Back in 2003, when I was still a dj & crate-digger, I was fortunate enough to come across a CD copy of 'The Wicker Man' soundtrack, as re-released by Trunk Records. As I recall I found it at theSalvation Army at N7th & Bedford, when I was living in Williasmburg, Brooklyn. I'd heard about the movie for years, hadn't seen it, but had seen the posters and graphics frequently. I didn't know anything about Trunk Records, they have a logo that's oddly modern and retro in a Swiss International style. The bold lines and simple italicized text contrasted with the CD art drawn from the film, text on the sleeve was minimal. To my ears, the music was fresh. I'd heard British traditional folk in passing, but never had it to really absorb.Let's see, in 2003, the neighborhood was awash in 80's (when is NYC not?) and electroclash. The soundtrack is a classic, and really enjoyable, although it echoes the eerie occult quality of the film throughout. The soundtrack was performed by a band called Magnet, which was apparently a sort of folk supergroup, made up of musicians from the contemporary folk scene at the time. But this post isn't just about appreciation of a logo, but of independent labels like Trunk, cult films, and re-discovering music from another decade. Frankly, at the time, I thought Trunk was started in the 70's. But as it turns out, the label started in 1995 (wiki: trunk, at a time when small labels were thriving. Similar labels like Crippled Dick (who re-released the epic OST for 'Vampiros Lesbos') were all pressing obscure material to release for dj's and eclectic music lovers alike. Additionally, the record jacket designs from Trunk are equally retro, graphic, and show a good eye for type. Trunk, in design and concept, has gone on to influence the more contemporary label Ghostbox, whose releases are all worth checking out.

Check out 'Willow's Song', NSFW due to pagan-hippy nudity, the song is beautiful though.

 dl