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Cliff Twemlow On Severin
One of last year’s real big surprises in the world of Blu-ray box sets was Bloody Legend: The Complete Twemlow Collection, as it was a wholly entertaining, fascinating, and at times heart-warming set. The Severin released boxset brought together the work of one of the UK’s unlikeliest movie moguls- Cliff Twemlow, a Mancunian bouncer/ body builder, who went on to write/star in/produce a series of low-budget/ largely SOV films in the early 80s to early 90s- these moved between action, thriller, sci-fi, and horror. His most notable/notorious film was 1983’s G.B.H., which landed on the video nasty list, though he was connected to other ten feature films, many of which got their first real full/proper release on the boxset. Opening up the set was the excellent 2023 documentary Mancunian Man: The Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow, which really pulls you into the set. I caught up with Severn’s David Gregory and Jake West, director of Mancunian Man, to discuss the boxset and all things cliff.
The Fall
MES( Mark E Smith- The Falls main creator) possessed the ability to cram phrases into impossible spaces - “I’m hunting and I’m trying to find” delivered as “hut’na tryna find”; the eight-syllable “mere pseud mag editor’s father” hastily squeezed into a manipulation of time and space, heralded by the prior line “twice each at least”, the latter naturally repeated thrice.
Crude ‘n’ Hope-corroding Walled Noise
Back in 2024, I got my first taste of Absurd Reality, and I was so impressed by how crude and nasty its take on walled noise was. Behind the project is South Carolina-based Krys Marshall, who also runs the Filthy Sounds Recording label. He’s since gone on to form No Fun HNW, which pushes the levels of nasty crudeness even more. Krys kindly agreed to an email interview.
Creepy Images Books
Of all the cult/exploitation genres, Giallo stands as one of the more visually & art-based- be it with the grand/ dramatic location, choreographed murder scenes, or great poster art. The focus of this interview is on the last of these three- looking at the two classy/ glossy full colour Giallo Posters books put out by Germany's Creepy Images. Below is an interview with Thorsten Benzel, one of the key minds behind the books. To date, there are two volumes, with a third coming next year.
Best Of 2025
As the year rolls to its end. Here are our writers' best-of lists for 2025, and as always, it’s a highly genre-varied mixed selection of titles- highlighting the site's mission statement. Some writers list taking in both music/ sound and film, or just music/ sound, depending on what they review on M[m].
The Spectral Sounds of The Projection of the Astra
As music obsessives know, what makes a label fascinating is not just the sounds they release. The most intriguing labels offer a conceptual framework and consistent aesthetic philosophy that connects their releases, creating a mysterious, immersive world that enthralls the listener and demands that one absorb all their releases as one cohesive body of work. Often these types of labels construct a hidden, private, esoteric atmosphere with an occult mystique that cultivates a small dedicated cadre of followers who revel in the enigmatic and the secret, an obscurity that encourages the listener’s imagination to fill in the gaps. Ritualistic compositions, unsettling imagery, clandestine knowledge, and limited access offer listeners an experience that is as thrilling as it is collectible. One such label that has developed this kind of intimacy is Attic Shrines.
Michael Hurst Interview
One of the more creative & original horror films I’ve seen/ reviewed recently is Transmission, a 2023 film which, a few months ago, received a DVD release on Jinga Films. It’s focused on a lost/ cursed movie & a missing horror director. The picture is structured/ presented in a rather creative manner- as if someone is channel hopping late one night- blending true crime mockumentary, news reports, several films with the film, parody adverts, etc. I caught up with the film's writer/ director, Michael Hurst, for an email interview
Xiphos
Xiphos are a three-piece project that creates an atmospheric and epic mix of martial industrial and neo-classical music, focusing on the tales and legends of Ancient Greece. Formed in the year 2022, it brings together three key/ important figures from the genre, Miklós Hoffer (HERR/Donderdag), Troy Southgate ( HERR/Seelenlicht), and Simon Shelmerdine (Dark Awake, Schatten Muse). To date, the band have released two albums- 2023's The Rise And Fall of Athens, and this year's The Age Of Alexander. All three of the band members kindly accepted our invitation for an email interview
Third Window Films
Formed in 2005, London-based Third Window Films has been one of the key film labels releasing Asian cinema in the West. Their catalogue touches down in a lot of genres, going all the way from moody dramas, bizarre comedies, wacky ‘n’ weird horror films, pumped up cyber punk, Arty Pink films, creative sci-fi, cool/ sleek action films, and beyond. Adam Torel- the label head honcho/ man-of-many-hats kindly agreed to give M[m] an email interview.
HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th April 2025- L’Antic Forn
An event completely dedicated to harsh noise wall (HNW), with Uitgeschakeld as the headliner. It’s not that I thought David López Saludes (of Soma, Barrera and Impur fame) was lying to me when he proposed this. As a matter of fact, it sounded awesome – but with HNW being as underground as it gets, being a sub-genre within noise music, I feared this would be too obscure to pull off as a live event.
Raté interview
Raté is a Bordeaux-based project that creates searing, at times subtle, unsettling wall noise. It’s been active since November 2024, releasing around thirty releases to date, so a fairly prolific wall venture. I’ve reviewed a few of Raté’s releases now, finding it (largely) a consistent wall noise project, and a worthy addition to the French wall noise scene, which over the years has birthed some great acts such as Vomir, Chier, and all the projects connected to Julien Skrobek. So, I tracked down the mind behind the ‘walls’, Gabriel Berteaud, for an email interview.
Matthew Holmes
It’s fair to say the Sharksploitation genre is often tried, tested, and to be honest, tired. Fear Below is a 2025 Australian film that tries to do something different and original with the form. It’s set in the 1940s and focuses on a van full of stolen gold at the bottom of a large river, with a bull shark circling & darting through the murky water. The film manages to mix gangster thriller tropes with shark-bound action very well, with a pace that barely lets up. It features moments of real-looking gore attacks, and the shark itself is only fleetingly seen, so it never feels like you're looking at either CGI or a model. It’s been released by Signature Entertainment on VOD, with a Blu-ray appearing shortly. Matthew Holmes- the film's Australian director/ co-writer kindly agreed to an email interview, discussing Fear Below, and his career in general.
The Residents
2025 sees the release of The Residents' most sonically contrasting release Doctor Dark- the project's forty-seventh studio album. It blends sad and swooning strings/piano keys, with blunt 'n' crude heavy metal, and a side order of electro beats, off-Broadway theatricality, mocked-up news reports, and twittering bird field recordings/uneasy ambience. Lyrical/theme-wise, the album blends 80’s heavy metal influenced shotgun suicide, and a creepy doctor involved in euthanasia. We were lucky enough to get an email interview with the project's Homer Flynn- key graphic designer, spokesman & manager. We discuss the new album, the compilation Buy Or Die- Ralph Records 1972-1982- looking at the project's label, their late 2024 EP Dookietown, and much more.
Ennaytch
Ennaytch is a US project that creates a creative, layer detailed, and often ambient-focused take on walled noise. It started in 2021, having fifty-plus releases to its name. It’s probably most known for the seemingly unending ‘Vacuum Cleaner Music’ series, which weaves a storyline into ‘wall’ kind. It regards an abused housewife who rebels against misogyny, murders her husband, and goes on a killing spree- though this was just the start of the story, which has now been expanded into some fairly wacky/ bizarre places. Below is an email interview with the man behind Ennaytch Tommy Lenahan, where we discuss how the project started, the VCM series, it’s other work, and beyond
Dead, Dead Swans interview
Dead, Dead Swans (aka Milwaukee, Wisconsin's John E Swan) play a blend of raw and world-weary American folk music, with some real tuneful edges. I first became aware of the band late last year with the release of their second album Even Still, We Were Together, on Punkerton Records. I’ve recently just heard and reviewed the reissue of their first album, 2022 Lenses (also on Punkerton) - so I thought what better time to track down Mr Swan for an email interview.
Sebastian Tomb
Formed in 2022, Sebastian Tomb is a Berlin wall noise project that adds creative touches to its sound such as synth elements, morphed ‘n’ warped dialogue, and generally unbalancing sound craft. It also uses pictures of women from the past- so an interesting blend of sound and theme. I’ve been very impressed with most of the projects' output- so I decided to track down the person behind the ‘wall’/ project- Joris Martin Sabinius for an email interview.
Alien Sex Fiend
Since the early 1980’s Alien Sex Fiend have gleefully dodged genre labels and brackets. The UK two-piece darkly tongue-in (rotten) cheek sound mixes elements of Goth, psychobilly, punk, electro-fired shock rock, and various brands of electronica- for a distinctive and one-off experience. Last year Cherry Red Records- their long-running label- released the third in their classic album boxset series- The 13th Moon Years. This features the project's last four albums, as well as a ton of bonus tracks- taking in Nocturnal Emissions (1997), Information Overload (2004), Death Trip (2010), and Possessed (2018). Both members of the band-Nik Fiend and Mrs Fiend, kindly agreed to give us a rare/ in-depth email interview- discussing the bands' origins, their career, and of course The 13th Moon Years boxset.
Best Of 2024
As the end of the year rolls to the end. Here are our writer's best-of lists for 2024, and as always, it’s a highly genre-varied mixed selection of titles- highlighting the site's mission statement- be genre-varied. Some writers list taking in both music/ sound and film, or just music/ sound- depending on what they review on M[m]
Splintered
2024 saw the return of Splintered - the British noise rock collective who have largely been AWOL for the last thirty years. In their initial run between 1992 and 1996, they released four albums and recorded two sessions with John Peel. The band's new album Between Scylla And Charybdis is a rewarding blend of lo-fi and the expansive, and since its release in May of this year, it has gone on to be one of my favourite more formal rock-focused albums of the year. It’s a release that brings together elements of jam rock, moody punk-edged psych, and droned-out/murky art-rock/post-punk. Imagine if Pink Floyd appeared in the early ‘80s, and had more sinister/murky intentions. I tracked down the project’s vocalist Richard( Richo) Johnson for an email interview.
Shane Ryan-Reid
Most Films within the serial killer found footage/ faux snuff film genre feature both gory murder & brutal torture. One of the few film series to step away from these tropes is the Amateur Porn Star Killer trilogy from the early 2000s. They focus on the more coerced & manipulative side of their killer, with the added addition of jarring real hardcore sex, and grim mumblecore drama. The three films are directed/written by Canoga Park, California-born Shane Ryan-Reid- who also plays the film's charming/ highly manipulative killer Brandon. Earlier this year as part of their Raw & Extreme Wild-Eyed Releasing reissued all three films. Shane kindly agreed to an email interview- where we discuss his influences, the three films, and the most recent appearance of the Brandon character in 2020’s Choke.
Whore’s Breath
The rather controversial named Whore’s Breath is the wall-noise project of Cincinnati’s David Hilshorst. It started in 2021, and to date, it has coming on for one hundred and fifty releases to its name. The project’s work moves between set/ old school, shifting & active, or texturally experimental- with it being one of the more consistent/interesting projects on the walled noise scene. David Kindly agreed to give us an email interview.
David Kerekes Interview
This year saw the fine folks at Headpress releasing Cannibal Error by David Kerekes & David Slater- the truly definitive and wholly fascinating chronicling of the so-called ‘video nasties’ phenomena/era. The book is a revised, reworked and expanded edition of the year 2000 book See No Evil — pushing the original page count up from four hundred to nearly six hundred pages. I tracked down one of the book’s authors David Kerekes for an email interview —discussing the book, and his personal history with the video nasties.
Tim Ritter Interview
Tim Ritter is one the key/ important figures in the Shot-On-Video/ultra-low-budget horror genre. He was behind titles such as Truth Or Dare (1985), Killing Spree (1987), and Day Of The Reaper(1985). His work often features creative/ interventive gore/ kills, shifts in tone between unsettlement & humour, and darkly quirky touches. Late last year the fine folks at SRS Cinema released The Tim Ritter Collection- a four Blu-ray set, taking six of his SOV releases- these move between the classic low-budget horror anthology Twisted Illusion (1985), deranged & demented Escape from Prison Killer film Creep (1995), and Reconciled Through The Christ (2004) a Christianity-focused mix of horror, drama, and thriller. Tim kindly agreed to do an email interview, and below we’ll find our in-depth/ lengthy interview.
Radiance Films Interview
Set up at the start of 2023 Radiance Films is one of the more recently formed boutique labels, though to date it’s released over a hundred titles. These move all over the film genre map- with a general focus on great & fascinating cinema. Each release- be they single films, or boxsets feature wonderful new scans and a great selection of the most worthy/interesting extras. Behind the company is Francesco Simeoni, the former director of content for Arrow Video. Below is an email interview with Francesco.