Zarko

2009 - Korai Öröm (2009)


GENRES – Rock, Folk

Tracks
Új Arab – 7:38
Tizenkettő negyed – 5:16
Kínai – 7:28
Úszós – 11:17
Mbira – 1:57
A Paraszt visszavág – 5:37
Szubarú – 0:59
Latin – 5:07
Akusztikus – 3:27

Been pretty sick recently so this will be a pretty meh review… I’ve had a small break, purely because I felt like it (with nothing of interest to review) until I came upon this little Hungarian number. By the description given, it was easy to interpret that it would be interesting at least… I had no idea whether good or bad, but interesting none the less. The LastFM biography describes their style as:

Style/Genre (as per the media): ambient, urban folk, earth psychedelics, action-music, the folk music of non-existing folks.
Style/Genre (as per the band): world music, ethno-metal-trance

After giving it a spin, I found it to be a supremely interesting blend of psychedelic rock with a whole lot of random folkish percussion, though not like anything I had really experienced on such a level before. The music ranges from heavy-ish space psychedelic to down to earth dark wave-ish moments, initially reminding me heavily of Dead Can Dance in Uj Arab, the opening song. I think it’s fair to say its nothing like anything you’ve experienced before. Also of interest is that their concerts are normally in obscure places, such as around swimming pools.

Új Arab kicks the album off with an assortment of percussion instruments creating a weird and wonderful world, with the main focus on a female vocalist singing in an indecipherable language (To most English speakers I presume). A guitar accompanies, following an electric-ethno beat, reminding me of the previously mentioned DCD. The guitar and drumming picks up to firm the song in a world/folk rock tune. The assortment of sounds and instrumentation used is what really gives the songs a kick, rather than sounding like generic folk/psych rock. Although the rock aspects aren’t particularly stunning, it’s the final product and production that makes it different, and as the song progresses, the psyched out sounds and stylings are evolved to another level.

Tizenkettő negyed goes straight for the rock factor, introduced with a slow picking riff before others join the party. For the most part, early in the song the only ‘weirdness’ is through a springish sound, almost as if it comes from a sanza of some sort. It is another fairly basic beat, but it’s solid nonetheless. Also, in both songs so far there has been a strong electronic influence later in the tracks, wether it is from a keyboard/electric organ or synth. It simply adds another level of interest in my opinion.

Kínai follows a spacey beat from the get go, more ambient and sparse than the previous tracks. It is a nice chilled tune that does change styles a bit, breaking out from ambience to harder riffs that dominate the soundscape, before moving into a proggier funky foundation. At near 12 minutes in length, Úszós is the longest track on the album, opening with some fantastic vocals before tripping out for 9 minutes. Mbira follows it up at only 2 minutes (Though not the shortest track on the album surprisingly), a lofi almost children’s tune, light xylophone work with flutes, behind a feather light veil of cheap static. Paraszt is perhaps the weirdest of the lot. It begins with a pretty basic and funky tune with some odd ‘hooting’ from the group before some bizarre vocals kick in, almost poetry, interspliced with other vocals, before it becomes an almost dance-rock psychedelic track. I don’t really understand why they would put in the horse neighs, but whatever floats their boat.

Szubarú is the shortest track on the album, at only 59 seconds, primarily a vocal track. Latin adds a bit of flair to the proceedings, as you can expect it to given the name, carrying a more distinct latin beat. It’s probably my favourite track due to the combination of sounds and style without taking away too many oddities (The attempted flute playing is pretty funny). The album ends with Akusztikus, a reflective, acoustic song in the rain, a nice way to end the album.

This is no doubt an album that is worth a listen simply due to the oddities that can be found within. If I were to chuck it down in any genre it would pretty clearly be progressive rock/folk, but don’t let that detract you . Again, sorry for the short review, but its just one of those days… Something is better than nothing though ey?

TOTAL SCORE

6.8/10

- Latin
- Tizenkettő negyed
- A Paraszt visszavág

If anyone likes anything enough for a link from the last compilation, just PM.

Schizotypic

Good review, man! Will definitely give this a listen sometime, as it looks mouthwateringly interesting.

Zarko

Thanks man... The 6.8 may seem a bot low compared to some other scores I have given, but this is purely worth a check out for rock fans for other reasons. If you need an upload, just ask

Bulldog

Sounds like that album'll make for an interesting take on, well, music. Gotta say, I love that whole kinda steel-sounding percussive effect on that Latin track. The third vid down is quite something too - groovalicious and musically challenging at once. Unusual.

Another top review. I've found myself a link, so I'll be putting it to good use. Oh, and get well soon eh.

jackhammer

I would be very interested in your views on this instrumental album:

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Zarko

Got a link?

Funnily enough, I always see this bands album around the place, and end up ridiculously close to DLing an album, only to stop at the last second.

Zarko

Program Music I – Kashiwa Daisuke (2007) (Re-review)


GENRES – Electronic, Contemporary Classical, Post Rock

Tracks
Stella – 35:56
Write One, Run Melos – 25:59

With the recent deletion of ‘My Favourite Things’ (My journal with former member 4ZZZ), I decided to go over some of the albums I previously reviewed for those poor saps who happened to miss them. This lead to the creation of ‘Passage In Time’, my soon to be started Dead Can Dance discography review. The other album of note from the old journal is Kashiwa Daisuke’s extravagant ‘Program Music I’, which is an album anyone should check out. With only 2 tracks, it breaks the hour in total length, an amazing electronic/contemporary classical based album, which explores some dizzying heights, and is one of the pieces in which I personally can attain bliss. The best band/person to compare would be the previously reviewed ‘World’s End Girlfriend’. I hate the term, but this really is the ultimate in ‘post rock’ music, even if it is heavier on the electronics and classical elements.

Stella is a 36 minute spectacular roller coaster ride that follows the conventional sense of song structure, but hides it extremely well. Just like any good rollercoaster, it starts in a lull, giving only the occasional hint of greater things to come, as small samples and levels of distortion/feedback are spliced to break the minimal piano solo. The nature of the build up almost suggests that one can lull in concentration, but each sound and beat is so precise that, although it feels like 5 minutes have passed, only 1 or 2 have.

The introduction of basic acoustic guitar strings being plucked and looped initiate the more post rock elements and all the way through, every sight and sound delights the senses. A basic drum beat is introduced to pick up the proceedings, and the works really steps into its own. Believe it or not, we are only 5 minutes into the song. Whether it is the strings singing in ecstasy, the obscure guitar riff or intensely strange and beautiful electronic samples and sounds, nothing is left plain or without detail. At times it is hard to define it as a post rock, or classical or electronic song, but in the end it doesn’t really matter one iota.

A short lull in the action is none less interesting, and is used as a launching point for some interesting percussion before it takes off once again. All of the small bits and pieces are in disarray, yet work in perfect unison for the final product, which is a very important factor of experimental music – How well the individuals who would have nothing to do with each other, work together for the final product. Every time and individual seemingly gets ‘too out of hand’; it is dragged back to the pack. Around the 13 minute mark, the piece enters a more ‘dramatic’ phase, with a more intense rocky beat, the increased beat of all the instruments, as well as some fantastic sampling of vocals and whatnot and chopping/mixing of electronic sounds, make it another totally different experience in itself, and just like a perfect classical piece, it explores various ideas.

The song enters a morose and sombre stillness that actually instils sadness; deep vibrating bass lines drive the section with assistance of water falling into pools of liquid, the flutes and strings coming into their own. A choir explodes from the darkness to plant hope into the listener, and the growth up to this point really is amazing, with the cutting and mixing perfect in its overall minimalist usage. The beat is obscured for a short time with heavy electronic fuzz, and the illusion is a real treat to behold, before it comes roaring back into full lucidity, before dying again behind another outburst of pink noise. From the after fall comes the heart of confrontation, the ‘peak’ of the song, attacking with vigour and force, the haunting ‘march’ reverberating in the eardrums, growing in volume as the antagonist comes ever closer. The fast paced aftermath is glorious in its entirety, sounding like it was made for the world, but a single person at the same time.

Write One, Run Melos has big shoes to fill, but rather than attempt to do so, it tries out the pair of sandals across the room. Whilst Stella was conventional in every sense of the word structure wise, WORM is an eclectic jumble. It runs at almost 26 minutes, so there is no short span of time to fit everything in, it does what it aims to do at its own leisure. The song is introduced with classical sounds being broken down and reconstructed with Daisuke’s electronic brilliance. He drives the sounds and sensations harder down your throat, and when something else attempts to intervene, he sets out to **** them up as well. Glitch/feedback/distortion is used at liberty along with the avant-garde composition to create something that, whilst following Stella sound wise, chucks everything on its head. This makes it difficult to describe in a review, but I can’t exactly try to fit it ‘neatly’ in the back of the cupboard. This is as much an experience as Stella, and whilst it doesn’t hit the same chord with me, it is still a stellar outing. It follows a more rocking groove at times, and in a split second it can be stripped back to a classical base, before being glitched out into electronic heaven.

Well, that was certainly longer than I had planned it to be. I guess no more needs to be said, other than it is a great experience listening to the album in its entirety. It was mainly for the people who didn’t see the last journal, but it needs a refresher. I myself only just played it again recently to re-realise how great of an album it is.

9.4/10

– Stella (Only 1:40 worth )
– WORM (Only 6 or so mins worth)

Anteater

Just got Program Music I today and even after only two spins I think its pretty ****ing amazing, especially since most post-rock bores me to near-tears.

Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention Zarks, and keep up the reviews!

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Zarko

Same here, I generally ignore anything tagged with post rock unless its been a special recommendation by others (And even then I will still be skeptical).

As I think I mentioned, as soon as I chucked it on it still felt fresh and amazing. Totally great album.

Bulldog

Fresh and amazing post-rock going for 9.4/10 eh? Might just have to give this one a shot myself too.

I second the keep up the reviews notion