Petra Creation: Russian electronic artists made remixes, and rockers sang the songs of "Sounds of Mu"

April this year was generally marked by the anniversary of Pyotr Nikolaevich Mamonov, the 75th anniversary of which was dedicated to two detailed, interesting and very voluminous releases. But other novelties of the month also deserve attention — it was not easy to select the best ones. The most interesting music albums of April are in the Izvestia review.

Peter Mamonov, "Sounds of Mu"

"RE:MU"

On April 14, Pyotr Nikolaevich Mamonov, a singer, actor, songwriter, and simply wonderful artist and person, could have turned 75 years old. The Mammon Branch has been releasing releases for its founder's birthdays for the fifth year now, but it was clearly decided to prepare something special for the anniversary. And although the otherworldly (sometimes even infernal) avant-garde rock of "Sounds of Mu" doesn't seem to fit very well with the dance floor, the older generation probably remembers well the wild dancing on Mamonov's own stage, and the impeccable dance remix of "Winter" made by a New York DJ (and the man who launched Madonna's career). By Mark Kamins back in 1989.

On this compilation, the DJs are mostly local, but also quite famous — "Winter", by the way, is also present. Modern Russian electronic artists have approached the reinterpretation of their creative heritage carefully and with taste — in their alterations, Mamonov's songs have become not so much dancing as more understandable to a young listener. But Pyotr Nikolaevich's vocals have been preserved in all their uniqueness, so "RE:MU" will clearly become not so much an artifact for connoisseurs and collectors as an "entry point" for new fans.

Different performers

"Dosugi Boogie"

Of course, young (as well as relatively young) musicians could not ignore the memorable date either — after all, they all came out of the Mammon jacket to one degree or another. Of course, the young punks who once shouted "Peter is my father" at the concerts of the Sounds of Mu have already become fathers and even grandfathers themselves, but they have preserved and passed on the covenant to the next generations. And here is an almost three—hour collection of Pyotr Nikolaevich's songs performed by various representatives of the modern indie scene. Among the participants are "Kurara" ("Trans-reliability"), "Dictaphone" ("Soyuzpechat"), "Mandragora" and Julia Peresild ("Sick Leave"), "Log House" ("Bonobo") and "Nesladko" ("Tube").

The producer of the project, Ilya Bortnyuk (himself a fan of Mamonov since 1987), was initially going to limit himself to 10 artists, but after calling out on the Internet, he collected so many applications for participation that it quickly became clear that a "short meter" was not enough. As a result, Dosugi Boogie brought together 36 of the most diverse performers, from well-known in a narrow circle to real stars of independent rock. Unfortunately, not all of them coped with the task in the best way, but most of them managed to reveal both the poetic and musical components of these, without exaggeration, great songs.

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Nervosa

Slave Machine

One of the most notable female bands in modern metal comes from Brazil, where there are known to be many wild monkeys in the forests, and trash metal artists in the cities, starting with the Cavalera brothers and going down the list. Nervosa approached their fourth album with the status of the second band of the local "heavy" scene after Sepultura — and the halo of international fame. However, the line-up itself is now quite transnational (and it's hard to resist being touched by a guitarist named Helena Kotina, even if she comes from Greece). The band relies on an aggressive, "old-school" sound inspired by the classics of the genre, but at the same time avoids direct copying.

The "slave machine" came out precise, collected and hitting the target with a backhand. The coherence is especially noticeable here: the guitars sound like a single percussive front, the drums keep an extremely tight tempo, and the bass adds depth and viscosity. At the same time, the vocals of Prika Amaral, the founder of the band, do not dominate, but are woven into the general flow, increasing the feeling of pressure. The record is devoid of excessive decorations — it's a straightforward, almost mechanistic "trash", where each participant works for the overall result, really creating the feeling of an unstoppable machine.

George Dalaras & Michalis Terzis

I Doxa Ton Anemon

Yorgos "George" Dalaras is one of the key figures of the Greek scene of the last fifty years, an artist who has managed to combine a traditional folk song with a more academic and authorial sound. His voice — recognizable, thick, with a characteristic dramatic intonation — became a symbol of the "new wave" of journalism. In collaboration with composers of various scales, from the great Theodorakis to the equally great Bregovich, Dalaras discovered new layers of musical heritage not only of his native country, but of the Balkans as a whole.

The album "Glory of the Winds", created in collaboration with the famous Greek folk singer and composer Michalis Terzis, is another example of Dalaras' ability to find his voice and his sound. Terzis builds music at the junction of symphonic expressiveness and folk melody: there is a lot of space, smooth lines and almost cinematic scope. Dalaras sings with restraint, avoiding excessive pathos, but filling each phrase with inner tension. As a result, the listener receives an artistic statement that is rare in its power and energy, understandable even to those who do not know a word of Greek and have an extremely vague idea of the musical culture of Attica.

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Stacey Kent

A Time For Love

One of the most sophisticated vocalists of modern jazz was born in the homeland of this music, in the USA, but gained special popularity in Europe, where her gentle manner, perfect diction and subtle sense of language — from English to French and Portuguese — found an appreciative audience. Kent addresses the listener, avoiding excessive drama and relying on nuance and atmosphere, to some extent repeating the traditions of pop songs of the Old World, from chanson to romance. And in general, her cultural baggage (perhaps due to her Russian grandfather, an intellectual), being American in form, has quite European content.

The new album continues this line, presenting a selection of jazz standards and cinematic ballads in which the theme of love is revealed without unnecessary pathos. The arrangements are extremely delicate: light strings, transparent piano, barely noticeable wind instruments — everything works for a voice that sounds especially intimate here. Kent does not seek to rethink the material radically, but her interpretations breathe attention to the text and melody.