Monday 20 November 2017

Amsterdam Stringtrio ‎- Dodekakania -1986- (LP, DATA Records), Netherlands


The Amsterdam Stringtrio was a one-off project formed by Cellist Ernst Reijseger, Violinist Maurice Horsthuis and double bass player Ernst Glerum. Three Dutch string instrument musicians that recorded this album in Amsterdam for the occasion. All of them have been members of the ICP Orchestra and have played with many other respected improvisation and jazz musicians, from Lol Coxhill to Derek Bailey.

To me this album is a bit too much substantiated with classical music influences, instead of the anarchic improvisation I usually like. But nevertheless it's still very atmospheric and gets into more adventurous parts throughout its progression. In any case it's another piece of the Dutch avant-garde music puzzle that I try to give attention to on the blog every now and then. It reminds me a bit of Louis Andriessen's soundtrack Golven, Harry Sparnaay's Bass Clarinet Identity II or the Brazilian MEC 70 compilation: all posted here on the blog a long time ago!

Another highlight to me is the incredible artwork of this album which was designed by the artist Maryke de Vries and specially printed by artist Zeger Reyers. Dodekakania was limited to 500 hand-numbered vinyl copies.

 Get it HERE

 

Message:
There's a chance the blog will run out of material in the near future, although there are still posts to come. It is getting increasingly harder to find material and I have been doing this for quite some years now. I'm not saying that this blog will shut down, but I need to see how the future will develop regarding Arhcaic Inventions based on new material and the future developments in my personal life. It might also somehow elevate or expand into something new, yet similar. Let's see!

Saturday 4 November 2017

áPolóK - Szarvasgyár -1995- (Tape, Bahia), Hungary


I finally was able to track down the last of four cassettes by Hungarian band áPolóK (The Nurses) somewhere. The other three tapes I posted before on the blog. áPolóK is one of Hungary's finest groups to rule the Hungarian underground that manifested itself during the mid-eighties until the alternative boom of the nineties after the fall of the iron curtain.

Their absurdist music displays intricate musical structures, Hungarian folklore, zappa-esque manoeuvres and alternative rock. They are comparible to the Hungarian group Tudósok. Also later bands from Eastern Europe share some of this musical absurdity like the Slovenian band Pinja Dzazna (can anyone please find those albums for me? They seem to have disappeared.)

The title of this album is Szarvasgyár meaning Deer Factory as well as Shit Iron Factory. The title makes a lot of sense since the band came from the city of Miskolc which is Hungary's main city for heavy industry. This album is probably one of their craziest, but also the one that stands closest to Hungarian folk music.

áPolóK belong to Hungary's finest experimental underground music groups. Make sure to check out their crazy video's online to get an idea of who they were. Today they still exist through other obscure bands in Hungary.

Recommended!

Get it HERE