folk-rock, Russia

The band recorded their debut album «Idi, Beda» independently in 2003. Amongst the songs composed by the singer Vasilisa Vvedenskaya, the album contains a song with lyrics by Innokentiy Annensky, one Russian folk song and one Mongolian folk song in Mongolian. It’s remarkable the band is not afraid to be too close either to classics or to people, since all this together supports the album’s idea. The first album is introducing to listeners fairytale characters of Russian folklore and can be regarded as more «Russian» than the following band’s releases.

    track-list:

    1.     Áåðåçà

    2.     Ñêàçàíèå ïðî Êíÿçÿ

                                               3.     Ëåøèé

                                               4.     Ó ðîäíèêà

                                               5.     Old estonwomen

                                               7.     Ïåñíÿ ìîíãîëüñêîãî âîèíà

                                               8.     Âåäüìà

                                               9.     Plot

                                             10.    Èäè, áåäà

Va-Ta-Ga group -is a qualitative mix of the authentic folk and skomorokh’s songs and

ceremonies with modern musical culture. In creativity of the group it is possible to see

both world music, fusion, ambient, drum-n-base and even the bossa-nova. All is played

live by musicians and is very harmoniously combined with a theme of the Russian tradition

presented by the leader of the band Alexander Leonov in the form of ancient texts and

original instruments.

SKMR 028   OSIMIRA  "Proshcha"

SKMR 026  VILY   The Steppe Daughter

File under: folk-rock

VILY - the group executing folk-rock fusion, prompted and inspired by history and

mythology of Great steppe in all riches of its images - from Sarmatian maidens-amazons

to nomads Chingizhan and from varyag campaigns to slavic Barrows.

    musicans:

Vasilisa Vvedenckaya - vokal, alt

Lubava Kondakova - acoustic guitar, MIDI-guitar

Alex Karavaev - winds

Mihail Korovin - bass

Kirill Rossolimo - drum, percussion

Andrey Loma - Keyboard

 

     track-list:

1. The Steppe Daughter

2. At the Riverside

3. A Scythe

4. In the field of battle

5. The Falcon

6. The Steppe

7. To the Last Sea

8. The Herds

9. The Blue Raven

10. The Mongol Warrior Song

11. The Spring

SKMR 025  LESPROMHOZ GROOVE  the first perfoolmance    The evening in memory of Advancehard

File under: ethno-avangard; experimental fusion; world music

024  APRICOT TREE  , 2006

File under: ethno-world music-Armenian

SKMR 023  VOLGA  "RE MIX ED" , 2006

File under: ethno-electronica

 “Volga” is a fanciful blend of postindustrial electronics and archaic percussion coupled to the boundless and finely nuanced voice of Angela Manukian chanting old ritual songs of Russia in her melodic interpretation. If the former has some approximate analogies to Western experimental music, then on the whole the project does not quite fit into traditional categories of electronica/world music, Russian or Slavic folk, or pagan music. Rather all these elements are interwoven in the group’s work into a new music phenomena.

Similar to Peruvian magic songs Icaros, performed by folk healers at ceremonies to expand participants’ consciousness, “Volga’s” songs take listeners’ souls on a journey. To fly up beyond the ordinary into the world of mysteries and forest spirits, of whirl and cosmic resonance where a person opens up to new facets of his/her consciousness. As a result, the healing takes place for a Russian in a world quickly losing its self-identity, in his/her revitalizing connection with the magic of old Russia (in Russian folklore, ritual tunes and Slavic polyrhythmics) and in its harmonious coexistence, in one’s mind, with futuristic arrangements of new global folk music (electronic tribal rhythms and percussion). Either one, enhanced by hypnotic lead vocal, entrances in its own manner, elevating over a humdrum existence to give a sense of celebration and connectedness.

Ancient authentic Russian texts from the 1100’s-1800’s have been gathered by Angela from Russian villages in different regions of the vast country in their own dialects. Each dialect, with its distinctive articulation, forms a unique vocal manner and sound, studied and mastered by the singer in their finest nuances. Her vocal techniques thus range from the academic to Russian Orthodox church to over a dozen ethnic traditions, including those of the Russian Volga area, North, Northeast, Northwest, South, Mid-Russia, Smolensk, Ryazan, Tver, Altai throat singing, Caucasus mountains, Middle East, Balkans, and India. Therefore the Western listener “Volga” takes on a journey into the richness of sound texture of the old and new Russia, never introduced into the world music before. Russian’s mixture of hard consonants and soft round vowels, especially in Angela’s richly intonated delivery, has a lyrical and calming effect. While its fusion with techno, trance, breakbeat mixed with elements of noise and sound of archaic instruments create a danceable ritualistic music with a touch of pagan psychedelia, bringing it to the cutting edge of the new Russian sound.

Anya Zontova

      Track list:

    1.      MOX   «Weeping»  (Moscow)

    2.      T.A. LAB  «Snowballs»

    3.      THEODOR BASTARD  «Mermaid» (St. Peterburg)

    4.      IDIORITMIK  «Pear-tree»

    5.      GOD FANS  «Verejushki»

    6.      COH feat. Nina Livanova  «Three fields»

    7.      IVAN SOKOLOVSKY  «Dream songs»

    8.      ALEXEY BORISOV  «Jarilo»

    9.      XMZ   «Verejushki»

   10.     PINK TWINS  «Rose» (Helsinki)

   11.     D1  «Goat» (Novosibirsk)

   12.     EDIK  «Widow» (Moscow)

   13.     DJ KOLOMBO  «Dream songs»

   14.     CHAOS as SHELTER  «Psalom» (Tel Aviv)

   15.     MOTOR  «Verejushki»

   16.     IDIORITMIK  «Po zarechju»

 SKMR 022  OLCHEY  "BOYDUSKA YOREL" , 2006

File under: ethno-electronica / Tuva Beat / throat singing

Tuvan traditional music has won itself a special place in the music world. First of all, it is characterised by highly developed art of throat-singing. It is easy to see the relation of it to throatsinging used in Tibetan Buddhism, while some scholars point that this manner of sound creation dates back to the first attempts of mankind to speak. It is these attempts that have become extinct in most of the world but still live on as geografically limited heritage which only regains its legacy in the past few years.

It is not that throatsinging survived only in Tuva. In the surrounding Siberian and Central Asian regions and even in Africa there are similar techniques. However, from large concert halls to remote pastures, throatsinging was a symbol of Tuvan identity from the first half of 20th century at the very latest. But Tuvans boast not only the widespread ability to throatsing. It is also a highly developed art which includes at least 3 major genres (sygyt, khoomei, and kargyraa) and several common subgenres, as well as popular personal styles that become nationally popular due to the modern media like tapes or radio waves, that confer every new development of

this art onto the nomadic farmers or local artists throughout the mountanous republic much faster than a celebrated singer is able himself.

This record is a response to the growing worldwide attention towards Tuvan music. It mixes Tuvan traditional songs and contemporary ways of rhythmic organisation, that are rooted in house, chillout, and ambient music.

This CD is a message that uses the contemporary elements of club culture to better communicate the feeling of the near-isolated people living in close contact with nature and preserving their centuries-old culture, to the audience accustomed to big city soundscape and urban civilization.

Pulses of many of Tuvan songs are surprisingly very much like house, and the voice of Ayan-Ool sometimes goes together with synthesizers as naturally as it would have with igil fiddle. This creates the unique feeling of Boyduska Yoreel, both contemporary and traditional.

musicans:

Ayan-Ool Sam -- piano (7), igil (1, 6, 7), doshpulur (3), throat singing (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), khoomei (2, 3), sygyt (2, 3), vocal (4, 5, 6, 7)

Georgy Beletsky -- vocal (6), throat singing (2, 3, 6), sygyt (2, 3)

Andrey Plotnikiv -- arrangement, mastering

Oleg Kalyadintsev -- flute (1)

Sholbana Dendzyn -- music (5)

        Track list:   

1.  Daybreak

2.  Turgen chuga / Toungue twister

3.  Kozhamyktar/Chastoushkas

4.  Doshpulurum / Songs of doshpulur …..

5.  BOYDUSKA YOREL / CHANTS  of  NATURE

6.  ENCOUNTER

7.  SUNSET

SKMR 021 Choduraa Tumat "Belek / The Gift", 2005

File under: ethnic / Tuva / woman voices / throat singing

As the title suggests, this album is Choduraa`s “gift” for her listeners as well as an expression of her own musical gift. Andwhat agiftitis! Her vocal range is astonishing. She slips with ease between the glottal gymnastic of throat-singing to the plaintive tones of a lullaby or love song, and the ritual imitative calls of animal husbandry. Her instrumental ability is equally impressive as she conjures up the taiga and steppes of Tyva with the igil fiddle or khomus lute and sings of

Her love with the demir khomus jew’s harp/ she shines as a beacon for women – in Tyva and worldwide – for having the strength to break the traditional genbder taboo and perform khoomi, and for standing up to be counted among the wonderful musicians of  Tyva”.

                   DrCarole Pegg

                                         Director of “Inner Asian music”, UK; Senior Researcher at the University of Cambridge, England.

Choduraa Tumat    is one of the brightest personalities among the younger generation of Tyvan musicians. She has a wide range of performing abilities. Apart from being a good instrumentalist, playing many instrumentals, Choduraa performs both khoomei and folksongs. Many of Choduraa’s songs have already become popular among Tyvans. It took great creative audacity to step over the frontiers of the traditional idea of khoomei being the prerogative of men. Choduraa Tumat as also the leader of the unique all-women throst-singing group “Tyva Kyzy” (Daughters of Tyva)

 

Valentina Yuryevna Susukey

(Candidate of Arts, member of the Union of composers of the Rassian Federation,

Renowned scientist of the republic of Tyva, scientific secretary of the Tyvan Institute of the Humanitarian Research)

 

track-list:

01. - Khoomei (Khoomey styles)

02. - "Uyaravas urug boor men" ("I am a girl who never sad")

03. - Opei yry (Lullaby)

04. - Igilge ayalga "Uzun-khojug" (Igil melody "Long and Soft")

05. - "Kanchap ijiei berbes irgi?" ("Jow is it that it doesn`t hurt?")

06. - Kadarchynyng khuulgaazyn ygylary (Ritual call of a herder)

07. - Ulaam-Byraam (My Ulaam-Byraa)

08. - Demir khomyska aayalgalar (Demir khomus melodies)

09. - "Eveesh nazyn erte-le beer..." (My precious years will quickly pass)                                                                                                     

10. - "Salbaam chezhip bergen-ne man" ("I undid my salbak [hair decoration] for you")

11. - "Ajan tudar khooree chuve" (My chest that holds the music)

12. - "Suur bedik kadyr Chalam" (My steep high Chala cliff)

SKMR 020 Leonov-Sokolov-Derevlev  L.S.D. (Va-Ta-Ga project),  2005

File under: ethnic fusion/ambient

Ethno-atr-jazz project of member of Wa-Ta-Ga band from Karelia (Russian-Finish border area), recorder during live session in St.Peterburg. This record sounds like experimental ethnic ambient, which musicians played “live”, using the rich variety of handmade folk instruments (like Karelian “youhikko” violin and musical saw) & different styles of traditional singing, combining with modern electronic & sound effects. Music of “L.S.D. Project” express the original spirit of Russian North-side. The beat of waves of White Sea, hurling of seagulls, a songs of a lone pilgrim – all this merge into one musical space, which takes listeners far away from their casual world.

                                   track-list:

1. Hey, you falcons
2. In the river, in the stream
3. Along the sea

SKMR 019 Kyzyl-Moscow  Festival fromTuva music in Moscow, 2005     

File under: folk / Tuva / throat singing

    The concept of the festival is the dialogue of two cultures, two capitals, and two peoples: Kyzyl as the capital of Asia, and Moscow as the capital of Russia.

     Tuvan music tradition has an unparalleled emotional radiance. It is wonderfully diverse, melodic and easily accessible even for a first-time listener.  The throatsinging has been a symbol of Tuvan culture and identity since the times of old, being an important part of celebrations and rites, and often mentioned in heroic epics and tales. It had never been developed separately, being a part of variety of art forms and life’s activities, inherited from one generation to another, and connected to the wide and mysterious world of nomadic poetry.

     Moscow poses as an overly urbanized world that with its big-city rush forgets traditions and the treasure of each nation, traditional culture. Against this background, the careful and skillful devotion of Tuvans towards their own tradition is a symbol that makes you think of your own history and in conjunction of your place in the world community. Moscow and Kyzyl, two ancient Eurasian capitals, connect times together with the help of traditions and the music.        

         track-list:

      Changy-Khaya:

1. Möörgül  - Prayer
2. Beejing Kydat – Caravan Song
3. Tarlaashkyn
4. Sartyktar
5. Bayan-dugai
6. Kyzyn Chürek – Heart of the Beauty
7. Aldy Bashtyg Kara Dag – Black Mountain
8. ChelerBoram
9. Kajangnar
10. Bayan-dugai
11. BashtakYry – HumorousSong

      Olchei: 

1. Beejing Kydat – Caravan Song
2. Öske Cher – In Another Land (Song of Motherland
3. Kojamyktar – Comic Rhymes
4. Köngürei – (Immigrant Song of) Köngürei

      Alash:      

1. Tyvam – The Prayer for Mother Tuva
2. Dyngyl Dai – Bells Ring
3. Bashtak – Joke
4. Sygyt – A Throatsinging Style
5. Düjümet
6. Syyn Myigak
7. Alash – The River Alash
8. Ezengi – A Throatsinging Style
9. A-shuDekei-oo

        Changy-Khaya and Alash:   

      25. Ene-Sai

SKMR018  Samosad Band «Miru Mir»/Peace to World , 2005

File under: dub

                                           A new dub album of Sasha Ulaev and his project «Samosad Band» «Miru Mir» differs in many ways from the album «Solovtida»; first of all it’s  pure dub, besides the album was recorded in collaboration with a number of excellent and talented musicians from St. Petersburg and Petrozavodsk, and has a very good and «bright» sound.                                

                                              track-list:

                                        1.  I shall trust 14:33 

                                        2.  space is infinite 9:45 

                                        3.  depart 11:37 

                                        4.  clearness 13:43

SKMR016 Andrei Mongush and ensemble «Sagal» «in Favour»,  2005

File under: world music/throat singing/Tuva/Russia

A solo project of the fabulous Tuvinian band Huun-Huur-Tu member.

Traditional Tuvinian music and throat singing are combined in the album with progressive styles of contemporary music, such as reggae, dub, etc.