• The Watchers
  • The Watchers
  • The Watchers

    Artist: The Watchers

    Title: N/A

    Label: Folklore Tapes | Cat. No: FTNST01 | Release Date: 2026-02-13
    Regular price £24.00
    Format:

    ! Very Limited !

    A new re-imagined score to the cult 1969 film The Watchers — a lesser-known gem directed by Richard Foster and shot on the moors above the West Yorkshire town of Todmorden.

    Featuring 8x Todmorden based artists:
    Dan B-Hill
    Julie 7:12
    Thorn Wych
    Mark S Williamson
    Radiophoric Labs
    Bridget Hayden
    Sam McLoughlin
    Edd Sanders

    Described by Kelly Loughlin as a “semi-rural folk horror,” The Watchers may feature the earliest depiction of an alien abduction in British cinema. Shot on 16mm black-and-white film by students of the Royal College of Art and running just 26 minutes, the film weaves together themes and stylistic elements that would later become hallmarks of British folk horror — as seen in works like Nigel Kneale’s Beasts (1976), David Rudkin’s Penda’s Fen (1974), Children of the Stones (1977) and Alan Garner’s Red Shift (1979).

    Yet, despite its thematic resonance and creative ambition, The Watchers remains a largely overlooked gem — standing shoulder to shoulder with these classics, but still waiting to be fully acknowledged.

    Comes with double sided square heavy stock insert, featuring abridged version of Kelly Loughlin's essay, original production still and 11x orignal stunning pencil illustrations by Vincent James, drawn from iconic scenes in the film.

    Folklore Tapes have created a trinity of artistic interpretations:

    -This reimagined soundtrack to The Watchers
    -A 70-page, full-colour A5 book (avaialble as a bundle with the LP)
    -An immersive live stage adaptation of The Watchers (taking place at Todmorden Hippodrome 30th and 31st January 2026)

    This project expands upon the film’s atmospheric legacy, drawing out its folkloric undertones and exploring the cultural and psychic landscape it inhabits.

    Comes with double sided square heavy stock insert, featuring abridged version of Kelly Loughlin's essay, original production still and 11x orignal stunning pencil illustrations by Vincent James, drawn from iconic scenes in the film.

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    Also available as a bundle to include a 70-page, full-colour A5 book exploring the world of The Watchers, released alongside the new score.

    This beautifully designed publication brings together newly unearthed materials, original research, interviews and artistic responses, offering the most comprehensive look at the film to date.

    Contents include:

    An extensive research essay by Kelly Loughlin

    Never-before-seen production stills from director Dick Foster’s personal archive

    Interviews with director Dick Foster, editor Maryln Gaunt and composer Donald Fraser.

    A rare reprint of a 1969 feature on the film from the Twelve Directions publication

    A series of 11x new illustrations by artist Vincent James, capturing significant still from the film.