LILAC ORCHESTRA / СИРЕНЕВЫЙ ОРКЕСТР — Tsunami (review)

LILAC ORCHESTRA / СИРЕНЕВЫЙ ОРКЕСТР — Tsunami album cover Album · 1994 · Jazz Related Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
Early 90s were awful time in Russia which experienced all pretties of "wild capitalism"(what in Russian case actually meant just an ex-Soviet bureaucracy stealing of state assets, organized criminals racketeer them and young growing private business and huge part of simple people got lost and just trying to survive, often in poverty). At that time four young guys with musical education founded a jazz-rock band in provincial town of Penza, 600 km south from Moscow (what again in Russian case meant "in the middle of nowhere").

Russia had a difficult relations with rock music in general - during 70s and 80s millions of young people there saw in it one of almost religious attribute of freedom, (then still extremely) attractive for them Western culture and democracy. It was strictly controlled and often banned by Communist authorities though, so it developed mostly as underground protest culture, opposite to pop culture and classical music, both often were seen as part of establishment. No strange that early (and most popular) Russian rock bands all contained vocals with socially sharp, critically oriented lyrics, simply catchy melodies and usually were based on DIY musicianship level. After the end of Communism era nothing has been banned anymore (at least for decade or two) but total economical decline and political crisis pushed the rock culture (and almost all other kinds of cultural life) backstage for years.

Lilac Orchestra on their debut demonstrates high technical level of musicianship mixing high energy rock-jazz (close to Czech jazz-rockers from 70s), classical composition elements, some characteristic Slavic folk-pop sensual melodies and funky guitars.

Taking in account time/social situation and domestic rock scene tradition, that's no strange their debut album "Tsunami" passed virtually unnoticed. Reissued later on CD, it is interesting example of very rare for the country's scene example of high level musicianship and wide use of funk guitars,what was an obscure element on domestic rock culture. Lot of heavy metal-like guitars soloing on the front and heavy drumming could potentially make this album more popular, but cold emotionless musicianship and wide use of classic compositional tricks (without clear structure or concept,what made album's music quite directionless and bulky) didn't help as well.

I believe at the time of release this album sounded as "aliens music" in that time's Russian province. Even now, almost a quoter of the century later, it is mostly a collectors item evidencing one interesting but not viable stream in Russian rock of 90s.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Phoenix Post-Fusion Contemporary
GRÉGORY PRIVAT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bill Laurance & the Untold Orchestra : Bloom Third Stream
BILL LAURANCE
Buy this album from MMA partners
In Real Life RnB
OLI SILK
Buy this album from MMA partners
Out of the Question Vocal Jazz
ALLEGRA LEVY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Maxine / KID Nu Jazz
DONNY MCCASLIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Bill Laurance & The Untold Orchestra - Bloom (Official Music Video)
BILL LAURANCE
js· 3 hours ago
Excerpts from the Diary of a Red Army Soldier
JAKE GOTLIEB'S BANACH-TARSKI PARADOX
js· 11 hours ago
Grief
CHRISTIE DASHIELL
js· 1 day ago
Libations: Omnyama
NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI
js· 1 day ago
Stretch Out
ELIZABETH KING
js· 2 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed