Kotlovan - In the Land - Song Review - Vintage Progressive Rock from Everett, Washington, USA
It isn’t an easy time to write about music, since it hasn’t been an easy day, week, month, or year since February 2022. Today, I am sitting outside in nature under a beautiful, bright, and sunny day in Helsinki, yet feeling sentimental, that made me think of how I used to spend bright summer days like these with my family back in the day, while listening to the thrilling concept of Kotlovan, with their latest single, "In the Land."
Kotlovan - In the Land (Official Audio)
It doesn’t take too much time for Kotlovan to start proving themselves to the world when you listen to "In the Land" for the first time. These American collective or the solo artist of this project Farkhad Saidmuratov have the necessary twist in their craft not only in their understanding of progressive music but also in their language, and, turns out, their music doesn’t sound American at all. I remember it captured my attention every time I heard the Asian folklore influences in the verse section that brought back memories of The Hu among with Turkic, Mongolian, and Scandinavian folk. The collective flawlessly blends folklore with art and 80s prog rock influences, demonstrating a hallucinatory journey that pulls the listener from reality.
Moreover, the band has similarities with names from different geographies such as the American Pink Floyd, Turkish Baris Manco, and Finnish Kingston Wall in their rich instrumentation, also sounding both vintage, fresh, and nostalgic at the same time. Beyond the vocals, the song also stands out for its powerful instrumentation, synths, guitars, bass, drums, and other additional elements. Although Kotlovan might not be an orchestra, their music mimics the compactness of movie soundtracks.
Composition-wise, it rightfully reminded me of Opeth for being simple yet progressive, feeling like the journey can take unexpected turns at all times. In brief, it made me want to hear more of them, although with huge expectations this time.
On the other hand, there's not much I can possibly add if I were asked to produce Kotlovan’s upcoming record. Their standards showcased in this song are quite established, specific, and personal to an extent that I would not dare to make any suggestions.
In conclusion, discovering Kotlovan, who reminded me of bands that involve folklore I used to listen to, has been a great pleasure without a doubt. A captivating journey that incorporates prog rock with Central Asian folklore in the 80s vintage soundscapes, sounding fresh and nostalgic at the same time. I truly enjoyed listening to this band. Thank you for reading.
Kotlovan's latest studio release; "Mementos" credits:
Farkhad Saidmuratov: production, engineering, drums, percussion, drums programming, vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, bass VI, Rhodes, piano, synthesizers, flute, recorder, jaw harp, effects, field recordings, dombra
Ilya Krisa: effects (“Memento 34”)
Don Farwell (Earwig Studio, Seattle, WA): engineering
Erik Takuichi Wallace (Shibusa Sound, Bellingham, WA): mixing
Ed Brooks (Resonant Mastering, Seattle, WA): mastering
Christopher Newton: additional engineering (“Memento 34”)
All tracks written by Farkhad Saidmuratov, except “1st of March” written by Mikhail Kolesnik & Farkhad Saidmuratov
Cover art by Vilvarion, Farkhad Saidmuratov & Ilya Krisa
Kotlovan on the Web:
Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 17, 2020
