Maillist
Various
- Soviet Funk Volume 1
- Format: Vinyl LP
- Catalogue Number: SSRLP268
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Secret Stash
- Release Date: 8 February 2010
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PRICE: £17.99 £15.99
Soviet Funk Volume 1
Over the past couple decades, slowly but surely more and more rare funk gems have been unearthed from all corners of globe; Africa, China, Latin America, and now Russia. This collection of Soviet Funk was all recorded by Pavel Sysoyev in Abakan, the capital city of Khakassia between 1971 and 1976.
Sysoyev was an employee of the USSR State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcast, and ran a recording studio intended to create content solely for the government-controlled media. However, Sysoyev frequently brought in his friends and run late night recording sessions when no one else was around. In spite of the loosened restrictions on art and music during the 70s, most Soviet citizens had very limited access to essential American funk records. Sysoyev acquired a small collection of US r&b and jazz albums in ‘68, but that was about it for him and his friends. Yet somehow, this small group of classically trained musicians was able to forge a funky sound of their own. Rooted much deeper in the jazz quartet tradition than the r&b styling of James Brown and The Meters, they tapped into a way of playing jazz with a relentless groove that is enduringly refered to as The Funk. Secret Stash Records was contacted by Sysoyev himself in mid 2009. In a matter of weeks a deal was reached granting the label rights to release these funky rarities. Hundreds of hours have been spent digging through stacks of dusty old master tapes to find the best of the best. ‘Soviet Funk Volume I’ is just a small sampling of his vast catalogue, and only a glimpse of things to come in future volumes. Listen closely and from time to time you will find elements of Russian classical music in the precision execution of oddly metered unison parts, complex poly-rhythms, and the use of time signatures other than the 4/4 so commonly found in most American funk. 10 track vinyl-only set, pressed on red wax, including free download card to access digital versions.
This release will not be available on CD.
Track Listing
SIDE A
01. pavel sysoyev: gostiny dvor
02. pavel sysoyev: zapovednik
03. pomogite: avantyurist
04. pomogite: snokhachestvo
05. pomogite: izvinite
SIDE B
01. victor chizhova & boris baykov: agentura
02. victor chizhova & boris baykov: chernosotenec
03. da/n’et: vyrodok
04. da/n’et: demagogiya
05. pavel sysoyev & victor chizhova: kak vas zovut
