Various Artists

THIS remarkable tribute to Germany's most famous - or, as her detractors would say, most infamous - film director on her one hundredth birthday, is a reminder of just how stunningly attractive she was in her prime. The photographic insert which accompanies this compilation shows Leni in all her youthful glory and innocence.

Indeed, in an era in which beauty and personal achievement became the watchwords of an entire nation (despite their consequent submergence in the collectivist hysteria of the Nazi State), Leni Riefenstahl excelled at both. One wonders what the genius behind such incredible films as 'The Blue Light', 'Triumph of the Will' and 'Olympiad' would make of this musical tribute. And this is not the first time that VAWS has devoted a whole album to their celluloid heroine, either, they did it in 1996 with the excellent 'Riefenstahl'. On this occasion, however, the Duisburg label has assembled ten instrumental tracks from a variety of artists.

The first of them, Belborn, are very close to my heart. Renowned for their family-oriented recordings which feature the assertive yells of their own offspring, this track - 'Unsterblichkeit' - finds Holger and Susanne in pensive mood. The haunting notes and minimalist drumbeats literally raise the hairs on the back of your neck, conjuring up images of volkisch lamentations, parting and sorrow. In the background a gurgling electronic broth resembles a babbling brook. A watery grave, perhaps, or - given the eternal soul of Buddhism to which 'Unsterblichkeit' refers - even the waters of indomitable life. The second track, 'Morriconiana', is performed by Stalingrad. This is a Kirlian Camera side-project and constitutes a tribute not to Leni Riefenstahl, but to Ennio Morricone; the musical wizard behind the fantastic series of spaghetti westerns like 'A Fistful of Dollars', 'For A Few Dollars More' and 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly'. The opening is dramatic and pounding, with the central hum resembling Lee Marvin's growling contribution to the song 'I Was Born Under a Wandering Star' from the famous musical 'Paint Your Wagon' (1969). Perhaps it was even sampled directly? Halfway through we are greeted with almost total silence and a rising drumroll, before the hum takes up again and Elena Fossi's harmonies weave in and out like wisps of incense on the breeze. This is undoutedly the best tune on the whole album and great for whistling in the shower if your bathroom acoustics are up to it.

Westwind are a little similar to early Puissance and their contribution, 'From The Highest Peeks [sic] To The Deepest Abyss' is a scathing crackle of severed cables, 'eighties pop-beats and shrill keyboards. Not the most original or inspiring of beginnings, but it soon gets into its stride and adopts a more forceful and militaristic tone. It ends with an electronic stutter which sounds like a giant fly dive-bombing a nuclear power station. I like it. The fourth piece, 'Geliebt, Verfolgt & Unvergessen', is presented by Kaias Wolfson and Thorhall Vargr. If John Denver ever decided to grace the hallowed hallways of neo-folk with his fine musical ability, this would be his opus. The acoustic guitar on this track is played beautifully, centre-stage among a sweeping Classical melody and choral accompaniment. This is followed by Von Thronstahl, the most well-known act on this compilation, whose 'Tiefland Sinfonie' resembles a hurricane rushing through 'The Phantom of the Opera'. This has a certain religiosity to it, fusing a medieval church organ with a mellow Lustmordian soundscape.

Sala's 'Ascending Olympia Men, Underwater' sounds like an exhibit at London's Natural History Museum, although its harmonica-induced melodies seem more suited to Westminster Abbey. The acceleratory mid-section is a danse macabre of tinkering ivory and bombastic drama. Not bad, but I'm not sure I could stand too much of it without my head exploding. The music of Harvest Rain, the brainchild of Jason Thompkins, is often similar to that of Strength Through Joy and Death In June. But it also has an original quality of its own and Jason has the ability to construct meaningful tapestries of sound which are full of deep esoteric sentiment. The guitaring on this instrumental, 'A Scattering of Hands (Olympiad)', reminds me slightly of the style used by R. N. Taylor. It's a complex folk-noir of plucking strings and ringing echoes. Very evocative and unusual. Meanwhile, 'Wonders Under Water (Cocos Island Impression)' by Les Jardins de Corail - obviously influenced by Riefenstahl's love of deep-sea diving - is a relaxing odyssey of piano and swirling electronics. The only thing missing, of course, is Jacques Cousteau and a few shoals of fish.

Now, if this tribute to Leni Riefenstahl leaves Europe's left-wing shock-troops in a state of incommunicable fury, at least 'White Woman In Black Africa (Nubian-Dance-Mix)' by Black Pulse Experience (featuring Prince Paul Diba) will have them scratching their heads for weeks to come. I'm sure the tribal drums are lifted straight from Hank Mizell's 'Jungle Rock'. A choking sound resembling a fatal blow to the windpipe is punctuated at intervals with Zulu chants and the word 'Africa'. And then everything dies away for a few seconds, before returning again amid increased chanting. It's certainly very amusing to see a pro-European album juxtaposed with an African contribution. Seriously, though, it is very good and I wouldn't mind BPE teaming up with Ryan Moore's Twilight Circus Dub Sound System and releasing a 12" version. The final track, 'Salute the Olympians' by Sons of Europe, brings the central theme back into context. This short mix is based on The Skids' album, 'Days In Europa' (1979), and you can hear vague snippets of 'Into The Valley' and other punk classics. An incredibly weak ending to a very fine album, but then I never did like The Skids much anyway.

June 2003