Review: Raz Olsher - Craters Of The Lost Souls (Fossil Sounds)

As Raz Olsher walks off into the setting sun, the 'Craters Of The Lost Souls' arise whist the ghosts of Mary Anning and the Man With No Name!

You may recall Raz Olsher's classical background got 'warped' as a "Dilla meets Harry Potter on the way to the dripping underworld" on his album 'Rubato' (see review HERE). 

'Craters Of The Lost Souls' is far more "discovered" and we're in a DJ Shadow-eque Ennio Morricone that's got reflections of Dick Hyman.

Not that surprising when you consider his 'day job', Raz & Alfa, have recently released the 'Windowlicker/Going Back To My Roots' (see review HERE).

Described as the soundtrack to a "retro-futuristic score to an imaginary Spaghetti Western movie".  The 12 tracks start with 'Opening Titles Theme' and ends with 'End Titles Theme' with a middle of 'Over The Hill', 'Pacific Dreaming' 'Armagedon', 'Godmother' (very dramatic this one), 'Strings Attached' buidling ups to 'The Dual'. 

Raz plays nearly all the instruments, think 'Musician for hire in Mare Street' instead of gunman for hire and there's some great cameo's of flute, guitar, trumpet, jews harp and vocals!  There's a special vinyl option if you're that way inclined but there's a ready made OST if you're up for making the film.

BUY LINK: Craters of the Lost Souls | Raz Olsher

Artist: Raz Olsher

Title: Craters Of The Lost Souls
Release date: 30th May, 2023
Label: Fossil Sounds
Cat. No: TBC
Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Credits:

Music Written by Raz Olsher
Performed by Raz Olsher: Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Synthesizer, Electric Keyboard, Piano, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Percussion, Vocals.
Filippo Galli: Drums
Clive Bell: Flute
Rory O’Connor: Tenor Vocals
Sylvia Hallett: Jaw harp, Hurdy Gurdy, Saw, Accordion, Violin
Sefi Zisling: Trumpet
Layla Moallem: Vocals
Francesco Pedrinoni: Vocals, Guitar
Produced and mixed by Raz Olsher
Assistant Engineer Francesco Pedrinoni
Recorded at Fossil Studios, London
Mastered by Peter Fletcher
Visuals by Raz Olsher

Review: Raz Olsher - Rubato (Fossil Sounds)

So this festive season, there's much musical thought of choirs and classical settings but don't imagine that Raz Olsher's classical background means 'Rubato' is going to be all "sugar and spice and all things nice".

In fact, it's so much better than that as the opening track, 'Prelude With Attitude', is all about the attitude.  And as it's a 'concept' album, the theme continues with 'Aquarium' [if there's one Youtube music video to watch this year, this is it - see below] as Dilla meets Harry Potter on the way to the dripping underworld.

'Daydream' is even more avant-garde but we never get quite as far as 2008's 'ReComposed' by Carl Craig and Moritz Von Oswald who delved into Deutche Grammophon's archives of Ravel and Mussorgsky.  But that could be avenue to suggest as I suspect Marina Lieberman-Haywood (piano) is a far bigger name in her concert field than I am aware of. 

'In Between' does sound like a start of an "emergence" from this underworld big choral theme's that could be Radiohead or Pink Floyd cover version (well, it is a concept album) when 'Field Day' goes deeply synth dub and the album ends on a strange d'n'b-maninoff pool match ('Minnesota Fats' is the strangest track I've heard all year, even beating 'Warm Fireplace' on WUTMK)

Click To Play (up/down arrows to skip tracks)

I suspect Raz didn't want to go Raz Olsher Trio as that would have made it sound too jazzy as his improvisations revolve around Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Chopin et al but if you like you're classical music al la Vince Guaraldi vs. Dick Hyman vs. Black Sabbath this time of year, this is the album for you: and you'll be delighted.

Artist: Raz Olsher

Title: Rubato

Release date: 15th December, 2023

Label: Fossil Sounds

Cat. No: RUB111CD

Format: Digital / Spotify / Soundcloud / Deezer / Youtube