Prog-Nose

Release: 2010 Style: RIO Label: www.altrock.it Website: Myspace: www.myspace.com/rationaldiet Playing Time: 46:30 Cat. N°: 00000 Review by: Misha Rating: 10/10

One of the greatest music discoveries, Rational Diet will blow your mind. Of course, if you are into this kind of music – RIO, Rock In Opposition. To understand, what they are playing, think of Univers Zero, Henry Cow, Aranis, Bella Bartok, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and may be just a little bit of Art Bears and King Crimson. This kind of musical intensity you don’t find very often. For me, the overall experience of their last record “On Phenomena and Existences” is like if I listened to “Red” of King Crimson for the first time. Amazing, how sharp, dense and intelligent this music is composed.

From the very first note, the album grabs your attention and don’t let it go until the last sound is blown. It breathes unstrained composing geniality, mathematical preciseness of performing and tons of rehearsing sweat.

The sound of RD is more a classical chamber ensemble than an electric band. Even electric guitar sounds basic, played without devices. Strings, reeds and piano are dominating. This probably makes RD sound out of any time reference point. This music could be made in the beginning of 20th century or somewhere in 23rd. In other words, it is ageless. However, it is unmistakably rock music!

Rational Diet is based in Minsk, Byelorussia. The band was formed in 1996. The first album dates from 1999 - “From the grey notebook”. The group collaborates a lot with modern artists, participates in theatre performances. It is a pity for us, listeners in the West, that it is so hard for a musician to get abroad of the last European dictatorship. Luckily, they were discovered by Italian label Altrock somewhere in 2007. In that year, Altrock reissued "The Shameless", recorded earlier in 2004. After that, RD managed to perform a few shows in Poland, Germany and Italy. They took part in Altrock fest in Milano, Italy in 2008 and in Rock In Opposition Fest' 2010 in Carmaux, France. Unlucky for me, I missed all these events. I am definitely going not to repeat this mistake again!

Besides the fabulous “On Phenomena and Existences”, I ordered their previous album, “At Work” from 2008, also available at Altrock.it. And I enjoyed every bit of it too! It sounds a little different, but not less fantastic. By the way, have you already discovered other bands available at Altrock.it? If everything there is on the same level as Rational Diet, Yugen and Aranis, than it is a very good place to be, for a lover of alternative rock music!

Without doubts, 10 out of 10, this is a masterpiece, absolutely recommended for funs of experimental classic or rock music.

Tracklist: 1. Sleep is teasing a man (4:34) 2. Human life in the wind (4:14) 3. Somebody in the spacious tail-coat (2:53) 4. Unexpected feiertag in chemnitz (1:05) 5. A man went to sleep (4:26) 6. Chamber illuminated by the dark lamp (1:46) 7. Bet on a marked card (2:09) 8. In the late summer (1:49) 9. Living the main life (5:49) 10. Private secrets of machine (3:08) 11. Weimar period (1:46) 12. The end of the almshouse (2:24) 13. Passacaglia in beautiful and furious world (5:05) 14. In five steps (5:22)

Musicians: Vitaly Appow - reeds Cyrill Christia - violin Dmitry Maslovsky - bass Anna Ovchinnikova - cello Olga Podgaiskaja - piano, organ, voice Nikolay Semitko - drums Maxim Velvetov - guitar Guest: Viacheslav Plesko - double bass (3)