I have been a fan of Alexei Aigui’s ensemble work for at least 20 years now, going all the way back to his appearance on the excellent, though now defunct Russian label SoLyd (see the release here). He has become even more innovative, more progressive, and this latest album, Alcohol, Continue Reading
Russia
[Youtube] Sofia Gubaidulina – Sieben Worte for cello, bayan and strings
![[Youtube] Sofia Gubaidulina – Sieben Worte for cello, bayan and strings](https://musicyouneedtohear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/maxresdefault-1-768x432.jpg)
No reviews today, as I will be celebrating Easter weekend (for those who are confused, it is because most Eastern Orthodox celebrate Easter using the Julian Calendar) with my friends. To honor Good Friday, I offer to you Tatar-Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina’s magnum opus, Sieben Worte for cello, bayan and strings. Continue Reading
Khara (ХАРА) – Mandragora (Мандрагора)
Khara is an Old Slavonic word meaning “the smile of God.” Truly, God must have been smiling to allow such a weirdly joyful music to come together. Mandragora brings together a bardic style of rock & roll infused with traditional music from their native Khakassia, whose native inhabitants share a Continue Reading
Staritsa – Klyukva
It seems the one place in the world where the dreaded term “World Music” is doing well is Russia, though my friends at Xango Music Distribution do a stellar job of selling some amazing artifacts. This project, Staritsa, hail from Prokhorovka, near the dead center of the country. They, like Continue Reading
Metalhead From Zanzibaria – Tusk Of Well-Being
No, unfortunately, this is not from Zanzibar or Tanzania, but from Russia. Metalhead From Zanzibaria bring a cold, claustrophobic retro experimental sound to fore. Those of you who remember cassette-based artists like Cranioclast will find a lot of good memories with this music.
Der Finger – Le Cinque Stagioni
Russia has a pretty remarkable history with jazz. Even during the Soviet times, everything from Dixieland to hard bop was represented rather well, and free jazz is no exception. Der Finger are the trio of Anton Efimov (bass), Evgenia Sivkova (drums & saxophone) and Edward Sivkov (bass clarinet, saxophone and Continue Reading
ShooDja-ChoDja – Shooldyrak
Our beloved comrade in World Music, Christian Pliefke, releases another gem on his label CPL Music. This new release by the band ShooDja-ChoDja from comes from the region of Udmurtia, populated by people of Finno-Ugric stock, and having traditions far different from their fellow Russian citizens. The music is played on Continue Reading
Gleb Kolyadin – Gleb Kolyadin
Russian progressive rock band iamthemorning have been at the forefront of the symphonic rock scene for nearly a decade now, and a lot of the reason for the band’s success lies with their pianist, Gleb Kolyadin, whose composing style reminds me of a lot of bands from the 1970s with Continue Reading
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 Continue Reading
JARS (ДЖРС) – III
In parts sounding like the demos of an early Killing Joke album drifting almost into doom and death-metal territory, JARS (ДЖРС) are atypical for what people thing of as stoner rock. They are comfortable playing in different styles, and their raw sound actually benefits the music tremendously. Brutal music, but Continue Reading