The importance of folkloric narratives and a premodern ethos endure for some Russian and Estonian performers. In each case, the allure of yesterday is imagined as some vaguely perceived source of light.
Following a series of awards in the Belarusian press, we look at four projects from around the country. What has rock music meant to them and does it still have any connection to the past?
A handful of ambient instrumentals from Yekaterinburg this month are inspired by a particular motif: the timidity of Russian foxes. That same symbol gradually moves far from its quiet point of origin.
The superb Estonian collective Imandra Lake have just published a wide-ranging series of remixes. The botanical metaphors used in that "flourishing" enterprise are found far and wide.
Four recordings from Russian and Estonian bands consider the relationship of language to their location. Does it matter whether one sings in a native tongue? If not, then why choose English?
Following a three-year hiatus, Zemifra has produced a new solo album. Although it comes after an extended silence, its core philosophy is found by the local press in other, more active bands.
St. Petersburg's Podsnezhnik Festival is about to take place, interweaving the heritage of Slavic folk with distant reggae. Those two traditions come together for important, enduring reasons.
A couple of new rock recordings find lyrical inspiration in the traditions of Soviet science. Other related publications look back further into the past, either to more introspective or theological themes.
The Nizhny Novgorod band Hronop have persisted for 27 years. The outlook developed across that timespan is, in essence, absurdist. It's a worldview that appeals to younger Russian artists, too.
As the Russian winter closes in - and Christmas approaches - some opposing views transpire of what the future holds. They range from seasonal sentiment to full-blown Petersburgian anxiety.
