-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: Eko & Vinda Folio
ALBUM...: Therapy
GENRE...: Indie
STYLE...: Indie Pop
YEAR....: 2019
LABEL...: Talitres
LANGUAGE: Georgian
COUNTRY.: Georgia
PLACE...: Tbilisi
ENCODER.: FLAC 1.3.1 -8 -V
BITRATE.: 874 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / 2 channels
SOURCE..: CD
TRACKS..: 10
SIZE....: 245.30 MB
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/ekovindafolio/
- TRACKLIST
1 Therapy 4:39
2 Endlessly 4:21
3 Ramble Around 4:02
4 Out There 3:19
5 Nisliani 4:22
6 Emotionally Captive 3:46
7 Me As A Sound 3:46
8 Lucid Thoughts 3:20
9 He Was All Of Them 2:40
10 Holding A Brick II 4:56
Total Playtime: 39:11
NOTICE: TAL112CD is the correct catalog number according to the discogs
entry added by the label itself. Thus the catalog number on the
cover (TAL112LP) seems to be incorrect. Couldn't find any other
catalog listings for the CD or LP on the internet - Not even on
Talitres' webstore.
https://www.discogs.com/Eko-Vinda-Folio-Therapy-/release/13825924
https://www.discogs.com/release/13825924-Therapy/history#latest
*
Eko & Vinda Folio are the Georgian Tbilisi-based duo which involve Erekle
Deisadze (vocals) and Temo Ezugbaia aka Vinda Folio (guitar, vocals). Their
music mixes different styles from dreamy textures to post-punk and coldwave
lines.
*
It takes a bit of imagination to come face to face with Georgian debut album
Eko & Vinda Folio. Imagine knowing Tbilisi and having learned enough to
understand what the duo are saying. Perhaps also imagine that the group
revealed to the Talitres label, which welcomes them through Vlad Parshin, the
leader of Motorama, does not come a few years later to extend the work of the
great group from Rostov Sur le Don. And the thing is not simple: it takes
some time to explain to our ears that Eko & Vinda Folio is an original band
and not a romantic side project and a lighter bit in bass from Motorama
himself.
The two members of the duo Eko & Vinda Folio, Erekle Deisadze (vocals) and
Temo Ezugbaia (guitar and vocals), have been working together since 2012.
They are part of the enlightened and protesting youth of the country of four
million inhabitants, agitated since decades by internal divisions and by
proximity to its invading Russian neighbor. A true cultural melting pot
between Asia, the Russian world and Western Europe, Georgian culture is now
dominated by an English-speaking youth, which does not prevent our two
musicians from expressing themselves here in Georgian, a Kartvelian language
not pricked by chafer and which is characterized by its subtlety and
grammatical complexity but also by its melancholy melodism. The first album
of Eko and Vinda Folio took a few years to materialize. We reported three
years ago of a first single that set the tone and would not have mismatched
on the album. Therapy begins with "Motorama-style" guitar arpeggios. The
titles of the songs are in English and draw a territory where emotions reign
supreme, an abstract and confused territory where we try to bring together
its effects and reflect on the passage of time. Emotionaly Captive, Lucid
Thoughts, Out There, Ramble Around. That's about all anyone will know or
understand from Erekle Deisadze's beautiful bass voice. The Georgian language
has an entirely Latin elegance (which it is not) in phrasing and flexibility
but is sometimes overtaken by quite guttural accents which slow down the
sequence of harmonies. The music is, as with Motorama, in chiaroscuro mode,
posed in a desolate urban environment where a window remains open on the
great spaces and allows to breathe the distant landscapes. The tone is
new-wave, pop but definitely less dark and sepulchral than in the Russian
neighbors. Endlessly is a ride that one could call sweetly popular. The
chorus is playful, the tone playful as if it were taking a long walk with the
loved one and sinking into romance forever. This idea of ??a sentimental
stroll is sublimated by the guitar motif that opens the sumptuous Ramble
Around, one of the prettiest songs on the record. Eko and Vinda Folio
sometimes give the impression of adopting standards of the Italian variety,
so much their music expresses the sweetness and delicacy of the first
attentions. The vocals are low-key, secondary, and even more set in the
background that we don't understand a thing. The choruses, instead of
occupying the center of the pieces, seem cut to bring interest back to
melodic transitions and instrumental sequences.
The music of Eko & Vinda Folio finds its balance and its deep meaning in the
taking of space, between the notes and between the musicians. It is this time
which passes between the singer's covers, attacks and breaths, which sets the
music in motion and constitutes the true originality of the record. Therapy
acts as a soothing balm, applying a false languid rhythm to our sentimental
wounds. Out There is an exercise in weightlessness that is extended by
Nisliani's rehearsal. Our ear tries to distinguish the titles from one
another and does not always succeed. This reduces the force of the disc and
obviously blurs our perception. The album sometimes sounds like a long,
atmospheric piece in one piece, stirred up by subtle variations of the same.
We're not sure what Emotionally Captive brings, but that doesn't stop us from
melting into the quiet beauty and charming obviousness of Me As A Sound. The
end sounds like the covers of New Order by Peter Hook, flickering and on the
edge, and allows you to tap into what the duo still lacks to reach the level
of the Mancuniens: a bit of going in the starts, of spirit of decision and
readability on transitions, of character to let the emotion slip and help him
climb the curtains. Lucid Thoughts is too restrained to thrill but He Was All
of Them is solid on its foundations, evoking by the abrupt simplicity of its
arrangements the tones of the Greek Vagina Lips. Holding A Brick II offers
the record a more electro and cold wave finale which opens up a more electric
and moving horizon for the group.
Eko and Vinda Folio could evolve into more vigor and edge. Therapy
nonetheless remains a very beautiful back-to-school album, tender and
evocative, poetic and inviting to travel. We would have liked more variety
and engagement, knowing that this melancholy only comes from repetition and
relies on his ability to play and thwart in a pocket handkerchief. Our heart
is Georgian. He is small and is afraid of his shadow. This album provides the
benefits of staying in a sanatorium or reading Thomas Mann, which is the same
thing.
-
Il faut un peu d'imagination pour se confronter au premier album des GΘorgiens
de Eko & Vinda Folio. Imaginer qu'on connaεt Tbilissi et qu'on en a appris
suffisamment pour comprendre ce que le duo raconte. Imaginer peut-Ωtre aussi
que le groupe rΘvΘlΘ au label Talitres qui les accueille par l'entremisse de
Vlad Parshin, le leader de Motorama, ne vient pas prolonger - quelques annΘes
de distance l'£uvre du grand groupe de Rostov Sur le Don. Et la chose n'est pas
simple : il faut un certain temps pour expliquer - notre oreille que
Eko & Vinda Folio est un groupe original et pas un side project romantique et
un brin plus lΘger en basse de Motorama lui-mΩme.
Les deux membres du duo Eko & Vinda Folio, Erekle Deisadze (au chant) et
Temo Ezugbaia (guitare et chant), travaillent ensemble depuis 2012. Ils font
partie de la jeunesse ΘclairΘe et protestataire du pays aux quatre millions
d'habitants, agitΘ depuis des dΘcennies par des divisions intΘrieures et par
la proximitΘ avec son voisin russe envahissant. VΘritable creuset culturel entre
Asie, monde Russe et Europe Occidentale, la culture gΘorgienne est dΘsormais
dominΘe par une jeunesse anglophone, ce qui n'empΩche pas nos deux musiciens de
s'exprimer ici en gΘorgien, langue kartvΘlienne pas piquΘe des hannetons et qui
est caractΘrisΘe par sa subtilitΘ et sa complexitΘ grammaticale mais aussi par
son mΘlodisme mΘlancolique. Le premier album de Eko and Vinda Folio a mis quelques
annΘes - se concrΘtiser. On rendait compte il y a trois ans d'un premier single
qui donnait le ton et n'aurait pas dΘpareillΘ sur l'album. Therapy dΘmarre avec
des arpΦges de guitare ½ - la Motorama ╗. Les titres des chansons sont en anglais
et dessinent un territoire o- les Θmotions sont reines, un territoire abstrait et
confus o- on essaie de rassembler ses effets et de rΘflΘchir au temps qui passe.
Emotionaly Captive, Lucid Thoughts, Out There, Ramble Around. C'est - peu prΦs
tout ce qu'on saura ou comprendra de ce qu'exprime la belle voix de basse de
Erekle Deisadze. La langue gΘorgienne a une ΘlΘgance toute latine (qu'elle n'est pas)
dans le phrasΘ et la souplesse mais est parfois rattrapΘe par des accents assez
gutturaux qui freinent l'enchaεnement des harmonies. La musique est, comme chez
Motorama, en mode clair-obscur, posΘe dans un environnement urbain dΘsolΘ o- une
fenΩtre est restΘe ouverte sur les grands espaces et permet de respirer les paysages
lointains. La tonalitΘ est new-wave, pop mais nettement moins sombre et sΘpulcrale
que chez les voisins russes. Endlessly est une balade qu'on pourrait qualifier de
gentiment populaire. Le refrain est enjouΘ, le ton badin comme s'il s'agissait
d'entreprendre une grande balade avec l'Ωtre aimΘ et de s'enfoncer dans la
romance - jamais. Cette idΘe d'une dΘambulation sentimentale est sublimΘe par le
motif de guitare qui ouvre le somptueux Ramble Around, l'une des plus jolies
chansons du disque. Eko and Vinda Folio donnent parfois l'impression de reprendre
des standards de la variΘtΘ italienne, tant leur musique exprime la douceur et la
dΘlicatesse des premiΦres attentions. Le chant est discret, secondaire et d'autant
plus situΘ - l'arriΦre-plan qu'on n'en comprend rien. Les refrains, au lieu d'occuper
le centre des morceaux, semblent taillΘs pour ramener l'intΘrΩt vers les transitions
mΘlodiques et les sΘquences instrumentales.
La musique de Eko & Vinda Folio trouve son Θquilibre et son sens profond dans la prise
d'espace, entre les notes et entre les musiciens. C'est ce temps qui s'Θcoule entre
les reprises, les attaques et les respirations du chanteur, qui met la musique en
mouvement et constitue la vraie originalitΘ du disque. Therapy agit comme un baume
apaisant, en appliquant un faux rythme langoureux sur nos blessures sentimentales.
Out There est un exercice d'apesanteur que prolonge la rΘpΘtition de Nisliani. Notre
oreille tente de distinguer les titres les uns des autres et n'y parvient pas toujours.
Cela attΘnue la force du disque et brouille Θvidemment notre perception. L'album sonne
parfois comme une longue piΦce atmosphΘrique d'un seul tenant qu'agitent de subtiles
variations du mΩme - l'identique. On n'est pas certain de ce qu'apporte Emotionally Captive,
ce qui ne nous empΩche pas de fondre pour la beautΘ tranquille et l'Θvidence charmante
de Me As A Sound. La fin sonne comme les reprises de New Order par Peter Hook, vacillantes
et sur le fil, et permet de toucher du doigt ce qui manque encore au duo pour se hisser
au niveau des Mancuniens : un brin d'allant dans les entames, d'esprit de dΘcision et de
lisibilitΘ sur les transitions, de caractΦre pour laisser filer l'Θmotion et l'aider
- grimper aux rideaux. Lucid Thoughts est trop en retenue pour emballer mais
He Was All of Them est solide sur ses bases, Θvoquant par la simplicitΘ abrupte de ses
arrangements les tonalitΘs du Grec Vagina Lips. Holding A Brick II offre au disque un final
plus Θlectro et cold wave qui ouvre un horizon, plus Θlectrique et remuant pour le groupe.
Eko and Vinda Folio pourraient Θvoluer vers plus de vigueur et de tranchant. Therapy n'en
reste pas moins un trΦs bel album de rentrΘe, tendre et Θvocateur, poΘtique et qui invite
au voyage. On aurait aimΘ plus de variΘtΘ et d'engagement, tout en sachant que cette
mΘlancolie ne tient que dans la rΘpΘtition et repose sur sa capacitΘ - se jouer et dΘjouer
dans un mouchoir de poche. Notre c£ur est gΘorgien. Il est petit et a peur de son ombre.
Cet album procure les bienfaits d'un sΘjour en sanatorium ou de la lecture de Thomas Mann,
ce qui revient au mΩme.
*
A country with multiple influences, located on the borders of Europa and
Asia, Georgia sets Caucasian peaks up and draws a handful of seaside resorts
along the Black Sea. We have drunk its sparkling wine, tasted its raviolis.
We are acquainted with the long tradition of polyphonic singing, but we don't
know much about its nightlife and the rising importance of today's music
scene. We needed to visit Fabrika (a multicultural place that houses Vodkast
Records, the country's only independent record shop), and get to know the
coolness of the Tbilisi Open Air Festival (Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai and Unkle
are three of this year's headliners).
The youth is dancing, and the youth is composing. Eko & Vinda Folio* are two
of the worthiest representatives.
Erekle Deisadze (vocals) and Temo Ezugbaia aka Vinda Folio (guitar, vocals)
met in 2012 as they were both students. The Tbilisi duet joined a protest
movement, considering music as a vector of social emancipation. "Activism is
like an alternative culture in Georgia", they confided to the webzine Soul
Kitchen at the beginning of 2017 upon the release of their first EP on
Talitres.
Distancing themselves with politically oriented songs, "Therapy", their debut
album (out sept. 20, 2019), delivers an enchanting romanticism, a secret
place where each one of us can draw dreams. The two musicians define here the
contours of a poetic and singular universe punctuated by enigmatic lyrics
(all the more for us).
For this chant is a journey in itself. On some tracks, Erekle Deisadze's deep
voice (quite sepulchral sometimes) makes way for Vinda Folio's. The Georgian
language, holding the round intonations of its letters, creeps in into us,
slowly and lastingly. This music, gracefully oscillating between cold wave,
dream pop and dancing rhythms (of a dark and cold dance, but so much
addictive), borrows influences from British post punk and sticks to the
musicians' everyday life.
*We hear about the project through Vladislav Parshin, leader of the band
Motorama, who posted on the social networks a video of the musicians.
-=- SHGZ -=-
-=-=-==-=-=-
Shoegaze
is a genre of alternative rock that
originated in the late 80s. The genre is very
difficult to define, and it is even more difficult to evaluate music
within it. Generally, the genre is characterized by its
shimmering vocals, reverberating guitars, and
textural distortion that create
a tranquil, opaque
feeling.
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