Mr Bongo Vinilo y CD

Review: Soyuz follows up their 2022 debut Force Of The Wind with a stark but subdued reissue of their second album, Ii, released three years earlier in 2019. The album captures a pivotal evolution in the band's career, the recordings giving a snapshot of what would become their sound on Force Of The Wind, yet with echoes of avant-psychedelic-pop footprints from yester years. Produced at a time when bandleader Alex Chumak had moved from Minsk to Kyiv, torn between the need to try something new and the homesickness it brought about, Ii nicely captures the slow burn of homesickness extended across a long bouts of travel and transience, through stylistic recollections of Mikita Arlou, Ethiopian jazz and Italian library music.

Review: This is a black vinyl version of a reissue that we also have on gold vinyl of Soyuz's '2' album. Originally released in 2019, this album marks a significant phase in the band's evolution, offering a glimpse into the sound that would define their later work while retaining traces of avant-psychedelic-pop influences. Produced during bandleader Alex Chumak's transition from Minsk to Kyiv, the LP reflects the tension between exploration and homesickness. Drawing from influences like Mikita Arlou, Ethiopian jazz, and Italian library music, the album eloquently captures the melancholy of long-distance travel and transience, creating a sonic narrative of emotional flux.