Zavoloka & Kotra "Untitled Live", nlr01

Very nice half hour long live set by these two pillars of Andrey Kiritchenko's label. Kotra is quite in the background here, providing weird, gritty frequencies to the beautiful ethnically-influenced ambient tones of Zavoloka. Relying a lot on vocal recordings and lonhg, beautiful melodies, this live set is an extremely enjoyable recordings for home listening, and a nice invitation to check out these musician's music. Recommended.
(Nicolas Chevreux, AdNoiseam)

Ukrainian noise has become a label of quality for me. And this new series on Nexsound proves that this is a mighty name also live. On the first issue there is Kotra providing the noise part with heavy electronics that range from subtle and fragile drones to vast and epic walls of sound, while Zavoloka does the mystical and intriguing side with her wonderful vocals and some folkloristic flute playing (and maybe some noise-stuff as well, I can't really tell). During this 35 minute piece you will find all kinds of noise - from drone to white to power electronics to glitches and crackles - finely executed. Now quiet and listen.

The mixture is completely fascinating and intriguing. On the one side there are the multi-faceted noise-sculptures by Kotra, who in this a little over 30 minutes pieces produces harsh noise structures, fragile drones, sharp blows of hi-frequencies and intricate glitches and crackles. In between Zavoloka rings her rich and blooming voice in a mixture of folklore and improvisation and blows melodies between folk and new age on a flute. And it is Zavolokas part that increases the scope of this release by introducing the most beautiful associations of ancient times, of vast castles - there is a lot of echo on her voice when singing that it sounds like a cathedral or the big hall of a castle in her first singing part, the second one has a sort of flanger on her singing - and peaceful hills with lush vegetation and the traditional shepherds and their stock prodding along with ease - a regular association whenever flutes are being played. Kotra puts down the contrapoint to these ideas and thoughts by destruction and deconstruction. It seems to me as if he took some of the sounds by Zavoloka live and perused and mutilated them right there on the spot.

The two go from harsh and brutal to beautiful and subtle in very little time. There are parts during this set which are of pristine beauty - e.g. around minute 20 when there are gentle plucking sounds mixed with a high-tone melody (what kind of flute is that?) - and other parts that will make you duck and cover. At times loud drones will stale the air but soon grow less painful, other times the most fragile of sounds hang loosely in the air. It is fascinating how many different things they will do in one set.
(Monochrom.at)

The Ukrainian musician Dimytro Fedorenko invites international artists to play live in the Ukraine. One of his projects ist he Detali Zvuku festival, another one is the (sub)label Live Reports, which he just grounded. Live Reports releases and distributes live sessions of Nexsound artists.
The first release in these new series is by the label manager himself under the banner Kotra and Zavoloka, a Kiev-based musician and graphic designer. The result of this co-operation is interesting and out of the ordinary. Experimental electronics have been combined with traditional Ukrainian vocals and melodies. Folk rhythms have been incorporated in digitalized sound patterns. Stressful noise particles ? la Farmers Manual are followed by futuristic high peeps. This can be considered an original and impressive live recording. Let's hope more of such releases will follow.
(Phosphor)

Registrazione fedele della live jam di Kotra (Dmytro Fedorenko) e Kateryna Zavoloka all'A&T Trade shop di Kiev, in Ucraina, nel Febbraio del 2005. Sperimentazioni elettroniche dense degli umori nordici indotti dal cantato tradizionale, folk poi stemperato nelle scansioni ambient ed in trattamenti più orientati all'idm, in una mistura densa, resa sensibile nelle atmosfere, curatissime ed intensamente emotive. I trentotto minuti della session raccolti da questa nuova divisione della Nexsound, net-label dedicata alla promozione delle sonorità digitali con particolare attenzione alle live-performance non fanno che confermare il livello d'eccellenza delle produzione ucraine in campo elettronico, giusta commistione d'improvvisazione e strutture complesse che proprio nella dimensione live rende maggiormente produttivo e spettacolare un lavoro altrimenti occulto.
(Aurelio Cianciotta, neutral.it)