I will not go too deep into my ‘acquaintance’ with Kadaitcha. My initial ‘appreciation’ has, besides my acquaintance with the sympathetic Andrii, two sonic sources as well: the Tar album, which just blew me away (figuratively, for I am too muscled -hehe- to be blown apart), and the collaborative work Dotla, a symbiotic effort of Kojoohar and Ködzid Goo.
Never mind… A short while ago, Yurii Samson and Andrii Kozhukhar had another recording finished, which got released, once again, via Ant-Zen. It was printed on vinyl (but I think it has sold out), yet there’s still a digital option available, of course. I do not know what the meaning of this album’s cover might be, for the word ‘tramontane’ might refer to a dry, suffocating wind at the one hand, or the mental state of hallucinosis after being totally drunk – yet then again, it might be something totally different too. The picture has some seed-like expression, like the awakening of new / renewed / reborn essence somehow. Ah, I like this confusing enigmatic demeanor…
But does it matter? No, for all three sort-of definitions might be applicable. Tramontane presents itself as: ’time lasts as a fossil beast, as the yells of liars, as the whispers of prophets; hear the master before he leaves, mind solely the victim. a fruit and a claw mark thereon, a dirty seed and a vacuous paradise. when will your beast quench its thirst? what is the ground of your confidence when this crimson mist is growing ever more viscous? black, mortal, unappreciated. white, dreadful, alive. on the slope, in curses, in oneiric masks. the night won't end, it's not the night. the bonfires burning down, the last songs rustle. for everyone to leave, for anxiety to recede. are they, the ones who left, the strangers or are you a straggler? and the sun that has no heat henceforth is nothing but an incinerating fire.’ It’s a f*ckin’ twist-of-mind, and so is the aural content. …yet then again, that sonic approach is oh so satisfying.
Before focusing on the sonic content, I think I cannot but mention the harsh circumstances this duo underwent before finishing this recording. The original writing and recording sessions started a while ago, yet since their home country got invaded and occupied by the Russian war-machinery, Andrii and Yurii had to make some tough decisions, both personally as when it came to this specific album. it was not easy to finish the entire process, yet eventually they did.
So, Tramontane is an album reminiscent of the former Kadaitcha material, yet then again it goes little further at the very same time as well. The effort explores territories of industrialized, Ambiental, droning and noisy dimensions, through in-depth experimentation and out-of-the-box-thinking investigation. At the very same time, seen as a whole, the album is a coherent tale in concept and essence, and despite the huge variation (or better: thanks to the immense variety), the whole Tramontane tale is much more than just a sum of ten individual pieces.
A first remarkable element is the fine equilibrium of ‘new and old’. Without any doubt, Kadaitcha delve deep into the origins of the post-industrialist and archao-electronic scene(s). A certain ‘core’ does refer to the origins of the Old School, when pounding and pushing textures and dark-beating complexes sort of created a newly discovered sonic spectrum. This album surely finds some of its inspiration within these antiquated sources. Yet then again, Tramontane offers the audience a provocative hint of post-modernistic sub-defamation (in case this description does exist…), for penetrating the old-styled nucleus with neoteric elements, although being brought and expressed in a honorable subtle and modest nature.
The equilibrium in between the melodious scenery at the one hand, and the expeditious and kinetic energy at the other, works remarkably well. For one thing, you have the intensity of harsh, dissonant electronics, with some heavy beats, shrieking strings, frenzy experimental injections or violent noises. Then again, in full contrast, the narrative voices, mesmeric synth-waves and bewitching drones act like a black-and-white opposite. And it works, oh yes, it does.
Elements from Psybient, Experimental Noise, Dark Drone, Apocalyptic Industrial, Death Industrial and Power Electronics, and even Post-Rock or Shoegaze, replenish the Post-Industrial / Ambient / Angstpop substantial core that surrounds this album both essentially and vitally. The whole gets bathed in some dense, reeking mud, balancing in between the extremes of electronic noises and nebulous ambiences. Tramontane has grown into a conceptual adventure that trespasses the limitations of electronic, industrial or noisy Music, by canalizing all these angles into one characterizing yet mind-twisting aural adventure. Totally veiled in a morbid, even cynic nebula of anger, disgust and disdain, the result represents, or better: reflects, man’s scorn towards the current evolution of humanity. …malformed beauty to define the ugliness of procreated progression…
https://ant-zen.bandcamp.com/album/tramontane
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/kojoohar-k%C3%B6dzid-goo
https://www.facebook.com/kadaitchamusic/