The M.O.P. Radionic Workshop

The new spoken word vinyl label, Test Centre, has released Stone Tape Shuffle, a 12” LP by Iain Sinclair, in an edition of 400 copies, handsomely packaged with photographs and a new text by the author.

Test Centre is an admirable new venture and this first release sets the bar high, a layered, dense, mediumistic transmission which, as the title suggests – referencing Nigel Kneale’s 1972 teleplay – sounds as if it has tapped the bedrock of the city to capture the flow, hiss and rumble at its heart. Sinclair distills his texts to their essence, and is presented here at his most vital, travelling in time as well as space, aided by sound artist Dan Scott’s active mix of archival and field recordings. […]

Four snapshot views of the excellent Objections to an Empty Mind exhibition of works by Austin Osman Spare and Richard Brown at The Hidden Noise gallery, 1st Floor, 24 Hayburn Crescent, Glasgow G11 5AY.

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Guardian of the Abyss
‘Hammer House of Horror’ Episode 10, broadcast 15 November 1980.

An enjoyable episode of this short-lived, better-than-average revamp of the Hammer franchise, whose stories tended to be considerably darker than your average Brit-horror of the period and usually featured supernatural or magickal themes. It was also aided by Roger Webb’s fantastic title music that’s like Crossroads on bad magic.

Written by David Fisher (who penned Dr Who classics including Stones of Blood and City of Death) this one merges Dennis Wheatley black magic tropes – a powerful occult order, The Choronzon Society, operating from a posh country pile (cf Kill List), headed by a cruel, wealthy svengali with hypnotic powers – with decent historical research. The plot draws upon occult dynamic duos John Dee & Edward Kelley and Aleister Crowley & Victor Neuberg and ends up colliding The Devil Rides Out with The Wicker Man. Throw in Paul Darrow (the sinister Avon from Blake’s 7) as a (yes, sinister) antiques dealer, some good creature effects and ritual sequences, and you’ve got a recipe for cackling evil goodness.

And look, here’s a photo of the shooting script!!

If you enjoy this then do consider buying the very reasonably priced box set.