The English phrase "to compare apples and oranges" means to examine the similarities of things that are actually rather different. These two compilations are designed to showcase a wide range of sounds, songs, and fashions from young performers across an equally broad territory. In other words, our two albums offer music all the way from Estonia and Latvia to Ukraine and Russia.
Then, once within a Russian context, the albums include performers not only from the large "European" cities, such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. Equal attention is paid to smaller, greener locations - and the furthest addresses possible, in Khabarovsk and Vladivostok on the Pacific Coast.
Despite these great distances and, perhaps, even greater stylistic variations, one thing does unify all the artists in question. They are all positioned outside of the mainstream in their home countries - yet deserving of much more attention. Hopefully the tracks on display will inspire listeners to investigate further... because there's so much to discover.
We offer a word of gratitude, as ever, for Creasence Design (Prague/Riga): www.creasence.com
Each audio file contains information regarding the musicians' websites, blogs, and/or labels. Information about their hometown or region is also provided.
The artists' preferred transliteration has been preserved throughout.
released 10 October 2011