Showing posts with label Sven Grünberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sven Grünberg. Show all posts

Sunday, 13 October 2019

Jaan Rääts ‎– "Marginaalid" (Мелодия ‎– C10-16031-2) 1981


You're never more than a few feet away from a Rääts, so they reckon.
Indeed, there's a classical composer hiding out in every kitchen,especially in Estonia it seems.
Nearly every decent experimental composer in the former Soviet Union seemed to come from this gloomy Baltic state....which explains a lot of the music's famed bleakness.
In comparison to Rääts multitudinous other works, side B is positively joyful.Thanks to the influence of much younger chum Sven Grünberg, formerly of prog band 'Mess', who lent him his synth collection,and played on it.
Side A is a typically uber-heavy Jaan Rääts style experimental neo classical piano piece.A pity he didn't do two sides of experimental electronica,but, hey,at least we get to be thought of as 'Intellectual' when we're overheard playing "24 Marginal Notes For The Piano".......once!

Tracklist:

A 24 Marginal Notes For The Piano, Op. 65 (28:27)
B Electronic Marginalia, Op.65-a
Featuring [Electronic Realization] – Jaan Rääts, Sven Grünberg (22:07)


Wednesday, 9 October 2019

VSP Projekt ‎– "VSP Projekt" (Мелодия ‎– C60 28195 004) 1989


Another proggy projekt featuring Sven Grunberg was Estonian prog rock super group VSP Projekt,which also featured members of other proggy bands from the Soviet Baltic states, such as In Spe, Radar,Ultima Thule,and Ruja.
I hear the unfortunate sound of a fretless bass on here, so you know that they are serious in their objective of making a smoothly conceptualised Jazz Rock Fusion masterpiece.One that Erkki Sven Tüür of 'In Spe' describes as 'Rock music with a sense of distance and even alienation'......thanks for that Sven. I like a bit of alienation,and the six string fretless bass certainly alienated me.
It does have that bleakness that only scandinavian bands,including the Baltic States, can really understand,and it looms large in most of the music that emanates from this suicide rich region.
So join us as '...that lonely spectator of an empty metropolis ,in an endless field of snow',.....I paraphrase mr Tüür once more....he's good isn't he?

Tracklist:

Mees Sarvega 4:58
Oktoober, Oktoober 5:17
Tuulepealne 7:03
Mälumäng 5:03
Hilineja 8:41
Kuulaps 2:25


Tuesday, 8 October 2019

Mess - "Sven Grünberg’s Proge Rock Group Mess(1975-76)" (Bella Musica ‎– BM-CD 31.4199) 1995


Sven Grünberg was in a Estonian progressive rock band called, ironically, Mess;which I hope was a piss-take of 'Yes'? This mess was founded by Sven and the splendidly named Härmo Härm in 1974.However, Despite the many years of the band's existence and many live performances, Mess didn't release a single studio album because of the contradictions of their musical style with Soviet ideology; only in 1995 did Grünberg manage to release a compilation from several surviving Mess recordings,of which makes up this CD,recorded from 1975-76.
I've always had a soft spot for bands that exist for decades yet never release any product, like Keiji Haino's the beyond excellent 'Fushitsusha',and the also excellent 'Mess'.
Mess's sound is a spaced-out experimental type of prog,thats a cross-hybrid between the more cosmic end of Krautrock and the darker,spacier, side of British progressive Rock.Further strengthening the Baltic states claim to be the home of Soviet music,where all the most interesting commie prog,or 'proge'(i'm sure that's a typo,but a good genre name nonetheless) bands came from.
Sven eventually got his 'professional' status which enabled him to get a record released on Melodiya under his own name,the soviet-kosmiche electronic classic, "Hingus".

Tracklist:
1 Overture/Avamäng 1:48
2 Green Hearths/Rohelised Leed 7:16
3 Bright Mornings/Valged Hommikud 6:31
4 To The Clouds/Pilvini 4:19
5 Pond/Tiik 9:43
6 Story/Lugu 6:09
7 Alone/Üksi 4:39
8 Ask Yourself/Küsi Eneselt 10:39
9 Sky/Taevas (Coda) 2:40


Monday, 7 October 2019

Sven Grünberg / Свен Грюнберг ‎– "Hingus / Дыхание" (Мелодия ‎– С90-16301-2) 1981


Luckily, Soviet Estonian prog legend, Sven Grünberg, formerly of commie prog band 'Mess', got to muck about with the Melodia, in house, EMS Synthi 100 too. The results of which can be heard on this Electronic Cosmic classic. Its like drifting in space waiting for your oxygen to run out after a malfunctioning computer had jettisoned you from the air-lock into the eternal something.
Fittingly its called 'Breath',so it can't be bad,unless its your last one on the million year journey towards the Black Hole at the centre of our Galaxy.

Tracklist:

Hingus/Дыхание 

A1 Hingus I (Breath)
A2 Hingus II (Breath)
A3 Hingus III (Breath)
A4 Hingus IV (Breath)
B1 Teekond (Journey)
B2 Valgusois (Flower Of LIght)