YAO 91404 D - Key of the Abyss

Ultra obscure music, and ultra obscure Literary Quotes. Life doesn't get better than this - my two favourite things fused into a smoking, nuclear socket of Russian goodness.

YAO 91404 D is (to the best of my knowledge) a very elusive, very secretive solo project from Russia. Very little information is available anywhere online, but the project actually has eight releases available (only five are listed online anywhere).

Problem is, these releases are so ultra limited that no one is likely to ever hear them. "Key to the Abyss" for example is restricted to just 68 copies, but this is ultra generous for Tchernoblyad (of the project) as his most recent work was a ridiculous 14 copies. A few of you following my reviews closely may recognise this name, and it is time I explained why.

YAO 91404 D seeks to sandwich board all of Russia's defining moments in its collective experiments, themes and sounds range from everything from Yuri Gagarin's Lunar missions to the Communist age, and the workers being crushed under machine and steel. Typical Industrial, but from a Nation that just knows how to flex its musical muscles appropriately.

It's easy to say all these tracks are untitled, and I guess they are, but any Russian adepts among you are welcome to e-mail and correct me on this.

Anyway. the album is dedicated to Ilya Masodov - The Last Soviet Write as he was effectively known. To be precise, one of his works was called Key to Abyss" and it is that which themes this album.

Album begins with a Russian speech (also have no idea who is speaking or what is being said) before we are introduced to pleasant (sic) static loops, and fantastic Industrial scratches. To get a feel of the kind of delivery that Yao 91404 D deliver, this is five tracks and over an hour in length. Not one for people who prefer their industrial to sound like Laibach or Autopsia. This is as raw and ruthless as the Iron Whip of Stalin. Revolution, Revolution, as Public Enemy would say.

The speech is on the second track too. Judging by the picture of Yuri Gagarin on the tape cover, I assume it's him. Time for a beautiful change of ethics. Track 3 is a very quiet number, which kicks into a very etched 1940s style brass band number. This could be Chuck Berry, or anything staged in Weimar-era Berlin. What the hell is going on? Communist Jazz? Interesting. The track is 20 minutes, but the Jazz serves as an intro before it picks up into a subtle Power track.

I have to admit, I don't know what the hell to say about YAO 91404 D, except I like it!! I don't even know why! It's so obscure, boisterous, and wild. Maybe it's just the knowledge of the forbidden. Knowing I have heard something I was never meant to.

Seriously though, Russia, what the hell is going on? Stop making such wonderful Industrial music!

Dosvedanya! Jan 01 2006