Eastern/South European Prog Blog

Djordje Ilijin Mojim ucenicima /"To my students"( Belgrade, Serbia, former Yugoslavia, album issued in 1983)

Edited by ko - July 29 2010 at 00:21

Kilhets http://www.artstudios.de/kilhets/

This is one of those documents I thought would never see the light of day. I first saw Kilhets in 1979 (it was their 3rd concert) in Prague, back in the days of strict control and secret police, when imagination could be expected to be treated as subversion. A vanishing rarity in the CSSR, Kilhets essentially played free improvised electric music, far from jazz, far from most anything - it was a home-grown laboratory for a new music, something the East-bloc wasn't supposed to have. With hoods and painted faces (whether part of a general alienation effect or a nominal disguise I'm not sure) three (later four) extremely talented musicians (all active more visibly in other bands) just made it up as they went along. On the continuum noise - silence all points were occupied; this was a music that came seemingly fully formed out of nowhere. What makes it doubly fascinating is that these players were not part of a fashion or a school - there was no other music like this in the CSSR, nor was there any ready public for it. Kilhets just played this way because they had to and, at least in the beginning, they also had to invent their own rules and aesthetic. In those days, concerts in the CSSR were few and far between, and each one was a special event. In 2 years Kilhets managed 8 performances, which was pretty good going, and five of them are contained here (1, 5 & 7 are missing). They are all very different and the ones I find most interesting are the first two and the fifth - which is the most conceptual and intense. The others have their moments (some may prefer them - there are even snatches of The Residents' songbook and a lot more quotes from the rock lexicon in them); they are clearly keeping on the move. However, this is not for everyone; you have to be interested or curious and ready to be bemused. That said, this is an important document and a significant piece of lost history that will need from now to be taken into account.

Hi guys,I am from ex Czechoslovakia now Czech rep.Please check these out!!!!!
Kilhets(70¨s,80's experimental,zeuhl,rio)
Svehlik(similar to Kilhets)
Extempore
Zikkurat(Rio,experimental)
Pražský vyber(amazing band like Pere Ubu-Modern Dance) released album Straka v hrsti in 1982,btw it is qouted best album of all time in Czechoslovakia
Electrobus
Dvouletá fáma
Uz jsme doma (highly recommended,Samla Mammas influence with punkish roots,they started as one of the best punk bands in the history FPB and transformed to UJD))these guys were asked by The Residents to play 20 of their songs on 20th of October this year in Olomouc  .They already played with The Residents Freak show in Prague.Great clip is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Ip76wb4dU Their shows will blow you away!I promise that.
The Plastic people of the universe.What else can you say about them,so much was written,I can imagine to live without thir music and their influence on the fall of communism.I am very proud what they achived,in their music you can here and feel the pain and pleasure at same time,their music was so heavy anticomercial and antisocialistic,almost scary I can't blame komunists scared of PPU,never found another similar group of people in music.,What thay have done you can call Heroic!I recommend The Plastic people of the Universe & Agon Orchestra - Passion Play cd.

^The band is under evaluation, and it looks the process goes quite successful

I am glad you like it!

"Racja brachu, wypijmy za to, kto z nami nie wypije tego we dwa kije" 

I won't go that far harmonium.ro 

anyway, I tried lately Bijelo Dugme (yugoslavian band) I found on PA, but it turned out to be a pretty nice rock, but not really progressive...

But I was surprised to see Goran Bregovic in members because I knew him from his present work, which is hmm... let's say he does duets with a minor polish pop stars, and the result of this work are hits played mostly during rural weddings

All these countries, including Poland, are put together. I could have named it Eastern European / Central European / South-Eastern European / Baltic states / Balkan states, but that wouldn't fit into name limit category ?

Besides it's pointless, most people will figure out.

As far as I hear, Czech Republic is country that would be "the most Central Europe" country. It's sometimes dubbed as "heart" of Europe, but purpose of this thread isn't to discuss proper naming, or to conceive the best name for this thread.

Purpose is to talk about music.

Well, geographically Romania is 100% Eastern Europe. But you should know that Central Europe is also a historical/cultural term much more than a geographical term.