Choice Cuts from Philosophy of a Knife is the title of the album released by the Italian label Spikerot Records, containing the original soundtrack of the extreme film Philosophy of a Knife, directed in 2008 by Russian director Andrey Iskanov. Lasting more than 4 hours, this drama/horror traces, between reality and fiction, the atrocities carried out by Japanese unit 731 against the Chinese population during World War II.
Iskanov's fim is considered, to date, one of the most disturbing and extreme shocking movie ever realized thanks to the explicit realism of gory special effects mixed with terrible archival footage from WW2.
Buy Choice Cuts from Philosophy of a Knife on Spikerot Records
Thanks to Spikerot Records we have in our hands today the incredible soundtrack or rather a choice cuts which allows us to relive Iskanov's extreme-drama through its musical highlights, selected for a set of 17 tracks. Composed by the director himself, this OST was over time revised together with Ukrainian composer Alexander Shevchenko, who, with great experience in composing for film music, brought the work's original melodies back to darker, sicker and dissonant territories, in total harmony with Philosophy of a Knife.
This first vinyl edition of the soundtrack of Philosophy of a Knife is in fact a hodgepodge of musical genres that, hoisting themselves on purely industrial/noise scaffolds, invade the ear with distortions, obsessive rhythms, mournful dissonances thanks mainly to putrescent synth sounds, all under the common denominator of sadness, deprivation and pain, as in an antechamber of Hell from which the fate reserved for us is well imaginable.
Choice Cuts from Philosophy of a Knife can undoubtedly be called an all-around soundtrack, aided and abetted by the significant length of the film it goes to. Its musical bouquet does not end with the aforementioned genres but rather sinks into the fullest disparity of styles and homages. Impossible not to notice the nuances typical of 60s and 70s soundtracks as well as the typically Dark 80s origins of some tracks. This OST is also rich in soundscapes and thus gloomy atmospheres, sometimes accentuated by very sad pianos or female singing.
Those of Spikerot Records certainly did not let themselves be intimidated by the quality of the work and indeed gave it greater prominence thanks to this first double LP edition in gatefold hardback packaging cared for in every detail. The edition among other things also includes a CD containing a different tracklist namely that of the Bonus CD of the European release of Philosophy of a Knife.
The album graphics are extremely splatter and gore and will please fans of the extreme who will find depicted there torture and various atrocities from the film. There is also space for photos by Andrey Iskanov and Alexander Shevchenko with accompanying notes, exclusive to this mouthwatering edition.
Choice Cuts from Philosophy of a Knife is currently on sale at the official shop Spikerot Records, with or without a bundled T-Shirt, in a double, incredible edition in which the graphics imprinted on the vinyl records change:
- 400 Pieces Limited editon "Rising Sun Flag" (Solid White)
- 100 Pieces Ultralimited edition "Unit 731" (Milky Clear w/ Red Splatter)
Prices, starting at €29.99 depending on the edition and bundle, are entirely reasonable for the quality of the material offered and the meticulousness in the artwork by SoloMacello.
