Leonid Fedorov - Lilovyi Den (Geometry, 2003)

Those of you who are compulsive music explosers have probably heard of Auktyon, severely described by some as being the most offbeat Russian pop band. Truth is, you're likely to find way more "out" music within a matter of seconds but Auktyon do something unique (at least to my music collection) by molding the traditional Russian musical scheme with western methods of entertainment and with avant-garde elements as seasoning. Leonid Fedorov is the primary creative force behind the band and he's crafted three solo albums thus far, of which Lilovyi Den is the latest.

The way the music shrinks from the usual band sound to a more singer/songwriter approach is particularly obvious (but compelling, nonetheless), while the album's gimmick (don't worry; in my conception, all music is based on gimmicks so there's nothing derogatory about that) is particularly mind-boggling in its simplicity: most of the tracks seem to be personal songs of some dimension (the instrumental details are already pretty advanced by this point), on top of which a layer of samples is added. The thing is, the samples seem most out of place, being drawn from sources that evoke images usually diametrically opposed to those of Leonid's own compositions, adding no coherence to the songs on a first listen, but making sense on a hyperbolic scale of listening tension.

The album gets better and better with each track, really. The very last one? A droning pastiche of mournful balladry juxtaposed with processed Yma Sumac samples. Perhaps being acquainted with the Russian spirit is necessary for gaining appreciation of this album. What you should know, though, is that if you're having a cold and rainy autumn right now, it's the utmost proximal thing you need.

This album is compatible with a fondness for the Czech New Wave.

For fans of: a drunk Serge Gainsbourg, faux musique concrète, this review on RYM: "On first listen: most confusing album I've ever encountered".