DOLPHIN - "ZVEZDA" (2004)

Original album title: Звезда

Andrey Lysikov, better known as Dolphin, is one of the most important names of current Russian music.
From its beginnings in the early Nineties, his career is a tortuous path through rock, rap, and electronic arrangements. Before becoming a solo artist, he was the leader of projects like hip hop trio Malchishnik, alternative band Dubovyy Gaay, and experimental rock duo Mishiny Dolphiny.

Anyway, I think that his solo work is the best way to get to know him. "Zvezda" is his fifth album, and it represents the moment when Dolphin discarded rap to fully embrace rock music. 
It's an exciting record, especially thanks to producer Mewark, who provided lots of creative rhythm patterns and atmospheric electronic sounds, and Pavel Dodonov, a versatile, experimental guitar player. Dolphin himself is the author of both lyrics and melodies.

The most popular song is "Vesna", which is regarded as his anthem, but "Sumerki", "Chuzhoy", "Toska", and "Kiberpank" are also powerful examples of this hi-tech music with an epic and melancholic mood.

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MAREK GRECHUTA - "MAGIA OBŁOKÓW" (1974)

The second collaboration between singer-pianist Marek Grechuta and support band WIEM is another great album. 
"Godzina miłowania" is one of my favourite songs ever, a dynamic mix of progressive rock, jazz, funk, and poetry, with some devastating bass guitar parts, courtesy of a totally unknown player called Jan Adam Cichy.
The most popular song is "Świat w obłokach", with its baroque choral harmonies. 

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MAREK GRECHUTA - "DROGA ZA WIDNOKRES" (1972)

This is where Marek Grechuta started his collaboration with jazz-rock ensemble WIEM. Unexpectedly, the result is an easier album if compared to 1971's "Korowód": the songs are shorter and less timing is given to jam sessions and instrumental solos.

There are two main elements on this album. One is Grechuta's heartfelt voice, which declaims beautiful Polish poetry. The other is the double bass played by Paweł Jarzębski, whose articulated lines are very loud in the mix and dominate the arrangements. The rest is occupied by gently played guitars, some pristine piano parts, and lots of percussion.

Try to imagine a less-baroque Polish version of Gainsbourg's "Histoire de Melody Nelson", a part spoken album where the melodies are determined by the richness of the instrumental architectures.

It is not among Grechuta's most popular works, but it is celebrated by critics as one of his bests, and so it is.

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AGATA KRISTI - "OPIUM" (1995)

Original band name: Агата Кристи
Original album title: Опиум

This is one of the most celebrated Russian albums of the Nineties.
A dozen of powerful songs which mixes heavy synths, danceable rhythms, classical music orchestrations, dark atmospheres in the style of the Cure, and grotesque sketches influenced by the local folk tradition.
  
If you liked their previous work, "Pozornaya zvezda", then try this.

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DARKWOOD DUB - "ŽIVOT POČINJE U 30 OJ" (2002)

In their early years Darkwood Dub released a couple of funk-rock albums with harsh, experimental sounds (I've already uploaded one of them here).
After taking a short hiatus due to the war, they became an electronic band, facing styles such as downtempo, alternative dance, and ambient. 

"Život počinje u 30 oj" is just another beautiful album by this great Serbian band. Among the best tracks you will find "Dnevnik", with its house-influenced beats, "Vrtlog vira", with a suggestive noir atmosphere, and "Baobab", with that obsessive dub progression.

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