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10/05/2019

Miami Vice – Lew, Czarownica i Nowa Huta (2005)




  • Alternative rock 
  • Progressive rock
  • Psych-rock 
  • Art rock 
  • Humour 
  • DIY 
  • Lo-fi 
  • Sovietwave

Comment: by speaking about Iron Curtain-area combos either from the USSR or in Eastern Europe countries they really cannot be understood in terms of Western music and terms. Firstly, all the ideological stuff was managed by the Communist Party and intelligence services, by banning stubborn ensembles and also bringing artificially forth ones to influence the respective musical scenes and peoples` mind in general. Secondly, most countries were Slavic countries and there had been a remarkable inclination toward ethnic related stuff (partly aesthetically and partly politically) and with different temper. Thirdly, even if there had been a bit simplistic understanding of those combos as naive and out of date, however, one can find out lots of great combos from the area. If to mention just some of them, Arsenal, Keldriline Heli/Väntorel, Yuri Morozov, Zodiac, Kino, Suuk, Collage, Teisutis Macasinas, Argo, Czeslaw Niemen, In Spe, Exodus, Zvuki Mu, Władysław Komendarek, Akvarium, Nochnoi Prospekt, Kaseke and punk and indie scenes coming to the surface during the 80s (Propeller, J.M.K.E., Röövel Ööbik, Jim Arrow And The Anachrones, Vennaskond). Of course, the situation was tragic and humorous at the same time given that there were periods when using electricity in guitars and keyboards was forbidden and musicians were arrested or heavily beaten even on the streets (frequently by crooks who in turn were blackmailed by intelligence services). The positive thing in the middle of this chronic lacking in things and diversity of food was people's often incredible DIY ability just because of necessity (not because of ethical stance). Instead of equality Communist (party) leaders lived like Olympic Gods even if they called you a "comrade". The mainstream was predominant with Estrada music (in the USSR) where the only criterion to get attention was to sing mediocre ditties devoid of catchy harmonies and melodies in a shrieking manner. The more high chords you were able to reach the more attention you got nonetheless your vocal cords became finally damaged. On the other side, there were some great composers for film music soundtracks like Eduard Artemyev, Aleksandr Zatsepin, and Sven Grünberg. A Polish group called Miami Vice comes out of from a later era after Eastern bloc was collapsed. However, there is up artsy kind of music, there is up humor in words and compositions. It is from feedback-trodden hard rock outbursts to synthesised orchestrations, from primitive electronic threads to sleazy balladry. All of that seems to be done with a tongue-in-cheek attitude, it is mostly provoking by mocking decent pop song structures and employing the cacophonous elements of noise and guitar (mis)treatment and presenting unstable mental conditions through frantic singing-shouting-chanting. That's honest. However, the aforementioned temper and touch (and music coming out today from the Eastern Europe countries and being influenced by the Communism-era heritage is called Sovietwave) are finely imbued in these 14 tracks. One of the songs has been managed by using the liturgical speech of Eastern Orthodox Church. The outing is a bit in the discography of Far From Showbiz. Let's call it mock rock.