Kitaygorod: "Phoenix"

Kitai-gorod is an area of downtown Moscow, long known for its narrow, winding streets and centuries-old traditions of trading.  Even today it is brimming with shops and stalls.  Seen from above, it's especially clear that this is a region of busy, small-scale activity, far from the grandeur of nearby Red Square.

Equally modest in their public stature, yet just as active, are the members of Moscow outfit Kitaygorod (preferring a slightly different spelling).  They have just released a CD, "Phoenix," with 3PBeats Records.

The band has existed since 2002 and declare themselves suitable listening for "anyone who's not indifferent to LIVE music.  Not just live stuff, in fact, but modern, too.  The kind of music that makes you want to live, think, love, and dream, too..."

They must have the shortest press-release in the nation:  "The fundamental idea behind Kitaygorod's creative work is a combination of everything good from 'old school' music together with contemporary and relevant elements of today's musical culture."

The fundamental idea behind Kitaygorod's creative work is a combination of everything good from 'old school' music together with contemporary and relevant elements of today's musical culture.

That's it; over and out.

The fact that the band plays almost exclusively instrumentals doesn't exactly help, either.  Nonetheless, there's a little more information available if we go to one of their numerous online venues and start grubbing around the forums.  Here the band begin - with effort - to open up whenever an interesting or irritating question is posed.

Take, for example, the issue of their musical tastes. They declare a passion for old blues, especially for B.B. King and then, after a pause for thought, another opinion is slowly voiced.  "We're keen on blues in general.  Not as any kind of category for the purposes of standardization, but as a worldview.  As a philosophy and a means of contemplation, too."

"And with regard to particular bands and artists.... well, there are a lot of them - but we've never tried to imitate any of them directly.  We were raised on The Doors, Led Zep, Floyd, The Stones, Zappa, Clapton, Chris Rea (the later stuff!), Brian Ferry, Miles Davis, Massive Attack, Portishead, Talking Heads, Swans, Santana, Nick Cave..."

Phew.

Then we get into the Russian stuff, like  "Tsentr, Akvarium..." before swerving westward once more: "Neil Young, Depeche Mode, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Elvis Costello, Garbarek... In a word, this could go on endlessly!"

By the time we've reached Norwegian jazz, it's clear that the list is heading off into radical obscurity.

Better to fall silent and just listen.  As the band said recently: "It's either music or it's not.  The style doesn't matter at all."  Hence Kitaygorod's desire to bridge the diverse intentions of styles such as prog rock and acid jazz, for example.  That's a risky sense of adventure...

It's either music or it's not. The style doesn't matter at all.

There was an earthquake here in Los Angeles last night; that must be what generic breakdown feels like.