Slow

Ambient, Deep, Downbeat, Electroacoustic, Electronic, Idm, Lo-fi

http://www.farfrommoscow.com/artists/suokas.html

http://soundcloud.com/suokas
https://www.facebook.com/sergeysuokas

From Laziness to Liberty: Jekka, Jazz Gangsters, and Piper Spray

This week sees the appearance of lo-fi indie pop and jazz-inspired turntablism from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The rococo intricacy of these recordings is designed to celebrate similarly involved thought patterns.

Continuing the FFM Compilation: The Growing Appeal of Very Little

Here we extend - and complete - the coverage of our first compilation album. This second text looks at the work of the remaining six projects, all the way from Moscow to Minsk - with a few stops in between at St Petersburg, Krasnodar, Petrozavodsk, and even the nightclubs of Prague.

The Art of Deconstruction: Moa Pillar, Beatowski Beats, and Orlando15

Moa Pillar has just released a remix of equally new material from Modul. His reasons for doing so form an interesting parallel with other beatmakers this month - both from Russia and Latvia

Looking for Friends: Modul, Anton Zap, Lay-Far, and Mars Needs Lovers

Various EPs and remixes this week touch upon the role of friendship, networking, and collaborative culture in an environment where the role of profit is diminished. Today's trust can form tomorrow's institutions, perhaps

Building Mechanical Landscapes of Sound: Slow, SLP, and Nocow

New recordings from Petrozavodsk, St. Petersburg, and Krasnodar all ponder various other locations. Distant planets and local hilltops are used in order to underscore the bond between punishing, often tragic effort and eventual insight

Bubbles, Bliss, and Suprematists: Slow, Dzenis Mantsevich, and Maguett

These three projects bridge enormous distances, from Finland to the Black Sea - via Belarus. What kind of artistic credo matches that expanse? The people involved look to the past

Sergey Suokas and the Allure of Emptiness: The "Battery" EP

Sergey Suokas is from the northern port of Petrozavodsk. His newest EP for the Moscow label ProTez is a direct consequence of both his hometown and the surrounding landscape. Quietness and simplicity predominate.

Elevating Russia's Musical Life to New Levels: "PlusPlusPlus"

PlusPlusPlus is a collaboration of artistic and managerial talents from around Moscow. It holds much promise as a new center of creative significance

Whale Kit: "Retrofuturistic Music" from beneath the White Sea

Central to these recordings are the waters of Russia's White Sea, cradling the city of Arkhangelsk, which is a hugely important port for these northern climes - since everything else is frozen solid. The waters of the White Sea are more suitable for submarines than ships, perhaps. According to t...

Hot Arctic: Dub Techno Inspired by Mermaids, Mapmakers, and "Mother"

Sergey Suokas is a young exponent of deep and dub techno from the forested, often frozen lands of Karelia. We've paid attention to his work on four or five occasions before. Today's reason is the release of a new album; it marks another step forward in what Suokas himself describes as effort con...

Slow: "Room Phive"

One of the very first releases of 2009, appearing on January 1st, was the new ambient EP from Sergei Soukas, "Room Phive." Its four tracks of barely-syncopated sound from the Resting Bell netlabel can be downloaded here or - just as easily! - here. "Room Phive" is actually the third rel...