DPRP: Petroglyphs

Ole Lukkoye – Petroglyphs

Ole Lukkoye’s Petroglyphs is from what I can ascertain a compilation, a best of re-mastered from their previous albums, seven studio and two live, which also includes some previously unheard/unreleased tracks. This is a band that hails from St. Petersburg Russia. This compilation album features the following artists Boris Bardash (programming, keyboards, voice, guitars and percussion), Andrey Lavrinenko (bass guitar, djambe and percussion), Frol (bassoon, snake flute, cow horn, trumpet, ocarina and dwarf’s scream), Tatyana SWA Kalmykova (vocals), Georgy Starikov (electric & acoustic guitars {1, 2}), Petr Akimov (cello {1, 2}), Vladimir Konovalov (electro-double-bass {8, 10}), Oleg Shar (big djambe, darabouka, congas, vibraslap and percussion {3}), Yuri Lukyanchik (percussion, djambe and darabuka {10}), Igor Kaim (banjo {3}) and Ekaterina Sidorova (percussion {1}).

The sonic creations here all have a prog variation, which incorporates ethnic music from across the world, in particularly eastern, jungle, folk and electronic tribal sounds, which have been carefully interwoven with the bands space rock and psychedelic approach, which makes it all sound very calming and sonically relaxing, with the harmonies and vocal layering. It is all very captivating, enticing you back repeatedly for more listens, each time you do so you discover something new. This is music that steers clear of any commercial approach, intelligently developing its different soundscapes hypnotically, making it a real chill out album.

The standout tracks here for me are Zapara, White Stone, Zagoralos and Free Warrior, but in all honestly each track here has an individualistic approach, no repeating theme’s just quality frameworks of the highest order.

As can be seen from the personnel listing and the numbering musical instruments involved, you can guess that the music here is very colourful and textured which has been painstakingly produced by Faust’s Hans Joachim Irmler and what a sterling job he has done too.

Trail Records have performed a sterling job here making this ambient and relaxing music more readily available from a land that just seems to have an abundance of musical talent; musicians that aren’t afraid to follow their hearts, experimenting, fulfilling their ambitions giving birth to beautiful creations. Ole Lukkoye are definitely a band that needs to be explored further. Now turn the lights down, insert the disk press play, sit back and relax.

John O’Boyle
DPRP – Dutch Progressive Rock Page, May 2011