- 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those combos as naive and out of date, however, one can find out lots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.
