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press info A Tempo! A Tempo!
A Tempo! A Tempo! was released in spring 2008. VALINA recorded the new songs
with STEVE ALBINI at Electrical Audio Studio in Chicago. VALINA develop
their unique way to combine passages of sheer beauty with intense outbursts
of abstract guitar noise. How the band uses use harmony - disharmony, noise
- silence is innovative and sounds precise.
The impressive lyrics - about
aspects of time - make you think and sing along. Some of their Chicago
friends (from The COUGARS) joined for roaring trumpet and sax parts. Being
known as an enthusiastic tourparty (they played all over Europe and the US
many times, as well as Russia) of course extensive touring will accompany
the album release.
In short words: Three upright musicians follow their way and their musical
and political concepts unflustered by discussions about downloads,
music-business crisis, emo-hypes, marketing strategies - and, most
important, know how to write a way cool rock song...
John Congleton (THE PAPER CHASE): "...tight song structures, rapid-fire drum
attack, tumbling low end, aggressive guitar skronk and razor sharp lyrics;
Valina has boiled these songs down to their essentials and produced their
most concise statement to date. Every note on this new album is delivered
with confidence and urgency. The band has refined its mission statement and
creates an intriguing mix of rhythmic interplay counteracted by decisive
melody..."
press info EPODE
The debut release for VALINA on the US-label 54°40´ or Fight is a varied yet proper introduction to the
music of this original and captivating Austrian band.
Fans of modern noise/post-rock will be surprised by
this trio´s ability to innovate and move so freely and purposefully in and out of the confines of
the typical rock song.
On "Epode" Valina expands their repertoire to include acoustic guitar and contrabass and a composition
for solo controbass ("Epilogue", cd-only). Impressive is that while incorporating these instruments
into their music, they´re not merely flourishes; "81 Men Without Memory" is as far removed from
Valina´s wiry sound than anything they´ve ever recorded. Yet it´s as distinctly Valina as
the Eastern-Europe-meets-Chicago turbulence "Escort Of Soda" (originally appeared on a split 7"
with Minneapolis SICBAY), or the rolling drift and stab of "Eriny", or the angular urgent opening
salvo of "Entel Echo".
Their debut album "Into Arsenal of codes" started their relationship with the Viennese label TROST
and the Belgian label Conspiracy. Their next album, "Vagabond" was recorded in Chicago at Electrical
Audio with Steve Albini. Two extensive Europe-Tours and two US-Tours followed.
In September 2005 they went on their second US-tour (25 shows) to promote "Epode".
Epode is a term from the Greek tragedy and stands for the piece between verse and counter-verse and for
an "interlude". It´s used as a methapher for this release between "Vagabond" and the
planned new full-length in 2006.
press info VAGABOND
I
t's been 3 years since VALINA, a three-piece found in 95 in Linz,
Austria, suprised and challenged with it's first album "Into Arsenal Of
Codes".
The new songs found on "Vagabond" were shaped over a period of 18 months
and finally put to tape with STEVE ALBINI in Chicago. After all the work
the three guys of VALINA put into these songs, it only seemed natural to find
someone who can capture their sound as they envisioned it. Albini
proved to be that someone, again.
VALINA were never a band to follow easy routes, there was and is a lot
of passion and thought involved in all things VALINA do. Whether it's
concerning the aestethics or formal questions of their sound and music or the
basic and all-so important decisions of "how to be a band?".
Early on the band started to strech the limits of it's traditional
bass-guitar-drums line-up to develop something of their own - their own
style, their own unique way to combine passages of sheer beauty with
intense outbursts of abstract guitar-"noise" and more.
"Vagabond" and it's wonderfully written and executed songs are vital
proof that VALINA came a long way at that. After and through lots of
gigs in austria and abroad (including the US of A), a self-produced 7", "Into
Arsenal ..." and - to mention it one last time - a lot of time spent
in their tiny but functional practise-room, constructing and de-constructing their
material, "Vagabond" is the most clearly realised music of VALINA yet.
There's room for a "Glockenspiel" or a brass-part, as some of the songs/moments
just ask for some of these carefully added touches.
Therešs more and different room for the voice, as VALINA as non-native
speakers dare their lyrics to actually mean something. And then there's
all that beautiful, wired, sometimes confusing music, their very own
brand of post-core-whatever-what-the-****-rock, that despite of all it's
subtleties (means you can listen to the album several times and still
discover something new!), it's breaks and changes of directions sounds so logical,
so precise and clear, so forceful yet tender on "Vagabond".
A "band in progress" at their best so far.
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