The well-respected MP3 blog Motherland has been asked to compile regular playlists by Moscow's Afisha magazine. Even among the first artists, a collective worldview starts to take shape.
New compilations from Moscow and Novosibirsk reconsider some assumptions regarding Russia's "provinces." Addresses far from the capital are investigated with romantic irony.
Some recent, ambient instrumentals from Watu (Minsk) led to angry debates over the finer points of post-Soviet geography. Over time, however, the importance of a concrete address fades away, no matter its name.
As Moscow's InWhite produce a debut album, their reliance upon supportive crowdfunding is evident. A related degree of civic faith, however, is sometimes less manifest in the work of other artists.
The Siberian webzine Big Echo has begun to publish a series of monthly compilation albums. Although these intriguing tracks are, in essence, homeless products of the internet, local history continues to matter.
Various thematic emphases cause four new recordings to opt for an understated hush. The passage of time, noisy modernity, and other problems make quietness both wiser and more appealing.
Echochorus, a one-man project from Riga, has published a new soundtrack to the 1924 silent feature, "Aelita." Some core concerns from that recording emerge in other locations, far from the Baltic Sea.
A collection of wistful pop projects consider the meaning of an understated aesthetic. For some, it's a logical reflection of limited social freedoms. For others, a reduction in size and volume is a happier choice.
New instrumentals from several Estonian towns display an intriguing validation of smallness. Given the gross conservatism of mainstream enterprise, minimalism and understatement have a special charm.
Four fundamentally acoustic Russian outfits are using crowdsourcing or pay-as-you-will services this season. Fittingly enough, they also draw upon the traditions of jazz or cafe culture, in which trust is just as vital.
