• Music

    Vedan Kolod – Gorodische

    Vedan Kolod are a troupe based in Moscow, Russia, who do sterling work interpreting medieval Russian folkloric music, especially Siberian tunes, with a modern twist.  The label, CPL, is run by my friend and colleague, Christian Pliefke, whose taste in artists is impeccable, and every release he’s curated for his imprint has been solid listening. From the promo onesheet:   With their release, Gorodische, Russian folk ensemble Vedan Kolod strive to make traditional folk songs from very different parts of their country accessible to a wider public. The vast majority of the songs are going back several centuries and have…

  • Music

    Various Artists – Dust-To-Digital Records: Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music

    This is a magnificent compilation of archival material. Dust-To-Digital has made a business out of release gorgeous archival recordings. Take for example the incredible collection called Music of Morocco, compiled by Paul Bowles. This collection will equal it. Music from South Africa, Japan, Algeria, Serbia, Colombia and all points in-between are covered, and with 100 tracks, you’ll be busy for a while. From Dust-To-Digital’s Bandcamp site: This collection highlights music that is often invisible in today’s world — the incredible world of global recordings that aren’t jazz, blues, country, rock ‘n roll, R&B, or “classical.” “Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History…

  • Music

    Erkin Sadykov & Abdugheni Abdurusul – Secret of the world. Archival recordings of Uyghur music from Kyrgyzstan

    There is little information available on Uyghur musicians Erkin Sadykov (vocal, dutar) and Abdugheni Abdurusul (tambur), but the quality of these recordings show a warm, sensitive interpretation of music we’re watching disintegrate before our eyes.  Thankfully, Kyrgyzstan allows their Uyghur minority to live and protect their traditions in peace.