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Tamizdat record Reviews
[18.08.2001]
post-rock/avant garde/electronic/indie-pop/ethnic/jazz/punk
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C,"Dep" on Minority Records (CZ)
Minority Records continues their winning streak with C, a swath of driving, punctuated, mathy drone rock. Lots of Wire via Band of Susans here, with a chuffy levity to keep it up.
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Point, "Aquila Bert" on Minority Records (CZ)
Recorded and produced by Kip Beelman (Juno, Unwound, Built to Spill), Point's sound is driving in a very DC kind of way, with super playing and razor-sharp songwriting. This is one of the most inspiring releases yet from the Czech post-punk underground.
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Peach Pit, "Suspicious Cargo" on Earwing (HR)
Peach Pit's debut is patient, minimalist rock explosion, excellently produced to sound jagged and live, brittle and hollow and perfect. If you can imagine Alger Hiss produced by Van Hecke (Violent Femmes debut), it might sound something like this.
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Rambo Amadeus "Zbrana Dela" on Vinyl Manija/Nika (SL)
Rambo Amadeus is a little hard to explain to the uninitiated. Sort of like the Balkan Beasty Boys, he is an institution beloved by kids and revered by critics for his acute politics and heavy hiphop. Zbrana Dela is a two volume compendium of his "Collected Works", which offers an apt intro to his pop-culture cannibalism.
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Dainius Pulauskas Sextet, "Autumn Suite" from Litus Agency (LT)
It takes an attentive ear to follow what this Vilnius ensemble is up to, and to notice what makes them great, but once you tune into their subtle manipulations of jazz traditions and cliches, you discover a group of rare innovation and sensitivity.
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Burunduk Quartet, "Stuffed Horse" on Exotica (RU)
With noire jazzy grooves that would be right at home on a Coldcut mix, Burunduk Quartet draws out tastefully shifting patterns, vacillating between trip-hop, dub, and cool jazz. Unbelievable electronica, don't file under "classical".
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F.R.U.I.T.S., "Jakuzi Exotica" on Exotica (RU)
Moscow's F.R.U.I.T.S. steers their dry electronic noises in the services of campy, euro lounge pop. The album is subtitled "Easy Techno Cocktail Music", and despite their proclivity for bare synth sounds, they pull this off with considerable panache.
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Sabot, "Once Upon a Mind" on Cesta (CZ)
Sabot's newest release intricately packed in a mini pop-up book, benefits from top-notch DIY production to boasts Sabot's signature rumbling, grooving, driving energy. If you've never heard them, imagine No Means No without the frills (i.e., guitar and vocals!) and you have an idea of where this powerhouse duo is coming from.
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