The Invisible Movie Soundtrack - PRESS

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from GetUnderground.com

4 (out of 5) Heads-up

One can’t help but wonder what sort of movie this would be the soundtrack to, and the only real possibility would be an ‘invisible’ one. No need for a predetermined set of moving images, for this healthy and eclectic 19 track sampler promise to conjure up a different scenario in the mind with each listen.
Penny Nation records has managed to effectively include everything from soul to jazz to electronica, r&b, hard rock, and beyond. The genius behind this project knows that the only format that such an eclectic mix would embody is a soundtrack format, therefore, though ironically since there is no accompanying movie, the title ‘Invisible Movie Soundtrack’ seems to be a perfect fit.
Just like the movie that is reality, in this movie of our imaginations, there’s room for funny, room for sad, room for happy, for exciting, definitely for the unexpected, and there’s even some sexy space in there for a spicy Latin love scene.  I’m not sure what the setting, characters, and the plotline will be for your Invisible Movie…what makes the final cut is entirely up to you.  But one thing’s for sure…it’ll have a happy ending.  
I’ll definitely be keeping an ear out for future releases from these guys. –Wasim Muklashy

Penny gladly replied, "Thanks, Wasim! We're always happy we can put love in your mind's eye..."

from TheBestFemaleMusicians

This is an eclectic collection of tunes, most featuring the vocal work of Lydia from Hyptonic. The songs range in style from retro-pop to electronica to hard rock to lounge jazz-pop, I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
The release's intention is bold and far reaching. It is meant to be the soundtrack to everyone's life. This is a CD I will definitely put into the rotation at my next party. It is bound to raise a question or two as to who the artist is.
Click the link below and give it a listen. Find out for yourself what the buzz is that is following this CD. –Dennis Halsey

Gooch quietly queried, "Hey, um, could I, maybe, like, tag along to one of your parties? I mean, if it's not, you know, just kind of, weird..."

Penny Nation delivers the goods on “The Invisible Movie Soundtrack” with its diverse and beautiful genre bending release. One can only imagine what type of movie would this be a soundtrack for. I can gather it’s about relationships amongst people, whether it be happy, sad, exciting, romantic. Each song expresses different emotions or moods by which these talented musicians show the music world you can be artistic while still having memorable music.
Not to take away from the musicianship, but the female vocals are by far the highlight of “The Invisible Movie Soundtrack”. I don’t have a favorite track, mostly due to the the way the tracks run into another. This is a CD that should be listened from beginning to end.
The packaging looks rather amateurish but once you look past that you’ll see that Penny Nation has covered all styles of music styles including everything from soul to jazz to electronica, r&b, hard rock, progressive rock and beyond. This is truly pure “progressive” bliss! Something to share with friends and family, especially those that don’t “get” the progressive rock genre.
~Ron [12//17/2003]

Alfred's frown dissipated slowly.

from Whisperin' and Hollerin'

From what I can gather, the mysterious PENNY NATION aren't actually a band as such, more a collective featuring a group of performers and producers from Minnesota utilising the vocal talents of one Lydia from Hyptonic.
All very obscure and enigmatic, but "The Invisible Movie Soundtrack" is an interesting project and one which - despite the title's obvious experimental intent - deserves to be taken on musical merit. Actually, as imaginary soundtracks go, this is probably the best this writer has stumbled across since Barry Adamson's equally evocative "Moss Side Story."
Mind you, I should point out straight off that there's little point squandering precious time over the content of the 'movie' itself. The colourful sleeve 'script' notes come on like a bizarre mutation of Tolkein and cryptic Fall lyrical out-takes (sample: "Supposing that the Omnicrunk had given way to the intense heat of the Nogoblin's breath, the visitor would surely have perished in an ashen grave" - unh??), but while they fire the imagination, I doubt you'll be able to draw any conclusions other than confusion, so just dive into the music.
It's evocative, scene-setting stuff, too. Kicking off with the treated Fender Rhodes and lonely piano interludes of "North Suck 3", we're taken on a rollercoaster of styles, most of which work well enough without visuals. Certainly there's some catchy retro-pop like "She Sings To Me", which pits Lydia's gorgeous vocal against Beach Boys harmonies, a great sunburst of a chorus and plunking "Harvest"-style banjo and other potential single culls such as "Disappear", the urgent, hypnotic rock of "Green Song #5" (sinister opening line: "Somebody stopped me from killing someone today")and the smooth, Eryka Badu-ish soul of "Darwin" all present and correct.
But "The Invisible Movie Soundtrack" is equally successful when it pulls off the mainstream Hollywood highway and heads down the pot-holed byways. Hence tracks like the hectic, car-chase funk of "Jim's Truck", with the Curtis Mayfield wah-wah interludes; "Down Town", which marries "Shaft"-style clavinets with the nervy, fractured funk David Byrne showcased on "The Catherine Wheel" OST, or the strung-out but attractive lounge-core of "EZ Girl."
Perhaps inevitably, the main criticism your reviewer would fling at this project is that the stylistic island hopping can seem like purely style over content at times, and while some of the ambient experiments such as "Mr.Rogers" or "Gan" are all very well, without a visual counterpart they are rather redundant and other tracks like the flamenco track "Pramahna" are well constructed but a bit "Look, Mummy, I can do THIS as well," ensuring we admire rather than connect emotionally with what they're doing.
Nevertheless, with "The Invisible Movie Soundtrack", Penny Nation have created something intriguing and pregnant with possibility, even if the eclecticism threatens to usurp it at times. It'll certainly appeal to fans (like me) of cult soundtrack composers like Roy Budd, Lalo Schifrin and Richard Rodney Bennett and you won't have to worry about it dying an ugly death at the box office either. –Tim Peacock

Iffy-Effy matter-of-factly murmered,

"Conincedentally, I consider myself to be both strung-out and attractive..."

from CollectedSounds.com
A Guide to Women in Music

from Deanna's Reviews

Once you get past the off-putting amateur cover of The Invisible Movie Soundtrack (with graphics that remind me of GCSE Science revision guides), this CD is well worth listening to. One big collaboration between diverse producers and performers, the tracks on this CD range from Latin world music to lounge electronica. Although so many different genres have been packed onto Penny Nation’s soundtrack, there seems to be a natural flow from one song to the next.            Amongst the varying performers, Lydia from Hyptonic features heavily on most of the tracks. Swinging from lazy, sleazy-sounding lounge pop to more soulful and evocative vocal lines, this singer shows her flexibility of style and ability throughout the soundtrack. The tracks on this CD are all fairly short, providing an all round vista of the work produced by Penny Nation. Their second track, She Sings To Me, has a Beatle-like quality about it, with its hazy vocals and sixties’ simplicity. The next track, Mr Rogers, however, has a style similar to Squarepusher in one of his more relaxed moods. Each track is a snippet of a different person’s idea. My favourite track, though, which I feel would do best as a single, is Darwin. This song starts with a smooth, chilled lounge verse, then breaks into an ambient Goldie-style drum and bass chorus. Great stuff, good lyrics too: ‘…and the fruit tastes like it was purified…’ quite dreamy.Without warning, the listener is then pushed into the next track: a chaotic funk interlude… just in case things were becoming slightly predictable. Obviously there are the tracks that are more fillers than thrillers (to coin a phrase), but overall, the quality is continuous throughout. The only thing I feel is unnecessary is having several instrumental versions of previous tracks shoved on the end of the CD after the hidden track. Although I am not a fan of the idea of hidden tracks, Nice Day (Keep Wakin’ Up) is worth hearing. I doubt that many listeners will bother to hang around for tracks they’ve already heard minus the vocals, however. If one of these songs featured a beautiful solo piano, or something of pure instrumental value, then it would be worthwhile. Apart from the above suggestion, I found this CD interesting and fun to listen to. It certainly isn’t boring. Whilst being a compilation that serves well as an ambient background soundtrack, it is also worthy of contemplation on a quiet afternoon. I say give it a listen. –Elena Ruggeri

"Our art is anything BUT amateur," slyly quoth Smily.

from Leonard's Lair

Psychedelic soul is the name of the game on 'The Invisible Movie Soundtrack'. This is a collection that draws on the roster on the Penny Nation label and it's a fine diverse sample which makes a mockery of accusations that today's soul music is dull and self-satisfied. 'Darwin' and 'Damn Allright' add trip-hop beats to star performer Lydia's vocals. 'EZ Girl' exudes a lovely, langurous charm and 'Disappear' boasts an uplifting singalong chorus to contrast with the earlier moodiness. In between the actual songs are psychedelic wig-outs which detract from the overall quality of the album; not adding the atmosphere required but merely interrupting the flow. At least as the album develops the instrumental pieces do improve with 'Gan' a nice bliss-out moment and the vocal-less versions of songs featured earlier in the album actually stand up in their own right. With a touch of Samba thrown in for good measure this is a pleasingly diverse selection of music which disorientates and relaxes in equal measure.

The Shroombeet pensively pondered, "What is psychedelic?"

from AOR Web Site

Das Bright Eyes Germany hat sich von Anfang an die Maßgabe erteilt, jede CD zu besprechen, die uns zugesendet wird. Ganz überwiegend trudelt dann auch Zeug ein, dem wir als jahrelange Fans und Journalisten irgendetwas abgewinnen können – im Extremfall gibt es halt eine fundierte 0 Augen Bewertung. Ich selbst stehe jetzt nach vielen hundert Kritiken vor einem Rätsel mit dieser Scheibe. Ich habe keine Ahnung, ob die Band hinter dieser Veröffentlichung tatsächlich BLUMPKIN NATION heißt oder ob das nur eine Firma oder ein Konzept ist. Vielleicht gibt es auch einen Film, dessen Soundtrack dies hier darstellt? Auch ausführliche Recherchen im Netz (www.pennynation.com, www.blumpkinnation.com) haben mich nicht weiter gebracht. Jedenfalls wird auf diesem Tonträger Musik geboten, die einem Rockfan nichts geben wird. Irgendwo im Klangsumpf zwischen Funk, Soul, Folklore, Black Music und alternativen Kollagen wurde hier herumgestampft, was für das mit E-Gitarren-Klängen verwöhnte Gehör fast schon eine Qual bedeutet. Mehr kann und will ich dazu nicht schreiben (warum hast du denn die Scheibe nicht an Kollege Sostak weiter gegeben? Der hätte gewusst, was er dazu schreiben soll….. – O.V.). Bernd Joachim

Klookstein replied, "Jah vol!"

from Smother.net

After finding a player that would actually read the disc (I had to resort to my CD-RW drive), I stumble across an album that in essence tries to sound like a weird soundtrack to some very odd movie. And like many soundtracks it has no overall vision and nothing that holds each track together. Instead it sounds like a compilation because certainly one wouldn’t sit down and try to put all these different sounds together and try to say that it’s one band’s album. Right? Because even as their press sheet attests it ranges from electronica to R&B to trip-hop to world to ambient to even lounge. Maybe this would be better suited as an actual soundtrack instead of a CD. And what’s up with the latest trend of putting Flash on CDs? That got old when people were doing it in the early 90’s. Flash should be relegated to a website only. Let the CD booklet and your website take care of whatever else you had to say in Flash. –J-Sin

Mr. F. Leroy Rochester vehemently retorted, "So I ask you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is a movie a pre-requisite to a soundtrack? That is, do you need something called a movie, not developed until the 20th century, in order to create what we call a soundtrack? What was opera? Was opera not the 'sound track' of that era? Which came first, the concept of programmatic music used to narrate a scene, or the technical equipment to create these so-called 'movies' that somehow pass for entertainment in today's world? Your honor, I motion for an appeal."

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