Kalemegdan Disk - ROCK FROM EASTERN EUROPE

Supraphon Release Information

Iva Bittová’s album “Čikori” is a smooth follow-up to the legendary 2LP “Bílé inferno” (White Inferno). It is signed by the same names, Vladimír Václavek, trumpeter Václav Kučera, double bassist Jaromír Honzák and drummer Miloš Dvořáček. The compositions bear the typical input of their parents – the gentle repetitive lyricism of Václavek’s guitar, the rhythmic solo parts of the violin and above all the amazing voice work of Iva Bittová. Václav Kučera’s winds are also given a great deal of space – rapid fire notes alternate with slow areas that often create a mood above the tinkling of the guitar strings. Dvořáček, the drummer, displays an incredible sense of rhythm and mood, his kit able to swing as well as hypnotize with ethnic monotony or command a post-war rhythm. Finally, the rare balance of all the instruments is confirmed by the brilliant double bass, which, in combination with the drums, is able to reach a rock-like edge.

There is not a single extra note here, and musical ideas are indeed not spared. Everything is enhanced by the album’s clear sound, energetic gradations even in the most delicate passages and the amazingly mesmerizing voice, the sixth instrument, whose ranges, positions, colourations and deformations leave the mind standing in mute amazement. A rarely balanced record, where perfect mastery of the instruments is a must, it withstands even the most rigorous standards, over the bar set by the “Bílé inferno”, “Čikori” swing with unprecedented ease. The album was originally released in 2001 and is being released on LP for the first time ever.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Kočka 6:10
2. Mravenčí síla 5:02
3. Křídla 9:28

Side B

1. Přání 5:11
2. Polykačka nožů 6:55
3. Zapískej 8:07