Album of the month :
December 2002
KAIZERS ORCHESTRA (N) :
" Ompa til du doer"
( Broiler Farm)
Norway's Kaizers Orchestra are reported to be one of the best live acts currently touring on the gig circuit. On the strength of their manic stage performances, they have subdued their own country in no time, conquered Denmark by storm, and they're now getting ready to do the same with the rest of Europe.
Listening to numbers like Bak Et Halleluja ( on this album) or Sigoeynerblod ( on the " Doed Manns Tango" EP), it is easy to understand why : these songs are the kind of explosive mixtures that can suddenly bring audiences into a frenzy and turn a peaceful gig into uncontrollable madness.
Such a contagious live presence reminds us of bands like The Pogues, and there are indeed some similarities : both groups use traditional instruments ( accordion, upright bass, banjo, mandolin and horns for Kaizers) but are not afraid to plug the jacks when an extra-dose of electricity is required. Also, their rich repertoire combines no-quarter uptempo assaults with wonky bare-bone blues and outrageously romantic ballads. But the comparison stops here. Although hailing from Bergen, Kaizers Orchestra display a quite distinctive eastern touch firmly rooted in gipsy and jewish folklore from the Balkans. By giving a twisted and rock-oriented approach to the traditional sound of " tarafs" from Bulgaria, or to the kind of music for funerals and weddings popularized by Goran Bregovic, they have found a sound of their own that has no equivalent in the world. Add a songwriting quality that is never less than brilliant, a stunning sense for finding irresistible cheeralong choruses and - last but not least - the band's secret weapon: an incredible assortment of rickety-bones percussions that sometimes explodes in a furious Stomp-like metallic racket, then you've got the picture.
This spicy recipe is stunningly effective. Songs like the opener Kontroll Paa Kontinentet, the Beefheartian Dr Mowinckel or the aforementioned Bak Et Halleluja grab you by the collar and kick you out of your chair. So does the brash guitar crunch treatment of Dekk Bord which brings to mind those jagged electric blues by Finnish neighbour Tuomari Nurmio. Slower numbers are by no way inferior. Backed with strings and piano Fra Sjaafor Til Passaejer displays a harrowing russian cabaret pathos, while 170, a rootsy American ballad in the 16 Horsepower vein, goes crescendo to emerge into one of those singalong crackers characteristic of the band. Of this collection of jewels, two shine more than the rest : Resistansen does the splits between the Balkans ( the verse) and New-Orleans ( the rest) with an addictive " Hallelujah" chorus that it is simply impossible not to take up with the band. Boen Fra Helvete is another highlight. Maybe this is the song that best summarizes Kaizers Orchestra's peculiar style : a compelling rhythmic push, five melodies compressed into one, a tetanizing percussion solo, and that quiet bridge that makes the glorious finale even more effective. Just perfect.
With such a great music added to their sharp flair for arresting scenic dramaturgy ( on stage, they wear gasmasks and hit oil-barrels ), one can wonder why these guys are not already where their place obviously is : at the top ! No trouble : this is only their first album after all, and their time will come. Soon.
KAIZERS ORCHESTRA:
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