Zhanteimi

Okay, well Egypt is where these three dudes jammed this. One only of the guys is from Egypt, actually, the other two being from Libya and the States. But still. Egypt is where the magic happened. Besides, the cover art is unashamedly Egyptian. This album rocks, but what I like best is when the music leaves the rock behind and descends into some interesting experimental soundscapes. On the long seventh track, I enjoyed the breakdown of structure.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

I really like the long instrumental intro of the album before he ever sings a word. The simple acoustic suite really sets the mood, making the title track (below), with all its quiet earnestness, snag my attention. It’s funny. I’ve gotten to the point where I can recognize Child Ballads by their storytelling, and this one is another excellent example from the long list of traditional folk songs of the British Isles.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

Okay, never mind that there are 12 tracks when the album’s title is “Eleven dances to fight migraines”. Maybe that first part of the first track—that silly little intro?--doesn’t count. I’ve never had a migraine, so I have no idea if this music would help fight against what I understand is rather crippling pain. Perhaps it helps one make sense of the colors exploding in his brain as he lies in the dark. But I’ve heard that when you’ve got a migraine, you don’t want any stimuli, and that would include music. Well, anyway, since I don’t have migraines, I’m able to enjoy this lush, quirky, silly little collaboration of an album. It’s rather disjointed, like vignettes of songs all put together. One thing I love about RIO bands is how many instruments they employ. And the singing—always surreal and atmospheric—with some interesting choral experimentation. Anyway, back to migraines...I’m pretty sure the annoying little girl on “Tous les trucs qu'il y a là dehors” would send anyone who has a tendency to get migraines immediately into very painful territory. I hate it when people let their kids sing on their albums.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

These guys rock, and it would’ve been fun to have caught one of their live shows. They have a lot of positive energy and are able to rock out and soothe with equal proficiency. And then we get to the title suite, the concerto itself, a magnificent twenty-minute opus wherein you hear all the maturity and passion Focus is able to muster. Some strong Floyd-esque guitar licks on display here, too. Everything before this is appetizers—damn good appetizers, though.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Frownland

Nice. I assume that you know about Aksak Maboul's non-collaborative RIO records right?

Is there yodeling though?

__________________

Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Zhanteimi

Yes. Their 1980 album, Un peu de l'âme des bandits, is part of my collection. It is a rather frustrating album because it would be perfect if not for track A5. Well, maybe that's their point. Maybe it's perfect in its imperfection. Or maybe that track just sucks.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

This one starts off with a full-on prog metal bang but doesn't stay that way for long, thus keeping it from the avant-metal genre. It's a wild and crazy ride, but it's definitely the more unusual side of prog. A lot of saxophone melody woven throughout.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

“A Combination of Passion and Feelings” is a sprawling, technically proficient, experimental sampling of what he can do on the piano. All this album is is piano, though, so it would most likely bore the casual listener. I find it charming—especially the sparse, experimental vocals on track 3—as I do most of Kuryokhin’s work. This comrade knows how to play!

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

Yes, that’s Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), and yes, those are her real tits. Okay. Now that that’s out of the way, how about that sour whiskey music? This album gets better with every listen. On this listen, I just lay back on the sofa, closed my eyes, and listened, which isn’t something I often do with music. But I just felt like this one needed that treatment on this cool, rainy afternoon. Small Change seems to me to be a track by track play of a piano player working at a blues bar who likes to partake of the firewater along with the customers, so by the end of Side A, he’s had one too many, and he has to blame it on the piano. Apparently this is a common occurrence, though, because he alludes to his bad liver later on. But everything will be all right, because his shift is just about to come to an end, and he’s looking forward to getting off work and going home to see his girl.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic

Zhanteimi

I’ve read a lot of high praise for this film but still haven’t been able to find it. I like the music, but I think I will like it even more once I’ve seen the film. It feels like part of a greater story. A sample from the film is below. I found this album in my quest to discover eastern European traditional folk, simply because I like to branch out from my cultural roots and find new and interesting sounds coming from a different world and time.

__________________
Zhanteimi

LetsTalkMusic