Artist: Various Artists
Label: ZKP RTV Slovenija
Release: year
Length: 57:45
Rating: 4.4/5
Just like they put it in last summer’s call, »We want good music!« Fifteen at most! Fifteen will be picked. And that’s exactly how many you get on the fifth edition of Val 202’s yearly compilation pick, »Imamo dobro glasbo«. This year in a purple shade, the color of love!
Unlike last year’s edition (the yellow Val 011), the fifth one has less rock marrow, but the selection also brings a bigger genre spread than what we got to swallow on the previous compilation.
Of course, you can quickly spot a few clear dividing lines on this compilation too. You can sort the tracks by genre and rank the quality from there, or you can just skip genres altogether and split the tracks straight into those that stand out on the CD, those that hold the middle of the pack, and those that sound less convincing.
RockLine has sadly never been good friends with rhythm in poetry. Programmed beats and button-pushing are hard to treat as playing music, as musical art, especially if you’re using programmed samples that aren’t necessarily your own. So let’s get rap out of the way first. Palijo, Valter and Žygc will have to wait for their reviews elsewhere, from the hip-hop specialists. There’s something to all of this, though. The lyrics are brilliant and socially engaged, shoving the little guy’s finger straight into the politician’s eye! These three cuts are also slotted into just the right spots on the compilation, and when you look at the running order, they effectively add to the variety and vividness of the CD. Like I said, three intelligent hip-hop creations. Valter’s intro on Luknje v ograji recalls the opening of one of the better Kings Of Leon tracks, called Only By The Night.
With Skrivnostno nebo, Kühlschrank are a case of chasing a modern alt-rock accent built on ever-heavier manipulation of an “alienated cold” synth character. The synths provide most of the backdrop for the accompaniment and carry most of the melody, as well as the atmospheric hypnosis. All in a slightly “alienated” but psychedelic, spaced-out contour. Stuff that could go down well with Coldplay fans too. Kühlschrank serve up a “boyish Bambi-like” vocal, an inherited fashion quirk of MTV-style accessibility that will mainly please the younger, less demanding generation.
It’s nice to look at track no. 3 on this compilation. Dry or wet Recidiv? You choose. And who else but The Drinkers! The Drinkers are finally back on the scene. In the classic lineup. One guitarist down (only the “Nietovec” Likar is in the lineup), keyboardist Šegrt back again, and the first icon of The Drinkers’ alcoholic excess, Koli. Recidiv is a nicely pulled-off track that serves up bare, stripped-down punk temper, the requisite Koli stamp, metaphorical cheek, and gives the band a higher I.Q. compared to the stuff with Maki. A very welcome move for the “lazybones,” who by landing on this compilation deliver proof that they’re moving on. Recidiv is one of the better tracks on this CD and so promises well for the band’s new studio album. A proper studio album. That is, an album with the rugged, irreplaceable vocal (and stage) icon Koli!
The Marvin Shot (a band name that has to have some parallel with the film »Šundr«), the new outfit of Simon Kavšek (ex-The Drinkers – speak of the wolf, and the wolf… hmmm, what a small world) delivers another very good piece that belongs in the alternative rock league, with a confident delivery of English verses. The track chases the current pulse of the rock mainstream worldwide, with just the right combo of a lead hook and furious verse delivery, while the production keeps an effective balance between the instruments and delivers the required liveliness of garage packaging.
Grega Korošec brings a moment of pleasant euphony and a genre detour to the compilation with Tisoč žerjavov. What’s especially soothing is the combination of the delicate vocal and the layers of guitar arrangement ideas (watch for the addition of atmospheric »loops«), which reflects this musician’s creative talent. The vocal harmonies give the track an element of recognizability. They’re not Peter Green’s albatrosses, but they are Grega Korošec’s cranes! Lightness, ease, switching off. Let’s hope for Grega’s full-length studio debut.
Then there’s Milonga by Blu.Sine, an eclectic blend of jazz forms and experimental approaches that even brings a bit of trip-hop into the track. It’s a nice combination of a female vocal à la »alienated Björk«, organic jazz sonic touches, “nervy” violin leaps and even trip-hop cosmetics from programmed samples. One of the most interesting tracks of homegrown origin.
Less interesting but much more mainstream-leaning is the fusion in Moj krog by TMS Crew. The track is a sort of Slovenian hybrid of hip-hop, funk, jazz (horns present!) and rock hardness. The band tries to deliver more vivid dynamics by combining male and female vocals too. The lineup certainly has potential, although a refined ear might get a headache from the contrived invasiveness and annoying pushiness of the lead vocal structures, which makes it easy to see that the track is pushing by any means into the DJs’ short list of frequent radio rotation.
Sedukt are a garage-droning rock trio who will knock you out of your armchairs with Ljubezenska, even if they don’t exactly reinvent the wheel in their otherwise sincere playing. An echo of metal has crept into the guitar phrase, which is surely a peculiarity not only of this compilation but of the basic starting points for picking material in the »Imamo dobro glasbo!« contest. Evidently the doors are opening here too. Still, Sedukt are a product of alternative rock, and a very noisy one.
The track by Bo!, called Eno, proves they’re a very talented collective that gets the point of putting arrangements together, lyrics included, in a combo of effective, concise expression. The verse is strong, and the chorus delivers that naive, happy punk merry-go-round of many MTV one-hit wonders of the new age. Given the holes in the Slovenian mainstream, Eno is undoubtedly a welcome gap-filler.
And here’s another typical alt-rock banger, with English-language Sammy from the collective The Vast Blasts. This is a track that fans of Barely Modern can check out with a clear conscience. Another nicely done, not overchewed, heartfelt punk barbecue.
Šansongaraž with Mon Amour is a case of an authentic Slovenian rocker! Melancholy caught in the grippingly convincing intellect of a combination of vibrant atmosphere and gorgeous melody. A track that ranks among the highest-quality pieces on this compilation. What especially convinces is the instrumental bridge in the middle, which allows a motivic departure from the lead motifs in such a way that the detour still keeps the track’s compact character intact.
Surely the most naive lyrics on this compilation belong to Šihtarska by Gaber Brin. »It’ll get better, Gaber, it’ll get better!« is what you can say as the track plays out its final note. Notranjska-Dolenjska melancholy. We can call it one of a kind. Thanks to the mood created by the typical yodel-twisted, lower-pitched yet melodic “howl” of Gaber Brin. Apparently our shift workers have broken backs, judging by the verses and the mood of relentless depression, so pronounced you could cut it into thick slices. The devil only knows.
The rise of profitable parties with the “artificial extraterrestrial intelligence” of dudes hiding behind dark shades who, besides flapping their arms, also handle knob-twisting, is personified by Housemouse and the track Split Perosnality. He’s put the piece together nicely, DJ-style. It works hypnotically, doesn’t skimp on the midrange that keeps it listenable, and these are “loops” gathered from all over that, of course, first and foremost force the body to wriggle. What earns the track plus points is its constant motivic twisting from start to finish and the resulting layer of unpredictability, which is always a welcome thing. May this author’s path be paved with roses. This track closes the compilation.
We can say that “Val 012” has managed to deliver yet another seriously quality chapter in its five-year story. “Val 012” is one of the most vivid compilations in the “Imamo dobro glasbo” series, with plenty of characters. Most of the artists can also boast a fully formed, distinctive charisma of their own, so it will be really interesting to see which of them manage to put together studio albums and what those will bring quality-wise, since even at this early stage the tracks show potential for standing out on the Slovenian market. The most confident and original work on this CD comes from Kühlschrank, Grega Korošec, Blu.Sine and Šansongaraž, while the bulk of the remaining artists on the compilation can be very proud of their work! The return of The Drinkers to their “old tracks” is a joy too.
As for the “Imamo dobro glasbo!” contest, let’s hope it runs forever and ever, since it’s one of the few healthy examples in Slovenia of natural exchange between listener and performer. And with fresh, lesser-known, or even completely unknown artists. In the field of attempts to shape a healthy Slovenian “mainstream,” which we’ve been missing for years in the offering of Slovenian radio airwaves.
Given the expertise of the jury, it’s clear they’re striving to find the originality and insight of homegrown ideas. And the compilation »Val 012« delivers a truly juicy, generous bone to gnaw on in that respect. Check it out yourself!
Tracklist
1. Palijo – Povsod je najlepše
2. Kühlschrank – Skrivnostno nebo
3. The Drinkers – Recidiv
4. The Marvin Shot – It’s Alright
5. Valter – Luknje v ograji
6. Grega Korošec – Tisoč žerjavov
7. Blu.Sine – Milonga
8. T.M.S. Crew – Moj krog
9. Sedukt – Ljubezenska
10. Bo! – Eno
11. The Vast Blasts – Sammy
12. Šansongaraž – Mon Amour
13. Gaber Brin – Šihtarska
14. Žygc – Chop N’ Screw
15. Housemouse – Split Personality
