Far from Moscow

A Hyperboloid Night: Valta, Saburov, NVG, Acid Mafia, and Pixelord

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:54:17 PDT

A forthcoming show, hosted by Moscow's Hyperboloid Records, will bring together some luminaries of the bass music scene. They will arrive from Kiev, Melitopol, Tyumen, and - most notably - the streets of London.

Snow, Emptiness, and Familial Warmth: The Echotourist Compilation

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:37:00 PDT

Echotourist is a fine Siberian netlabel and blog, doing much for electronic music in Novosibirsk and beyond. A new Echotourist album gathers a wide range of musicians - in order both to evoke that landscape and counter its chill.

Byzantine Songs for Every Season: The Aquarium Anniversary Tribute

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:49:30 PDT

Two Russian web projects have combined resources to celebrate the (ongoing) career of Aquarium, arguably the nation's greatest rock band. The cover versions submitted thus far span a wide range of years and places.

Krumping and the Cosmos: Oak, Nakedbear, Kubrick's Cube, and Gorbach

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:59:07 PDT

Not surprisingly, some of the language used to praise US styles within Slavic music borrows from American slang. Talk of anything "cosmically" impressive, however, goes way beyond cliche. A wide range of related imagery opens up.

Quietness: Didactic Scalica, Love Options, Sobrio, and The Inverted Mirror

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:34:17 PDT

From Moscow, Vladivostok, Ufa, and Smolensk come four quiet publications. Between them lies a common interest in the benefits of solitude and silence - once noisy typicality has been left behind.

The Nanoloopsis Label: Knolios, Art Electronix, Mr. Dee, and Sound Inside

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:05:35 PDT

Nanoloopsis is a minimal- and deep-techno label based in the industrial city of Donetsk. Through various parallels with the heritage of Detroit, tales of artistic and technical industry come to the fore.

Silent Thoughts: Last Holidays, Siberian Tsars, Eva Adams, and Deep Winter

Tue, 08 May 2012 18:04:43 PDT

Four rock bands from St. Petersburg. Novosibirsk, and Izhevsk are linked by their attitudes to silence. What anxieties are summoned by drone-like instrumentals, and how might they be be overcome – with even more noise?

Plaintive Calls: Dmitriy Krotevich, 21 Outside, InfiniteWays, and Shram

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:44:20 PDT

A couple of new recordings from St. Petersburg consider the ways in which improvisation and endless change can foster a sense of liberty. Those musicians living further afield, however, are less optimistic.

Homespun Science Fiction: Wols, L420, Wind in Willows, and Astronaft

Sun, 06 May 2012 15:20:01 PDT

From Petrozavodsk, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, and Babruysk, four musicians consider the timeless charm of outer space. Some of them turn to Soviet science fiction, others move with gratitude into the forest...

Common Effort and a Single Goal: Highway Records' "Milestone Two"

Fri, 04 May 2012 18:20:25 PDT

Moscow's Highway Records has published a new compilation, entitled "Milestone Two." Incorporating tech-house artists from the capital, the Black Sea, and southern Siberia, it shows the vital importance of collaboration.