GARLIC YARG - Somewhere Over The Rainbow Blue Wolves
A Smolken side project. Music improvised by the quartet of D. Smolken, the rev. C.L. Umper, A. Wolfings and Edmund Antonio Korson. Five abstract-folkish improvisations and six short fuzzy outbursts. CD-R released by Nokahoma Records.

Elsewhere
Somewhere
Under
Over
The Cloud
The Rainbow
Black
Blue
Goats
Wolves
Fly

Reviews

Foxy Digitalis
May 31, 2004
Rating: 8/10
Smolken the digger... there is no character like him in underground music today. From his Polish roots to his love for black metal, the sounds he creates often act as the anti-music. Strip out the melody, the light, and the rhythm and you're left with decaying notes and strained sounds. It can be a hard pill to swallow, but once it's in your system, there's no going back. This is the first session of Garlic Yarg, Smolken's improvised project to offset Dead Raven Choir. The M.O. is similar, and the sound produced will be familiar to DRC fans. But in this setting, it's like the noose around the music's neck has been loosened a bit. Tracks like "Elsewhere," "Under," and "Black" remind me of the harsh noise from "Sevenfold Songs of Death," while the 12 minute "Over" has all the elements of "Wine, Women, and Wolves" minus the vocals. In fact, Garlic Yarg might appeal to more people because I know many that are turned off by DRC's over-the-top vocals (though I strongly disagree with those people!). It's on the quiet moments, though, that this album inches toward greatness. "Blue" is my favorite piece. It goes from a jagged, de-tuned romp before settling itself quietly in the swamp. Combining these sparse moments with the loud, distorted noise keeps this album from ever getting boring. It's like walking through an unfamiliar neighborhood and never knowing what lies around each corner. In the end, these murky improvisations seemingly implode and collapse on themselves. And for my money, there's something really beautiful about that.

Cold
Autor: Mirt
lipiec 2004
Prawdziwe zaskoczenie przyszło jednak z projektem Garlic Yarg. To, co otrzymałem, to pokaźny, sprawiający wrażenie lekko nieokrzesanego, zbiór utworów, który... zapiera dech w piersiach. Noisowe odjazdy stoją obok leniwych, psychodelicznych, lołfajowych ambientów. Charakterystyczne Smolkenowe pauzy i tu się pojawiają, ale są tylko jednym z wielu elementów. Bardzo barwna muzyka, niesamowity klimat. Leniwy odjazd, który może kojarzyć się momentami z dokonaniami naszego rodzimego Brasil & the Gallowbrothers Band (taka mała kryptoreklama). Wiele zaskakujących momentów. Nie spodziewałem się tego! Respekt, jakby chłopaki z osiedla powiedzieli.