Lollipop Shop V.A. : Eastern Space Cakes (HU/PL/RO,rec.2005-2006,pub.2007)****
Lollipop Shop was one the only labels who since 1992 were involved very early with Eastern European groups. (In those days communication with these countries was even more slow and difficult than today). They started to release vinyl albums from Atman (Poland -see my pages on next page-), Ole Lukkoye (Russia -I have reviewed some albums on next page-) and Korai Öröm (Hungary -see one review up-). With this release they look back at this engaged period, in which also some European and even US tours took place.
Somehow the compilation hangs well together and gives a certain variety of comparable fundaments, with a sound which is a bit more typical for Eastern Europe of alternative rather acoustic, psychedelic or free and moody music. To some degree the compilation convinces in showing this communal sound that fits more with those far eastern European regions, an enjoyable trance-excursion with vague folk memories and instruments used.
Two groups that developed out of Atman (I have mentioned already my own fan-page here) were listed : The Magic Carpathians (also with one separate page here),and Pathman. The Magic Carpathians developed their own live-improvisational esoteric world of loop-based improvisations of guitars oscillations and feedbacks with sax and other instruments this track was recorded at WNUR radio, Chicago). The Pathman track refers a bit more to Atman, a fine and moody live improvisation session with guitar with amplified echoing distortion, percussion and zither.
What fits with this is Asunta’s improvisation on sax and a harmonium-like drone, released on Atman’s Fly label.
Most acoustic group of all is Úzgin Ülver from which I have their first, ethno-folktrance album. This track is also something like shamanic trance-psychedelia played by traditional East-European instruments, a convincing track, taken from a later album.
Archinta’s track (also Poland) is, a wordless and moody vocal improvisation somewhat with vague folk references, while acoustic strummed guitar, organ and bass follow the nice and simple slightly melancholic mood...
Then we also have the rather psychedelic rhythmical and spacey ethno-trance groups, like Oranzada (Poland), from which the voice brings the spacey effects down to more normal rock measures on the listed track, or Nu, from Romania, a well chosen trance fragment of their release (which I reviewed before on next page) with ethnic instruments, samples, and psychedelic effects, or Korai Öröm, with a more by modern trance-rhythms and psychedelic dub driven track compared to the tracks of the previously reviewed album (see up). It includes also folk flutes.
Comparable to them is Trottel Monodream (Hungary), who are listed with a track with electronic psych-trance rhythms and tunes, with drums, violin, like Archinta, with improvised wordless singing, and lots of percussion, again with a typical and comparable psych-trance effect.
Similar in rich effects of rhythm and sounds as previous groups, slightly post-shamanic, are more folk-inspired tracks like Volga’s track (from Moscow, Russia).
Group links :
Vibravoid : The Politics Of Ectasy (D,2008)***°
