thu 14/11/2024

CD: Olga Bell – Krai | reviews, news & interviews

CD: Olga Bell – Krai

CD: Olga Bell – Krai

Unique musical travelogue through regional Russia

Olga Bell's 'Krai': where Orthodox religious chanting meets Cossack melodies

Krai – Край – is employed in Russia to label tracts of land separating regions or marking borders. These liminal places each have their own name, defined limits and character, and have inspired the second solo album by the Brooklyn-based Olga Bell. An exotic musical travelogue through the nine Krais, Krai the album is delivered entirely in Russian.

The music shifts from minimally arranged pieces drawing from Troika to melodies which could suit the balalaika. Orthodox religious chanting sits alongside Cossack melodies and the drumming of the Arctic-region Chuchki. There’s electronics, percussion, shuffling, trip-hoppish beats (especially on "Perm Krai"), sinuous cello and spidery guitar, but the album is about Bell’s voice. Six Bells are heard: four female and two treated to sound male. The voices converse, gather as choruses and then restlessly splinter.

Although Russia-born, Bell grew up in Alaska. She has studied at music school, worked in electronic composition and also plays keyboards for Brooklyn’s Dirty Projectors. Which is where the only possible parallel for Krai rears its head – not musically, but conceptually and stylistically. Dirty Projectors have collaborated with Björk and Krai is issued in the UK by her label. Bell is less deliberate and not a Russified Björk, but there is a shared spirit. Nonetheless, this is a unique album made on its own terms. Krai is not straightforward and its innate strangeness means it takes time to bed in. Take the time.

Overleaf: listen to "Stavropol Krai"

'Krai's' strangeness means it takes time to bed in

rating

Editor Rating: 
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters