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Mike Ezzo "Exposé" Mikhail Chekalin My expectations for the music of this Russian synthesist were admittedly bloated: his "Meditative Music for Decomposed Organ", an LP recorded live in1982, came to my attention a number of years ago, and left me duly impressed with the man's creative depth. Not since many years back had I heard such originality wedded to istenable results. Fred Trafton, “New Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock”, 11/18/07 Meditative Music for a Prepared Organ Volume 1 and Volume 2 is a re-release of the three-LP Meditative Music for the Decomposed Electro-organ series on 2 CD's. This is a series of solo live improvisations on a "prepared" electronic organ. No synthesizers, no overdubs. Of course, since the "prepared" part of this is that the organ is plugged through various effects boxes, the distinction between this combination and a synthesizer is sort of academic. Don't let the instrumental description fool you ... this is electronic music without a doubt. These albums are where Chekalin really sounds the most like Klaus Schulze. So if you like that sort of slow, developing, spacey electronics, you should find this to your liking as well. All the more impressive for being solo live improv. Julian Cope, "Battiato. Fetus" Review #14, July 2001 CE " Vinyl of the Month award must certainly go to EMOTION/REPETITION by the Connie Capri Organ Chamber Orchestra, whose jungle drums and banks of fizzing red and black Vox and Elka organs put me in mind of something off MEDITATIVE MUSIC FOR DECOMPOSED ORGAN by Russia¹s Mikhail Chekalin, or perhaps John Cale & Terry Riley¹s 12-minute piano duel ŒIdes of March¹ as covered by Klaus Schultze on his epic ELEKTRONIC MPRESSIONEN LP. Like me, those of you with a dislike of pastiche-y overly retro album art should simply look away and open your ears to the music itself. For this limited edition 12² contains eight truly minging drum¹n¹drones that really deserve a place in the record library of most 21st Century Inner Space Cadets. www.headheritage.co.uk/addressdrudion/112/2008/ <…>Throughout my early-90s re-appraisal of Krautrock, umpteen records were pushed my way, accompanied by the comment: "If you like so-and-so, you’ll love this lot." It was the manner in which I discovered the ambient genius of Russia’s Mikhail Chekalin, the rush and roar of Gunter Schickert’s G.A.M., Italy’s Warholian freakouts via Le Stelle di Mario Schifano, the monochrome psychedelia of the lost Czech refusenik ‘ensemble’ M.C.H., plus a whole other raft of strange European bands. I even rediscovered the middle-period genius of Magma’s Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh and Kцntakцsz, both of which I had loved during my pre-punk teens but never thought to re-visit. But my dedication to defining the lost art of Krautrock meant that many of these other non-German pioneers got lost in the shuffle, as their albums slipped out of pole position and back into the racks marked ‘undefinable’. <…>
www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/ / " * MEDITATIVE MUSIC FOR A PREPARED ORGAN" (2 CD) (CITADEL"http://www.citadelrecords.net/artists/chekalin-e.shtm") 2003 Electrosputnik, Russian Electronica Store, Mikhail Chekalin "Meditative Music for a Prepared Organ" Citadel CTCD 046 (Russia) Named as ‘one of the most radical and innovative musicians’ of today, Mikhail Chekalin is quite famous in the circles of avant-garde music fans. Influenced by Russian classical music and synthesizer sound, Chekalin has released a number of critically acclaimed records during the several decades of his career, while open dissemination of his music was restricted during the Soviet times. This is the second part of Meditative Music for a Prepared Organ, recorded at a concert session in the late 1970’s and originally released on a triple album by the Soviet record company Melodia in 1991. Now, with the help of Citadel Records, this music is once again available to discover and enjoy, this time for the international audience. All the tracks on the album were recorded in one take, without recourse to any multitrack equipment or computers. The only technology Chekalin used during the recording session was an electric organ and harmonizer effect for vocals. The result is quite amazing, especially considering the extremely limited music setup. The artist generated massive layers of ambient sound, with interesting additions of classical and even choral elements. Unlike the first volume of the set, the tracks on the second CD are somehow more positive and moving. The delayed melodies are floating around, creating a truly magical sphere. At times, the sound starts running like modulated liquid in a fast analogue river. The music here is much more playful with stronger emphasis on melodies and harmonies, which build up to form amazingly beautiful moments. Very emotional, it almost makes you cry. If you’re already familiar with Chekalin’s work, this is a good chance to get your hands on that rare Melodia album, if you are not – an excellent opportunity to start exploring immediately. Audion #58, UK "...on his earlier LP's. In sharp contrast to those, the "Meditative Music for the Decomposed Electro-Organ" series came as a huge surprise. These are possibly 90% organ performances that, like most of his work, are performed live, obviously with the aid of much trickery, delay lines, echo devices and such-like. These bizarre excursions often hint at the pioneering music of Oskar Sala, the very early Klaus Schulze, and elements as diverse as contemporary classical music or the more atmospheric and of the systemic field of Terry Riley or Peter Michael Hamel. involving organ and other instruments. Talking of contemporary classical - further releases have the words Symphony or Concerto in the title." Alan Freeman |
