KSHETTRA – Thou Art That
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It’s been four years since I reviewed two albums by Russian duo Kshettra consisting of Boris Ghas on bass and Viktor Tikhonov on drums. Back then they already used guest musicians to pump up their sound, but it must be said that they were rather dark back then. The music had a certain drone / sludge quality, played often at a sedate pace, resulting in sometimes really long tracks. When I was told that their new album sounded very different, I was sceptical at first, because artists of claim that their new material is so much better than anything they did before. In the case of Kshettra, the praise is justified. Not only does the duo play more instruments themselves, and not only have they teamed up with Gosha Rodin on French horn player on all the tracks, but there are also additional musicians so that there is a whole panoply of instruments: bass, drums, guitars, French horn, saxophones, synthesizers, sequencers, violin… To describe the band’s sound is quite difficult. There are elements of post rock, definitely a progressive rock attitude, with all of the synths and wind instruments also a nu jazz vibe, with all taken together making for a heavy brew that will leave you speechless. The songs are mostly instrumental, with some poetry reading happening here and there, and even though I don’t understand the Russian texts, I still can enjoy the language’s melodic delivery. The first four songs on Thou Art That are totally spectacular. They run between four and six minutes, and not only show Kshettra from an unexpected accessible side, but also surprise with songwriting that I wouldn’t have hoped for after their gloomier predecessors. The saxophones and French horn are an important part of the sound, while the duo is putting their rhythm section this time in the favour of the song. Also new is the guitar which is played in a jazzy way, and when all is said and done, these tracks sound are perfect as Tortoise on the best days. The second half is a little more experimental, with one short minimalist poetry song wedged between two longer songs, where the first combines post rock with sequencer motifs and the last comes with ethnic moments. In these times where most bands just walk the safe path, it is so rare to find yourself pleasantly surprised. Kshettra have really surpassed themselves this time. Instead of indulging in drone moods, they have this time thoroughly composed their music. If you fancy jazzy Soft Machine, Henry Cow from the Rock In Opposition movement and early post rock bands, you will be delighted by how effortlessly Kshettra combine these different influences into their very own sound. |
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7 songs |
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39:53 minutes |
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***** **** |
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Genre: progressive post rock / nu jazz Label: Addicted |
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