Leo Records
Sainkho Namchylak : Letters (RU-TV,1993)***°'
Sainkho Namchylak : Letters (RU-TV,1993)***°'I was interested in comparing Sainkho’s newer releases with some of the older ones, after having been surprised about the visionary conceptualizing ideas on some of her newest albums. This album seems to be around a concept as well, a letter by Sainkho’s father written to her, with the introducing letter she wrote first, all her answering following letters which try to signify her life to her father, just before he died, -something very personal.
What struck me this time immediately at first, were some remarks by her father that kept hanging in my head. He complained, when going to the city and her apartment how there were so many faces (looking the same) but so little real personalities. These people were moving quickly from one thing to the other, but he missed the people from his home land, where you could see on their faces something direct and open of what they were good in as well as their failures (or in his words, “their joy and pleasures”) : one was always faced with their whole personality (and therefore also realizes and appreciate the preciousness of that). They had a simple, hard life, he said but still have this valuable reality. The same kind of realization in my own life made me keep a larger distance from people young-in-life-experiences, who were too busy chasing their own ghosts and ambitions, incapable of seeing other peoples talents and failures except when they needed something, while being hard with other’s failures, and hardly are capable of seeing essential personalities behind the persons, as if everybody is just chasing things like they are, while some mature older people accept everything from everybody, like true balanced personalities who have seen it all before ; they recognise what is useful, what is able to develop and what is only circumstance.
By reading the letters it also gives a glimpse on the early career of Sainkho, her musical interests, her own managing, the difficulties faced and arbitrary chances and meetings. It is also clear that for her own expressions she need enough scheduled time to give her voice a place to express the whole range of ideas and how they hang together. Accompanying musicians are the Kiloor Entartet (on el.guitar, synth, percussion, electric bass, baritone sax, piano, voice).
The first track perfectly expresses the stage where she was thrown into improvised music, finding her own voice, a 'tuning in', which obviously sounds improvised in a certain jazz mood mostly, coming from a different world finding its own place and then smoothly changing and adapting different things to it. The first letter expresses how she rolled into these jazz standards. The second letter from Tuva, by her father, is of course expressed with Tuvan themes, starting with a low baritone voice, then overtone singing, ending with strange sounds as if expressing some finding-a-hard-time-breathing demon. There’s no other option but to continue with the more “western”-typed improvisations, on the next track, on cello and voice, including overtones as well, and to carry out also her own, lonely demons, as a sound extermination & smoothly exorcising and giving it a place in duet with cello. One part is a breathing oscillation duet with slowed down bowing on cello, as if also she is another instrument. The fourth letter mentions La Monte Young. It starts with a free music improvisation on sax, like animal-like breaths. Sainkho then starts as a bird-like animal in the scene, to the mole-like calm nervousness of the sax, and then transforms it into babbling controlled hysteria. The 5th letter, I think another answer, to the mind state condition, is a loving, caring thought, expressed by lovely nostalgic sounds, with woody percussion, and pronouncing breaths. On the 6th letter she explains herself further how she tries to link worlds. Here, her voice starts like different birds in the sky, who then find homes and comfort via soft piano, a Schubert-kind of atmosphere, as if reaching living rooms, then starts introducing overtones again. A soft handrum starts a rhythm, and an acoustic guitar follows it too, the beginning of a real song, with a jazz & jazz fusion flavour, a jazz song-like improvisation, based upon what I think is a Tuvan ? song theme, which returns and finds a most peaceful combination in styles. The last letter I assume is like a memory, a return and connection back home and to her father and roots, a short breath wind of song, returning home in a different time.
I think the album very well expresses a certain period of struggling, finding her own voice, adapting elements of a new world, and improvising with them, then adapting her own ideas to it, and still find combinations with it. Also here, not just one, but a whole concept of ideas and thoughts are combined into one story.
Info on letters : http://www.avantart.com/music/sainkho/letters.html
Label listing (with audio) : http://www.leorecords.com/?m=select&id=CD_LR_190
Interview with percussionist Lucas Niggli : http://www.bagatellen.com/archives/interviews/001143.html
Other reviews : http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JQP/is_299/ai_30196102
One more release, Sainkho Namchylak & Dickson Dee : Tea Opera (RU/US,2009)****'
Leo RecordsSainkho Namchylak & Jarrod Cagwin : In Trance (RU-TV/US,2007)****'
Sainkho Namchylak & Jarrod Cagwin : In Trance (RU-TV/US,2007)****'Inspired by the Buddhist paintings of the Dunhuyang caves (50,000 m² of now mostly black or white figures, of which many are flying devis, entities which are related with fragrance and music which appeared when Buddha meditated on the Dharma ; they can be symbol for men’s creative and idealistic spirit devoting himself to art. Vocal artist Sainkho Namchylak is able to transcend with her voice, into a certain provoked trance with her imagination. With her voice she tells the story of a person who visits the caves, and who imagines how he experiences the whole time that has passed since the figures were painted. The dancing figures come to life in his imagination and after a while makes him realize that they were not so happy for today they’re having only the human form that captured them in these paintings, while nobody remembers how to set them free from their human form to become part of the nothingness and the universe once more. Only when he himself keeps one of them in mind, they seem to say, he would become old, and a great artist, and that would also benefit these spirits to become part the whole once more.
The first part is like a going inward with the voice and into the cave with “haa”-toned / breathy sounds, some additional rhythmical dance-like variations, and some nasal overtones. The dance starts to become a reality, and first sounds partially like a shamanic dance, with additional bells and ritual hand drum and vocal word fantasy reminiscent of thoughts. On part three the rhythmical percussion, the haha-vocals and nasal overtones thoroughly seems to become part of a thematical dance, a song, as if transcending into a message. Part 4, the last part, is a part after a break and shows something different. It moves more outwards, like an airy dance, more like a celebration to Life. Also the percussion has a solo part, standing for the universal nothingness, and being oneness, using first a few airy droning sounds, and then sounds like an earthly dance. The overtone singing returns, the energy of the rhythms become more vivid, like a happy dance. Clearly this is the part where the adept and inspired person is bringing with his approach and creative being all that he learned directly in life.
This album seemed to have been a direct live recording. It would have suited well with the accompaniment of images of the cave (on part 1) of the dancing figures in movement (on track 2) and of some outside landscape and happy people (for part 4).
Label listing (with audio) : http://www.leorecords.com/?m=select&id=CD_LR_502
More on Jarrod Cagwin : http://www.eckermanndrums.com/cagwin/CagwinBio.pdf
MFP Rec. Biosintes : The First Take
Biosintes : The First Take -with Vresh Milojan, Mergen Mongush, Gennady Tchamzyryn and Sainkho Namtchylak (RU,1996)****°One of the earliest and surely most convincing examples I have heard with Tuvan voices was for me at the same time also one of the most convincing associated with “free music” cd’s coming from the FMP label. It more is an improvisation with harmonies, so without deliberately doing something weird to be special or deliberately looking for what is not there. One of the harmonic improvisations is on steel pans, which are played, just like gamelan music with its own ethnic origin imbedded. This is one of the cores for additional Tuvan vocal improvisations, of varied overtone and throat-singing explorations. A kind of Shamanic hand drum completes the sounds at some next point. The silences everywhere is seeping through and makes all complete, and tightens together the actions, meditations and tensions. Free cello improvisations occur with their own oscillating tensions, or with contemporary tone-seeking meditations, or are moving forward with some tunings in small steps. A flute breathes its clouds over the landscape. A mouthharp walks around in it. And also other stringed rhythms walk like ants over the same landscape, elsewhere they are more harp/zither-like. Some stringed sounds are bowed and with oscillating saw-patterns, climbing up. Some thumbpiano-kind of sound dances a bit, only with little partial leanings to the improvisations. Especially on “Art of silence” there is most time taken for the instrumental improvisations, especially with cello, which develops tensions which adapt thoroughly to the idea of vocal improvisation. The last part of the first take of the improvisation is led by clarinet and cello free, jazzy and contemporary at the same time, while there are little bit of textures by other some instruments, but without leading to a real conclusion yet. The last track is like a next take, and is with guest singer Sainkho Namtchylak, while another vocalist prepares the magical tension in the air. Sainkho sings with contemporary fantasy, much more like a theatre piece story telling with vocal sounds, even when not having any story in mind, this is like a vague impression of this.
The group Biosintes was formed at the Kyzel theatre in 1990 with Tuvinean/Armenian and Russian musicians from various backgrounds. The group evolved out of the theatre. In 1994 they toured with Sainkho Namtchilak, a tour which ended in a performance, with this recording in Berlin. It is music which grows and evolves within its own nature, silently and powerfully.
Biosintes is Vresh Milojan on cello, steel drums, percussion ; Mergen Mongush on voice, flute, clarinet, steel drums, percussion ; and Gennady Tchamzyryn on voice, chadagan, mouseharp, percussion, with special guest Sainkho Namtchylak on vocals.
Later album : http://cdbaby.com/cd/biosintez
Leo RecordsSainkho Namchylak : Nomad (RU-TV,2007)***°'
Sainkho Namchylak : Nomad (RU-TV,2007)***°'This album marks Sainkho’s 50th anniversary. Sainkho’s career started in 1986 with Siberian folk songs, but she quickly moved them to jazz and avant-garde improvisational territory finding her own mark in traditions as well as into new kinds of improvisations, which also includes, lesser known, wordless, moody jazz singing. The label asked her to assemble all these contexts into a well functioning eclectic compilation that would explain the logic between the differences which comes forth from one sort of hanging together imagination and improvisation on the spot. 14 excerpts were chosen and taken from various previously and sometimes locally released albums, of recordings published on different labels, including one excerpt of an unreleased performance. These recordings include cooperations with Tri-O (only for the 20 seconds long introduction), a group of nine Russian jazz musicians (an interesting recording so it seems ; there are taken three very different excerpts from this recording), with double bass player Peter Kowald, with Stefano Bollani and Maurizio Belli, with Daniel Klemmer, with Karl Seyer and Ulli Soyka, with the Moscow Composers Orchestra, with the Kieloor Entartet, and with Vladmir Tarasov and Vladimir Volkov.
The compilation succeeds in its intensions, and does not make it for the listener too demanding, while certain relaxed jazzy modes return and makes it comfortable for the listener before her voice, with the same ease, brings us to the other territories, logical and as an expansion from one vision to a World that has more than one close variety. Besides moody jazz, we hear bits of traditions, but also a voice that seems to be possessed by some kind of derived thoughtful entity. We can hear also some of her technical range of expressions. On “Deep Blue” for instance we can hear how low her voice is able to reach. Overtone and troat singing are used as much as different more recognisable techniques. A well hung together resume showing which multifacetted “voice” Sainkho has to offer to the world.
Homepage : http://www.sainkho.net/
Label listing (with audio) :
Intro on singer : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainkho_Namtchylak
Intro cd : http://www.lulu.com/content/760358
Other reviews : http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25274
Review of different album : http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/sainkho.html
Italian article : http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=1443
Akatzia Rec. Alissid Jazz & Nikolay Oorzhak : Oorjazz (RU,2007)***'
Alissid Jazz & Nikolay Oorzhak : Oorjazz (RU,2007)***'private Safety Magic : Voices (RU,2007)****
Safety Magic : Voices (RU,2007)****Melt 2000 Christy Doran, Boris Salchak & Airto Moreiro : Shaman (CH/RU-TU,2000)****
Christy Doran, Boris Salchak & Airto Moreiro : Shaman (CH/RU-TU,2000)**** These jazz improvisation related items with different voice experimenters are reviewed on http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/WORLDfusion.html
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Leo RecordsSainkho Namchylak & Roy Carroll : Tuva-Irish Live Music Project (RU-TV/IR,2007)****'
Sainkho Namchylak & Roy Carroll : Tuva-Irish Live Music Project (RU-TV/IR,2007)****'I didn’t really expect this, but with this release, Sainkho also proves to be a visionary conceptual artist with an enormous capacity of adapting essences of expressions from different locations. This is a cooperation with Irish, computer device & controlled sound sculptor, Roy Carroll with voice sculptor, Sainkho Namchilak. As a main theme symbol are taken the stone sculptures from Tuva which were built in Turkish times, and some familiarly looking Janus-like stones on Boa Island in Ireland which made Sainkho think about certain ancient familiarities. In a 2-year span she collected ideas, wrote poems on Irish culture and listened to Irish music.
For me, the album seems to have two different parts, with a bridge, of which part 1 most clearly expresses the landscapes in Tuva, wide and stretched, with a certain desolate sadness and loneliness. The computer-controlled music, also here, seems to be based on environmental sounds, and on this part gives the impression we are in the middle of a sunk and still balancing ship, which cracks with age, and is surrounded by wind. Sainkho’s voice is like the Nomad shaman travelling in her mind first to the place where she was born in this life, Tuva, while going also much further back in time. This happens while Russian and English poetry are recited. A bit of overtone singing seems to try to penetrate deeper and further into this landscape, reaching for contacts. Some shamanic percussion accompanies the walking away feeling, the singing nomad travelling away from this location. Drones and sounds bring both artists to different areas. Some no-mans land meeting point between the two worlds sounds even more desolate in sound. Sainkho's voice is able to tune in into a new world while saying goodbye to the connections in the other.
On what I consider as the second part, on the other side of the bridge, with the track “Fonomania” the natural sounds and rhythms are replaced by calmly produced, more plastic rhythms as well as breathing sounds from tubes, the voice is alone, but she sings from the heart for this new environment. The last title, “Madness of Night” is divided into three parts. On “Anger”, the electronic and computer processed sound leads the tension much more, while Naimkho seems to be, as if possessed, the voice and nature of a human being, which expresses, almost after-life-like, dead or alive it doesn’t matter, the same way as a bird is able to improvise and fit with that is its environment and what happens there and what is available, with a different voice which fits more with the modern world, harsher but expressed with subtlety as well, so well done as if she really was born there to a certain degree, or with some part of her.
On part 2, her vocal improvisation sounds partly Indian, partly improvised something else or more Western, like the voice of DNA that remembers former cultures interconnected with its present and present environment, and this while more Russian and English poetry is recited. The accompanying sounds by Roy Carroll seems to be made from rolling wood on wooden floors, bass winds, a bit of tension-heavy plastic material, and mixed with certain “electric” tensions. On the last part, “sonata for a typewriter” we hear ticking sounds as if on glass, breathing sounds and walking sounds on wooden floors which are working in couplet with a higher toned vocal improvisation, which expresses with a bit more freed tension. She delves further into higher breathing territories, being one with all and finding itself in its vivid energy, concluding with her voice while taking over the ticking ending with the breath of her voice. I consider this as music of an astral journey but connected with the earth and humans living in the places which are connected once more with music with all its unspeakable connections.
Even when I knew Sainkho's music a bit, I am impressed by the range and depth these expressions are able to conceptualize so well.
Label listing (with audio) : http://www.leorecords.com/?m=select&id=CD_LR_480
Intro cd : http://www.lulu.com/content/761721
Leo RecordsTemenos
Temenos featuring Sainkho Namchylak, Shelley Hirsch, Catherine Bott (RU-TV/UK/US,rec.1996/1997)**°°“Temenos” (= “sacred place”) is the soundtrack of an experimental film, based upon haunting voices in a landscape, the place where the Virgin is seen more than once, on this meeting point of the mind, in Bosnia, as a place that lies between the turmoil of many visions and contradictions in between. The music and film was conceptualised by Nina Danino, and was performed and improvised by Sainkho Namchylak (Tuvan singer who studied Western traditions in Moscow, known especially for her contributions in improvised music), Shelly Hirsch (US, known for her vocal contributions in various disciplines/genres) and Catherine Bott (from England, specialised in Baroque up to contemporary classical vocal music).
The Greek title of the movie is confusing because the place is not located in Greece as it might suggest, and thus works this word more as to give the movie a more symbolic and dramatic meaning, a word as dramatic as “tanathos”, as another form of drama, a dramatised documentary on a landscape, not increasing something more concrete or a complete reality but more like showing a state of haunted mind. I personally believe that any landscape, no matter how raw, bare and deserted or wild, nature seeks its balance, also with sounds. These spooking voices, as human voices, in this context is only typical for a condition of not finding peace within its environment, while I think also humans tend to bring uncertainties to certain rules while seeking for balance, while of course this can become strange and inhumane if practiced and imagined in an imbalanced situation full of fears and paranoias. Never the less and always the landscape itself contains its capacities, while this soundtrack confirms much more the most animalistic nature hidden in that part of the reptilian brains part of men, of someone living in fear and unease, especially when things change and are changing in too incomprehensible ways. These are the sounds of someone only capable of surviving through fears, being incapable of the change also wished for.
Great to hear is some spoken word, combined with voices that imitates animals as well as humans, or children. Now and then medieval/Baroque song themes occur once in a while, or radio voices, or just a few true animal sounds. While in essence, everything is calm, the situation is of fear of change, windy, and with storms hanging over, also a nightmarish situation, afraid for something to happen. Even more, of such an insecure adult’s mind when all voices become the voice in and of the mind of an adult, all surrounding voices tend to become somewhat scary, and out of perspective. When Sainkho imitates a sobbing and crying child and while it is exactly from the same nature, it is still sung with the consciousness of an adult, so that these sounds also somewhat as if someone is murdered, -it becomes that dramatic. While a child never cries without reason or a context, this is a part which is missing here, and makes this state of mind immature, and not a complete picture, because in reality nothing falls so randomly. I don’t feel the context of such struggles, and there is no peace in mind of a creator or visionary to this, and also, I don’t feel the reason why even the cry of a Virgin would come in this lost game, as the environmental voices and context are presented. The whole soundtrack are like flashes of thoughts, of adults but not as from persons in balance, as randomly achieved as always somewhat driven by animalistic fears of sounds, and the insecurity of wind. It remains the product of ones mind which makes things worse when giving life in its insecurity. Of course, I miss the beautiful images of the movie, if all the images are. Within all quietness the drama on its own is intense, but also slightly reasonless, not hanging together well yet with sense, even not with a hidden sense that could be called spiritual and religious. So, until now, I miss that point where maybe some innocence can raise a voice that reaches beyond all these immaturities, (for the Virgin to appear) ; I cannot tell.
Label listing (with audio) : http://www.leorecords.com/?m=select&id=CD_LR_303
On movie : http://www.movie-gazette.com/cinereviews/810
