b r a n d o n

Begnagrad were a Yugoslavian group active in the late 70s and early 80s whose music falls squarely into the humorous, folksy RIO camp co-inhabited by bands such as Samla Mammas Manna and Etron Fou Leloublan. Among such highly-regarded company, Begnagrad more than hold their own, as this extremely welcome reissue from MIO records very ably demonstrates. While elements of rock, jazz, and Eastern European folk all converge to create Begnagrad's stylistic signature, it's difficult to pin down any one major influence, as the music on this album is extraordinarily unique. The rhythms and melodies most often seem to harken back to Balkan folk music, and the timbres created by the accordion- and clarinet-heavy instrumentation reinforce this impression. Yet a track like "All's Good (Maybe)" is a perfect example of how skewed things get: it starts innocently enough with a charmingly bouncy melody, but soon enough the band wheels off into a dissonant, entirely unrelated theme, and what ensues runs the gamut of weirdness, up to and including aggressively amplified heavy breathing and gargling. But it still all makes sense within the framework of the song, and the result is truly delightful in its unpredictable playfulness. The band is most outwardly "rock" in "Coc'n Rolla," as the rhythm section leads with a comparatively straightforward beat and electric guitar makes an appearance with a stabbing, occasionally spastic performance. Of course, all the while accordions are whizzing hyperactively around the whole affair. This has got to be heard to be believed. As noted in the extensive liner notes, Chris Cutler said, "RIO had ceased to exist... otherwise I'm sure Begnagrad would have been invited to join." As it is, Begnagrad can stand proudly next to other "unofficial" RIO luminaries with similar musical outlooks, such as Aksak Maboul, Miriodor, Volapük, and so on. An essential acquisition for RIO-heads; and many thanks to MIO Records for a truly excellent job on this reissue. Apparently the album is remastered, and it sounds fantastic; and a set of four worthy bonus tracks and a 20-minute live video accompany the short but sweet (35-minute) album proper. Great stuff! review by Brandon Wu — 3-15-05 —