I will forever praise Leo Feigin, the courageous figure who introduced me to new post-Soviet music. My first purchase from his renowned Leo Records was the album that introduced me to Sergey Kuryokhin, Russia’s most radical pianist and multi-instrumentalist. Kuryokhin impressed musicians traveling there and later collaborated with several Americans, Continue Reading
Russia
Various Artists – Meticulous Midgets 2026
Every year, our friends at Meticulous Midgets introduce us to great music highlighted in their magazine. Bands from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and other countries are highlighted, and the quality is as high as always!
Messer Chups – Visiting the Skeleton in the Closet
This is a release I owe to my brother, a connoisseur of fine garage rock, among a slew of other genres. Messer Chups come from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and have a sound the brings together garage rock, rockabilly and surf in a campy, lo-fi way.
Nikolay Smagliev & Dr.Jazz – Tailagan
I had some dear friends who were members of the Siberian jazz scene many years ago. Names like Roman Stolyar, Sergei Belichenko and others produced music equal-to or better than their contemporaries in Moscow and St. Petersburg for a while. Nikolay Smagliev & Dr.Jazz seem to be keeping in that Continue Reading
Nina Kraviz – Treats 001
From Nina Kraviz’s Bandcamp site: “treats is the younger, bratty sister label to trip, specialised in cool music for the dance floor that seems to ignore the idea of genres. To prove this point the first release brings together two tracks that have been roasted in Nina’s sets for months Continue Reading
Albert Kuvezin And Yat-Kha – Re-Covers
Albert Kuvezin’s legendary band Yat-Kha is one of the few in Russia that blends industrial rock and khöömei, the traditional throat-singing technique that has similarities to music in Mongolia proper and even Tibet in a modified form. In this album, the band covers 14 songs, including tracks originally performed by Joy Division, Led Continue Reading
Various Artists – TAL Music: Music from the Caucasus – The Archive of ORED Recordings, 2013–2023
As much as I try to absorb as many new releases and great reissues as possible, I’m only one man, and sometimes treasures slip through the cracks. I wish to thank Praveer Baijal, who, besides being a great and good guy, is also a man of exquisite musical taste, for pointing Continue Reading
Petyaev-Petyaev – Incomparable Greatness
Brothers Peter Petyaev (saxophone) and Pavel Petyaev (guitar) released a collaborative album near the end of January 2026. It is free in its improvisational greatness but subdued in energy. This is not a nuclear blast of energy but a gentle romp that sounds active enough to be interesting without making your eardrums burst. Continue Reading
Various Artists – Eternal Turns: intelkinetix²
From Eternal Turns’ Bandcamp site: “Eternal Turns presents the second compilation, ”intelkinetix²“ — a snapshot of the contemporary experimental scene. The release features exclusive works by the label’s residents and like-minded sound artists, united by a shared pursuit of new forms, technologies, and methods of working with sound. The compilation Continue Reading
Sababa 5 & Anton – Forgive – Прости
From Batov Records’ Bandcamp site: “Sababa 5 are back once again on our exclusive Middle Eastern Grooves series with another double-sided 7” titled ‘Forgive – Прости (Prosti)’: a funky release featuring the voice and lyrics of Anton Koliadko. ‘Forgive’ opens with a simple, vintage-sounding, syncopated hook led by the bass, Continue Reading