First appearing in 1990, Macedonian three piece, Lola V Stains’ first release is now being reissued on French label Tunnel Vision Records. Rare and highly coveted, ‘Ikona’ fetches high prices and ships solely from Macedonia and Bosnia. Because of Lola V Stains’ association with the Croatian based label ‘Blind Dog Records’, despite their pan-Balkan roots, it arguably renders the groups releases as historical documents, reminiscent of a period that precedes the conflict that is so deeply etched in collective memory.
The Macedonian bagpipes and tabla-esque drumming in ‘Makova Polja’ enhances a feeling of mysticism, complimenting the track’s origins in pre-war Yugoslavia. Both euphoric and spiritual as they seem to breath in and out in their intensity, they build and dissipate energy to produce truly expansive and atmospheric pieces of ambient folk. Despite the use of traditional instruments, both sides of the release manage to retain modern and progressive sounds, especially in the latter portion of the A side where strange isolated vocals are utilised over pulsing synth tracks.
