archiv: mileva

archive review – originally posted on the losing today site c. 2003

MILEVA
STORIES SURVIVE SEQUELS
(Diesel Combustible Records)

Recently seen debuting the gorgeous romantic nuances of ‘Skipper trails’ on the latest Bedroom Ambient collection on Enraptured Records, Mileva focus on meditive melodics. A duo, Mileva comprise of Niko from Ma Cherie for Painting and Daniel Vujanic of Stale / E-Jugend fame.

‘Stories survive sequels’ is a refreshingly easy going collection of subtle jazz like fusions, tender use of modern clicks and beats, sparkling melodic thrusts and tamed rhythmic freefalls. As reference points, you would probably neatly nuzzling aside an enriched mixture of the dreamy collages more derivitive of the likes of Yellow 6, Stylus and 90 Degrees South. It’s all a far cry from the cut and thrust krautrockisms of Ma Cherie for Painting, instead Mileva lull the senses and romance the spirit of the listener. There is almost a calming air of sophistication to the whole thing especially on tracks such as ‘Adriatico’.

‘Stories survive sequels’ is a cascading collection that pulls from various generic sources, it explores drone techniques interfed with dreamy collages and whisked with modernist beats and clicks. Brief edges of krautrock encircle, yet the emphasis always seems to spotlight on melodic structures. The awesome ‘Suite’ itself a blazing row of metronomic rock out and spacey ambient textures that distinctly points to latter day Pink Floyd without the chips on shoulders. The excellent ‘Who beats bronson’, comes across like some kind of galactic wild western featuring Sergio Leonne Vs George Lucas, whereas ‘Pink Flamingos’ tempts racing beats with sublime flowing harmonies. The initial part of the album seems to throw everything bar the kitchen sink in it’s search for uniformity yet its from ‘Skipper Trails’ onwards that a new found confidence flourishes as the duo settle down to commission the albums strongest tracks.

‘Skipper trails’ is sensitively sprung, recalling the plight of the Emperor Penguins on 90 Degree South’s debut E.P. and possessing the same warming chill and sense of blissful isolation. ‘Tisini / Coda’ appears to be sub divided into two movements, the former pensive, relying on backward loops, all the same tender with a sinisterish underbelly while the latter a direct assault offering the albums paciest marker.

‘Adriatico’ can best be described as suave, groove laden rhythms that hang like a lounge top coat, sleek, smooth and sexy, no lines or contours almost the melodic equivalent of a Lamborghini sports car. Last track and certainly the most intriguing is ‘Kalimata Sexchains’. In its early stages with the sounds of warped church bells, almost reminiscent of Add N to X’s twisted overview envisaged on their ‘Add insult to injury’ album. Equal measures of menace and macabre dissolve to reveal contrasting images evoked by sensual overlapping of delay chords that melt into each other to euphoric peaks of aural ectacy. In short a collection of tempting curios of hidden delights.