Scott has seeming hit near-Haydnesque levels of prolificacy with the news of a new release scarcely a year after The Drift. Entitled And Who Shall Go To The Ball? And What Shall Go To The Ball? this 25-minute, 4-track CD comprises instrumental music written for a contemporary dance piece at the South Bank in London. Apparently housed in 'deluxe packaging, this will be a limited-edition release.
Link to news announcement on www.nme.com.
Link to album page at 4AD.

My slight cynicism over this release turned out to be misplaced. According to HMV's website this exclusive release will feature different sleeve artwork, additional content in the form of an interview with Scott and the video for Jesse, and a 12-page booklet. Link to DVD at HMV.

HMV are currently offering (for pre-order) an 'HMV Exclusive' version of 30 Century Man. There are no details as to precisely how this version will differ from the standard release. Generally these exclusive releases amount to little more than an extra slipcase or slightly different packaging. More details will be made available when I have them. Link to HMV.

Stephen Kijak's film about Scott will be released on DVD on September 10th 2007. The release is available to 'pre-order' from Amazon. The trailer for the film is available there to view. Link to Amazon.

Tickets are now on sale for the world premieres of Scott Walker: 30 Century Man.
Link to page on LFF website.

The 4AD compilation, Plague Songs is now available from Play.com for £8.95 delivered.
Link to Plague Songs at Play.com.

The long awaited film by Stephen Kijak which chronicles the life and works of Scott Walker will receive its world premiere on Tuesday October 31st as part of the 50th London Film Festival. The screening will take place at 1800 at the National Film Theater (NFT1). A second screening will take place on Wednesday, November 1 at 2:15pm in NFT2.
For ticket details see http://www.lff.org.uk. For further information about the film itself see http://www.scottwalkerfilm.com/blog/.

A new song entitled 'Darkness' has been included on a new compilation from 4AD called 'Plague Songs. Full details are available from http://www.themargateexodus.org.uk/plagueSongs.htm.
Ten international singer-songwriters have each been commissioned by Artangel to write and record a song inspired by one of the ten biblical plagues. Following the original biblical order of the plagues, Plague Songs opens with Klashnekoff's menacing Blood, via King Creosote's bewitching Relate the Tale (Frogs) and Brian Eno and Robert Wyatt's insistent Flies, Laurie Anderson's mournful The Fifth Plague (Death of Livestock) and Imogen Heap's mesmeric Glittering Cloud (Locusts) to Scott Walker's evocation of Darkness and Rufus Wainwright's tragic Katonah (Death of The Firstborn).

1. Klashnekoff : Blood [Plague of Blood]
2. King Creosote : Relate The Tale [Plague of Frogs]
3. Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields) : The Meaning of Lice [Plague of Lice]
4. Brian Eno & Robert Wyatt : Flies [Plague of Flies]
5. Laurie Anderson : The Fifth Plague [Death of Livestock]
6. Cody ChesnuTT : Boils [Plague of Boils]
7. The Tiger Lillies : Hailstones [Plague of Hail]
8. Imogen Heap : Glittering Cloud [Plague of Locusts]
9. Scott Walker : Darkness [Plague of Darkness]
10. Rufus Wainwright : Katonah [Death of The Firstborn]

Exodus - Plague Songs is a CD produced by Artangel and 4AD and available in Margate on Exodus Day from Exodus HQ, the Library and the Outfitters Gallery on 30 September. Plague Songs is on general release from 2 October through selected music retailers, www.4ad.com and www.artangel.org.uk.