Artist: Vsemogočni mlin
Label: Radio Študent
Release: 2013
Runtime: 51:04
Rating: 3.9/5
If Slovenia’s music scene was ever truly strong in any of the more potent genres, it was definitely jazz fusion. And not just back in the Yugoslav days – the modern scene has had, and still has, a handful of really distinctive bands that stand out from the domestic and international average. What’s more – they stand out within the genre itself, rising above the typical jazz technicality and stylistic stuffiness. Among the contemporary bands, Miusow Quartet (now defunct), the latest reincarnation of Moonlight Sky, Feedback, Lolita and, to a certain extent, Zmajev rep and others spring to mind right away. And in 2010, the demo release of yet another such band saw the light of day – Human Playings, who after that demo (titled Demo; RockLine review HERE) weren’t all that active anymore. But the musicians needed more than just a debut to be reborn. They needed a new self, and so Vsemogočni mlin was born.
Even though the band didn’t change its lineup (still Kristijan Armeni on guitar, Luka Smole on bass, Jernej Kersnik on drums and Rok Zalokar on keys, though this time the latter doesn’t sing (he did on Demo)), the band’s new direction is audible right away. They still operate within the (loose) boundaries of the genre, but the whole feel is completely different. It would be hard to talk about the band’s development or evolution (even though that’s certainly there too), since the entire personality (and with it the sound) has been totally transformed, which is also reflected in the change of the band’s name.
So forget about Human Playings and Demo, even though both the band and the »debut« were great. The band’s debut is now Arbitrarij.
Even before the album’s official release, the band put two »singles« up for listening – »Gobo« and »Deževje«. The choice was perfect – these are the two tracks that probably stand out the most, are the most distinctive, and at the same time rise above typical jazz fusion. »Goba« probably because of its catchiness and memorability, and because it slips out of technical noodling and shows real traces of experimentation and thinking outside the generic scales. The latter is even more the domain of »Deževje«, which focuses mainly on bolder sonic expression while being completely atmospheric, and so maybe even more melodic, or rather melodically melancholic. »Deževje« doesn’t exactly break the dam, since it doesn’t cause any floods, but it’s definitely a welcome example of an outstanding track. »Goba« and »Deževje« might also be singled out because they’re, well, the most serious tracks on the album.
Vsemogočni mlin don’t take themselves entirely seriously (even the name Vsemogočni mlin started out as an inside joke among the members). Of course, the description the band introduces itself with makes that clear right away: »Vsemogočni mlin is an aggregate. It is continuous grinding of everything, always. [..] If you ask them for a label, they’ll mumble »jazz-rock«, but don’t look for instructions on that label. […] And one thing holds: this mill does not yield flour.« The whole album (except for »Deževje« and »Goba«) is infused with a kind of relaxed, slightly goofy energy. The band often drifts in a »Zappa-esque« way between quasi-jams and slightly silly, cartoonish melodies. There are lots of sudden shifts in the overall mood, which can be jarring at times, but the band simply wants to show how many different rhythms, different moods and different similar tricks (e.g. interesting transitions) they can cram into a single track – which is generally what’s expected of (perhaps occasionally a bit generic) jazz(-rock) fusion. Still, there are plenty of welcome departures from the generic, even if they’re very simple – the use of guitar effects that aren’t otherwise used in the genre (at least not that often; these effects stand out especially when the guitar takes over the role of atmosphere instead of just serving as the rock contribution to this fusion), destruction instead of construction, interesting little bits that sometimes don’t quite fit into the tracks, but mainly because they’re so good. So there are enough crumbs of potential excellence.
Vsemogočni mlin is definitely grinding. It grinds up a heap of the familiar, adds a pinch of its own flavor and spits out Arbitrarij. Of course, the people are hungry and want more. Arbitrarij is a good start, but the miller’s apprenticeship has only just begun. One thing is for sure, though: Vsemogočni mlin carries a lot of today’s Don Quixotes who create in the same genre.
You can also grab the album (on a “pay what you want” basis) at the following link: http://vsemogocnimlin.bandcamp.com/
Lineup
Kristijan Armeni – guitar
Luka Smole – bass
Jernej Kersnik – drums
Rok Zalokar – keys
Production
Rok Zalokar, Matej Doljak and Matej Čelik
Track list
1. Goba
2. Izlet v neznano
3. Na pergamentu je pisalo
4. Deževje
5. Ulična podenj
6. Mravljice brez kril
7. Silos
8. Zimsky
