Our friends at the ever-brilliant Russian record label, internet radio station and magazine Meticulous Midgets continue to work with interesting bands within the country and (now) internationally. Ясный — Svetly are a Moscow-based band which has a very forward-looking sound, yet the music they produce sound incredibly nostalgic, with wisps of Continue Reading
Russia
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
Ivan Grebenschikov – Photo of A Changing World
Our friends at Fancy Music are releasing consistently good music in the contemporary classical, jazz and progressive rock fields. Ivan Grebenschikov composes music which manages to combine all three genres effortlessly, and adds in free jazz, rock and Latin American music into a fine stew.
Valentina Goncharova – Ocean – Symphony for Electric Violin and other instruments in 10+ parts
Russian violinist Valentina Goncharova is having something of a renaissance these days. She had an album come out earlier in the year which were unpublished (you can find Volume 1 here and Volume 2 here). Now, we have a full album of recordings last heard on Leo Records many years Continue Reading
Sergey Kuryokhin (谢尔盖·古廖金) – Divine Madness (天赋的疯狂)
First, a disclaimer: I am posting this review with the understanding that Leo Records has licensed this astounding collection covering the career of the late enfant terrible of Russia’s then-thriving avant-garde music community, Sergey Kuryokhin, to Old Heaven Books Records in Shenzhen, China. If this is so, it’s wonderful to Continue Reading
417.3 – 47
417.3 appeared on my radar about 7-8 years ago when I was trying to explore more about Russian post-rock. They are a heavy instrumental band, but not overly “mathy” or anything like this. 47 is a one-track single with the sort of shimmering guitar playing that one would expect from Continue Reading
So Far As I Know – Breach
Composer and producer Sergei Guselnikov is based out of Russia, and he sent me one of his latest releases. As far as the music goes, the first two tracks are strong post-metal / post-rock, but what really intrigued. me was the last one, which was airy, atmospheric, and features the vocals of Continue Reading
Kosta T – крип
Kosta Trokai is a Russian violinist whose work I’ve followed for several years now. He has a massive catalog behind him and it straddles comfortably between classical music and free improvisation.
Vadim Neselovskyi – Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City
Odessa is a city that both Ukraine and Russia, as well as its many Jewish and even Tatar inhabitants, claim to be its own. Never mind the political hideousness of today, and let me present you with one of the most fascinating releases I’ve heard in contemporary classical and jazz Continue Reading
Vtoroy Etazh Porazhayet – Kraynosty
Vtoroy Etazh Porazhayet (2nd Floor is Striking) are a Moscow post-punk outfit, and it seems both Russia and Belarus are producing a lot of these days. They are released by the French record label Belka Records. Their sound will appeal strongly to those who are into the post-punk renaissance of Continue Reading