Ored Recordings release 'Shyshagh: Imaginary Circassian Underground'

This is not a typical release: it's a compilation of sorts, on which three musicians contribute their visions of independent Circassian (one of the region’s indigenous peoples’) music. The album is described as "a cross-section of new Circassian music - music that is not merely being preserved, but is actively evolving." 

Maykop-born, Tbilisi-based artist Cherim departs from his signature industrial hip-hop and hauntological ambient styles, to instead present two indie-folk ballads with echoes of Soviet-era pop music; electronic producer, collagist and vocalist Temir translates Circassian aesthetics into the realms of deconstructed club, ethereal pop, and various forms of emotive avant-garde music.

Two additional tracks come courtesy of duos featuring Timur Kodzoko (a co-founder of Ored). From their archives, Ored unearthed an old rehearsal recording by Zafaq - a dormant Circassian Black Metal project featuring Amar Abazov (founder of Zhest records) on drums, as well as a semi-improvised acoustic ambient piece from Shkhafit (which also features Timur's son), performed on the shichepshin (Circassian fiddle), alongside various other string and wind instruments. 

Shyshagh: Imaginary Circassian Underground was released on May 21, the date that marks Circassian Remembrance Day, or the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Russo-Caucasian War. Spanning from 1763 to 1864, this war resulted in the loss of independence for the North Caucasus region and, for the Circassians, in genocide and mass exile from their historical homeland.

"Shyshagh stands as Ored Recordings’ most ironic and chaotic release to date", the label writes on their Bandcamp page. It’s a deep listening experience and a release with even deeper meaning. Shyshagh is an album that is immediately gratifying to listen to while, as a listener, you also sense that there is more to discover through repeated listening. The album is a testimony of how rewarding it can be for artists to step outside their comfort zone, or at least their regular genre definitions, to open up new possibilities in music.