Simple Symmetry turn in an epic, mournful EP that reflects on their journey in exile.

After a long-standing affiliation with Multi Culti that includes remixes for Nicola Cruz and Drugface, as well as a huge edit for Culted, the Russian brothers weigh in with a heavy 12” that comes on the back of an emotional year where they defected from Moscow, their world turned upside down by politics of aggression. ‘Problem’ is built around a kernel of punk panic performed by Hugo Van Heijningen (of Red Light Radio, Cawd Slaydaz, Order Collective).

The anxious rage embedded in that opener finds a kind of disoriented catharsis in ‘Where I Am’, an uptempo ravey anthem that recalls the rush of CJ Bolland’s ‘Electronic Superhighway’ with a sense of angst and energy all their own. It’s the song of the soul-searching raver, finding a sense of home in the ecstasy of the dance, amidst a backdrop of oppressive fear and uncertainty.

The triptych concludes with the mournful ‘Funeral Of Past Affections’, their own strange brand of horn sounding a vast and potent letting go. At once influenced by and homage to Andrew Weatherall, this one hits hard, emotionally. Imagine tears on the dancefloor, the strings reminding us that dance music can indeed be anchored in the very deepest centre of our soul.

Supporting them on this trip are long-time compatriots Red Axes, a natural fit for the indie-punk elements in ‘Problem.’ More

Normally records that take a long time to make can sound fractious, convoluted self-absorbed. This is not the case with SORRY! WE DID SOMETHING WRONG, the debut from Moscow’s Simple Symmetry, which despite taking three years to create, is a total gas to listen to.

Simple Symmetry — aka the Lipsky brothers (Sasha and Sergey) — haven’t really looked to reinvent any wheel, rather they have managed to collate a vast amount of good vibes and well-loved sonic conceits and breathe new life and colour into them. Temporarily ditching the electrifying dance music they are famous for in favour of a universal pop sound — replete with flutes, cello, “all kinds of percussion” and synths, sitar and guitars — the brothers have made an upbeat and incredibly accessible record; a tonic for these uncertain times.

At first glance, some of the titles: ‘End of Days’, ‘I Must Not Fear’, ‘Oh Lord’, and ‘Out Of Body Experience’ don’t suggest the expansive and very danceable soundtracks we get to hear. But with the aforementioned tracks and rug cutters like ‘Che Che’, Simple Symmetry re explore those moments in the early-to-mid 1990s when artists like David Holmes, St Etienne, Andrew Weatherall and Death in Vegas looked to plunder the grooves and licks of the 1960s and early 1970s. The bell rings, flutes, harpsichord and vocal harmonies in ‘End of Days’, for instance, suggest the Beach Boys at their most laid back and sunkissed. Or The Monkees when they chowed down with Zappa and made Head. Even the countdown makes direct reference to the 60’s Space Race. Sometimes, the Lipsky’s reappropriations of these kinds of moments in popular music’s history are so brazen it’s best just to laugh at the sheer cheek of it all. Whilst shaking your hips, of course. Life-affirming, comforting even, SORRY! WE DID SOMETHING WRONG shows that old tricks can still be magical if used with the right spirit.

This record is also the sound of coming together. Literally, as well as metaphorically. Simple Symmetry confirms that “there were many collaborations with artists we love and admire from all over the world, from Russia, Israel, Germany, UK, Brazil and the USA.” Including a guest vocal by their good friend Petr Chinavat on the beautiful, hippy-dippy technicolour paean to one of the ocean’s most mysterious creatures, ‘Octopus’.

After a while it’s impossible to think too critically about the whys and hows, especially when confronted by floorfillers like ‘I Must Not Fear’ or the marvellous, gonzoid ‘Koko the Gorilla’ which stomps its way through the simplest, sugariest of melody lines and throwing out kooky vocal samples and comic roars for good measure… Koko turns up on the album cover, courtesy of Athens artist Dimitris Rocos. In a way the beast is a spirit animal for this release: in your face and brazen but (to steal a lyric from Julian Cope) kinda cute. For those needing some respite from all the high jinks, there is plenty of space to sink into a pleasant reverie, courtesy of the Gong-like comedown that goes by the name of ‘What A Relief’ and the Glide-tastic ‘Rounded with a Sleep’; both of which allow the gentlest of comedowns in your favourite seat at the Korova Milk Bar. More

Let's be honest, DJ Tennis is amazing, and the fact that he was willing to do not one but two remixes for our Simple Symmetry release, is more than amazing, DJ Tennis needs no introductions, beside the point that he is one of the best DJs around and has one of the coolest labels, Life And Death, he is a gifted producer that transformed the 2 tracks of the original release to monsters, one, Plane Goes East, is a Disco winner, that just bangs with it's percussive attitude, and the other, Voodoo Your Ex is an amazing emotional journey that elevates the original to new heights, a vinyl to have and to hold.
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Let's be honest, DJ Tennis is amazing, and the fact that he was willing to do not one but two remixes for our Simple Symmetry release, is more than amazing, DJ Tennis needs no introductions, beside the point that he is one of the best DJs around and has one of the coolest labels, Life And Death, he is a gifted producer that transformed the 2 tracks of the original release to monsters, one, Plane Goes East, is a Disco winner, that just bangs with it's percussive attitude, and the other, Voodoo Your Ex is an amazing emotional journey that elevates the original to new heights, a vinyl to have and to hold.
More

After a blazing start, Low Budget Family return ! The celebrated independent Moscow-based record label run by the crew behind the legendary Shop&Bar Denis Simachev deliver another stunner from SIMPLE SYMMETRY. MIMINO is another tropical House delight, all burly rhythms, punchy marimba, synth rises & anthemic chants before crescendoing into a whirling dervish of a top line . The Instrumental loses the synth-out and follows an altogether more atmospheric, but no less tremendous path. SIMSIM wraps things up in fine Middle Eastern fusion style, traditional instrumentation and melody underpinned by a snapping 808 drummachine jam. Zouk it and see ! More

Moonoton is a local treasure: Andrei's tracks circulated in a local DJ crew for about a decade or more, and always been a secret weapon.
Actually this record was due to release for quite a while too, but it turned out that these tracks only got better with time and also now there's a bonus deep version by the label music head, Lipelis.

Bye By Buy is a perfect tune to get the floor's attention while you're starting the night with its super catchy vocal cuts and a piano riff.
Someone Else gets you in a late 80's NYC night cluB with a garage-like groove and a hint of classic house stabs.

Hard To Stop is a melancholic groover to close your set or, in this case an EP. More

Another debut record on LBF is coming from Saint Petersburg habitant - Pasha Mikheev aka Cable Toy.
Former game soundtracks and ad music maker, he found himself attending dance parties more frequently in recent years, and eventually making dance music himself.
After some time he started throwing parties at Tancploshadka club in Saint P, touring around Russia and quite often playing at Denis Simachev Shop & Bar, so it makes perfect sense that his first record appears on the affiliated label.
First tune here is a peak-time banger with an Acidic feel featuring a vocal hook from Kirill Ivanov, frontman of a Russian indie pop band SBP4, followed by a huge percussive hypno jam on A2.
The B-side offers two versions of a tune made in a collaboration with Lipelis, one of the label heads, and it's up to you to decide which way are you going - deeper Italo-house journey with the first version, or ravey, breakbeat territories of the second one. More

They could do weird edits or make eastern influenced dance music, collect gear and sit home or adapt library music for the dance floors.
Or they could get together and make The Secret Weapon. It doesn't really matter who they are and it doesn't really matter that it's just a demo, luckily rescued on a USB stick before their HD failed, what does matter is that it always rocks the party. More

After a blazing start, Low Budget Family return ! The celebrated independent Moscow-based record label run by the crew behind the legendary Shop&Bar Denis Simachev deliver another stunner from SIMPLE SYMMETRY. MIMINO is another tropical House delight, all burly rhythms, punchy marimba, synth rises & anthemic chants before crescendoing into a whirling dervish of a top line . The Instrumental loses the synth-out and follows an altogether more atmospheric, but no less tremendous path. SIMSIM wraps things up in fine Middle Eastern fusion style, traditional instrumentation and melody underpinned by a snapping 808 drummachine jam. Zouk it and see ! More

Cheating EP is the first record to be released by Low Budget Family, an independent Moscow-based record label run by the crew behind the legendary Shop&Bar Denis Simachev formation. Cheating Track is a heads down workout, a no nonsense, broad bottomed, synth riffing number with an irresistible old-school rave sensibility. On the flip Cheating Song strips things back, adds some space and a vox delivery and production style reminiscent of Azari & III. A bold and ballsy debut from this Russian collective... More