Spaghetti Giapponese

Here's a stylish Spaghetti Western with, oddly enough, a Japanese twist or two...


Oggi a me... domani a te! (Today it's me... tomorrow it's you!) was directed by the little-known Tonino Cervi in 1968 (co-writing credits include Dario Argento). Cervi hasn't directed much of note, but seems to have been all over the Italian film industry like a rash for decades: he produced Antonioni's Il Deserto Rosso, no less.

The film stars the taciturn Franco Nero, of Django fame, Bud Spencer (who surely needs no introduction), and none other than Tatsuya Nakadai, who plays the sword-wielding(!) baddie-in-chief. The acting is good, and it's particularly fun seeing Nakadai hamming it up. There's some nice cinematography, and the soundtrack music, which at times mines a sub-Morricone vein (naturally), is effective. I enjoyed the film and definitely recommend it to Western fans, all the more so if they have an interest in Japanese cinema.

Availability for home viewing by English speakers is not great: it seems only the Japanese have put out a suitable edition (which has an English audio track). The quality of this is superb, but it is quite costly.

UPDATE: English-language availability is better than I had thought: low-priced Dutch and German editions are available, both with English audio.

Avant-Garde Cinema Deserving Attention

Seijun Suzuki's Pistol Opera is a post-modern reprise of his 1960's work in the Yakuza (gangster) genre, which itself was audacious enough to get him fired from a commercial studio, Nikkatsu.

Expect shot after shot of stunning, minimalist compositions, bursting with vibrant color. Expect a seriously cool soundtrack. Expect symbolic gestures that replace normal dialogue. Expect a certain amount of head-scratching - I'm still decoding the film, and enjoying doing so.


There are no top-quality DVD options for English-speakers. The US print is more than watchable, but flawed. The UK print is the result of a standards-conversion, a process which practically guarantees artefacts. The Japanese edition likely offers the highest visual quality, but doesn't seem to come with English subtitles. I'd suggest just getting hold of a cheap US or UK DVD and tolerating the occasional glitch.

For some grounding I highly recommend "Branded to Kill", the 1967 film on which "Pistol Opera" is based. And for an accessible introduction to Suzuki's wonderful world, go straight to "Tokyo Drifter".

Note that "Pistol Opera" was filmed in 4:3 aspect ratio, which means you may need to adjust a widescreen television (by selecting size 4:3) in order to view it correctly at home.

Mystical and... Swedish?

Jola Rota is a super-obscure record of psychedelic, folk(ish) music that manages to be mystical rather than gimmicky. Recording in 1972, Joakim Skogsberg drew on his native Swedish folk music, what sounds at times like African field recordings, and doubtless many other influences, to produce a unique and fascinating set of songs and soundscapes. Instrumentation is comprised of voice, percussion, cello, plus ambient electric bass and guitar.


The record's been reissued by boutique Japanese label Tiliqua, in an allegedly limited edition, as part of their ECHOES FROM YESTERYEAR series ("Acid Folk & Entropic Rumblings"...). Sound samples are available here, and the cd is available here and here. I haven't managed to find a (legitimate) source of a digital download.

In the Tradition of the Classic Guinean Bands

Some of the most glorious music of the twentieth century was recorded in Guinea-Conakry, under the auspices of Sékou Touré's harsh dictatorship (1958 - 84). Guinea was doubtless not a great place to be during this time, due to the repressive political climate. Musically, some great players were frustrated by the nationally mandated musical policy of modernising local folklore (to the exclusion of exploring Jazz or other international developments) - nevertheless the results, recorded and distributed by Syliphone, the state record company, were marvellous. Sterns does a great job of making this superb music available, both as publisher and retailer.

But enough about the past... the band Kaloum Star look set to bring this great music into the twenty-first century. Survivors from the classic period (founded 1969), their album Felenko (1997) is truly worthy of the great Guinean band tradition, and one of the most treasured of my recent musical discoveries.


Cuban charanga flutes, soul/funk arrangements, bluesy ambience, gorgeous saxophone and vocals, typically inventive Mande guitar playing - all add up to a joyous stew just begging to be discovered by lovers of African music everywhere. For dancing or listening, this is a gem.

mp3 Downloads available (with sound samples) from emusic.

A Blind Anatolian Bard

Aşık Veysel (d. 1973) was a blind Turkish poet and minstrel, who accompanied himself on the bağlama (a.k.a. saz, a lute common to many Muslim cultures). I picked up a CD of his music during a trip to Turkey a couple of years ago. I don't understand the poetic Turkish lyrics, but I do understand the beautiful sound of a man deeply absorbed in music-making. If you like melismatic Asian vocal music, or are an adventurous music-lover, you should check it out.

Here is an effectively translated sample of Veysel's poetry. Clearly I can't vouch for the accuracy of the translation.



Here is the CD for sale online, with sound samples. I can recommend the vendor.

French Suspender

Juste Avant La Nuit (Just Before Nightfall) is a superb, adult drama from the French master of suspense, Claude Chabrol (the so-called "French Hitchcock"). Dealing very maturely with the consequences of an extra-marital affair that ends in murder, the film is subtle but grips from start to finish due to its growing emotional and moral complexity. The acting is very impressive throughout.


I picked up the film on DVD as part of an 8-disc set of Chabrol's films, currently available at an absurd bargain price (~£13) from Amazon UK. Arrow Films, who produce the box, is a quality outfit. Highly recommended!

Jazz Rock Maloya

Sabouk is an electric band from Reunion Island. Their self-titled album from Discorama Production is groovy, full of jazzy improvisation and creative arrangements, and highly enjoyable. Discorama's catalogue classifies this music as Jazz Rock Maloya (Maloya being the dominant local voice-and-percussion traditional style), and who am I to argue?



The mp3 album is available (with sound samples) from Fnac. The CD is available from Discorama.