MOTHERFATHERS are an experimental rock band from Moscow. Formed in 2005 by Dmitry Peitsch (vocals, guitar, windbones, pipes, effects) and Max Elizarov (guitar, synthesizer, samples, programming) the project initiated as a studio vehicle to disfigure noisy alternative electronics with classic rock riffs, old psychedelic trips, and sweet pop sensibility. Under the name KILL GEORGIA BITCH the duo wrote and recorded over 20 tracks before Olga Nosova (drums) and Mikhail Makossev (bass) have joined the project. The four switched the name to MOTHERFATHERS (as the band didn’t want to be associated with ongoing anti-Georgian political campaign of that time) and start assaulting local clubs with their weird, epatage, indefinable and destructive blend of avant-garde music. Their very first big scenic appearance, shocking performance at Post-Soviet Noise Pioneers Festival in November 2006 brought them notorious reputation among event-managers as well as enormous popularity among both mad-cap juveniles, well-grooved young ladies, and deep-seated intellectuals. For music samples and booking please visit MOTHERFATHERS page at MyspaceMusic.

RELEASES

Motherfathers / Kolchak! (2007) / CD: $11.00 / Digital Download: $7.00

Vaguely entitled “Kolchak!”, the band’s debut in small doses may easily mislead an inexperienced listener as there are some great songs hidden under the general cacophony. The quartet’s sound draws on abrasive, murky, slowed-down noise rock of 80s, but there are also quite a few moments that almost make the album into a melodic neo-psyche record, albeit a bludgeoning one. Tracks like “Avenue Cracking Truck” and “Otesanek” hurtle with odd time rhythms, scratching guitars, and some sort of electronic distortions, while soul-vamps “Shiver” and “Stale” are melancholic song-ruminations about alienation, depravity, and the disturbing side of human nature. The vocals of Peitsch range from an anguish senseless screech to creepy prophetic delivery at “White Noise” and his oblique lyrics add to the overall mood of dread. The truly bizarre thing about this album is that, in its own mad way, you can actually dance to it as the overwhelming chaotic absurdum on songs “Dirty Scissors Inventions” or “You Suck My Tongue” sometimes gets close enough to a crunching groove. For the most part however all instruments sound at a dank level of destruction squelching with white-noise manipulations. As a whole, trash-rock by MOTHERFATHER really is like little else on the Russian underground scene. You either loved them or loathed them – some did both – but it’s difficult to ignore their defiantly extreme, noisy, abrasive, and sometimes very pleasant anti-musicianship psychosis. (20 tracks - 77 min.)

Free streaming or immediate digital download of the album (MP3, FLAC or other formats) is available through Official R.A.I.G. Bandcamp.

Review clips:

"The opposition to the Mamas & the Papas - A mixture of garage, avant, psychedelic-rock -- At times they are on the repetitive, hypnotizing (sometimes annoying) side. Starting out with noise this goes on to rock and psych domains where it has this garage-rock feel. The sound is (perhaps deliberately or due to lack of funds) fuzzy and on the low-fi/tech end. At times it sounds like a demo, a sloppy live recording or unreleased material that wasn’t mixed produced properly. But then there’s the occasional improvement in both the sound and the purposefulness of the music. Some tracks seem like more of a jam session; just playing around and overall taking things with humour and not too seriously (especially given the lyrics). There’s also some punkish and new wave sounds thrown into the mix (track 17, 19). At times it sounds like a free-jazz/improv (18)... If you like sloppy sounding punk/psych/improv/experimental/garage rock, you might find this interesting. However, there’s not much in terms of musical interest. There is potential in this band, they should exploit it. I can sense a spark under the crude layer; they need to uncover it. I’m interested to hear how they’ll develop." – by Assaf Vestin of Sonic Frontiers (USA) (January 2008).

"...What I like the most about this Moscow-based trio is that when focused, their material is titillating. Motherfathers insists in being experimental, so at their most obtuse and deranged the band’s avant aspirations succeed by building tense moods and obviously, experimental work outs. Quite frankly, the sound of Kolchack! takes its time to grown on you. For the first five or six songs this just sounds like a rehearsal, it is not until 'Go!' that the band’s abilities come afloat; there Motherfathers seem to be channeling Helmet by way of Nick Cave; the heavy guitars are simple and poignant, the tempo is tired and incisive. 'Shiver' also recalls Deconstruction, the guitar tone is dead on that of Navarro and 'Avenue Cracking Truck' is well… as close to not being a song as The Shaggs’ creations ever got. Not to fall into conventional ways of thought, but Motherfathers are quite good at delivering rock music with an odd touch; 'Chemicals Gone to Her Head' is haunting; a post punk voice hovers, while massive strings stir clear from heaviness. When focused some of the Motherfathers material approximates the work of The Birthday Party, when going for the whole jazz experimental vibe they kind of come off like a Deconstruction knock off and that’s never a good thing. (Rate: 3,5/5)" – by Deaf Sparrow (USA) (February 2008).

"With recordings of all the noises in Kolchak’s evolution, however, we’re blessed with a great archival statement at a time when the mere ability to keep playing - against all odds - is what will define tomorrow’s heroes. Kolchak! illustrates the whole nine yards." – by David MacFadyen of FarFromMoscow (USA) (September 2008).

"Avant garage punk combined with industrial noise, psychedelic improv and no wave... Some of the songs on this disc are frenzied noise rock with junkyard percussion along the lines of a distinctly Russian version of Pussy Galore, while others drift through trippy guitar loops, sampled rhythms, electronic noise and weird Russian crooning, or lock into a menacing distorted krautrock groove, pulsating drums propelling ominous sounding synths and groaning buzzsaw basslines. Motherfathers split the album up between the noisy, distorted rock and the improvised psych-noise jams, moving from spacey free-jazz to far-out psychedelic clatter to gloomy post-punk (like the excellent 'Mannequin' and 'Chemicals Gone To Her Head') on to several tracks that sound a bit like The Birthday Party, all skronked-out and violent and festooned with feedback and slash and burn guitars. What a weird fucking album. It goes all over the place, a dadaist mashup of low-fi industrial skum, Am Rep influenced noise rock, Acid Mothers-style psychedelia, krautrock (LOTS of krautrock), Gothy post-punk, weirdo jazz/noise improvisation... I actually really liked this though, in spite of how disjointed and inchoate this album can be. There are some pretty damn good songs on here that could have gotten a lot of play on college radio in the late 80's, and whenever the band gets into one of their grooving krautrock jams, they can really cook. Definitely not for everyone though; Motherfathers experimental noise/punk weirdness is way, way out." – by Crucial Blast (USA) (February 2009).

More reviews: Nota-Bena (Russia), Rate Your Music (USA), Delusions Of Adequacy (USA), Rolling Stone (Russia), Heathen Harvest (USA), Billboard (Russia), Sea Of Tranquility (USA), Cosmos Gaming (USA), Musikreviews.de (Germany).