Until recent months, my knowledge of Slovenian music was non-existent. Now, thanks to tak:til / Glitterbeat unveiling diverse musical delights from around the globe, I can name two acts worthy of attention. October sees the release of ‘In the Wind of Night, Hard Fallen Incantations Whisper’ by avant-folk trio Širom, a trio utilising over 20 instruments, many of which they have hand crafted, to create a double album of rustic melodic folklore and non-linear song structure with half of the eight tracks exceeding the ten-minute mark.
More immediately and more thrillingly comes another trio, Etceteral, consisting of Boštjan Simon, baritone sax and electronics; Marek Fakuč, drums; and Lina Rica, visuals. As often happens with instrumental music, especially jazz-based, the lead is taken by the sax which fills any void left by the absence of vocals. While jazz of a futuristic and improvisatory bent is part of their charm, it is modernised by the presence of motorik rhythms and blasts of techno, all making for an energising concoction. More than on their previous two albums, ‘Kimatika’ has an emphasis on composition so that while the playing still has a wonderfully freeform feel, it is delivered in a concentrated form that gives it even greater power. Consequently, each of the ten tracks are relatively concise with none going much beyond the five-minute mark.
From the outset, ‘Kimatika’ is an exhilarating proposition. The first track, ‘Ljolo’, sets out their approach from its opening rhythmic jolts, its use of rhythm machines and pre-recorded sequences that they then play with and against, allowing them to mark a territory somewhere between The Art of Noise and The Comet Is Coming. What quickly becomes apparent is that despite or because of its complexities, this is music that is both enjoyable to listen to and inspires the desire the dance, as long as dancing is seen as an act of freeform expression rather than following a routine set of steps. That is particularly apparent on ‘Questions’, with its siren noise and groovy blowing from Simon.
There are mood shifts over its ten tracks. ‘Facci Sognare’ is bookended with ominous chords that would fit into a futuristic spy drama’s soundtrack before developing into a warped electronic dance track with indefinable time signatures. ‘Prepih’ sets off with krautrock synths before developing into frenetic funk combined with Warp-like bleeps. While ‘Gesualdo’ is led by repeated sax riffs, it jumps off into some prog keyboard grooves and ends like an alien invasion.
If ridiculous is a high form of praise for music, and in my world it most definitely is, the crazy blend of electronics, jazz and dub echo that is ‘Minus’ deserves the highest accolades. ‘Prepad’ maintains that mood with its fancy rhythmic footwork and ‘Brzice’ dices with toppling into chaos but just maintains its discipline and throws in some Eastern melodies for good measure. Closing track, ‘Kaneda’, places the rhythm track to the front of the mix before slowly fading out, a surprising choice for an album that is such a concentrated dose of energy but it is as if they are gently easing the listener back into a more mundane world. Otherwise, it is an album to which the concepts of gentle and easing are alien and it is easy to imagine just how exciting Etceteral would be performing in a club setting but, for now, ‘Kimatika’ makes for a more than adequate substitute.
Etceteral: Kimatika – Out 5 September 2025 (tak:til / Glitterbeat)
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
