CORY STRAND AND GINA NEWMAN "THE WALKING DEAD: IMPRESSIONS" 3xC40 BOX SET (AOW 295)

PLEASE NOTE: This is currently being offered as a PREORDER to help offset the cost of manufacture.  I expect the sets to be in stock and shipping mid-September.

This one has been in the works for well over a year!  When i decided i was going to start doing tapes through AOW, this was the first project, suggested to me by Gina (The Walking Dead is her favorite television show and she had been after me for awhile to do a record based on it.)  Fast forward to the now and the set is finally complete, a collaborative effort between Gina and me.  The music is by me, seven different compositions crafted from audio elements of both The Walking Dead's soundtrack (by Bear McCreary) and the show itself, showcasing a variety of sounds: some pieces are extreme HNW, some are empty death ambient, some are Hecker-style ambient roars, and some are lovely, yearningly melodic drones.  It's a very sonically varied set, hopefully capturing fleeting moments of violent atmospheres and eerie calm and crushing sadness as in the series.  Gina's contribution comes in the form of two beautiful lino cut prints, one a large slipcase housing the entire set, the second a smaller and more obscure piece of imagery relating to the show, housed inside the box as a sort of "insert" (kudos to you if you can place where the image is from!)  All three tapes are contained in a large clamshell box, with full colour artwork (different from Gina's lino cut prints).  This one has been a labor of love from both of us, and I am very pleased to finally offer it up.
Released in a limited edition of 10 hand-numbered copies.  $35 ppd. in the United States, $48 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD: A REINTERPRETATION" 38CDR + DVD-R SET (AOW 311)

This may be the most insane, over-the-top thing i've ever made, but fuck if it isn't achingly beautiful.  This is my rework of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis's masterful score for Andrew Dominik's woefully underappreciated revisionist Western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.  I saw the film when it was released to theaters years ago and was moved by the awesome, Malick-like poetry of its imagery; since then, I've seen the film many times over and studied it intently (it was my cinematography professor's favorite film), both for its theoretical implications and technical prowess.
In working with the score, I've applied the same sort of techniques as were utilized during my rework of Neil Young's Dead Man score; this set is a relative to that one in terms of structure, more an art object honoring the film than a straight musical object.  Sonically it references Tim Hecker and Troum in the ambient sections and My Bloody Valentine in the noise/HNW sections.  All told, the set contains roughly 7 hours of music.
This set includes the score reworked in ambient mode across 19 discs, the score reworked in HNW/noise mode across 19 discs, and an HNW "Totality" recording of the entire film's audio track (almost three hours.)  Packaged in 19 double-DVD cases (the score) and a single DVD case (the 'Totality" recording), each with their own unique artwork using images from and ephemera associated with the film.  As said, this is one of my craziest, largest-scale projects, but I think the results are well worth it.
Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $200 ppd. in the United States, $213 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "IT FOLLOWS: A REINTERPRETATION" 12CDR + DVD-R SET (AOW 310)

My rework to Disasterpiece's amazing, Carpenter-esque score for David Robert Mitchell's equally Carpenter-esque film It Follows.  It Follows features some of the best cinematography i've seen in a horror film (maybe any film) in years; Mitchell's debt to Carpenter's Halloween is distinctly felt throughout the film's numerous anamorphic wide shots and daylight settings.  It's an astonishing film, certainly one of the finest of the contemporary horror movement.
In working with Disasterpiece's mesmerizing, tense, and brooding score, I've applied the same sorts of sensibilities that I bring to my Carpenter reworks: maintain the dread and get DEEP into the suffocating tones.  The result is a dense, dark set of ambient and HNW structures that demand total immersion.
This set consists of the nine discs of the score reworked in ambient mode, three discs of the score done in psychedelicized HNW modes, and an HNW "Totality" recording of the film's audio track.  Packaged in 13 DVD cases, each with their own unique artwork utilizing my favorite images from the film (I did my own screen grabs for this one!)
Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $100 ppd. in the United States, $113 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "THE COUNSELOR: A REINTERPRETATION" 11CDR + DVD-R SET (AOW 309)

An empty and droning death ambient rework of Daniel Pemberton's arid score for Ridley Scott's much-maligned and wholly undervalued nihilistic neo-noir The Counselor.  Written by Cormac McCarthy, Scott's film is essentially the spiritual sequel to Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country For Old Men and a distant cousin to Vince Gilligan's magnum opus Breaking Bad, showcasing the tiresome, illusory banality of materialism and its devastating effects on a circle of loosely associated figures on either side of the law and morality.  For me, The Counselor is a masterpiece of a film, with an astonishingly haunting score to boot.  In working with the music, I've sought to elongate the meditative nature of McCarthy's philosophical interests through audial means; hopefully the results will be transportative.
This set consists of my rework of Pemberton's score spread across ten discs, a full-length coda piece made from elements of the score, and an HNW "Totality" recording of the unrated/extended cut of the film's audio track (over 2.5 hours).  Packaged in 12 DVD cases, each with their own unique artwork.
Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $100 ppd. in the United States, $113 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: A REINTERPRETATION" 20 CDR + 2 DVD-R SET (AOW 308)

An epic rework of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's masterful soundscape for David Fincher's superlative cinematic adaptation of Stieg Larson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  Though I find the Swedish television version to be equally masterful, I prefer Fincher's vision, as he directs Rooney Mara in such a way that her portrayal of Lisbeth is more interesting and multifaceted: Fincher's Lisbeth is tough and vulnerable, her emotions locked deeply away but not gone entirely (Mara's Lisbeth feels so much more real compared to Noomi Rapace's, whose Lisbeth can be a bit wooden at times.)  And of course, Reznor and Ross's score is just a killer piece of music.
In working with the score, I've tried not to dilute it too much.  The score is suffused with a distanced grandeur and dread; my rework capitalizes on that and takes it to a more extreme and sustained place.  At times ominous, at other times achingly beautiful, but always dense and layered and full of endless cycling sounds.
As said, this set is epic; I haven't created something this substantial in a long while, and I am very proud of the results.  The rework is composed of thirteen discs comprising the reworked score, three discs of long-form ambient/drone pieces constructed from various elements of the score, three discs of HNW pieces crafted from elements of the score, a single disc featuring a lengthy improvised synthesizer composition by me inspired by the film, and two DVD-Rs: one containing an HNW "Totality" reworking of the film's audio track, the other a "Ghost Ambient" version of the same.  Each disc is packaged in its own DVD case with its own artwork, utilizing images and ephemera from the film.  It's a thing of beauty when you see it all layed out together!
Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $200 ppd. in the United States, $213 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "INCEPTION: A REINTERPRETATION" 24CDR + DVD-R SET (AOW 307)

My long in the works reinterpretation of Hans Zimmer's devastating (and seriously heavy) score for Christopher Nolan's equally devastating metaphysical masterpiece Inception, a deep exploration into the philosophical and violent undercurrents of the film.  This score just leveled me when i saw the film in the theater years ago; it was gargantuan, engulfing, droning, and forebodingly intense.  In working with the score, I've sought to retain the density and bombast without sacrificing the emotional core of Zimmer's compositions; the result is an incredible, towering set of glacial, frigid, detached drone and some seriously thick, vomiting HNW sludge.  The rework is split into twelve discs of drone and twelve discs of HNW, with an HNW "Totality" recording of the entire film's audio track on DVD-R.  I'm very proud of the work here.
Packaged in twelve double disc DVD cases and one single disc DVD case (the "Totality" recording), each with their own artwork utilizing some of my favorite images and ephemera from the film.  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $175 ppd. in the United States, $183 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "FRIGHT NIGHT: A REINTERPRETATION, VOLUME TWO" 12CDR (AOW 306B)

Volume Two of my massive rework of the score/soundtrack to the 1985 campy vampire gorefest Fright Night, this time a cold and creepingly melodic set of long-form death ambient and drone pieces.  The twelve compositions here run from between 20 to 74 minutes in length, exploring the film's more subtle horror flourishes and gestures; again the pieces all deal in subtly different tonalities and approaches.  Some seriously deep and ominous drone. 
Packaged in an oversize DVD case, with a very minimal/"old school" layout (similar to my recent "Blade Runner" and "Hellraiser" sets.)  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $65 ppd. in the United States, $78 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "FRIGHT NIGHT: A REINTERPRETATION, VOLUME ONE" 12CDR (AOW 306A)

Volume One of my massive rework of the score/soundtrack to the 1985 campy vampire gorefest Fright Night, an exhaustive but focused HNW assault.  The work here is composed of twelve pieces ranging in length from 10 to 40 minutes, dealing in a variety of textures and tonalities.  This one was very fun to make, and I think the results are pretty intense. 
Packaged in an oversize DVD case, with a very minimal/"old school" layout (similar to my recent "Blade Runner" and "Hellraiser" sets.)  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $65 ppd. in the United States, $78 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "HALLOWEEN: THE EXPANDED EDITION" 9CDR SET (AOW 54)

A massively expanded reissue of one of my most-request titles, "Halloween: A Reinterpretation."  Originally released in February of 2013, this one disappeared pretty quickly and was reviewed very favorably by Musique Machine.  This new version includes a wealth of extras; in addition to the original 3 CD ambient/drone album, the reissue contains an all-new 3 CD HNW rework of the original album, my 2014 release "Halloween: Revisited" (also long out of print) and two all-new long-form drone and HNW compositions.  I wanted to make this reissue special, and I feel this set achieves that goal.  Here's the original write-up:

"What I like best about John Carpenter's seminal Halloween is his masterful use of non-horror elements and atmospherics to create an aura of almost suffocating dread and impending violence.  The film is virtually unmatched in its ability to coax horror out of the daylight, the oblique and vague infinity of night absolutely trumped by the sheer and ghastly presence of massive stretches of empty space and the gnawing horror of a lone car slowly passing through the streets.  The true terror of Halloween for me lies not in the grisly murders Michael Myers perpetrates in Haddonfield but instead in the relentless stalking he subjects Laurie to in the opening half of the picture.  His obsessive and haunting pursuit almost defines Carpenter's film and imbues it with a sense of hopelessness and nihilism not oft found in American cinema since.
In my approach to the soundtrack I have foregone any display of violence or severity, attempting to hone in on Carpenter and Howarth's desolate evocations of senseless and bloody-minded obstinance.  These are the emptiest spaces of "Halloween," given leave to walk the night and weave themselves into the fabrics of their physical presences.  Dead eyes stare back, hollow and full of the yawning bleak."

Packaged in three separate triple-DVD cases, each with their own artwork.  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $65 ppd. in the United States, $78 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: A REINTERPRETATION" 4CDr + DVD-R (AOW 33)

A reissue of one of my long out of print (and earliest) soundtrack reworks, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, featuring an masterful synthesizer score by Wendy Carlos.  This has been one of my most-requested titles; this reissue features all new artwork and additional HNW "Totality" recording of the film's audio track (so even if you have the original pressing, this new version may be of interest to you.)  Here's the original write-up:

"My second exploration of the soundtrack works of Wendy Carlos focuses on her superlative score to Kubrick's Clockwork Orange.  Carlos' compositions for the film were rooted in aristocratic classical masterpieces but also displayed her trademark darkness and sense of sonic disassociation, resulting in a perfect amalgamation of the highbrow and the severely fucked-up that fit Kubrick's vision to a tee.  If anyone could make Beethoven sound violent and menacing, it was Wendy Carlos.
I've attempted to tap into that sense of foreboding and violence with my work here.  Again, while I in no way make the statement that these pieces hold a candle to Carlos' originals, I think collectively these compositions provide a pretty excellent overview of my aesthetic in this medium; from deep bass drones to crawling walls of sludge to all-out HNW fracturing, it's all here, in copious amounts.  If nothing else, "Clockwork Orange: A Reinterpretation" serves as an overview of my myriad solo projects and a truly exhaustive listening experience.  At their best, I think they conjure up the wavering reality suggested by the film and serve as a devoted tribute to one of electronic music's finest innovators.
On a personal note, this is a favorite amongst all my releases."

It's still a fave of mine.  My work doesn't sound like this anymore; this was an older methodology possessed of a certain joyful naivete.  Packaged in a DVD case and released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $35 ppd. in the United States, $48 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "THE SHINING: ANCILLARIES, VOL. XII" C94 (AOW 303)

PLEASE NOTE: This is currently being offered as a preorder to help offset the cost of manufacturing the tapes.  I expect the tapes to be in hand and shipping in 3-4 weeks.

A new installment in my ongoing "The Shining: Ancillaries" series, this time going way back to one of the most obvious objects associated with the film: its "original" soundtrack, released on vinyl before all the music clearances and legalities went through; the records were recalled very shortly after release and are incredibly rare.  Today, this LP goes for an insane amount of money and is bootlegged to death, but even the bootlegs are so scarce that I've never run across one in 20-some years of record hunting/collecting. 
This version of the soundtrack features eight tracks: some of Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind's synth wizardry, a bunch of Kubrick's beloved and dissonant atonal classical music, and a shmaltzy "lounge" type track.  I've taken these pieces and reworked them into severely deep gulfs of empty, droning death ambient, resulting in 94 minutes of sheer existential dread and encroaching horror.  This is one of the best installments in the "Ancillaries" series thus far; the drones are seriously DEEP and I highly recommend headphones for this one.  You'll feel like you've been here before.
Released as a C94 (mustard yellow tapes) with full colour outer and inner artwork, in a limited edition of 10 hand-numbered copies.  $10 ppd. in the United States, $23 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com