rozz side project as much as I do, because sharing is caring!

Year of Release: 1988
Genre: Noise, Experimental, Industrial, Dark Ambient
Label: The Happiest Place on Earth

Track List

1. Bottling Room Part I (5:30)
2. Bottling Room Part II (5:45)
3. Dolls Theater (9:45)
4. Intermission (1:33)
5. Claws Of The Cat (6:52)
6. Succumb To The Struggle (1:30)
7. Did The Doctor Give You A Pill (2:15)
8. Assertive Discipline (4:45)
9. Valley Of Himiliations (5:45)
10. The Worst Hell (6:18)
11. Lame From His Mother's Womb (7:30)
12. Blind (4:25)

Download: Premature Ejaculation- Assertive Discipline
Download Size: 137.52MB
Download Size: 103 MB

Fugi - Mary, Don't Take Me On No Bad Trip (1968)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:28:00 +0000

That cover art is pretty ridiculous, but don't let that deter you on your mission to find yet another bad-ass album. Fugi, also known as Ellington Jordan, was a part of the Detroit Chess Records scene in the sixties. He was friends with Black Merda, and this CD is basically Black Merda with Fugi writing lyrics and singing. If you loved the Black Merda album posted by Zer0_II in October of last year as I did, what you will find here is something quite similar musically.

I heard this album and knew I had to post it because 1) it is jaw-droppingly groovy and 2) there is a copy for sale for $50 bucks on Amazon. Even the romantic love type ballads are awesome, so it makes for a consistently entertaining listening experience. The bass sounds sick, the wakajawaka guitar riffs are hypnotizing, and Fugi's voice is so full of soul it keeps me coming back for more. It is a real shame this is the only thing this particular line up recorded, at least as far as I know. It was never released until Tough City put it out on CD and LP in 1996.

Year of Recording: 1968
Year of Original Release: 1996
Year of Reissue: 2004
Label: Funky Delicacies
Catalog #: DEL CD 0004
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Funk, Soul
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
1 Revelations 5:37
2 Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip 6:30
3 I'd Rather Be a Blind Man 3:27
4 Can't You Hear Me Call You, Woman 4:27
5 Save A Little 3:33
6 Jo-Jo 4:29
7 Red Moon 5:54
8 Sweet Sweet Lady 6:10
9 Revelations (previously unreleased take) 5:22

Download: Fugi - Mary, Don't Take Me On No Bad Trip (1968)
Download Size: 103 MB

Dominic Frontiere - The Invaders (Unofficial Soundtrack) (1967 - 320kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:15:00 +0000

Information about the origin and all other details regarding this album are extremely scarce. The music appears to be isolated and ripped from the 5.1 surround sound of a DVD of The Invaders, a science-fiction television show which premiered in 1967, and ran for only two seasons. Dominic Frontiere, perhaps better known for composing the music for the television show "The Outer Limits", composed the theme and incidental music for the entire series. I picked this album up several years back on a torrent site, and have attempted to track down where this album originated from ever since, without much luck I might add. The only other place I have seen it mentioned is when the exact same release was posted a few months ago on the Soundtrack Universe blog. In his post johndoever states:

"I’ve been waiting for a soundtrack release of this TV series ever since I first saw it (re-runs in the 70′s),
however the rights are owned by CBS through Paramount Pictures and they have yet to release a soundtrack. So where did this soundtrack come from your thinking, well I cannot remember exactly, I downloaded it years back, there is no tracklisting since its not an official release, but each track is perfect 320kb quality, i can vouch for that personally, whom ever the original owner is, they have done a top notch job bringing this about. In total there are 94 tracks, that spans the entire 2 TV seasons i’m guessing. Usually “Unofficial” soundtracks are ripped/extracted from the actual TV DVD’s, and you can tell, but this is different, I’ve listened to every track, and theres no words to describe the quality of this." - johndoever

Ordinarily I wouldn't post this soundtrack due to the complete lack of information available. However, I am posting this today for two reasons. The first, and most obvious, being that this soundtrack contains an amazing selection of music composed by Dominic Frontiere, which fits in perfectly with our ongoing theme here at DM, "Sci-Fi September." Second, I'm hoping that someone might step forward and provide some information about this release. I have a feeling that it may have been posted on the now defunct Master Cylinder blog, or perhaps one of the subforums of Isbum's World, and I'm hoping someone can confirm this for me. It would also be great to have a track listing for this release. If you have any information about this release, please leave a comment.

As with my previous posts, I'm keeping this brief since I'm very short on time. I hope that the links I provided above will satisfy your curiosity about the composer, Dominic Frontiere, and the show itself.

Year of Release: Unknown
Label: NA / Unofficial Release
Genres: Soundtrack, Science-Fiction
Bitrate: 320kbps

Download Disc 1: Dominic Frontiere - The Invaders (Disc 1)
Download Size: 75MB

Download Disc 2: Dominic Frontiere - The Invaders (Disc 2)
Download Size: 86MB

Bruno Nicolai - Perché Quelle Strane Gocce Di Sangue Sul Corpo Di Jennifer? (1971)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:54:00 +0000

This is Bruno Nicolai's music from the 1971 Giallo Perché Quelle Strane Gocce Di Sangue Sul Corpo Di Jennifer? (aka What Are Those Strange Drops Of Blood Doing On Jennifer's Body?, The Case Of The Bloody Iris). Directed by Giuliano Carnimeo, the film stars the lovely Edwige Fenech and the always amazing George Hilton.

Track List:
1. Sequence 01 (02:09)
2. Sequence 02 (04:52)
3. Sequence 03 (06:10)
4. Sequence 04 (00:36)
5. Sequence 05 (03:46)
6. Sequence 06 (00:53)
7. Sequence 07 (02:43)
8. Sequence 08 (00:47)
9. Sequence 09 (02:09)
10. Sequence 10 (00:35)
11. Sequence 11 (02:24)
12. Sequence 12 (00:40)
13. Sequence 13 (01:07)
14. Sequence 14 (01:22)
15. Sequence 15 (02:20)
16. Sequence 16 (00:27)
17. Sequence 17 (03:47)
18. Sequence 18 (02:47)
19. Sequence 19 (03:49)
20. Sequence 20 (01:03)
21. Sequence 21 (04:55)
22. Sequence 22 (01:22)
23. Sequence 23 (01:05)
24. Sequence 24 (02:38)
25. Sequence 25 (04:30)
26. Sequence 26 (02:40)

Download: Bruno Nicolai - Perché Quelle Strane Gocce Di Sangue Sul Corpo Di Jennifer?
Download Size: 145.3MB

VA - Back From The Grave Volume 2

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Here's Back From The Grave Volume 2 as requested by Bl4cky

Track List
1. Don't Cry To Me - Jerry & The Others
2. You Can't Blame That On Me - Fugitives
3. Willie The Wild One - Willie The Wild One
4. Born Loser - Murphy & The Mob
5. You Got Another Think Comin' - Mods
6. We're Gonna Love - Sir Winston & The Commons
7. Suicide - Royal Flairs
8. You Can't Make Me - Montells
9. Man - Tamrons
10. She's No Good - CYCLONES
11. Dinah Wants Religion - Fabs
12. Go On, Leave - Red Beard & The Pirates
13. I Know Why - Hallmarks
14. Flash & Crash - Rocky & The Riddlers
15. Little Boy Blue - Tonto & The Renegades
16. Stories High - Botumless Pit
17. I Said Move - Aztex
18. Makin' Love - Sloths
19. Fly By Nighter - Wyld
20. What In The World - Vectors
21. Shakedwon - Huns
22. Warning - Humans
23. Real Fine Lady - Warlords
24. Won't You Tell Me - Vestells
25. City Of People - Illusions
26. It's Gonna Be Alright - Jaguars
27. Escape - Few
28. To Find Out - Keggs
29. Be Nice - Nomads
30. Baby Get Lost - The Barracudas

Download: Back From The Grave Volume 2 (101.8MB)

Elliot Goldenthal - Pet Sematary (1989)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:30:00 +0000

This is the score for the oppressively sad 1989 horror film, inspired by the Stephen King novel of the same name. I honestly have not heard much other work by composer Elliot Goldenthal, but I'll probably look for some more after just revisiting this score. I know that, like my last two posts, this score is all over the internet. Just call this an upgrade because it is in 320 kbps. The main theme here has surely invoked comparisons to The Amityville Horror, as will just about any horror score that utilizes a children's choir. This album is short and sweet. It is perfect for playing in the background on the porch while you wait for the little demons to come trick-or-treating. Some might even wet their pants. Wouldn't that be scary?

I have some major studying to do for the next few days, so I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Year of Release: 1989
Label: Varese Sarabande
Catalog #: VSD-5227
Genre: Soundtrack, Score, Horror
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
1. The Pet Sematary (03:00)
2. Dead Recollection (01:21)
3. Hope And Ordeal (01:23)
4. Adieu Gage (01:23)
5. Rachel Against Time (00:50)
6. The Return Game (Jud and Gage) (03:43)
7. Moving Day Waltz (00:31)
8. The WarningTour (01:42)
9. Death Do Us Part (Rachel Hugs Louis) (00:54)
10. Nine Lives Minus Seven (00:15)
11. Up In Flames (Flashback) (01:38)
12. Bitter Loss (Flashback) (01:51)
13. Rachel's Dirty Secret (00:23)
14. Return Game Attack (01:55)
15. Rachel's Blow Out (00:21)
16. I Brought You Something Mommie (00:35)
17. The Return Game II (Louis And Gage) (02:53)
18. Gentle Exhuming (01:03)
19. To The Micmac Grounds (02:46)
20. Chorale (00:30)
21. Kite And Truck (01:22)
22. Immolation (01:37)

Download: Elliot Goldenthal - Pet Sematary
Download Size: 73 MB

VA - An Overdose of Heavy Psych

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:46:00 +0000

This is the last re-upload from the "A _ Dose of _ Psych" series which was originally posted here back in 2006. For those of you who missed it the first time around, I hope you enjoyed this amazing set of psychedelic rock compilations.

Here is the 3rd installment of the Arf Arf label's series of 60's garage-psych rock compilations. I found out the name of the remaining album, which I have yet to download. It's called A Heavy Dose of Lyte Psych. I'll begin the search for that one tomorrow, so hopefully I can complete the series.

What sets this apart from the many other similar '60s garage-psych releases is the extremeness of the music. Tracks collected here feature grungier guitars, slower or varied tempos and darker and more ominous atmosphere than earlier punk singles...and more fuzz and heavier feedback (even the occasional oscillator). These tracks were typically cut later than many of the other garage-band compilation series, and influences are second generation bands like Steppenwolf, Blue Cheer, Love, and the Stooges. While poppier sounds are eschewed on these sides, according to the liner notes these heavier slabs are the flip sides of lighter material. If the ballads on garage comps are the ones you skip over, by all means pick up a copy of this collection...you won't be disappointed. An extra bonus are six caveman-stomping cuts by the Boneheaded 31 Flavors, originally from two low-budget psych-sploitation albums on the Crown label.

Label: Arf! Arf!
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Bitrate: 320VBR

Track List:
1. From The Womb To The Tomb - Orange Wedge
2. Everything - Quiet Jungle
3. You Don't Remember - 20th Century Zoo
4. Relative Distance - Fumin' Humins
5. Powered By Love - Powered By Love
6. You And Me - Crystal Rain
7. Mushroom People - ESB
8. Memories - Colder Children
9. Savage Lost - Kollection
10. Blue Avenue - Kindred Spirit
11. Plastic Year - Bluerebus
12. Search Your Soul - Shadows Of Time
13. You're In My Mind - Graf Zeppelin
14. Salem Witch Trial - Kiriae Crucible
15. My Daze - Boston Tea Party
16. Watch Out - Paraphernalia
17. Ferris Wheel - Dooley, Ira
18. Easy Rider - Loose Endz
19. Silence Of The Morning - Glass Sun
20. Reflections - Firebirds
21. Gypsy Fire - No Tomorrows
22. Free Drum - Free Fuzz

Download: An Overdose of Heavy Psych
Download Size: 137MB

M. Zalla (aka Piero Umiliani) - Problemi D'Oggi (Liuoto Records - LRS 0056) (1973 - 192kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

February 4, 2013 Update: For those who aren't aware, we here at Digital Meltd0wn are in the process of re-uploading a ton of albums that were removed when Megaupload was taken down last year, followed by the massive file purge that took place when Mediafire adopted a ridiculously strict new policy late last year. We weren't the only blog affected by these events. A truly massive amount of albums were lost, and nearly every music blog took a tough blow because of this. I consider it to be a true tragedy that hundreds of bloggers decided to call it quits following these two incidents. A blogger that many of you will hopefully be familiar with, øשlqæda, was kind enough to help me out by informing me of the source behind this particular rip. It pains me to see his name in the comments section, as he was the admin of a legendary blog, Holy Warbles, which was removed by Blogger last year. Fortunately, there are still hundreds of amazing blogs which managed to weather the storm, and new blogs popping up each day. This particular album was originally posted by Gianni almost four years ago on one of those amazing blogs that did manage to survive, The Growing Bin (http://thegrowingbin.blogspot.com). The download link has been inactive for a very long time though, and with this being so very rare, I feel obligated to ensure that it remains available to download for anyone who is curious enough to listen. Fortunately, there are plenty of new albums being regularly shared over at the Bin. If you haven't had a chance to stop by the The Growing Bin, do yourself a favor and get your ass over there.

Continuing with our library music marathon, I present to you an extremely rare and obscure album released on the Liuto library label in 1973. The artist credited on this release, M. Zalla, is actually one of the numerous aliases of another prolific composer of production music, Italian composer Piero Umiliani. I was surprised to discover that this was not posted on either The Library Hunt, or 36-15 Moog, two blogs ran by library music enthusiast Paul Durango, which both contained a massive amount of early electronic and library music albums. I plan to post a few more Umiliani albums either this month, or some time in January. I have two important research papers to work on for school tonight and tomorrow, so I don't have the time to write my own review. There isn't much information floating around about this album. This excerpt from Delirious Music contains some basic info about Umiliani, his M. Zaa alias, and the concept of the album.

"A rare and obscure concept Library on the problems of modern life, released on the Liuto label and produced by the master of Italian soundtracks himself, Piero Umiliani, here under his alias M. Zalla. 'Problemi D'Oggi' falls into Umiliani's highly experimental, psychedelic / electronic phase and was recorded in 1973 in the legendary Sound Workshop studio in Rome. the music presented here deeply reflects the pessimistic nature of the issues in charge (social problems, terrorism, world crisis, industrial production, conflicts, mafia), a dark and disturbing listening experience from start to finish with some tracks reproducing the same progressive type of vibe, which Umiliani's Braen project / collaboration with Alessandro Alessandroni got cult status for. while the B-Side is loaded with abstract, minimal electronic soundscapes, the highlights are concentrated on Side A: the weird opener 'Produzione' has a trance-like progressive ambient sound style, a futuristic groover way ahead of its time with a hyperfast bass driven beat, excessive conga percussion and really amazing synthisizer effects. 'Mondo In Crisi' respectively 'Non Mollare' reveal strong dramatic undertones produced by an impressive exchange between trippy Hammond waves and droning fuzz guitar chords over hard drums. very progressive and imaginative, this is delirious Italian Production Music and a feast for the sophisticated, openminded ear! - Delirious Music"

Year of Release: 1973
Label: Liuto
Catalog #: LRS 0056
Genres: Psychedelic, Electronic, Musique Concrète, Experimental
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:

A1. Produzione
A2. Mondo In Crisi
A3. Attivita'
A4. Attivita'
A5. Problemi Sociali
A6. Non Mollare
A7. Azione Sindacale
A8. Programmazione

B1. Conflitti
B2. Maffia Oggi
B3. Pendolo Ed Angoscia
B4. Cuore E Raffiche
B5. Metronomo E Cuore
B6. Marcia Ambigua
B7. Terrorista
B8. L'Ultima Raffica
B9. Sowersione
B10. Abbandono Dei Campi

Download: M. Zalla (aka Piero Ulimiani) - Problemi D'Oggi (1973 - 192kbps)
Download Size: 58MB

Ancient Grease (Psychedelic Blues) - Women And Children First (1970)

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:57:00 +0000

I discovered this album by pure chance, having randomly picked it from a huge list of albums on DC++, simply because I thought the name sounded witty. I hadn't heard of the band, nor had anyone else I know. I was pleasantly surprised when I played it for the first time and heard the first track 'Freedom Train'. There isn't much information out there about the band, nor this particular album. Apparently this is a very rare and previously out of print album, which was only recently re-issued on CD. It includes a bonus track, which is a live version of the aforementioned 'Freedom Train'. They have a dirty and powerful blues rock sound, and I would venture to say that they sound very psychedelic at times also. Here's some more information about the album which I managed to dig up:

When Welsh-based covers band Strawberry Dust got some gigs supporting The Eyes Of Blue they impressed John Weathers and he approached their then record company boss Lou Reizner about signing them. This he did but he changed their name to Ancient Grease. When they entered the studio to record Women And Children First Weathers and other Eyes Of Blue members also helped out. After the album was released in July 1970 the band reverted to its original monicker Strawberry Dust and spent a short while in Hamburg. They disintegrated on their return but Mortimer and Williams later lined up in Racing Cars.

Year of Release: 1970
Label: Mercury
Catalog #: SR 61305
Genres: Psychedelic, Blues Rock, Hard Rock
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 256kbps

Track List:
1. Freedom Train
2. Don't Want
3. Odd Song
4. Eagle Song
5. Where The Snow Lies Forever
6. Mother Grease the Cat
7. Time to Die
8. Prelude to a Blind Man
9. Mystic Mountain
10. Women and Children First
11. Freedom Train (alternate take)

Download: Ancient Grease - Women and Children First
Download Size: 99.8MB

Prince Jammy - Destroys the Invaders (1982 - 320kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:05:00 +0000

Even if you are a truly hardcore sci-fi fan, here’s one you probably never saw, 1982 released Destroys the Invaders. Fact is, it’s just a mind-movie, but this here is the OST. Before becoming a King himself, while still a princeling under the tutelage of the true King Tubby, Lloyd James aka Prince Jammy created this soundtrack. Scientist & others at Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound had already done sci-fi themed albums. But Destroys the Invaders is Jammy at his finest. Before ruling the modern dancehall, Jammy dubbed it up here with the rock-solid Roots Radics rhythm section. You want strange alien encounters or all-out battles in outer space, well you’ve come to the right place. The great cover art is by Tony McDermott

Year of Release: 1982
Label: Greensleeves Records GREL 29
Genre: Dub, reggae

Tracklist:

Side A:
1. Conspiracy on Neptune
2. Martian Encounter
3. Saturn Bombardment
4. Attack on Ganymede

Side B:
1. War in the Asteroid Belt
2. The Great Red Spot
3. Life on Uranus
4. Final Destruction

Download: Prince Jammy - Destroys the Invaders
Download Size: 79.8MB (ripped at 320Kbps)

I...J...K...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Kill City

Well, my attention deficit disorder is kicking in & I’m getting tired of this alphabet nonsense. I though it would help me organize my thoughts & determine my choices for posting musick. Now I’m getting bored with the procedure. So today I’m hitting the next three letters all at once...I-ggy Pop, J-ames (Sonny Boy) Williamson, & K-ill City.

After the second break-up of The Stooges (the first break-up & reformation added Williamson to The Stooges as Ron Asheton moved from guitar to bass & Dave Alexander moved from alcoholic to dead) Iggy & Sonny Boy recorded Kill City. This disc is somewhere in the no-mans land between The Stooges & Iggy’s solo career. Although maligned by many (mostly for its less than stellar production values), this is by far my favorite post-Stooges work by Mr. Pop (& really damn good considering Iggy was in drug rehab at the time).

Released in 1977 by Bomp Records. All tunes written by Iggy Pop & James Williamson except “Master Charge” by James Williamson & Scott Thurston, with Scott ‘Troy’ Thurston (keyboard & electric piano player for The Stooges after Raw Power) & Tin Machinists Tony & Hunt Sales (Soupy boys). Players on this album are: Iggy Pop - vocals; James Williamson - guitar; Scott Thurston - keyboards, bass, backing vocals, special effects, & harmonica; Brian Glasscock - drums, congas, African beaters, backing vocals, & guiro; Steve Tranio - bass; Tony Sales - backing vocals & bass; Hunt Sales - backing vocals & drums; John Harden - saxophone; & Gayna (from the Count Dracula Society) - backing vocals on “Night Theme”.

Year of Release: 1977
Label: Bomp Records BLP-4001
Genre: Garage rock, protopunk

Tracklist:
Side 1 -
Kill City
Sell Your Love
Beyond the Law
I Got Nothin’
Johanna
Night Theme
Side 2 -
Night Theme (reprise)
Consolation Prizes
No Sense of Crime
Lucky Monkeys
Master Charge
(there are no breaks between tracks 1&2, 4&5 side 2 so I have included the split & merged tracks for you personal choice)

Download: Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Kill City
Download Size: 102MB (ripped from emerald green vinyl at 320Kbps)

Various Artists - Eat Me! Best of Cannibal Movie Soundtracks

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:09:00 +0000

I found a copy of Ruggero Deodato’s cult classic (???) Cannibal Holocaust at Streetlight Records twenty or more years ago. Although I am not a true horror or exploitation buff, preferring more the style of David Lynch & Alejandro Jodorowsky among others, I always really enjoyed/was repulsed by this film.

I found this compilation a few years back on knifefightingjesus website, but all of the files seem no longer available. If you’re interested in this sort of thing, you might want to grab it as there is no telling how long it will last. This collection of music features some great tunes from a variety of films in the cannibal films genre.

Cannibal Films is a sub genre of exploitation film made mostly by Italian filmmakers through the 1970s & 1980s. This sub genre is a collection of graphically gory movies usually depicting cannibalism by primitive, Stone-age natives deep inside the Asian or South American rain forests. Although not all cannibal films show cannibalism on screen, all the movies are connected with the genre by stating that the tribe is cannibalistic & while cannibalism is the common denominator of these films, the general emphasis focuses more on various forms of shocking, realistic, & graphic violence, usually torture, rape, castration &/or animal cruelty. Similar to Mondo films, the main draw of cannibal films was the promise of gore, exotic locales, & cruel behavior. They eventually became a popular feature of Grindhouse culture. The peak of the genre’s popularity was from 1977 to 1981, a period that has come to be known as the cannibal boom.

Due to their graphic content, the films of this subgenre are often the center of controversy. Many of the films include genuine slayings of animals, making them a common target of censors around the world. The inclusion of graphic gore & sexual violence has also landed the films in censorship problems.

Year of Release: 2009

Label: Sharity Surfin’ presents

Genre: Soundtrack

Tracklist:

01 Cannibal Girls / Raw Meat Trailer

02 Cannibal Holocaust Main Theme

03 Adulteress’ Punishment - Cannibal Holocaust

04 Massacre of the Troupe - Cannibal Holocaust

05 Savage Rite - Cannibal Holocaust

06 Target Firing - Cannibal Apocalypse

07 Fued Ramses Exotic Catering Service - Blood Feast

08 Cannibal Ferox Theme

09 NYC Main - Cannibal Ferox

10 Jungle Jive / Not The Pirahnas - Cannibal Ferox

11 Killing 2 Parrots w/1 Cracker – Rudy & Gloria Get Screwed - Cannibal Ferox

12 Isle of the Damned Action Theme

13 Funky Credentials - Isle of the Damned

14 High Tail for Heros – Isle of the Damned

15 Waiting for the Cannibals - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

16 Cannibals at Work - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

17 Cannibal’s Dance - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

18 Cannibals in Pursuit - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

19 Make Love on the Wing - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

20 The Dark Side of the Soul II - Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals

Cannibal Girls composed by Doug Riley

Raw Meat composed by Wil Malone & Jeremy Rose

Cannibal Holocaust composed by Riz Ortolani

Cannibal Apocalypse composed by Alessandro Blonksteiner

Blood Feast composed by Herschell Gordon Lewis

Cannibal Ferox composed by Fabio Frizzi
Isle of the Damned composed by Kobold
Emanuelle & the last Cannibals composed by Nico Fidenco

Download: Various Artists – Eat Me! Best of the Cannibal Movie Soundtracks

Download Size: 103.1MB

Download Mirror: Various Artists - Eat Me! Best of the Cannibal Movie Soundtracks
Download Size: 103.1MB

Update: A new download link has been provided for those experiencing technical difficulties with the Mega website. The link labeled "Download Mirror" now redirects to the Mega site. You will need to copy the key provided in the comments section (should be the first comment), and paste it where it says Decryption Key on the Mega site.

Mordant Karma - Devour cassette

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:18:00 +0000

In March, 2011, when a massive earthquake caused a devastating tsunami in Japan, I posted a cassette by Karasyozoku entitled Mischievous Sigyn 1923. They are a hard noise band from Japan & this release was on the great Lust Vessel label. At the time I stated that I had other material from Lust Vessel in case anyone was interested. Well, DM founder Zer0_II replied that he would like to hear more, but the request got shuttled to the back burner. As I was re-uploading lost files recently, I noticed his comment. Thought nearly two years later I might just oblige…kinda.

Mordant Karma has released material on Lust Vessel, but Devour was released in 2012 on White Centipede Noise. Mordant Karma is an obscure solo noise project from Japan that started recording in 2008, using home-made metal junk instruments to make nonstop earsplitting feedback. The wall-of-sound from this inhospitable harsh noise is intended to strongly stimulate our libido.

Really a great release from this unknown Japanese project. Multilayered harsh noise paired with annoying, clean feedback, producing "pure" noise, uninfluenced by musical ideas or even human intention, using primarily feedback, vocals, & various electronics.

Year of Release: 2012

Label: White Centipede Noise ‎– WCN011

Genre: Electronic, Noise

Tracklist:

Side A: untitled

Side B: untitled

Download: Mordant Karma – Devour (ripped from type II Chrome c32 cassette at 320Kbps)

Download Size: 67.5MB

decryption code in comments

Saccharine Trust - The Great One is Dead (2001 - 320Kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:44:00 +0000

Since the recent activity geared up here at Digital Meltd0wn, we have been trying out different servers to upload files that hopefully will have a bit of longevity. None of the ones we've tried, Depositfiles, Zippyshare, or FreakShare have been perfect, or even equal to the old days of Mediafire or Rapidshare since the attack perpetrated on Kim Dotcom & MegaUpload. Well, this Saturday, on the one year anniversary of said New Zealand attack, Kim & Company have launched a new Privacy project called Mega. This is the first posting I've done using their new service. Here's hoping...

Saccharine Trust came out of the southern California SST scene that also included bands like Black Flag, SWA, Descendents, October Faction, DC3, Tom Troccoli's Dog & many many more. The band was started by singer Jack Brewer (Jack Brewer Band, Perfect Rat, w/Bazooka, w/Kava) & Joe Baiza (Universal Congress of..., October Faction, Natassya Filippovna, & Unknown Instructors[with Mike Watt & George Hurley of Minutemen fame] in 1980. Original drummer Rob Holzman appeared on their 1981 debut Paganicons but left the band to play in Slovenly & was replaced by drummer Tony Cicero. Many musick luminaries including Kurt Cobain, Buzz Osborne, & Sonic Youth have named Sacchrine Trust as a major influence on their musick. Sonic Youth covered their song "I Am Right" on the SST compilation The Melting Plot.

This CD was only available from Hazelwood Records in Germany & was never released in the US.

Year of Release: 2001
Label: Hazelwood Records
Catalog #: HAZ 015
Genre: Post-hardcore

Tracklist:

1. The Sinister Rain
2. Grotian Phraseology
3. The Sadness of Apollo
4. Legends Die Behind the Wheel, at Least
5. Neruda's Wave
6. Birthing the Ancestors
7. Antecedent Satisfaction
8. This is Wilmington
9. Nocturnal Ballets
10. Reggie's Plateau
11. Untitled No.2 (I Gave Another Dimension the Slip)
12. Ordinary Calvinistic
13. Untitled No.1 (The Creative Fluctuation)
14. The Great One is Dead
15. Water on the Dancefloor
16. Against Faustus
17. Resuscitate the Worm
18. Now that You're Dead

Download: Saccharine Trust - The Great One is Dead
Download Size: 105.1MB
Decryption key for download from Mega in comments

Note: To check out this file, get the decryption key from comments. Go to the link site. Enter the decryption code where asked. Check terms agreement. Download. The only issue is with MEGA. Their site does not work with many browsers as they use HTML5. They recommend Google Chrome & provide a download link. You may have to do this, I know that I did. Zer0_II also hipped me to Comodo Dragon browser that is built on the Chromium platform but with no connection to Google. I tried it on MEGA & it works great. FYI.

Egisto Macchi - Sei Composizioni (Gemelli - GG.ST 10.036) (1975 - 320kbps)

noreply@blogger.com (Zer0_II) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:30:00 +0000

One problem with having a rather large collection of music is that you tend to lose track of a few otherwise unforgettable and amazing albums. While I was focusing on my dark and twisted library music theme in November, I somehow managed to overlook this twisted gem from the dark Italian maestro, Egisto Macchi. "Sei Composizioni" (Catalog # GG.ST 10.036) was released on the Italian label, Gemelli, in 1975, and was Egisto Macchi's 10th full-length library music LP. His typically dark and discordant approach can be compared to some of fellow Italian composer Piero Umiliani's own library music efforts. Egisto Macchi was also known as an avid promoter of music and theatre, and was actually much more active in this role than he was as a composer. Not only did belong to a number of organizations which promoted the study, advancement and appreciation of music and the arts, but he also founded several of his own. You can read more about his personal life and evolution as a composer here.

"Sei Composizioni" consists only of 6 tracks, though two of these are long-players, approaching and exceeding 10 minutes in length. Macchi manages to make a powerful statement in a relatively short amount of time with his hauntingly effective compositions, which rival even the most legendary of horror film scores. This is music designed to infect your mind with paranoia and nightmares, and it succeeds masterfully. While I don't have time to thoroughly review each track, I would like to focus on the two tracks which stand high above the rest contained on this album.

"Sei Composizioni" begins with the strange and disturbing "Per Cembalo", which is dominated by unsettling and discordant harpsichord sounds, which are accompanied by a variety of unsettling sounds. Macchi pounds on the harpsichord in a most savage manner, and bombards the keys with various objects. The sounds of footsteps running across the floor, objects being dropped and glass being broken help construct and maintain the tense atmosphere. "Per Cembalo" would be my favorite track on the album were it not for the track that follows it.

The second track, "Kleines Dachauer Requiem", is an absolute masterpiece of dark and experimental music. The vocals, which are utilized as musical instruments in his composition, are the highlight of the track. Choral chants, menacing hisses and haunting whispers are brilliantly used throughout . The sound of glass breaking and unidentified items clashing together make up the abstract percussionary sounds. At first the atmosphere is sparse, as the vocals and sound effects are used rather sparingly. Layers of sound are subsequently introduced, and the tension begins to gradually build toward the latter half of the track. The choral chanting becomes more frantic and urgent, eventually reaching a nearly overwhelming atmosphere of suspense and dread. The cacophony of overlapping voices creates a deliciously sinister sound. If you could make a recording of the descent into the mind of a psychotic individual, I would imagine that it would sound something like this, as each layer of the subconscious is explored before finally emerging upon the chaotic source that lies at the heart of the disturbed mind.

"Lamento" and Quintetto Seriale" are dominated by stringed instruments and piano, with melodies that are more traditional in structure in comparison to the abstract and experimental sound heard in the preceding tracks. At certain points the mood becomes noticeably lighter, as Macchi parts the atmosphere of impending doom, allowing moments of beauty to emerge, if only for an instant. "Computers" recaptures Macchi's more experimental side. It begins with a solo of clicking percussion sounds, which sound somewhat like hooves on a cobblestone road. New layers of sound are gradually added, as strings, flute and chimes are subsequently introduced. "Computers" culminates in a tense atmosphere that stops short of the frenzied atmosphere of "Kleines Dachauer Requiem". "Allunage" rounds out the album strongly. It begins with yet another sparse percussion intro before reintroducing the choral arrangements once again. The piece begin rather grimly, however, the latter half introduces a more uplifting and otherwordly sound to close out the album.

I honestly can't recommend this album enough. It is worth downloading simply for the rewarding experience of listening to "Kleines Dachauer Requiem", but the rest of the album is very impressive. Those of you who enjoy experimental and contemporary classical should especially enjoy this masterpiece of library music.

Year of Release: 1975
Label: Gemelli
Catalog #: GG.ST 10.036
Genres: Library Music, Experimental, Avant-Garde, Musique Concrete, Contemporary Classical
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
A1. Per Cembalo
A2. Kleines Dachauer Requiem
A3. Lamento
B1. Computers
B2. Quintetto Seriale
B3. Allunage

Download: Egisto Macchi - Sei Composizioni (Gemelli - GG.ST 10.036)
Download Mirror: Egisto Macchi - Sei Composizioni (Gemelli - GG.ST 10.036)
Download Size: 77MB