Comment: the Russian AWOTT`s album Bolshoi does
mean literally “big”/”huge” in Russian. I am trying to figure out which sort of
references it could have more concretely. Firstly, Bolshoi is big by its
manners though its manners are not bombastic at all in the way it were provided
by Queen, and Meat Loaf, for instance. AWOTT`s pursuit is to undermine cultural
and musical conventions and therefore go to an other side. With regard to the
other side, which was primarily set out in the 60s and 70s by such juggernauts
as Miles Davis, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, and an array of krautrock
combos. From there come the main attributes of this enchanting 6-notch issue –
motorik repeating and spacey jamming and incessant formation of new audible
shapes as if having dwelling place inside the tube of a kaleidoscope. At times
the compositions sound as if being buzzed and heavily out of balance or those
minutiae are heavily exaggerated. That’s very cool. They take peripheral sonic
elements to cook something more tangible and enjoyable. Given that it could be
admitted Oblipy to be the most poppy song on the album though being far
away from conventional understanding of pop music. All of that is wrapped up in
a psychedelic curtain, which in turn is spiked with the smithereens of jazz,
electronic music, krautrock, subconscious irrationality and stoned logic. The
favourite of mine is Raman Abkhishek of which latter part chimes exactly
as a tribute to Damo Suzuki, and CAN`s Tago Mago. More profoundly,
neurotic singing of females with distinctive Japanese recitation, intensely
iterative rhythms and occult synths used to make sense. In one track the
members of the combo either abandon human being related headstalls or being
diagnosed with a lycanthropic disease to repeat in Russian with great joy they
are animals, you are an animal. Ultimately it could be said this is one of the
best issues I have heard in the year of 2016. You have to be warned – be ready
to get freaked out. Obviously it is a game over your head even experiencing it
after a couple of listening times.
