CD/MOVIE REVIEW: A Perfect Place – Mike Patton – Ipecac Recordings

Ipecac 100 – A Perfect Place 

Is it really almost a decade since Ipecac appeared, and have they really reached their hundredth release? Yes is the answer. In fact, they’re actually up to IPC108. A hundred and eight albums since I got my grubby mitts on IPC 01 the first Fantomas album. And to celebrate this landmark release, they have taken their first steps into the world of film. This is a double disc package for under a tenner, with one disc being the movie and the other disc being the Patton produced soundtrack, so I figured it would be appropriate to review them separately.

The Movie

This is a short film which is long for a short, coming in at just over twenty minutes. It is a black and white noir thriller…of sorts but I don’t want to review it in too much depth because it will spoil the surprise. The two protagonists Mark Boone Jr and Bill Moseley are both indie flick favourites, having cropped up in various supporting roles over the years and they give the film a suitably ambiguous feel. There are a few nice set-piece vignettes that are dotted throughout, which change the tone of the picture subtly from its initial aspect to the denouement. All in all it may not be the most remarkable short film you’ll ever see, and it may owe a considerable debt to David Lynch / Jim Jarmusch, but it is certainly enjoyable and will stand up to repeated viewing well being a stylish and promising inaugural effort for Fantoma films.

The Soundtrack

This is an excursion into Mike Patton’s “noir soundtrack / exotica” persona that have surfaced in the records he has made since Ipecac was conceived. Taking elements of “General Patton”, “Patton / Kaada” and the more exotic / jazz leanings of Mr. Bungle he has created a distinctive soundtrack that benefits the film considerably. Whistling, bongos, brass and Theremin all take parts in recreating the central overture which features in almost all of the tracks. It is a disciplined release for Patton, only occasionally freaking out on tracks such as in “Car Radio AM/FM” although he does indulge himself in spectacular fashion on the disturbed faux gramophone jazz of “A Dream of Roses” (my favourite track). The soundtrack is basically incidental in the film, to be honest, but it does work well as a stand alone album and it also lets Mr. Patton vent his “I want to be an Italian opera pimp” leanings while giving me the opportunity to put just a few more coins his and Ipecac’s way.    

DaddyTank

Title:  Mike Patton – ‘A Perfect Place’

Label: Ipecac Records/Southern (Europe)

Released: Available Now

Format: CD/DVD (inclusive)