VORKOMA

Vorkoma is the e.p. by Ukrainian one man post rock band Krobak, which consists of Igor doing all the instruments. I haven't heard his other albums in their entirety yet but this one is quite different from all the other songs I have heard from them. The first song here is They're All Shot this Winter, which is said to be dedicated to the horrible events that occur worldwide. There is definitely an air of melancholy here, and though the instrumentation consists of mainly only guitars it really doesn't feel as if anything is lacking. The track consists mainly of a single theme, interwoven with other themes, all with an air of melancholy to them, similar to bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but with a unique sound that is a bit more than the average predictable build ups of many post rock bands I've heard. The next song, Three Tired Hands, begins with an interesting drum/bass groove, with some minimalistic guitar slowly added in, and eventually more layers of guitar are added, but the track still maintains the same basic groove. Not as melancholy as the first track, it provides a nice contrast to that. With the next track, As Fresh As the Air of Night, we go back to that more melancholic feel, this time using bass and guitar. At one point there is a guitar hidden way back in the mix do some dissonant sounding textures in a fashion almost like a solo, but it doesn't feel as if Igor is showing off. I really like the aforementioned section, and it fits well with the guitar/bass patterns established before. The tracks maintains that melancholic feel, and then ends with some interesting sound effects. The final track, Everyday I set My Gaze Towards the East Waiting for the Sun begins with some interesting sounds that I think are made on guitar. It's a bit dissonant, and has a sort of creepy, ominous feel to it that I like. This track as a whole has a rather psychedelic feel to it, and I'd say it's my favourite on the e.p. All in all, this is 21 minutes of good, solid, post rock. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece but judging by the quality here and on his other work, I'm sure Igor is capable of one. It's a bit atypical of the material I've heard by Krobak, mainly because the other albums seemed to have tracks a bit more extended and with different types of instruments, but I wouldn't say that that means that this is bad by any means. I recommend it highly for anyone that's into post rock and is looking for something different or if someone is trying to get into post rock and they want a unique example of a band in the genre. And of course the best part about this album is that it is available for a free download, which is rather generous of the artist and also will hopefully garner some attention for him.

'Vorkoma' is a collection of short tracks composed by KROBAK between recording 'The Diary of the Missed One' demo and sessions for final version of the LP. Four short pieces, each built on one theme, minimalistic and very cinematic in feeling and mood (actually, 'Three Tired Hands' is inspired by A.Badalamenti's music for David Lynch movies). 'They're all shot this winter' is dedicated to the victims of public places' gunshot terrors, it's laid-back and sad, resulting in a powerful mourning climax. Abovementioned 'Three Tired Hands' bears its influences on the sleeves; indeed, quite a Badalamentic piece. 'As Fresh As The Air Of The Night' is barocco-like two-guitar sketch, with some background noise guitar in the middle. The last piece, piano-guitar driven 'Everyday...' is entirely improvisational, spontaneously recorded on a cheap tape recorder few years ago and remastered for this EP. Again, this item goes for free download on LastFM and MySpace; it reveals the other side of KROBAK's creativity - no epics or monstrous build-ups, just short cinematic sketches. Recommended!

Igor is a one man band who plays music similar to other math rock I have heard. Instrumental throughout, no drums, and very well played from beginning to end. Relaxing, tranquil, peaceful and sounds uncannily similar to Godspeed You! Black Emperor which is a definite influence in the music.

1. They're all shot this winter (6:12) Beautiful guitar begins this piece, slowly building with patient ambience. Serene waves of sound broken by sudden blasts of shrilly guitar with jagged rhythms and metrical patterns. Minimalist approach at times with a lonely guitar plucking gently in the silence.

2. Three Tired Hands (4:00) This has a quirky rhythm 'click' effect that echoes while a western guitar twangs out of sync. A very off kilter and effective approach to the music and very atmospheric. Reminds me of the music from a Tarantino film, a western genre, and highly evocative and pleasant. For me this music was inciting images of a plain desert and a man wandering aimlessly as the sun beats down.

3. As Fresh as the Air of the Night (4:06) A strong bass line begins this and the influences of Godspeed You! Black Emperor shine through. Probably not as meandering and subtle as that band but still as effective. Music to tune into on headphones. The swirling seascape sounds are overlayed with the off kilter rhythmic guitar tones. It feels like a night atmosphere and as if something is creeping slowly towards someone. The rhythm gains momentum and becomes estranged until it locks into a strange metrical pattern. There are no drums on this track again unnecessary. The ending is very creepy.

4. Everyday I set my Gaze towards the East waiting for the Sun (6:38) Terrific title for a track. A violin sound begins this track. Perhaps inspired by GYBE's East Hastings, though not as good as Godspeed You! Black Emperor's track. This one sounds most like Godspeed You! Black Emperor of all tracks as it feels very minimalist and shrouded in mystique. The creepy sound is ethereal due to the use of plucking strings out of sync with low bell tones. Sounds like a horror movie soundtrack but never overbearing. Some sections are ambient and others are unsettling. The low drones and low fi instruments are balanced beautifully to create the sense of isolation.

In summary, there is a collection of ominous, foreboding unsettling music in sections and yet it is restful in other places with heavy influences of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Very funereal and bleak at times, while there are moments of bliss and serenity. Close your eyes, turn up the headphones and let the music transport you to another place.

Only Krobak!

That "only" word, means that here you will listen to Igor Sidorenko's compositions under the name of Krobak, and nothing more. I say this because the last three Krobak related albums I have reviewed were released with the collaboration of other musicians (Gdeva, Somnolent, Monocube), those so called splits.

This time, Krobak offers four short but nice elaborated songs. If you are familiar with his music, then you know that most of his compositions are long epics, I already knew it, but that thing made me actually feel interested in this EP. Released in 2008, Vorkoma shows a slightly different face of Krobak.

"They are all Shot this winter" opens the album. Dreamy guitars make a tranquil but at the same time sad atmosphere. While the seconds pass, new elements are building up the song's structure and maintain you expectant, waiting for what is happening next. This is a beautiful composition that can make Igor proud, the emotions and feelings he created are awesome. It is great to see that the use of only one guitar can completely change the song, I said this because of minute 4:30 where an intense electric guitar appears.

Before reading the previous reviews, I really felt that the second track called "Three Tired Hands" could work as a soundtrack. Now that I know that this was inspired by Badalamenti's music, I understand why. This song is not really the clear example of Krobak's music, but anyway worth listening. It has repetitive bass notes and a particular guitar sound that reflects his film experiences (part of).

"As Fresh as the Air of the Night" returns to that post rock sound particular of this project. He likes using as much guitar notes as he can, he likes playing with sounds and reflecting in his music. I like the way he puts ten different sounds (ten is just a number) in a second, and you can still appreciate all of them.

And this short EP finishes with "Everyday I set my Gaze towards the East waiting for the Sun", is a very interesting track where one can enjoy the different colours and textures provoked by the instruments. The atmosphere may be darker than the previous songs, and the piano may be guilty for that, which does not mean it is bad, not at all. There are some moments here of apparent silence, but guitars are always there.

A very good four-song EP that can be listened and enjoyed anytime, but which in a certain way lacks of Krobak's essence, which in my opinion are his long and complex compositions. Here, none of these tracks explode, I was really waiting for that, but maybe Is because I am used to it thanks to previous Krobak experiences. Anyway this is just a slice of Igor's music. My final grade is three stars.

Enjoy it!