lollipoppe

label, mailorder and agency for
psychedelic music from Europe's East
www.lollipopshop.de
discography (CD):
Nu & Apa Neagra - Omag LSCD 08
Korai Öröm - Volume Zero LSCD 07
V/A - Eastern Space Cake LSCD 06
Volga - Selected Works LSCD 05
Gendos - Ham Dyt LSCD 04
Ole Lukkoye - Dream of the Wind LSCD 03
Sloterdijk - Intergration LSCD 02
Ole Lukkoye - Toomze LSCD 01
discography (vinyl) will follow
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new release:
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NU & APA NEAGRA – OMAG
LSCD 008), release date: June 17th
Formed in Timisoara, Romania, by Sasha-Liviu Stoianovici (self taught saz-player and visual artist) & Alexandru Hegyesi, the NU & APA NEAGRA sound project deals with a mix between traditional tunes, improvised vocals and spacey electronics. It started in 2001, as NU, being at the time more of a folk/free form music project.
Representing Romanian underground psychedelia, the group toured Germany twice in 2006, presenting their cdr 'At Gardina', which, in the meantime, received somegreat reviews. The group played club gigs and also festivals. NU's music has had airplay at radio stations like WFMU or Freies Radio Kassel, among others...
After some changes and studio work in 2007, NU 'reincarnated' as NU & APA NEAGRA and released the OMAG album at the German indie label Lollipoppe Shoppe in June 2008. The tracks have been recorded both in Berlin, Germany and Timisoara, Romania. The sound has became darker, being influenced by various trips in the mountains and forests of Romania. Field recordings, ancient instruments, strange overdubbing techniques, they all create a rough ethno-psychedelic sound, definitely a trademark of NU & APA NEAGRA. The title of the album is inspired by the very poisonous plant Omag, found in the traditional pharmaceutical universe of Romanians (Aconitum napellus). There are 13 original tracks, the 14th one being a deep and strange mix done by Welsh Alan Holmes (Ectogram, Parking Non-Stop). Live shows in central Europe are planed for late 2008.
Sasha Liviu Stoianovici – saz, voice, instruments, tape loops
Alexandru Hegyesi – accoustic bass
Vlad Sturdza - guitar
Calin Torsan - woodwinds
www.nu-apa-neagra.ro - www.myspace.com/projectnu
The Lollipoppe Shoppe | lollipopshop.de | 00 49 30 44 71 46 81 | D-10437 Berlin
NU & APA NEAGRA wurde von Sasha-Liviu Stoianovici (Saz-Autodidakt, Maler und visueller Künstler) und dem Bassisten Alexandru Hegyesi in Timisoara, Rumänien gegründet. Die Gruppe arbeitet mit traditionellen Motiven, improvisiertem Gesang und elektronischen Klängen und ging aus dem NU-Projekt, einem 'free form folk' Projekt hervor, das seit 2001 aktiv ist.
2006 spielte die Gruppe erstmals in Deutschland in Clubs und auf Festivals und präsentierte ihre selbst veröffentlichte CD "At Gardina".
Seit dem hat das Album positive Reaktionen und airplay erhalten, unter anderem im Freien Radio Kassel, Radio Blau Leipzig und beim amerikanischen WFMU Sender.
Nach Umbesetzungen formierte sich die Gruppe 2007 neu als NU & APA NEAGRA (apa neagra = schwarzes Wasser) und arbeitete an dem Album "OMAG", das in Berlin und Timisoara aufgenommen wurde. Der dunkle Charakter der Aufnahmen wurde beeinflusst durch Exkursionen in die Wälder und Berge Rumäniens. Fieldrecordings, alte Instrumente und Aufnahme-Experimente erschaffen eine raue Ethno-Psychedelia, die charakteristisch ist für den Sound der Band. Der Album-Titel "OMAG" ist inspiriert durch eine Pflanze der traditionellen rumänischen Pharmakologie (Aconitum napellus, dt.: Blauer Eisenhut). Neben 13 Aufnahmen beinhaltet das Album einen Mix von Alan Holmes (The Ectogram, Parking Non Stop).
NU & Apa Neagra - press reviews:
This group makes moody music based upon a variety of dreamy ethnical drones which are Indian (sitar,..), Middle Eastern (saz,..) or rather shamanic dance-like Eastern European flutes, percussion,..)) all based upon pure improvisation. The music is one big trip with various ethnical instruments, some keyboards and guitars that eventually add a flavour of psychedelia to the mix. Some backward voices are like odes to the deep trance, or a deeper dreamstate into music. An Eastern European version of (improvised-progressive) World Trance.
Psyche van Het Folk, Antwerpen, Belguim
NU vereinigen auf ganz eigenwillige Weise Elemente traditioneller Folklore aus Rumänien, Indien und dem arabischen Raum mit moderner Elektronik und Psychedelisch-Krautrockigem. Als Einflüsse nennt die Band selbst u.a. Mircea Florian, Phoenix, Can, Galactic Lilah, Sun Ra and Atman. Atman – falls die jemand kennt – ist vom Sound her sicher ein naheliegender Vergleich, ebenso vielleicht Embryo. Nur dass NU ihren ganz speziellen Sound eben dadurch erreichen, dass sie die Verbindung zur Electronic suchen. Sie selbst nennen es „psychedelic, carpathian/balkanic improvised music“. Dabei werden eine Reihe akustischer folkloristischer Instrumente wie Trommel, Maultrommel, Flöte, Saz, Sitar oder Gitarre, aber auch Synthesizer und Electronics verwendet. Hinzu kommt gelegentlich eine Art Gesang, der irgendwie an arabische Muezine oder indische Fakire erinnert (falls die singen sollten...).
Am reizvollsten und eigenständigsten klingen NU, wenn beide Welten – Weltmusik und Elektronik - sich aneinander reiben und doch klanglich einen erstaunlich stimmigen Soundkosmos bilden. Dann hat die eher meditative Musik des Kollektivs etwas von World Trance. Der Hörer taucht ein und verliert schnell das Zeitgefühl. Dies kann jedoch zusammen mit der stark improvisatorischen Ausrichtung den Zugang zur Musik auch erschweren.
At Gardina vermittelt eine stimmige Atmosphäre. Nach meinem Geschmack könnten allerdings die elektronischen Elemente noch stärker hervortreten, da gerade die Synthese aus Weltmusik und Elektronik das Besondere der Musik von NU ausmacht.
Christian Rode, Babyblaue Seiten
NU: At Gardina
NU is an excellent, psychedelic group from Romania that combines modern technology, Romanian folk music, Arabian sounds and kraut rock. The band uses a lot of ethnic instruments which gives their music some very interesting tones. This is their second release in addition to the demo released in 2001. The band is also featured on the Eastern Space Cakes compilation.
The album opens up with the short and minimal intro ”Coclauri” that is tailor-made to set the listener in the right state of mind. ”Frantza Cha(i)trip” includes organ, superb ethnic stringed instruments, little bit of rhythm and bass. This is an excellent, hypnotic track that has a bit mystical atmosphere. I could very well play this sometime while DJ’ing. The ancient-sounding vocals begin before three minutes have passed. The organ player freaks out at around the five-minute-marker. This psychedelic track is the longest on the album and lasts for over seven and a half minutes. “Ezaro” is hallucinatory, cosmic soundscape that swells in some weird reality. It’s a strange track that has electronics, backwards sounds, little bit of rhythm and sedate, heavily echoed vocals. The track called “Lautar” has some peaceful electronic rhythms, exquisite, ethnic singing and after one minute also some stringed instrument bringing in some Arabian vibes. “Gih” is ethnic folk and includes some pretty energetic playing with for example flute and different kinds of stringed instruments. “Bocet” is a strange, short and minimal number. Including sitar, “Tanz 7” is a pretty psychedelic, drone-like great raga. The very ambient “Flaut” has just some minimal flute and windy noises. The short “Tschimpoiu” includes some horns and reeds. The peaceful “Tub” is an atmospheric track that has vocals, backwards electric guitar stuff and some drum banging. The short “Cu Tili” is a rather brisk folk piece that, I guess, has just acoustic instruments. The album finished with “At Gardina” that begins as a relaxed sitar drone but grows a bit later on. Some rhythms join in and at some point also the organ makes an appearance. At around four minutes the track starts to move a bit more. This is rather psychedelic, marvellous ending for a very rewarding album that I’ve been listening a lot during the last few days. Luckily, the band is just planning their first actual CD or vinyl release on the German Lollipoppe Shoppe Records, let’s hope this materializes soon since I for one like this stuff a lot!!
DJ Astro, PsychotropicZone, Finland
„Ezaro von NU aus Timisoara, Rumänien ist ein „Lost in Space“-Meisterstück, das in Science-Fiction-Philosophie-Filmen wie „2001“ sehr gut aufgehoben wäre. (Reh-Zensionen # 57)
Korai Öröm – Volume Zero (lscd 007)
The Lollipoppe Shope (LC 10626)
release date: May, 12th 2007
"Volume Zero" is Korai first CD-release outside Hungary und thus their 10th CD. The album collects tracks from the past 10 years and is conceived as some kind Best-Of in order to reach a broader audience outside their home country.
Korai Öröm is amongst the most popular live acts and festival bands from Hungary. The Big Band collects up to 10 musicians on stage and 2-3 VJs for the light show. Their career began with a tape release on Hungary's legendary Trottel Records and their first steps outside the contry were made as a support act with the similarly legendary VHK / Galloping Coroners. The band's first two Cds are considered masterpieces of contemporary European Psychedelia and they are considered to be an equivalent to the English Ozric Tentacles. Since their third album "1997", the band started to absorb and transform club-sound-aesthetics which is manifested by two remix albums in 1998 ("Recycled") and 2003 ("Reflected"), while the band's own DJ-crew keeps spinning records even after an up-to three hour live show with no apparent shortage of energy well into the morning hours.
The band has toured all over Europe and played, besides Hungary's neighboring countries, in Russia, Ireland, England, Italy, France and Bulgaria. Among the highlights of the band's vita were the participation in the Solipse Festival/Ozora/HU on the occasion of the solar eclipse in 1999, their sountrack contribution for Turkish/German director Faith Akim's roadmovie "Im Juli", 2000 and thier overwhelming appearnce at Germany's Herzberg Festival in 2005
The band has toured all over Europe and played, besides the Hungary's neighboring countries, in Russia, Ireland, England, Italy, France and Bulgaria. Amnong the highlight of the band's vita were the participation in the Solipse Festival/Ozora/HU on the occasion of the solar eclipse in 1999, their sountrack contribution for Turkish/German director Fatih Akim's roadmovie "Im Juli", 2000 and thier overwhelming appearnce at Germany's Herzberg Festival in 2005
Beside 5 tracks from thier records "2005", "2001", "2000" and "1997", "Volume Zero" contains two mixes of the "Reflected" album along with a rework by Greifswald's (Northern East Germany) Al Haca Soundsystem.
Korai Öröm often created confusion in regard to both their album titles and track names: as the albums simply were titled acoording to the year of appearance, the titles were simply given names according the order on the albums. "It's not about lack of fantasy", states the band "the pieces and the albums just have no titles, because the message of Korai's music cannot be translated in words". (That information for the radio presenters among us).
The CD comes in a cardbordbox and the cover artwork is by Valery Shalabin (a "psychedelic" painter from Petersburg and friend with Ole Lukkoye) € 10
further information on the band and booking: www.korai.hu / www.lollipopshop.de
+49 - 30 44 71 46 81