The Rowan Amber Mill - 'Disciples of the Scorpion'

 

This was one of those rare times I bought something unheard, mainly because I absolutely gobble up pretty much everything The Rowan Amber Mill (RAM) put out, the last being the wonderful 'Harrowed By The Stones'.  RAM have cornered the market in two aspects: the 'imaginary' soundtrack and 'folk horror' (or 'Witchfolk' or 'alt-folk' depending on what tag is popular this week).  

Until this point I would have said that RAM's acme was the superb 'Book of the Lost', recorded with fellow arcane traveller Emily Jones, a bucolic soundtrack to an imaginary portmanteau TV series (think Amicus films but with more countryside). I would have to say though that 'Disciples of the Scorpion' transcends 'Book of the Lost', an accomplishment in and of itself. 

To give some background, via RAM's Bandcamp page, 'Disciples of the Scorpion' is "The official soundtrack to the folk-horror film....a 1975 low budget film made by British Ligoncus Films"  and to maintain a sense of continuity and a satisfying completeness, the film's only showing was on the aforementioned 'Books of the Lost' TV series.

So, to the music itself...suffice to say it is a delight. It encompasses pretty much everything that one would expect from RAM, that is to say it runs the gamut from some beautiful pastoral folk to more a standard song structure ('Into The Waves', a song that, to me, almost sounds like a grown-up Britpop song). Along the way it takes in some moments that would not be amiss on some of those wonderful Giallo soundtracks from the 1970s and in other places one could be forgiven in thinking one was listening to a Ghost Box release such are the expert hauntological touches.  Every now and then something totally unexpected will grab you, like the dreamy Tangerine Dream-like ambience of  'Scorpion's Tail (Closing Theme)'  but then I suppose TD are undeniable masters of soundtracks themselves. There are even some passages of spoken word to add to the verisimmilitude of the whole soundtrack angle. 

Presentation-wise, the cover image looks like an homage to the Giallo movement and if you get in quick you can grab one of the deluxe editions which contains a poster, some stickers and badges, and extended liner notes in a rather tasteful tin box.

Stephen Stannard pretty much IS Rowan Amber Mill and what a very talented gent he is too. He plays every instrument and wrote all the tracks, which bearing in mind the ground it covers, is no small feat. As for the whole 'imaginary soundtrack' thing?, Well, it works and works well. The whole album flows with the continuity of a good soundtrack. Top notch stuff.

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