I recently discovered Mutant Radio, which seems to be the hippest radio station in my new hometown of Tbilisi. Although I’m not familiar with most of the bands they play, the genres vary from techno to experimental, and the beats are strong. It’s definitely worth a listen!
Georgia
Rare Soviet Oriental Jazz & Groove Mix Compiled and Mixed by Sasha Svistunov
Once upon a time, I had a decent working knowledge (at least for an American expat) of Soviet Jazz. It keeps popping back into my life, and I still find it a joy to listen to even 30 years down the road. Thanks to Shasha Svistunov for compiling some real Continue Reading
Trio Mandili – Psalm 50
There will be no reviews either today or tomorrow as Orthodox Christians observe Christmas Eve and the Nativity on what was always the Ecumenical Church Calendar until the devising of the modern Gregorian Calendar, so for those who hold to the Councils, today is December 24. We wish you a Continue Reading
Egari, Paata Chakaberia – In Qvevri Veritas. Original Soundtrack
Egari and Paata Chakaberia provide a stunningly good instrumental music from the Republic of Georgia serving originally as a soundtrack to a film about Georgian winemaking. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “This music was composed as the soundtrack for Leonid Parfyonov’s documentary In Qvevri Veritas. The film is dedicated to Continue Reading
Hadi Bastani and Maryam Sirvan – trans.placed
It’s wonderful to hear one of my favorite sound designers, Maryam Sirvan come up with new material. She is paired with fellow expatriate Hadi Bastani in this 20-minute mini-LP of electroacoustics and field recordings. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “Stretching from Berlin to Tbilisi, trans.placed starts with the simple act Continue Reading
Ani Zakareishvili – Fallin
Ani Zakareishvili has produced a work of genius – something that feels like it would have fit in the classic movie The Shining, with its surreal, hazy feel to it. From Warm Winters Ltd.’s Bandcamp site: “Tbilisi, Georgia-based artist Ani Zakareishvili joins the Warm Winters Ltd. roster with a hazy, Continue Reading
Mikael Tariverdiev – Visions in Black & White
Mikael Tariverdiev was a Russian cinema and TV composer of Armenian extraction but raised Tbilisi, Georgia, a true man of the Soviet world. Though he was quoted as not particularly liking jazz, he was as good an improviser that Russia ever produced. From the release’s Bandcamp page: “Visions in Black Continue Reading
Ialoni – 50 Georgian Song (50 ქართული სიმღერა)
Ialoni are a female traditional music ensemble hailing from Georgia, and they offer on this album, as the title implies, 50 tracks of absolutely stunning renditions of folk material. A keeper.
Koma Stark – Kelesho
Antonovka Records have had an astounding year releasing not only music from Russia’s hinterlands and Central Asia, but even from places like Georgia. This album documents music by Kurdish-speaking Yezidis, who suffered horribly over the past few years in places like Iraq and Syria. Koma Stark play traditional Yezidi folk Continue Reading
Maryam Sirvan – Feast On My Body
We have to wait eight more days to hear the complete work, but given the two tracks Maryam Sirvan has made available, this will be worth the wait. There were two artists which came to mind while listening to the tracks over and over – Tim Buckley at his most Continue Reading