Strange Games - [Lenningrad] vinyl lp (due to size and weight, this price for the USA only. Outside of the USA, the price will be adjusted as needed) (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
PE 03
We did a deep dig into the lost warehouse to come up with these; they are new and unplayed, but they’ve been sitting for over 30 years and there may be small corner dings, seam splits from travel, etc etc.
These are the original issues on Points East, which was ReR’s pre-CD vinyl label ‘dedicated solely to new music from Central Europe’.
"The musicians do not bear any responsibility for publishing these tapes"
“Strannye Igry (Russian: Странные игры, Strange Games) was a Soviet Leningrad-based new wave band, noted for using the ska influences (which was unusual for the Soviet music scene of the time), writing lyrics based on the translations of the early 20th century French poetry and indulging themselves in all sorts of buffoonery on stage. The Leningrad avant-pop experimenter Sergey Kuryokhin was their regular collaborator. Six of Strannye Igry's songs featured in a 1986 split double album Red Wave which also featured Aquarium, Kino and Alisa.”-Wikipedia
“The second Stranniye Igri album is still regarded as one of the classics of the Leningrad underground scene. The band progressed their Ska-Zolo sound into weirder territories that resembled something like The Specials going for a picnic with The Mothers of Invention and Devo.
We get the sense that something isn’t right about Stranniye Igri right from the start with the opening track ”Уренгой-Помары-Ужгород”. A frantic and cartoonish instrumental (unless you consider the counting singing) that is like a cross between Облачный край [Oblachniy Kray] and music for Soviet Cartoons (Остров сокровищ [Treasure Island]).
The album is definitely an acquired taste. If you are an extremely serious person who calls Frank Zappa, Mr. Bungle and The Residents ”Spork-Core” as an insult, this album is probably not for you. However, if you are somebody who likes weird, original Rock music and isn’t afraid of dated synths, goofy jokes, and just wants to have a good time enjoying the great songwriting skills of the charismatic Sologub brothers, I’d recommend giving this record a spin. The language barrier should not be a problem since Stranniye Igri was one of the first Russian bands to completely abandon the Bard Rock tradition (all of their lyrics are just translated poems of various Italian and French poets apparently).
Smotri V Oba sold fairly well for an Avant-Garde Rock album, the album was even re-released on the official Melodiya record label. In the West, the album caught the attention of Henry Cow, who praised the band for their amazing songwriting skills (this is something I got from one of Alexander Lipnitskiy’s radio shows, I will believe him).”-rateyourmusic