HAACK King of Techno-Movie Review |
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HAACK: The King of TechnoDir. Philip Anagnos If you don't care in the least about the history of electronic music, it doesnt matter, because Philip Anagnos' documentary about composer Bruce Haack is so good you'll shit your pants. Im not kidding. Using animation and every technical/visual trick he could dream up to compliment the bizarre sounds of Haack's music, Anagnos creates a perfect match of mediums. The film kicks off with Haacks seminal appearance on Mr. Roger's Neighbourhood with longtime collaborator Esther Nelson (Haack and his roster of strange machinery were so far out they made Mr. Rogers seem normal), and follows him through the creation of Dimension 5 Records and the myriad commercial disappointments that plagued him until his death. Specializing in records for children, his music was thematically cosmic and unconstrained -- like Joe Meek's I Hear A New World times ten! With album titles like The Way out Record For Children, Electric Lucifer, Captain Entropy and the nihilistic Haackula, it's kind of surprising that Bruce was even allowed near children. Still, one can only wish they had a mentor like Bruce Haack, a dude so cool his swan song was a rap duo with Russell Simmons. Kier-La Janisse, Rock n' Roller |