Tag: Avant-Folk

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Music

George Christian – Nothingness, ou​.​.​. O Vento

Our friend George Christian has produced an album that is an icy minimal masterpiece.  The pieces, especially Track 1, O Vento, is perfectly named.  I literally felt a chill hearing the tune, replete with faraway vocals and a windy atmosphere, befitting the song’s title. From his Bandcamp site:

“Thanks to my friend artist Iarly Patricio, I’ve had an epiphany of an album I could release having her charcoal carving picture as a cover. The cover art blends her picture of a face and an A.I. representation of a picture based upon the art of the painter William Turner. The music was recorded sporadically from February 2021 until January 2023. As a result of such individual research, this is a very percussive album, even when having noises, with drones and electric moments by the end. I aimed to make a blend between the new African desert blues with a percussive Brazilian guitar with it, as much as working on the exploration of different textures.”

For those of you who remember the band Dadamah out of New Zealand, you’ll find a familiar vein here. Stunning.

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Music Youtube

Razam / Iva Marešová – Harpyje U Pramene

On Friday night, my beloved friends, Helenka and Tomáš, suggested I go out to a club called Stará Pekárna, a club where Tomáš works.  The owner of this fine establishment is a heavy blues aficionado who happens to book very impressive bands.  Imagine my surprise when I walk into the club into a lovely sound:

The singer, Iva Marešová, had a wonderfully open voice, full of power and energy, and even though most in the club were sitting, you could see quite a large number of patrons fidgeting around wanting to dance.  I myself could feel my feet tapping around on their own.  Why?  It’s the sound they produce.  Here’s what I heard – Moravian folk music, elements of progressive rock, Balkan and Gypsy music, and the accordion work of Aliaksandr Yasinski, whose playing reminded me of Guy Klucevsek or the late Lars Hollmer of Samla Mammas Manna, so those of you who are into the more rollicking side of Rock-In-Opposition will find much to marvel at with his playing.

It was an astounding evening, as I was able to enjoy a magnificent concert, have drinks with Tomáš, make the acquaintance of Mikey and Miro, two good lads who ended up becoming fast friends, and seeing the beautiful local girls in a club that will become the place I will frequent most.

To buy this CD, I recommend purchasing it through Bontonland.  For more information on Razam, check out their home page and Instagram account.

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Music

Clara Engel – A New Skin

Clara Engel is based in Toronto, Canada.  Her work has been described as “Folk-Noir” or “minimalist holy blues,” and who am I to disagree?  This takes the best elements of neofolk, stripped-down to just voice, cigar box guitar, electric guitar, melodica and harmonica, and it sounds like a rare self-pressed release worth thousands one could find on eBay, but living up to the hype.

Clara’s voice is a perfect match for the ethereal music supporting it.  I have a feeling those who like the folkier elements of Current 93, Nick Drake, Shirley Collins and 70’s progressive folk are going to find this to be quite a treat.