Cineploit operate out of Austria and are a label that deals with cinematic music and Italian genre film. Needless to say, if I ever visit Vienna it will be one of my 1st stop off points. This introduction to them came in the way of an album by Lawa which is an acronym for the 2 musicians behind it, Alain Leonard and Alex Wank. Yes, if you are visiting this site as an extreme music fan one of those names will be ringing a bell as it does indeed have a certain Pungent Stench about it and if you were wondering what he was up to soundtrack music is your answer. No offence to Mr Leonard for not knowing his history but between the two of them here we have a homage to their favourite soundtracks deeply rooted in keyboard wizardry and what has developed into the sound that today is more commonly known as synthwave. Here it could not be more authentic as they have picked through their favourite films and composers of the golden age of Italian cinema and interpreted them in their own way. Some of what they picked is well known to me but others are actually quite obscure, all good as it gives me some extra films to track down.
We first visit the futuristic post-apocalyptic wilderness of 2019 (yep, I know) After The Fall Of New York directed by Sergio Martino and with soundtrack by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis. It’s probably one of the better-known films here and the Vangelis style keyboards and rushing irradiated wind bring to mind Blade Runner before it pulses away with a tribal beat and the evocative melody that has stuck in the head since the first time I saw the film in the mid 80’s. It’s somewhat mournful and completely describes a wasted world, the danger however lurks and there’s plenty of drama about it. The tracks all flow into each other making this essentially a continuous 53-minute listening experience and I like the way this is put together a lot. L’arbalète is actually a French film aka Asphalt Warriors. Originally composed by Jacques Revaux the music is tense and dramatic with some pulsating strobes and a strutting main melody perfect for a gritty gang and drug war film. This one really gets in the head and flows magnificently. Having never seen the film I am not sure if there is a pimp like gang leader but he seems to have his theme nailed amidst this perfectly. Ah another favourite next, who can forget Anita Ekberg’s drug crazed, false teeth stomping Killer Nun? A total classic musically accompanied by the great Morricone whistler Alessandro Alessandroni. Here her nefarious deeds are illustrated by what sounds like reverberating springs bouncing around and causing mayhem. Its tense and full of dread no doubt as much in highlighting her fall from grace as the victims she terrorizes along the way.
It’s giallo time next and the obscure E Tanta Paura AKA Magnum 45 / Bloody Peanuts / Plot Of Fear. Apparently, the Daniele Patucchi soundtrack was never released but here it swaggers with big balls and no doubt carrying a gun like that it truly doesn’t give a fuck. With a 70s funk like waltz and bongos this is a bit of a freak-out number doing a near bossa nova bop. Classic sleaze with another firm favourite next, La Bimba Satana / Satan’s Baby Doll. There’s a big feel of pathos here Nico Casante did the original and this actually sounds reminiscent of the work of Simon Boswell on Santa Sangre to my ears at first. Its actually really haunting and synth leads give it a sense of mystery in line with the Gothic ties to the film. Bianchi’s harder Malabimba is my go-to film and listening to this it is high time I revaluated this particular movie. The album’s title track is actually an original composition although Alex admits it is inspired by Gary Chang’s score to Frankenheimer’s 52 Pick Up. It’s slow and moody with clattering percussion and wah like synths, drawing the listener in and fitting in perfectly with the rest of the album. The oozing stealth really gets beneath the skin. Michael Legrand the French composer and jazz pianist is a highly regarded film force. Here we have Un Homme est Morte aka The Outside Man / Funeral At Los Angeles. This one is much more upbeat and has a streetwalking jive about it. Groovy gangsters, guns and gals are what is suggested if you have not seen the film, which I haven’t and am adding to that list. Staying in France a thrilling score originally conceived by Michel Colombier from L’Alpagueur aka The Hunter Will get You. The sounds of bells and seagulls suggest a quiet harbour about to be torn up by bullets. This is bold and brash with some big booming gravity about it and some serious prog licks. Of course the maestro himself Ennio Morricone is here at last and the theme from Revolver / Blood In The Streets has been given a complete update by LAWA. The pomposity of the keyboards merge with some background noise that sounds like someone is being stalked in an industrial warehouse. This twists and turns down different paths and the persistent central motif will stick around in the head long after the album has finished.
This is a great album for both soundtrack and movie fans. I have since discovered that LAWA have similarly done homages to Riz Ortalani and Fabio Frizzi too and the label’s website has a fantastic selection of film and music to explore.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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