DVAR - Highlights Of Lightwave Vol.1 (2008)

GENRE..... Darkwave, Avantgarde, Electro
LABEL...... Art Music
MODE....... VBRkbps / Joint-Stereo
REL.DATE.. 28-08-2008

Most often DVAR style is called as "light wave" or "fantasy pop".
In fact their music is a mix of different styles, such as "gothic", "avantguard",
"minimalism", "world music", "new age", "8-bit music", "neofolk", "cartoon music", "circus
music", "jazz", "electro", etc. Early works can be called "dark wave".
In two words, imagine The Residents, Philip Glass, Yan Tiersen, Diamanda Galas, Pascal
Comelade together recording soundtrack for a horror arcade game.

Contemporary music holds two types of artists: they easily split, some being
"revolutionists" and the others, "conventionalists". The former would hardly release
anything resembling their previous works, while the latter spend decades re-singing one and
the same old song. By way of example, SPARKS began at one time with the first-wave rockers
and then played electronics and new wave, even disco! And say ROLLING STONES, whose latest
release is but one step removed from their debut works dating back to the 1960's. David
Bowie and Alice Cooper, distinguished glam rockers that they are, make a perfect
"revolutionist" and "conventionalist", respectively... We should note that artists rarely
love experiments and would rather chew over the familiar tunes, especially if it's
productive of money - it's easier and juicier that way. However, there are exceptions to the
rule, who choose not to follow the easy way to glory. And this makes the wonderful world of
music even more colorful!

This article deals with one of the most significant followers of the "revolutionary line".
Russian project DVAR (DVAR being the name of the astral creature that is believed to use the
musicians as mediums) has already released six full-length albums, whose styles extend so
far beyond musical frames that they call for an excusive name each.

Now, the very first album, Piirrah (reissued in Russia under the name of Taai Liira) was
released in 2002 in Italy by Radio Luxor, a "dark scene" label known for releasing KIRLIAN
KAMERA and LEGENDARY PINK DOTS. DVAR's rendition of the darkwave was pathological to an
astonishing degree: harsh electronics with hysterical dwarf-like vocals and neo-folk
melodies. Coupled with the band's conspiracy, mysticism, Bee Cult and fictional language,
the delirious music was highly impressive. Some of the reviewers called this style
"electronic black metal", while experienced music addicts saw a peculiar medley of THE
RESIDENTS, DAS ICH, RELATIVES MENSCHSEIN, SOPOR AETERNUS, Mike Patton and Diamanda Galas.

From 2003 onwards, DVAR's albums were released by the Russian label Irond on a regular
basis. At the same time we saw a cult grow up around the band which is now a significant
player at the Russian dark scene. In Europe, leading alternative music magazines Orcus and
Zillo traditionally give highest rates to the band's albums. DVAR is also supposed to be a
paranormal phenomenon, since their music is rumored to have mystical impact, and the
internet is flooded with mysterious stories involving the band.

As for DVAR's music, it metamorphosed greatly from album to album. As far back as the second
album, Roah saw the old crushing electronics replaced by beautiful melodies, Middle-East
coloring, flamboyant accordions and hints at academic minimalism. Actually, Roah was the
benchmark that sent the musicians discover themselves in a creative journey. One could
easily imagine a scenario where DVAR release twin brothers of their first album, year after
year... Judging by the fact that most fans still worship Piirrah, we can assume that this
situation would have won more limelight. However, the musicians chose the path of creative
freedom and experiments...

The third album, Rakhilim marked the project's final break over to the "lightwave" - a term
coined by reviewers to denote the never-before-heard style. Rakhilim is 20 short musical
sketches, light-mooded but dark-contained. DVAR did a very strange thing: they began
introducing absolutely new, unexpected twists into the general darkwave basis, leaving the
gothic devilry intact. As the result, reviews of the seemingly gothic band referred to the
artists who probably don't even know that there is a ôdark sceneö: Pascal Comelade, Tom
Waits, Yan Tiersen, Michael Nyman, Wim Mertens, THE TIGER LILLIES, etc. Many fans regard
Rakhilim as DVAR quintessence: on the one hand, the music is light and intentionally
"childish"; on the other hand, it's mysterious, suggestive of real occultism as opposed to
razzle-dazzle. Quite a paradox.

In 2005 DVAR released two new albums, at the first and at the end of the year. Both had a
greatly increased electronic component. (We are talking electronic in its initial sense,
pertaining to careful sound synthesis and its peculiar toning.)

Hor Hor contained quite a range of musical components, from synthpop to ragga. The music was
rhythmic and vigorous, full of funny sounds reminiscent of old cartoons. But for the
notorious devilry and evil aftertaste, DVAR could have easily been brought to line with
fancy acts like PLUXUS, DRAGIBUS and LITTLE COMPUTER PEOPLE. That was also the reason why
DVAR's tracks were included in compilations released by a label that had very little to do
with the gothic scene ù we refer to the popular releases of the label Snegiri, supervised by
the famous musician and producer Oleg Nesterov, Easy Summer and Novomesto.

The album Oramah Maalhur was, in a sense, the reverse of Hor Hor. Unhurried, meditative,
atmospheric, ambient ù probably similar to ballads sung by aliens on their faraway planets.
We could refer to this work as DVAR's most serious, if this word is applicable to DVAR's
music, which remains beyond the framework of the traditional rating scale due to its strong
postmodern base. As for the lovers of intelligent electronics and academic music, they
surely discerned the delicate allusions to Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Kitaro, Philip
Glass, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Meredith Monk. Allusions, carefully interwoven into
DVAR's own unique style.

Five albums at Irond and one silent year later, DVAR's new message was released by the
Russian label Gravitator Records. Naturally, nobody expected DVAR to come up with a copy of
their previous works. And again, DVAR proved to be radical innovators hell-bent for
experiments. Jraah Mraah is 30 shorts which, though logically developing the band's ideas,
are presented in a completely new fashion of truly "modern" and "stylish" music, in the
finest sense of these words. Vivid, expressive "cartoon-style" pieces range from radiant to
tragic; the album projects a painful feeling of a kids' matinee in a mental hospital... The
music is saturated with an incomprehensible, odd atmosphere similar to that of the movies of
David Lynch or David Cronenberg. A feeling when you see a withered skull flash behind a
clown's mask, or a brightly colored chocolate wrap reveals a dozen dead earthworms...
Indeed, DVAR's mystical message that many strive to decipher begins to assume sophisticated
shapes.

All in all, the very fact that such extraordinary music is released in Russia and holds a
certain measure of renown, can be regarded as a major musical oddity. At another time, the
musicians could have been forcedly treated in an asylum, while their works would have been
of interest to beginner psychotherapists. People of extensive musical knowledge agree that
there is no other act like DVAR in the world. Having listened to Jraah Mraah, everyone would
agree. Let this be another reason to have a look at DVAR, if you still haven't...

The so-called "creative participation" is very popular with DVAR fans. The music inspires
the listeners to draw, write poems and music of their own in a sincere belief that now DVAR
the Astral Creature will carry its message through them, as well. For descriptive reasons,
we supplement the article with fan art found on the internet.

Here is 1cd from double anthology of the band, including highlights from the years 1997-2002
as well as few previously unreleased tracks.

Enjoy !

Tracklist:

01 Haya Haya
02 Materkhliir
03 Rakhilim
04 Hissen Raii V.2
05 Yar Yar
06 Ihirrah
07 Ya Raii Ta Hirrih
08 Amaas Takhi
09 Ieroh
10 Hora
11 Nadrah
12 Iih Rah V.2
13 Ai-lu
14 Taai Liira
15 Kamharim
16 Hiri Naai
17 Raah Dhar
18 Rakhilim (Live)

DVAR-Highlights_Of_Lightwave_Vol.1-2008-D2H

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