HR130 - Czechoslovakia - C90 — 1989
SIDE A:
MCH Band - Merciful Samaritan DG 307 - Dar Stínům Krásné Nové Stroje - Mletý Marnon Union - Melou Dvouletá Fáma - Vaclav Třírychlostní Pepíček - Lepší ruka zdravá Johanis & Co. - Stalvereglsymtonyje Ještě Jsme Se Nedohodli - Kone The Gaz - Lady (Parts 1 & 2) Kilhets - Concert No 4 (Excerpt) |
SIDE B:
Joe Carnation - Der Schlager É Ucho Debil Accord Band - In The Madhouse Závodnička 5 - TV Set Kofron & Simacek - There's Nothing But You Duševní HROB - ZA Málo Peněz The Extempore Band - Boty Yzala Švehlík - Dokola Precedens - Dívka A Smrt F.P.B. - At Jabalkon - Spodní Proudy MCH Band - Feigling Disharmonic Ballet - Isolation (Excerpt) |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
The Harsh Reality ‘Country’ series continues with Czechoslovakia. Throughout its 90 minutes we’re treated to a stellar array of 21 artists, featuring music recorded between 1978-1988. The set was compiled for Harsh Reality by Rodolfo Protti who ran the Old Europa Café label (Italy). This is an EXCITING set, featuring a mix of artists that I would loosely describe as morphing and mixing elements of avant-Prog/RIO, Residents, jazz, and other description challenged influences.
MCH Band is the only artist in this collection that I’ve heard of and the only one with two tracks. One track consists of an angular, tribal, ethno-punk brand of jazz, while the second is similar but with a drugged, tape dragging feel. Love the barking, howling vocals on both.
DG 307 serve up a strangely haunting vocal and oddball melodic drone tune with a chaotic barroom chorus of vocals.
Krásné Nové Stroje play a twisted blend of Jazz and Blues that is both sultry and acid dosed carnivalesque.
Marno Union bring to mind Snakefinger on a gypsy caravan tour.
Dvouletá Fáma sound like The Residents as a jazz swing band.
Třírychlostní Pepíček are another with a Residents/Snakefinger feel, this one being a hooting and tweeting gypsy folk ditty.
Johanis & Co.’s entry starts off as a lo-fi but energetically bouncy electro song with a whimsically grating noise-swirl and harmonica mid-section.
Ještě Jsme Se Nedohodli sounds like a lost track from Fred Frith’s Gravity album. I like the off-kilter swinging vibe.
The Gaz weigh in with a blend of dancefloor choppy surf-punk and piano concerto chaos.
Kilhets get into experimental territory we’ve not heard yet with 10+ minutes of voice and samples collage amidst a quietly rolling sound exploratory meditation.
Joe Carnation play high octane punk with incredibly manic drums (electronic?), frenetic surf guitar, saxophone sqronk, and Residents Third Reich ‘n Roll vocals.
É Ucho Debil Accord Band’s entry is a short, lo-fi, art damaged New Orleans Preservation Hall jazz tune.
Závodnička 5 is like 80s German Neue Deutsche Welle for Slavic punks.
Duševní Hrob sound like a traditional Slavik barroom band infiltrated by punks. What I really like is the mesmerizingly grooving percussion.
The Extempore Band play big top circus prog-jazz with a Zappa-ish edge.
Švehlík’s entry is a mind-bending slab of demented psychedelic prog-jazz that brings to mind a loony bin brand of King Crimson.
Precedens’ track is a weird punk/jazz/blues tune with a deranged theatrical feel and some deliriously cool melodies.
F.P.B. play fairly straightforward thrash interspersed with moments of chaotic intricacy.
Jabalkon embark on a pleasantly flowing folk, classical, and rocking acoustic guitar excursion, punctuated by jamming bongos, jaw harp, and miscellaneous percussion.
Finally, Disharmonic Ballet close the set with what starts off as a rousing drunken Residents around the psychedelic campfire anthem, before careening into bleeping and blaring horn mayhem.
The Harsh Reality ‘Country’ series continues with Czechoslovakia. Throughout its 90 minutes we’re treated to a stellar array of 21 artists, featuring music recorded between 1978-1988. The set was compiled for Harsh Reality by Rodolfo Protti who ran the Old Europa Café label (Italy). This is an EXCITING set, featuring a mix of artists that I would loosely describe as morphing and mixing elements of avant-Prog/RIO, Residents, jazz, and other description challenged influences.
MCH Band is the only artist in this collection that I’ve heard of and the only one with two tracks. One track consists of an angular, tribal, ethno-punk brand of jazz, while the second is similar but with a drugged, tape dragging feel. Love the barking, howling vocals on both.
DG 307 serve up a strangely haunting vocal and oddball melodic drone tune with a chaotic barroom chorus of vocals.
Krásné Nové Stroje play a twisted blend of Jazz and Blues that is both sultry and acid dosed carnivalesque.
Marno Union bring to mind Snakefinger on a gypsy caravan tour.
Dvouletá Fáma sound like The Residents as a jazz swing band.
Třírychlostní Pepíček are another with a Residents/Snakefinger feel, this one being a hooting and tweeting gypsy folk ditty.
Johanis & Co.’s entry starts off as a lo-fi but energetically bouncy electro song with a whimsically grating noise-swirl and harmonica mid-section.
Ještě Jsme Se Nedohodli sounds like a lost track from Fred Frith’s Gravity album. I like the off-kilter swinging vibe.
The Gaz weigh in with a blend of dancefloor choppy surf-punk and piano concerto chaos.
Kilhets get into experimental territory we’ve not heard yet with 10+ minutes of voice and samples collage amidst a quietly rolling sound exploratory meditation.
Joe Carnation play high octane punk with incredibly manic drums (electronic?), frenetic surf guitar, saxophone sqronk, and Residents Third Reich ‘n Roll vocals.
É Ucho Debil Accord Band’s entry is a short, lo-fi, art damaged New Orleans Preservation Hall jazz tune.
Závodnička 5 is like 80s German Neue Deutsche Welle for Slavic punks.
Duševní Hrob sound like a traditional Slavik barroom band infiltrated by punks. What I really like is the mesmerizingly grooving percussion.
The Extempore Band play big top circus prog-jazz with a Zappa-ish edge.
Švehlík’s entry is a mind-bending slab of demented psychedelic prog-jazz that brings to mind a loony bin brand of King Crimson.
Precedens’ track is a weird punk/jazz/blues tune with a deranged theatrical feel and some deliriously cool melodies.
F.P.B. play fairly straightforward thrash interspersed with moments of chaotic intricacy.
Jabalkon embark on a pleasantly flowing folk, classical, and rocking acoustic guitar excursion, punctuated by jamming bongos, jaw harp, and miscellaneous percussion.
Finally, Disharmonic Ballet close the set with what starts off as a rousing drunken Residents around the psychedelic campfire anthem, before careening into bleeping and blaring horn mayhem.