KROBAK

A project by our own Prog Jester(Igor) who besides playing and making Post-Rock albums is big into Stoner Rock with his other band. I forgot I had this one until someone posted a link to one of the songs from this album on another site. I searched and found it. My first listen was so good. It was on the weekend just before going to bed and I had planned on just sampling it but ended up listening to it all. Unfortunately this is one of those rare albums where each listen to follow has left me less and less impressed. It sure takes patience even more so than normal with a Post-Rock record as this evolves at a snail's pace. Still I highly recommend Post-Rock fans to check it out, especially the final track with the title so meaningful "Marching For The Freedom We Have Lost" as Igor is from Ukraine. Lots of great sounding guitar and violin in this all instrumental album. 3.5 stars.

Krobak's "Little Victories" album is the second studio release for this Post Rock band from Ukraine, following their album "The Diary of the Missed One" in 2008. The album is totally instrumental, encompassing atmospheric passages of emotional music consisting of violin played by Marko, bass by Asya, guitars by Igor and drums by Natasha. The musicscape generated has hints of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in the way that it builds gradually and patiently with repeated musical patterns, glazed over with some sweet slices of violin. It is the violin that tends to stand out often, played with finesse throughout. The medleys range from melancholy and dreamy to ferocious distorted guitar blasts. The music virtually pounds like a heartbeat and then softens to a lull in the quiet serenity of acoustic vibrations.

Each track is augmented by its own unique sound, very different than most instrumental albums I have heard lately. The music is housed in an attractive package with striking artwork by Kuba Sokolski depicting a deep sea fish, pencil drawn in an ancient Oriental style with simplistic lines and two tones. The artwork mirrors the music that is equally simplistic and to the point. When heaviness is required it is presented in the raucous distorted guitars, and when peace is needed, it is stripped back, brought forth in lush passages of violin and acoustics. Listen to 'And there by the River I lost my Glasses' and 'Amnesia' for some great examples of this band's style. "Little Victories" is an album that should appeal to those who enjoy the Post Rock style that has emanated from the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, without the brooding darkness that usually accompanies such music.

"Little Victories" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Ukrainian post rock act Krobak. The album was released through MALS Records in September 2013. "Little Victories" is available on the band´s Bandcamp profile. Krobak was originally a one-man act founded by Igor Sidorenko and the debut full-length studio album "The Diary of the Missed One (2008)" was recorded solely by Sidorenko. A few years went by with a few concert appearances and the release of some splits, but Sidorenko didn´t feel Krobak got the attention that the project deserved and lost his enthusiasm for it. After recording and touring for a couple of years with his stoner rock act Stoned Jesus, he got his enthusiasm for the project back and started assembling a lineup. He found like minded musicians in Natasha Pirogova (drums), Asya Makarova (bass) and Marko Nikolyuk (violin) and with Sidorenko on guitars the lineup was complete.

The music on "Little Victories" is slow building and atmospheric instrumental post rock with some nods toward ethnic folk in the melodies. It´s greatly dynamic music with both mellow melancholic parts and more louder, and at times, quite heavy parts. Krobak are a tight playing unit, but it´s the organic quality of their performances that are the real asset here. This is actual living people playing and you can hear it. The bass and drums lay the rhythmic foundation, while the guitars play either heavy or more atmospheric chords and notes, but it´s the violin that often defines the sound. Beautiful melancholic themes delivered with passion, on top of the more basic post rock foundation, work like a charm.

The 50 minutes long album features 5 tracks of post rock which will take you on an emotional ride through a landscabe of melancholy, heaviness, and slow building atmospheres. The repetitive slow building element of the band´s music predominantly works really well, but there are times where it´s drawn out a bit too long, like on the 15:01 minutes long closing track "Amnesia (2013)". A track which was featured in it´s original version on the Krobak/Krikston split from 2007. The remaining material are also from that early period of Krobak´s existence, and are re-arranged and re-recorded for "Little Victories".

"Little Victories" is packed in an organic sound production, that suits the music well. Upon conclusion "Little Victories" is therefore a quality release by Krobak, featuring intriguing compositions, great musical performances, and a well sounding production and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

Ukrainian project KROBAK has been around for a few years at this point, with digital releases dating back to 2007 issued under this moniker. These initial productions were the result of the ideas of Igor Sidorenko, who ran Krobak as a one-man band until 2012. At that point the one man band evolved into a four man strong band unit, and "Little Victories", released through the Russian label MALS Records in 2013, may be regarded as the debut album by Krobak as a full fledged band.

Krobak doesn't expand the borders of the post rock universe with "Little Victories", but they do have an effective and well made take on what to my ears sounds like fairly traditional post rock of the instrumental variety. Frail light toned guitar details alternating with dark toned, beefy guitar riffs with a distinct textured feel to them, with mournful violin solo on top as the main contrasting element. That's basically what you'll find on this album, and if you enjoy post rock utilizing these elements as the main, dominating effects then you will most likely find this disc by Krobak to be of interest as well.

The very first time I played this I just wasn't sure what to think. The melodies are sometimes fairly simplistic and often repeated, and there is a great deal of space between the instruments; but as is often the case, one doesn't get the most out of an album just by playing it once. The more time I spent with this, the greater the rewards. The bass and drums keep everything together, although there are times when one or the other is absent depending on what is required, leaving just the violin and guitar as the leads. Sometimes they duet, sometimes they contrast, but themes are brought in and played with and it is the 'simplicity' and repeating of motifs that actually makes this album what it is.

This is truly an album that creates its' own space and dimension, a world where nothing else matters. The only way to truly get the most from this is by playing it on headphones and being removed from everything else that is going on, as this is music that definitely rewards those who are willing to invest the time in getting to know it better. If I had reviewed this after only playing it a few times I would have been scratching my head trying to work out how I could break it to Igor that I really wasn't a fan. But, having listened to it a great deal I am happy that I am able to go to him and say that he has created something that is quite different to most prog albums I listen to, namely that they have created something that is all about emotional connection with the music with a low note density. I have surprised myself with just how much I have enjoyed playing this, and the digipak artwork from Mals also shows that this is something a little out of the ordinary. Listen to some of their music on Bandcamp and discover it for yourself. krobak.bandcamp.com

And the prog-jester shows his talent once again!

Most of the older members of PA know that between us there are several people that besides reviewing and debating about progressive rock, also are musicians, and one of them is Igor Sidorenko alias prog-jester. Since he shared with us his Diary of the Missed One I felt interested in his music, and Ive been especially following each new Krobak effort: Full-length album, EP or split, now its the turn of his 2010 released entitled Blind Parade.

To be honest, Ive wanted to review it since at last two or three months ago, when Igor kindly enlightened me to it, but there was something that stopped me: I was not that enthusiastic, so I wanted to listen to it more and more, to see if my love for it increased, but that did not happen.

Blind Parade features three long compositions and a total time of 4' minutes. The first song is the title track and also the longest one. It starts softly with some far voices that will vanish seconds later; then some kind of funeral drums appear and mark the rhythm, while guitars are playing different tunes as both, back and foreground. The music is repetitive, which does not mean it is boring, not at all, actually I enjoy listening to the different figures and elements he produces with the guitars. Before minute five there is a change and the sound is more friendly and joyful.

Another change appears at minute eight where the previous mood fades out and a new guitar appears. I recognized it since the first listen, this new passage had been used as a part of Marching for the Freedom we have Lost, a track featured in the Gdeva split. This part is pretty good because of its gradual progress, I like the game that the different guitars play, while one sounds delicate and far, other appears strong and near.

The second track is Slow Train, to be honest, the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the first seconds, was that Bjrk song called Ive seen it all, I dont know if Igor is aware of it, but it sounds too similar. Anyway, it is just for some seconds, because later some male voice appears (I ignore the language) and keeps talking for a minute, then some tense atmosphere is created, seems to be wind in a dark and lost place. Later, the sound of the train re-appers for a couple of seconds, opening the road to the guitars. Now with the guitars, a new structure is being built up with a constant rhythm that all of a sudden is broken at minute five, when the voice appears again.

That voice speaks again for a minute, until a delicate guitar starts, this is the kind of soft but emotional guitar sound that one can appreciate in several post rock bands. After minute eight the song takes a heavier way, however, it is stopped again by that voice, here I have a problem because I have no idea of what is he saying, actually I cannot even imagine it, as much as Ive tried, Ive failed. After this last appearance the song produces a sad and desolate atmosphere.

The last song of the album is Fading Flow. In this track I can hear some Talk Talk reminiscences, at least in the drums, and I know Igor like them, so they might have influenced him. Some minutes later, disarming strings appear and produce a slightly sad atmosphere, and then when keyboards appear you can imagine a new scene, a new place with different images and characters walking or flying. Then it suddenly slows down, seems that it will end, but no, it starts again

This is not the typical Krobak song, full of emotional guitars, this is a soft and peaceful composition whose textures might appeal to the listener, but you have to be patient, otherwise, you may get bored after some minutes. It happened to me, actually, and to be honest this is not a song that really caught my attention, despite Ive listened to it several times.

Well, this is a good album, the talent of this Ukrainian man is evident, the compositions are complex and of high quality, the problem here is that despite I tried, it never convinced me as much as I wished. Now I can say I enjoy much more his Diary of the Missed One album, and after all it is a matter of subjectivity. Anyway, I am proud of Igors works and I recommend you to listen to Krobak, you will have a good time for sure. My final grade will be three stars.

Enjoy it!

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!

Another split.

The music of Krobak caught my attention since I first listened to "The Diary of the Missed One" a couple of years ago, Igor's talent impressed me and invited me to listen to more of his music. Since then, I have been interested in knowing more of his releases, and thanks to him, who kindly shared his music with me; I've been in touch with some of his split albums.

In 2008, "Long Forgotten Road" was released. This split was done with Monocube, who was (or is) an unknown project to me, the only thing I can say is what Igor said in his own review; Monocube is a one man band from Odessa. So, pardon me if I cannot add anything else about it. What I can comment, is about his song in this split, which is the first track and it's called "21 Grams", I immediately thought about the movie with that name, but I don´t know if the title was inspired by that. The music here can be relaxing, thoughtful but even boring if you are not in the mood. Eleven minutes with the same slow style, bass notes with a melancholic feeling that are accompanied by some soft noises as background. It is not bad, and in this case I enjoy it, despite its repetitiveness.

The second track as you can imagine, comes from this Ukrainian one man band called Krobak, the title is "The Secrets of Stagnation" and lasts over twelve minutes. The first moments are very calm, notes that sound far but that gradually progresses. After a minute drums appear, the mood is the same but a few seconds later the electric guitar arises with power. The song little by little is becoming stronger with the addition of instruments and guitar figures, so despite its repetitiveness (as the previous song) you can truly enjoy this because of that slow but constant progression.

In minute four, the song slows down, some instruments fade away and all of a sudden the sound of a rain appears, announcing that something new is coming. It is a very nice passage where the synthesizer effects help a lot, they create a fresh atmosphere that is filled with some guitar noises. Everything was good (of course to me) until minute the song makes a drastic change some seconds before eight minute. Igor describes it as Funeral Drone Doom, I have no idea of what it is but what I can tell you is that I don't like it at all. The song was pretty, but with these noises it was ruined. So I prefer not to listen to the final four minutes.

This is a good split with a couple of nice songs, the only thing against it is what I just said, those last four minutes. However I am pleased once more with Krobak's works. My final grade will be three stars.

Enjoy it!

Decent split from these Ukrainian talents!

Since at least a couple of years ago, I have followed some of Igor's works; he is a very talented musician whose creativity can be appreciated in several projects, Krobak is my favorite.

His debut full-length album (Diary of the Missed One) was a pleasant surprise and a constant and enjoyable listening. He has also made several splits with other talented musicians from his land, which I believe are their friends.

Last year he released a "Krobak ? Somnolent" split, that offers one song per artist. That Somnolent band was unknown to me until this time, so I didn't really know what to expect, last.fm tags them as "funeral doom" or "doom metal", only god knows what that is. The Krobak song is called "Park Luny", which is included in his first material, but as I read from prog-jester's review, this is the first demo version, so it is interesting. It is a dreamy song at first, some very gentle sounds and a charm atmosphere. After minute 3 the song takes another direction, the entrance of those bass lines adds a different feeling, along with the guitars which are gradually progressing until they turn very emotional, that moment is precious. The last two minutes are very calm, again charm and dreamy.

The Somnolent song is called "Visible Word Eraser", ten endless minutes to my ears, the guys are talented of course, but I believe the kind of music they play is not my cup of tea at all. The music is too slow and the raw vocals does not help, after minute six it becomes a bit heavier, but the rhythm is still slow the final part is a bit more interesting due to the guitar work.

My final grade will be 2 stars, like Krobak's song, dislike Somnolent's one, but anyway it is a nice split, good luck for these guys.

Enjoy it!

Krobak is a one-man project by a guy by the name of Igor Sidorenko. He also has a lot of other music projects that have nothing to do with this style (which is a true testament to the guy's diversity as a musician and songwriter), but this particular project records mainly Post-Rock, so those who don't like they style of music already probably won't find anything here that will change their minds, but for those of us who do appreciate Post-Rock, it's quite a treat.

The album begins with an almost Asian-inspired tune before moving into the song proper. The first three minutes or so are very peaceful-- sounds like a lullaby. Then a very lovely, soft lead guitar section comes in. There are obviously a lot of influences from much better known Post-Rock acts, here. but there is still a lot to like, as well. The music found here is very simple, effective and emotional. I just love stuff like this. Always makes me drift off into very peaceful states of mind, and god knows we all need those peaceful times in our lives. I would say this is my favorite song on the record. It's just the right length, and has an eery sense of calm that really speaks to me. Just gorgeous.

Really cool harmonics start off ''By The Music of the Autumn Trees'', and soon a very sorrowful, dreamy tune comes in, and my heart soars. It's really great how Sidorenko is able to create all of these layers with guitar sounds. I'm very impressed by all the emotions and sounds he has managed to convey through just a single instrument. Despite the beauty to be heard here, I have to admit I feel the song stays a little too stagnant for a tad bit too long, but only barely so. By the six minute mark, things have finally changed again. and the song progresses forward.

A slow-paced middle section then leads into the first prominent movement with drums featured. Simple stuff happening there, but it gets the job done. Just before the song hits eleven minutes, things start to get a bit heavier. Things then briefly die down before finally the most powerful, hard-hitting moment on the record yet comes crashing in, full-force. There is then a rather nice, 'bouncy' movement of music featuring what sounds like sampled drums, but they are very tastefully handled. This particular musical direction continues until the track's end.

''The Fried Bull's Blues''. I love the intro. It's very avant-garde, and undoubtedly the most 'proggy' moment on the album yet. A lot of the first three minutes of this track is based on atmospheric soundscapes rather than actual music, but it also helps make this the most interesting moment on The Diary for me. It reminds me of the middle section of Pink Floyd's ''Echoes'' quite a bit, and serves the same purpose; to emotionally stir and upset the listener in a way no traditional piece of music ever could. Finally, at around 3:21, we get our first glimpse of real instrumentation.

The double guitar harmony section in this part of this song is quite lovely, but soon a very intrusive (but intentionally so) sound sweeps in out of nowhere at 5:15, and the first time I heard it, I actually removed my headphones, because I thought the sound was coming from somewhere in my house. Quite effective, I must say. Of course, that is not the only instance on this album in which environmental noises invade the calm of the music, and sometimes it works better than others, but overall it helps give a slight sense of unease underneath the otherwise placid soundscapes.

I wonder if perhaps this track also doesn't get a bit long in places. Overall, it's a decently paced piece, but I think some trimming here and there may have benefited it a slight bit. But if there are any slight lulls, they don't last very long, and at nine minutes, things are changed up again, this time making way for a very trippy, spacey guitar lead at around 9:23. Then at ten minutes, the distorted guitars come in again, wiping away the shiny veneer. This song is only halfway finished.

At near 11:40, a very groovy drum beat takes center stage while the distorted guitar slides its way into what could possibly be the record's darkest moment. It isn't particularly pretty or reassuring, and instead is quite angst-ridden and urgent in its attitude and presentation. I suppose that was the idea, and it does work, but I think perhaps it could have had a little more direction. But by fourteen minutes in to this, things seem to be back on track. More soaring guitar can be hard blanketing the roughness of the star guitar, which is still quite grungy and distorted at this point. This makes for a very nice contrast of styles and emotions.

More noisemaking that begins at 16:40 ends up being the remainder of the song, all the way to the 20:52 mark. It's truly bizarre how so much of this is coming from the guitar itself, and not additional pre-recorded noises. Obviously the latter is present on this record, as well, but on the whole, a lot of what you will hear that sounds like a synthesizer is most likely just a guitar being run through some sort of effect. Pretty inventive stuff, really.

So, it's a really solid effort. Nothing groundbreaking per se, but said it has to be? If you want some really cool Post-Rock stylings with heavy emphasis on atmosphere and mood, I think you'll be happy with Krobak's first studio album. I very much look forward to hearing a second full-length studio release in the future.

Happy (yet noisy!) listening.