The Power Of The Witch

 

'The Power Of The Witch' is a new cassette released on the increasingly collectable Industrial Coast label. The recordings are from a live performance (by memotone) originally written for Think Tank, Leeds 2017. "The Power Of The Witch" is a BBC documentary from 1971, Very rarely seen these days the documentary is about Witchcraft in the UK and features contributions from Eleanor Bone, Cecil Williamson, Alex and Maxine Sanders and Doreen Valiente. The documentary has rare footage of ceremonies and rites and includes the fascinating story of the unsolved murder of Charles Walton on Meon Hill. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Walton_(murder_victim). 

The cassette begins with a prelude on piano before incidental music and samples of spoken word from the BBC documentary are brought in. The tone of the narrator and interviewees have a great 1970's British sound about them. Alongside and sometimes underneath the incidental music (again probably taken from the documentary and treated) a short repetitive leitmotiv of looped tones build with an increasing heartbeat. A minimal electronic rhythm and polyphonic organ brings to a psychedelic mood, there are orchestral swathes that could be lifted from other 'Witchcraft' classics like "The Blood On Satan's Claw" or "Witchfinder General"(?). It is riveting stuff. The sounds change again as the voices fade. Pulsations, vibrations and tones float, chase and race across the speakers creating an aura of occult and unnerving sounds. It is all very reminiscent of Adi Newton's TAGc (The Anti Group) project. After 20 minutes side one fades ... 

Side two fades in where side one finishes with the sound creating a plateau before switching to clarinet and an undercurrent of chattering disembodied voices. Around this time I was trying to visualise the live performance and could imagine a large cinema screen showing (perhaps) Benjamin Christensen's 1922 classic "Häxan" .... or perhaps as the sounds slow down, black & white images of blurred flames and naked dancing. It really is an album to get lost in, especially as the first ten minutes or so of side one sets the scene as were. 

The information on the cassette is minimal. Just below the Industrial Coast logo in the bottom corner of the cassette sleeve's reverse is the name memotone. I bought the cassette on the intrigue of the cassette's title and the artwork of the sleeve. I have had to investigate memotone. memotone is the project of Bristolian William Yates which he began in the earlier 2010s. William has also released under the moniker of Half Nelson and O.G. Jigg. It's a new project to my ears and I have just bought some memotone on vinyl to 'check out'. It might be a rabbit hole to disappear down. 

The cassette is still available at Industrial Coast. I do not know the limited edition number, but IC tapes are usually around 50. https://industrialcoast.bigcartel.com/product/the-power-of-the-witch. Act fast.

memotone can be contacted and explored here : 

http://www.memotone.co.uk.

And finally "The Power Of The Witch" original 1971 documentary cane be watched via YouTube here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_ZO7mJo4q8.