EURock: Petroglyphs and Fairy Tales

Ole Lukkoye – Petroglyphs (CD)

The Russian band Ole Lukkoye headed up by Boris Bardash is one of the most compelling bands on the planet. Over the span of their 8 previous albums they charted a new course is spaced, trance ritual music that is uniquely their own. PETROGLYPHS is their 9th album and features both old and new material that showcases the full range of their talents. Outside of Russia the band Faust has been a constant supporter and that bands primal energy as evidenced in their early career does resonate in the music of Ole Lukkoye. Boris and band however take it to another level as electronics, melt into primal percussion, ethnic instruments and instrumental compositions laced with chants to create a form of exotic sonic tribal ritual that is entrancing, and in live performance certainly intoxicating. This new album is a great place for the newcomer to start. If you have been enchanted already by the band you'll also find it's full of potent new musical juju as well.

Ole Lukkoye – Fairy Tales (DVD)

If the new album is an intoxicating listen, then this new Ole Lukkoye DVD is transcendental in terms of music and imagery. It features 100 minutes of superb quality video and music by the band in both live performance and special video segments which feature incredible psychedelic light shows, cosmic imagery and surreal video effects and editing. The material was created, performed and filmed from 1990-2001 and there's very little overlap with the material on their new CD. It features 17 performances, including a Live 2000 concert at the Zoo Club that's phantastically mind warping. The discs title track is one of the most amazing animated/treated pieces of film I've ever seen, and the music which accompanies it is a perfect complement. Perhaps it the special history of Soviet Russia, like Germany (WW2 & post war years that spawned TD, Can, AD2, etc,) which makes this new from of Russian music as an art form led by the likes of Chekalin and Ole Lukkoye so powerful and individual in both conception and creation. It does seem sociological, but is also incredible listening as well. Whatever the case, these two new releases certainly end 2010 with a big bang...

For more info: www.trailrecords.net

EURock, December 2010