Merrie Melodias #7 - Outsiders' Signals

Uzbekistan-based DJ and boss of the experimental ТОПОТ label Eugenie Galochkin presents rare vinyl rips from the Soviet Melodia label. Melodia has released music from all around the world: from obscure Baltic electronica and free jazz from Siberia; to synth-pop from Tajikistan and academic avant-garde from Ukraine. The series will explore how national and cultural characteristics are embedded in musical language.

In 1991, in the last year of the Soviet Union's existence, Melodiya decided to embark on a pioneering experiment in product marketing by launching the Signal Series of records. Each record in this series contained fragments of four new albums to be released, and the envelopes contained sketches of their artwork. The listener was invited to vote for their favorite artist by sending a written request to the major's editorial office to order the record through the label's official store. In essence, Melodiya launched the process of the first democratic elections in the Soviet Union.

In total, the series included 10 LPs with fragments of upcoming albums by 40 artists respectively. Most of them were bands playing the fashionable gorby rock - the so-called “red wave” guitar music of Gorbachev's perestroika period with screaming socio-political lyrics and manifestos. However, the series also included music by Russian art-rock bands, which at that time had already become cult in underground circles and had their own army of listeners (AuktsYon, NOM, NOL, Object of Mockery and others).

I compiled this episode from the music of projects that were less honoured by listeners - their albums were never released on Melodiya in full form. And the label was shut down shortly after the release of the last LP in the series. You will hear outsider new wave, occult hard rock, national reggae, free jazz and mesmerising folk. I'm kidding though - one project on this tracklist did release their debut LP on Melodia. You have one hour to guess who it was.

Tracklist

Ансамбль Солнцеворот — Кого нету - того очень жаль
Выход — Непрерывность простых вещей
Рашид Фанин, Игорь Ким — В ночь лунного затмения
Знаки-Препинаки — Столица растений
Бриллианты от Неккермана — Постовой
Восточный синдром — Скольжение
Клуб Кавалера Глюка — Водяной пистолет
Присутствие — Река
Дэйв Рэйв — По всей земле
Юрий Ильченко — Певец
Отражение — All you need is love
Время любить — Социальный рок
Патриархальная выставка — Зов
Записки мёртвого человека — Помни о смерти