Four years after the release of his funky debut ‘Novy Svet EP‘ on Czech imprint Visky Recordings and a short detour via Zambon’s USSR-focused ‘The Very Soviet Cut Outs‘ last year, Belarussian producer Alik Khomiak aka Schmoltz makes a return on the mysterious skull-emblazoned Bahnsteig 23 with two addictive edits of Eastern discoid and onomatopoeic punk-funk.
Breezing in delicately, ‘Ze Sky Iz Blu‘ passes like a warm breeze on your neckline – a female voice whispering the same auspicious mantra like an evanescent, heavenly call. Spacious as a weather-beaten landscape under the cerulean sky, the rhythm is numb and languid; each delayed riff’s closing note nose-dive like a bead of sweat trickling down a sunburnt skin and evaporating just as swiftly.
Schmoltz proves to be a subtle arranger, breathing in inch-perfectly spaced-out respirations between guitar and harmonica solos and the Russian-sang verses, letting the Summery flavour expand to well-suited proportions. Putting the emphasis on an infectious bass line and Rhodes-driven melody, echoed by cowbells and playful mouth noises, ‘Dai Mne Piau‘ is quite a coltish party-starter.
“Ze Sky Iz Blu. Ze Sky Iz Blu. Ze Sky Iz Blu. Ze Sky Iz Blu. Ze Sky Iz Blu. Groove Groove Groove iz furher. Psych Soft Rock iz leibhaber. Am und am. Dai Mne Piau…Owww. Owww. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Piauuuuu….Ugh“: The press release sums up the record’s overall yoghurt’y nature quite convincingly without spoiling its simple pleasures and unpredictability. Fizzy and blithe, impish yet finely executed, ‘Bah027‘ is a beaming double-faced melter.
Bah027 is out now, order a vinyl copy from Juno.
TRACKLIST
A. Ze Sky Iz Blu
B. Dai Mne Piau
Discover more about Schmoltz and Bahnsteig 23 on Inverted Audio.