Wild Games

There's a rugged earthiness and authenticity about Vedan Kolod. The name in old Russian means ‘Prophetic Tree’, although as a Russian speaker it's not something I would know. The trio come from Krasnoyarsk in Siberia but are based in Moscow, and their interest is in the ancient layers of Russian music – in this case its ancient shamanic traditions, particularly strong in Siberia.

The band have been going for 15 years and this is their eight album. Many of the songs are in pentatonic scales centred on particular root notes, which make them sound very Russian, some are traditional, others composed. There's two-part vocal polyphony, from female singers Daryana Antipova and Tatiana Naryshkina, as well as a selection of flutes, drums, hurdygurdy and other instruments built or restored by Valery Naryshkin. The songs are mainly about the natural world, animals and the weather, plus some counting games, which sound slightly sinister the way they perform them. Contemporary Russian bands exploring traditional music either update it with electronics or kitschify it, while others go back to the pure tradition, which is more difficult to promote internationally. Vedan Kolod have found a good balance, although more variety in sounds and textures would be welcome.