Picnic At Hanging Rock - 1975

I'm sure Peter Weir's spellbinding 1975 masterpiece, Picnic At Hanging Rock, needs little introduction here. With it's ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere, the film leaves a permanent impression on the viewer, and left me feeling that I had been summoned to participate in a vivid dream. One that didn't begin to fade upon waking..

Repeat viewings result in the same delirium each time, and an ever-growing cult of fascination and mystery continue to follow the film.
The stunning cinematography plays a large part in that effect, but its the deeply haunting soundtrack that we're focusing on here.

The sounds you will hear were kindly provided by friend of The Cottage, 'The Ilk', who edited all the music, effects and snatches of dialogue into an album-length distillation of the film's unique, dreamlike mood. Bruce Smeaton's mellotron-heavy 'original' score (shamelessly ripped off of Hawkwind) mixed in with Gheorghe Zamfir's haunting panflutes and bits of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart make for a surprisingly coherent listening experience.

You can download the mp3 from here.

The brave ones among you may wish to devise a way to listen to it from the summit of a remote hilltop.

The rest might prefer the safety of a securely locked room.

The Seventh Cyrkle

My best wishes of the season, from deep within the sheer terror of Pendle Witch Country.

As I sit by the fire this evening and celebrate Hallowe'en,
I will be listening to the amazing new album from olde friends of The Cottage, Villa9 Studios. It's a wonderfully crafted blend of folk-horror, bad dreams, and forgotten rituals.

The latest Villa 9 Studios soundtrack is for "The Seventh Cyrkle";
a horror anthology series from 1975, based on the book of the same name. Seven different tales from seven different authors, all of an occult/supernatural theme.

You can listen to the  album here, and obtain a copy for your own foul ceremonies.

House On Straw Hill - Custom Soundtrack

I've taken my time with this one, as I wanted to do justice to this 1976 British classic. The film contains my most favourite obsessions:

Linda Hayden
Horror in the English Countryside
Private madness in an isolated house

Apart from Linda Hayden, the above list perfectly describes my own cottage, and ritualistically watching Exposé every summer has been a tradition since as long as I can remember. Heavy on rural atmosphere, with lashings of derangement and twisted sex; it's excellent.
The soundtrack was composed by Steve Gray (1944–2008), and I've been mindful not to adjust the jarring volume changes during Udo Kier's multiple freak-outs.

That's enough from me. If you'd like to read more about the film, then my creepy colleague over at Island Of Terror has written this...
If anybody wants me, I'll be lying next to a badly mutilated Karl Howman in the back field.

38 minutes 59 seconds. 320kbps. Free download.

May Day.. May Day..

Coming Soon..
A custom soundtrack is ready for one of my perennial favourites.
I just need to clean up all the mess first, then work out where to hide some of the larger victims.
Once that's all taken care of I'll share it with you degenerates. 

Kiss of the Tarantula - 1976 -Custom Soundtrack.

Something extremely disturbing for you here; the incredibly harrowing analogue score for the 1976 drive-in gem: 'Kiss Of The Tarantula'.
The film often receives negative reviews, but who wants to read those? I like the cheap atmosphere, the ultra-sinister soundtrack, and let's face it; the story of a solitary girl who lives in a mortuary, takes fatal revenge on her 'friends', her mother, and her lascivious uncle (by killing them with her pet tarantulas), is always going to be alright with me.
Once again, I put this together directly from the film, and the combination of creepy keyboards, deranged victims death-throes, and pleasant dialogue from the lovely Susan all add up to make a truly nasty audio nightmare.




















Disciples of the Cottage will already know the work of composer Phillan Bishop from the electronic madness he created for the classic 'Messiah Of Evil'. Suffice to say, if you haven't heard that already, you are truly missing out.


       Free 320kbps download -including artwork- is here. 

Coming Soon...

    

This doll loves spiders.

   This one doesn't.

My latest custom soundtrack will make huge analogue spiders crawl out of your ears. So you'd better watch this space.

Grange Hell

England. 1989. If you were there, then it's likely you were one of the millions of viewers who witnessed the ritualistic slaying of 'difficult' pupil Danny Kendall, by Mystic Master Bronson, the most feared of all teachers in the long running television drama series: Grange Hill.
The events leading up to this tragedy were bizarre to say the least, and those who innocently experienced this horror from the comfort of their own home remain forever scarred.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Danny's terrible fate, I have assembled a sonic account of the days leading up to the grisly discovery of Danny's corpse; which was found in the back of Bronson's car by some of Kendall's horrified classmates.
The piece ends with a chilling version of the iconic theme tune, altered out of respect by the BBC, and only heard once (until now).
To spare the pupils of Grange Hill the nerve shattering details of the case (and possibly protect the name of the school), headmistress Mrs McCluskey explained Danny's death as having occurred as the result of a "brain illness"; but listening to these recordings brings the true nature of this horrible murder into sinister focus.
Bronson walked away a free man, presumably continuing to practice his vile magic on others, while the students planted a tree in the grounds of the school, in a tribute to their fallen friend.

You can examine the case for yourself by downloading it from here.
The curious can invoke it from TOMTIT by pressing this.
Or tune in to direct evil via the link below..