Majdanek Waltz * Hamlet's Childhood (cd 2007 the eastern front)
The Eastern Front has quite some (ex-)Russian artists on their list, the same goes for Majdanek Waltz. In a very nice package comes a 40 minute cd with a tranquil and minimalistic form of neofolk with lots of moody violins and which because of the spoken text in a strange language reminds a bit of Scivias. I think that this album will appeal to people who like the more atmospheric kind of neofolk.
Links: Majdanek Waltz, MW @ Myspace, The Eastern Front
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I know this band from their brilliant contribution to the free 
Yes I know the bandname, albumnames and artwork looks like a metal band and indeed, it is from that very corner. The man behind this project owns the label and has several more projects, either electronic or metal. Some 15 years ago I listened to all those dark “ritual” projects popping up in the black metal scene of that time and it seems that nothing much changed since. BNIIPOTD also is such a dark ambient ritual soundscapes project with the dark sound and the creepy vocals (on the older release). “Sermons…” (2006) is also available from Itunes and “Saturnine…” (2007) has been added to this release for a limited cd version. The sound is rather typical and often too monotous for my liking, but not bad or boring and there are some nice moments. I guess you may want to contact the band if you are interested in projects such as Profane Grace, Darkness Enshroud and the like.
Actually I had the impression that besides the “neofolk scene” which is part of the industrial scene or the gothic scene to use a ‘larger tag’, there was also some kind of “folk music scene” or maybe two, but with a variety of styles, etc. According to the booklet of this “dark folk” compilation, this is not the case. There were many bands making some kind of folk music, but not before the internet brought them together, all worked separately. This compilation is meant to give an idea of what is available and indeed, what you get is a varried compilation with all kinds of folk(y) music, from the traditional 60′ies sound so more rock, “psychedelic” and some neofolk. Of the two cds (a third one can be downloaded), there are only four bands from the neofolk scene, the rest is new to me. The compilation is a cooperation from a folklabel and Cold Spring and the first in a series to come. I have never really listened to folk music, neither is it really my thing, but “John Barleycorn Reborn” gives a nice overview of what the compilers call “dark folk”. There are very nice songs on the cds and also not too appealing. Both words in the term “dark folk” are used somewhat differently from what you may expect. “Dark” is more like “obscure” as in “outside the large audience” (including the ‘normal folk audience’) and “folk” does not really refer to a musical style, but to a certain background of the music. Andrew King has written a nice text about the modern attitude to folk music. “JBR” overall is an interesting project and music-wise the compilation is a nice cd to have on the shelve in case you want to play something different.
I probably don’t have to tell you, but November Növelet is another project of Haus Arafna and Galakthorrö is mr. and mrs. Arafna’s label. It is only since a few years that I got to know and appreciate Haus Arafna. I hadn’t really listed to November Növelet yet, but what I heard it seemed that this was the Arafna harsch noise project while Haus Arafna evolved towards a more accessible sound. This assumption turns out to be wrong, because “Magic” is more ‘easy listening’ than anything that has been released under the monicker Haus Arafna (as far as I know). The album opens with minimalistic and even atmospheric sounds as it can be only made by the couple Arafna, but as the album continues the sound goes more towards 80′ies synthpop with of course an odd twist. It seems that the Arafna’s undergo a similar evolution as for example Thorofon who also started as a harsch noise project, but later got a sound that some call “antipop”. This album of November Növelet will appeal to people who enjoy the last Thorofon album, Dogpop, Geneviéve Pasquier and the like. Also where in earlier days mr. and mrs. Arafna were always shown with gasmasks on, they now can be seen in both projects with their real faces and for “Magic” even with an “Austin Powers”-like photoshoot! I must say that I enjoy this development in industrial music, the older the musicians get, the crazier it seems. The music is easy to listen to, but strange enough to avoid the masses (also because of the names they are released under I guess), so if you share that weird musical sense of humour, you might want to get a copy of “Magic”.
