{"title":"Soyuz","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"ii-11","title":"II","description":"\u003cp\u003eSoyuz stole our hearts back in 2022 when we released their album Force Of The Wind to critical acclaim.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Here we proudly present the predecessor to that LP, the band's sophomore long player from 2019 that was previously only available digitally. It captures a pivotal evolving period in the band's career, the recordings giving a snapshot of what would become their sound on Force Of The Wind, yet with echoes of avant-psychchedelic-pop footprints from yester years. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduced at a time when band leader Alex Chumak had moved from Minsk to Kyiv, torn between the need to try something new and the homesickness it brought about. Travelling back to Minsk almost weekly, Alex joined fellow band members Mikita Arlou and Stanislav Murashko to lay down II at Studio 42. The album captures these transient feelings, contextualised through the broad scope of influences the band were nourished by. From MPB to Ethio-Jazz and the Italian library soundtracks of Piero Piccioni and Piero Umiliani, the album shines with touches of joy from across the globe. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe opening track 'Verocai' is a tribute to the Brazilian maestro and 'Mirouze', whilst being named after a French favourite of the band, Jean-Pierre Mirouze, pays clear homage to Milton Nascimento and Lo Borges. A ghostly sample and invisible connection to music made miles away in a different era that has influenced and become part of the band's lives. This is further reinforced in the album's enchanting closer, the aptly titled 'Nascimento', another nod to the great Brazilian musician and singer. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe beginnings of the cinematic, soul-laden jazz SOYUZ are now known for, are on display across the likes of 'Lyric' and 'Motive I'. The latter an orchestrated jazz instrumental with sensuous string sections, all of which were recorded on the warmth of a Studer reel-to-reel and waltzing Rhodes keys. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoyuz's wide ranging palate is further demonstrated in tracks like 'Business Partners' with its Krauty, kosmische, new wave production featuring Inturist, and the oh-too-short Anatolian-influenced interlude 'Corrida'. Elsewhere, 'Tezeta' and 'ES-2 Jazz' hint at the psychedelic haze of soul-funk, with the former featuring verses from Serbian rapper Petar Martic. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor this new physical and digital release, the whole album was mixed from scratch by Ryan Power before Joker worked his magic on the remaster. More excellence is to come from SOYUZ, but in the meantime, we are thrilled to present this essential recording from the band's foundational years, mixed to a level that does it the justice it deserves. Remastered for its first time on vinyl. 'II' is the second album by Soyuz, initially released in 2019.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50389844558155,"sku":"2174548","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold LP","offer_id":50389844492619,"sku":"2174547","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50389844721995,"sku":"2174549","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/f5dec740-c988-4103-a0e4-b8c5d2cc0312_974f616a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726375019"},{"product_id":"force-of-the-wind","title":"Force Of The Wind","description":"\u003cp\u003eSome records just stop you in your tracks, they resonate with you and feel instantly familiar like an old friend, even on the first listen Soyuz's third album \u003ci\u003eForce Of The Wind\u003c\/i\u003e is one of those records.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt holds all the trademarks, beauty, and eccentricities of classic Brazilian recordings, from the 60s and 70s, that we have come to love. Think artists such as Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Burnier e Cartier, Arthur Verocai et al. But this record wasn't made in Brazil and is in fact a brand-new release. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoyuz (which translates as 'union') is a creative collective from Minsk, Belarus, led by composer, arranger, and singer, Alex Chumak, multi-instrumentalist, Mikita Arlou, and drummer, Anton Nemahai. Soyuz's previous albums explored and reimagined the legacy of jazz-oriented, non-English-language pop music of the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor their third album, there is a stronger focus, and it is influenced by 70s Música popular Brasileira and building bridges from it to present-day Belarus. Alex notes that from the moment he first encountered Brazilian music, he found in it a kind of concentrated emotion that felt as if it were familiar to him from his childhood. This non- verbal emotion and connection between the listener and musician echoes in the music, regardless of understanding of the language the album is recorded in. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"LP - Clear","offer_id":50476833571147,"sku":"1169805","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":50476830130507,"sku":"1169804","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476834357579,"sku":"1169803","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ce02195b-0bb8-48ad-b6af-0ceba66f7a6f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727464500"},{"product_id":"if-you-ask-tenorio","title":"(If You Ask) \/ Tenorio","description":"\u003cp\u003eA brand new, dreamy, blissed-out pop production with a '70s AOR touch, by the ever on point \u003cstrong\u003eSoyuz\u003c\/strong\u003e. Featuring guest appearances from the sensational musicians, \u003cstrong\u003eBiel Basile\u003c\/strong\u003e (O Terno, Sessa) and \u003cstrong\u003eAnthony Ferraro\u003c\/strong\u003e (Toro Y Moi, Astronauts, Etc.).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBacked with a short but sweet, Wurlitzer-laden, MPB-tinged number, \"\u003cem\u003eTenorio\u003c\/em\u003e\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Black 7\"","offer_id":50875294712139,"sku":"2228103","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/image003_6786c2e5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1732256123"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/soyuz.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}