The delightfully different Staraya derevnya, now seven strong, returns this spring with another unusual album. The first sessions took place in London, later recordings were made in Bulgaria, Israel and Mexico, and the sparse lyrics combine Russian and invented languages, making the music feel as if it is from no place and every place. The distinct timbres of oud, flute, santur, wheel lyre and marching band kazoo contribute to the otherworldly feel, while the continued inspiration of artist-poet Arthur Molev amplifies the intrigue.
As Gosha Hniu starts to sing, a collage of sounds is constructed behind him, something like a barnyard symphony crossed with a jam band high-stepping through an international marketplace. Beneath this lies a more traditional underpinning, represented by the steady bassline and the drums. “What I keep in my closet” flips the script, placing percussion atop a bed of drone. It’s rare for an album to sound as if it comes from an undiscovered country, part civilized and part untamed, but this is the impact of the music. One drifts into wonder and is tempted to paint what one hears, the playful works of Molev suggesting a wide palette.
The 12-minute “Half-deceased uncle” feels like being plunged into the heart of a forest in which both the natives and the other creatures play instruments. There’s time for solos, but not in any traditional manner; when one player is highlighted, the others continue to play, undaunted, in the background. Every once in a while the bass returns to anchor the proceedings, and one clings to the repeated lines as one would a map in the wilderness. One can also imagine the track as two civilizations meeting and mingling, turning babble into conversation.
The album’s shortest track, “Virtue of standing still,” sounds like a massive party, the kazoo and drums shouting their exuberance. One imagines cake, cameras and smiles. The steady tempo lends itself well to marching around an honored friend or relative. Put simply, it’s a whole lot of fun. In contrast, the title track sounds like a dark ambient nightmare populated by mischievous sprites. Quiet to start, it builds in intensity, a Grimm’s fairy tale of sound. In the closing minute, the instruments fuse into a sonic wall, leaving “Myshhh” to restore the restive feeling. In Hindi, myshhh means sweet.
Undefinable and uncategorizable, Staraya derevnya continues to make music that dances on the edge of a flat world, ready to fall off the edge; and yet no matter how hard it teeters, it retains its balance. We’ve heard no other music like this, but we’re glad it exists. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 