Four projects from three cities (Minsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg) have new material to offer. In each case, a quiet register is the result of considerable humility before the past and/or inspiration itself.
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.
The theme of transience appears in some new recordings from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vladimir, and Yekaterinburg. Somewhat strangely, a fleeting existence becomes synonymous with great beauty and potential.
A new garage and idm compilation from Moscow reemploys some motifs from classic science fiction. Both the music and its literary inspiration juxtapose private dreams and public reality.
A recording from Leonid Fedorov and Vladimir Volkov examines how St. Petersburg's cityscape changes over time. The baroque trajectories of music outdo the linear passage of urban "progress."
The Tallinn Music Week 2013 has just wrapped up, offering a valuable showcase to many young performers. Here we examine eight of them from a predominantly acoustic realm.
The promise and scale of Soviet science fiction continue to inspire a wide range of young musicians. On occasion, the daunting distances of local geography foster similar imagery.
Moscow's Datenbits label is announcing fresh material from Russian and Latvian electronic musicians. Working on both sides of a political divide, they champion an erasure of stylistic boundaries.
Three inherently acoustic traditions are subjected to a process of change. The more those variations come to light, the more they aid self-expression. The broader one's vista, the more subjectivity benefits.
The Mad-Hop label has released an international collection of trap and juke recordings, involving a number of Slavic artists. Together they embody a philosophy that develops very close to home.
