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Review: 'SOUNDS OF SPUTNIK (FEAT. UMMAGMA)'
'New Born'   

-  Label: 'Ear To Ear Records'
-  Genre: 'Indie' -  Release Date: '25th August 2014'

Our Rating:
For this debut album by Moscow-based post-rock guitarist Roma Kalitkih (aka Sounds of Sputnik), he finds fruitful collaborators in the shape of Ummagma; the Canadian-Ukrainian duo Shuana McLarnon and Alexx Kretov.

These two each contribute vocals; McLarnon's voice is the more prominent of the two while Kretov focuses mainly on the synth-beats.

The title track comes with five alternative versions and there are also three remixes of Light Scheme. It is something of a pattern with Ummagma to invite others free rein to remodel their songs as though the original were just a template.

Fortunately, it's a strategy that pays dividends as their tunes lend themselves well to disco treatments or else become subtle variations on a swirling, shoegaze model that is accurately labelled as "dream noise".

To a certain extent these are effectively re-launches of the same rocket but since each follows its own trajectory they are worth the repeat trips. The lyrics to New Born could be regarded as a working guideline for remixers: "weed out the bullshit till we find our grace".

Overdrive is the other track to feature vocals and is the nearest to a conventional, hard driving rock song.

Just in case you're worried they are going too mainstream there are two reverb drenched instrumentals Blizzard and Sounds Of The Cosmos to balance things up; the latter features some particularly fine fuzz guitar effects.

Given the current situation in Ukraine, any friendly collaboration with Russia is to be welcomed and when the resulting music is this good, it's an added bonus.


  author: Martin Raybould

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SOUNDS OF SPUTNIK (FEAT. UMMAGMA) - New Born