Rodion G.A.
The Lost Tapes
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Genre(s): Electronic, Experimental, Pop/Rock, Punk/New Wave
Record label: Strut
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Album Review: The Lost Tapes by Rodion G.A.
Excellent, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
Rodion Rosca came of age during Romania's "open period" of 1965 to 1972, soaking up jazz, Kraut and prog-rock influences, forming Rodion G.A. (the G.A. refers to band members Gicu Farcas and Adrian Capraru) under the oppressive shadow of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1975. In stark contrast to the sanitized pop music of the period, and despite the barebones recording techniques and instruments ? East German drum machines, a toy Casio and a Soviet-made Faemi organ, all recorded and overdubbed on primitive Tesla machines — the sounds on The Lost Tapes are immersive, complex and also difficult to classify.
Based on rating 4/5
For a gut-wrenching portrayal of 80s Romania under Nicolae Ceau?escu’s rule, check out the 2007 movie 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days. The title refers to the length of a girl’s pregnancy, the story revolves around her search for an illegal abortion; the film is a grim depiction of Romanian life almost three decades ago, where human existence amounted to becoming ever more downtrodden with each passing minute. Yet Rodion Ro?ca was on the rise, having spent the early-to-mid 70s mastering tape loops, synths and drum machines in a necessarily DIY fashion; by the time he was recording as Rodion GA with Gicu F?rca? and Adrian C?praru, between 1978 and ’83, head-of-state Ceau?escu had precipitated his country’s ruin.
Opinion: Excellent
Who can argue with the strategy of mining the tailings of earlier eras when it still turns up gold like this? The Lost Tapes comprises 10 cherry-picked tracks from the archive of Rodion G. A. , a little combo from Cluj, Romania, that was led by one Rodion Ro?ca.
Opinion: Excellent
This is some of the raddest music you’re likely to hear this year. Rad in its overall excellentness and radical as to its forward-thinking nature, sounding so even today, though recorded at the height of Ceausescu’s suppression and censorship. Romanian electronic psych pioneer Rodion Rosça founded Rodion G.A. in 1975, continuing with different line-ups until 1987.
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