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Review
Saralunden + Andrey Kiritchenko – There was no end
On ne présente plus Andrey Kiritchenko, expérimentateur de talent ukrainien dont on parle régulièrement sur ces pages, et responsable du label Nexsound.
Saralunden + Andrey Kiritchenko – There was no end
Second CD release for Sara Lunden and Nexsound both. This time Sara is working with the label’s boss Andrey Kiritchenko. The six tracks of the CD present a particular blend of electronic arrangements (almost glitch) mixed with light noises, electric guitars and the characteristic Sara’s vocal approach which is in balance from melancholy and intimacy. These tracks recalled me one of the most melodic releases of Bpitch Control (Damero first album) but without the rhythmic research which here is substituted by the synth/noise multi layer approach. “Take your chance when you have it”, instead, is a sort of alternative modern folk track with acoustic guitar and noises. This is the track I appreciated most along with “Erotic dreams”, a track with a good mix of melody, rhythms (the other ones didn’t have a rhythmic section) and electronic experimentation. This release is interesting as well the other was but they both tend to be focused on a calm melancholic approach which is ok in this case since we have six songs E.P.s. but which could tend to be a little repetitive in the case of a full length.
Review by: Maurizio Pustianaz
Saralunden + Andrey Kiritchenko – There was no end
At times, the background music is similar to Saralunden.Björkås.Mjös
Saralunden + Andrey Kiritchenko – There was no end
The collaboration between Andrey Kiritchenko and Saralunden was able to originate this transversal lo-fi folktronica with many delicate overtones. It’s a collaborative project supported by the Swedish Institute in May 2006 and then culminated in the spring 2007 tour. The sound trajectories are able to almost perfectly coincide with the Swedish chanteuse’s enchanting and edgy voice, always in the foreground with the Kiritchenko’s microphones. He’s not new to “pop” excursions, also because he himself experimented in the past singing and songwriting practices. Here songwriting even if formally entirely done by Sara Lunden is pervaded in the background by the Ukraine producer unmistakable and minimal style, shaped with subtle glitches, sophisticated electroacoustic experiments, click’n’cuts, abstract atmospheres and melancholic jolts. It’s a greatly charming album and it’s accessible to many listeners, because it’s able to well render feelings, to make emotional tension instantly perceivable, and because of the pieces’ themes. The latter are hinged on classic (lost) love and relationships themes, between private obsessions and yearnings, but in the end here the stories are really sincere and everybody does his share of work. Nothing more, nothing less.
Aurelio Cianciotta
Saralunden + Andrey Kiritchenko – There was no end
From Ukranian label Nexsound’s more pop-minded imprint, PQP, comes this EP collaboration between knob-twiddling sound sculptor Kiritchenko and singer Saralunden. The result is an abstract pop experience somewhat akin to Carla Bozulich’s Evangelista album, but less morose. Beginning with “Come With Me,” the duo proves that viable melodies can be constructed out of droning synths, handclaps, and manipulated vocals. Beautifully unsettling “Oh So Blue” follows, floating by in a bizarre flush of lush singing, eerie field recordings, and distant, echoing guitar; album closer “Tonight” occupies a similar domain. Folky and melodic “Take Your Chance When You Have It” could be the album’s most conventional song (although I use that term lightly), but “Erotic Dreams” is the most memorable – its keyboard-laden melody fits perfectly into Kiritchenko’s manner of digital manipulation, resulting in a bare-boned but infectious piece of ambient pop that sounds like a futuristic Henry Cow lullaby. With so many people relying on tired rock/pop traditions these days, sometimes you need to look in unlikely places to find people producing melodies in original ways. Here’s a tip: head to Ukraine.
Matt Shimmer