Indies Rec.
Slede Zive Slede : Milacek Vytvari Krajinu (1998)****
This is a very strong debut with an impressive, top-classically trained idea of a group sound. Very often are used minimalist guitar themes which spiral theit way into the compositions which is styllistically comparable to Rale, (with Vladimir Vaclavek’s ideas on guitar). Often there are surprising theme changes. All such theme / melodic / rhythmic switches are played with semi-jazzy fluency. This is accompanied by a, rarely plugged, acoustic double bass, which adds its own inventive melodic/rhythmic themes, close in harmonic challenge with the guitar. Also contributing is the very expressive, almost (“Hall-of-the-mountain king"-Grieg/ "Peter & Wulf"-Prokofjev) story-telling sound of the bassoon, here and there with additional sax and clarinet. All three members sing, solo or in harmony, which sound like a logical addition to the spiralling themes, with its own songs or words, grumbling a bit with roaring energy. Singer/bass player Jennifer Helia de Felice was already known as an American video artist based in Brno. Her English contributions recall here and there the association of spoken word accompanying (visual / performance) art. One of such challenging tracks used a more funky theme to illustrate some thought, which stand against / in battle with a more Czech art and classical and rhythmical theme. There are plenty of musical ideas which continue to deliver small surprises, keeping up a constant attentive challenge. For example, when a sitar drone contributed to some track, this led to different arrangements close in sound and harmony. Real art !
Four years after the Czech release, in 2000, the French label Sonore reissued this album for their own market. In the meanwhile their second album, “Rostliny! Rostliny!” ("Plants! Plants!") was released. Unfortunately I have not heard that one yet.
Ivan Palacky : guitar, vocals, ophicleide ; Jennifer Helia de Felice : double bass, vocals ; Brona (Bronek) Smid : bassoon, clarinet, sax with guests Martin Alaçam : guitar ; Stanislav Filip : board ; Tomas Fröhlich : guitar ; Tomas Havlicek : bass ; Dimitri Hagondokoff : trumpet ; Christoph Pajer : violin ; Vojtech Sax : sitar.
PS. Slede, Zivé Slede means "Herring, Live Herring".
