QUIET SUN

I AM WAITING FOR YOU LAST SUMMER is a post-rock band from Ryazan, Russia that formed in 2010 and has been fairly productive releasing 10 EPs and 4 full-length albums. The band consists of Eugene Popov (guitar), Alex Sokolov (guitar) and Leo Nikitin (electronics) and started when Alex and Eugene met at a This Will Destroy You concert. While starting out as a duo the two soon decided some extra sounds were needed and found Leo to offer a much wider palette of ambience, electronic and droning effects.

QUIET SUN is the band's latest EP release which features four tracks, well three really plus a second version of the title track that's remixed slower and with reverb. The EP is only just over 18 minutes long so a pretty quick listening experience. I AM WAITING FOR YOU LAST SUMMER is roughly an equal mix of ambient music and post-rock with lots of electronic effects. This latest EP is no exception. The rock aspects are dynamic on the first two tracks and the tones, timbres and textures of the guitars keep it in the world of post-rock. The second two tracks are more like post-ambient music.

This band is actually fairly popular in Russia but probably not well known elsewhere. While i can't say this style of post-rock is my favorite style out there, it sure is about as ethereal and meditative as you could possibly imagine during the non rocking parts. With layers of swirling synthesizers and dreamtronica as some have called it. The band has played at festivals in Moscow, St Petersburg and Kiev and will be appealing to those who love dreamy electronic ambient music only moments of post-rock. The EP does start off with some rocking aspects that include guitar sweeps and drumming but incrementally mellows out until the closing remixed title track is pure ambient cloud float.

One of many post-rock bands that has emerged from Russia in the 21st century however the band really has the absolute minimal amount of rock elements possible and still be considered as such. This is a pleasant enough album like listening to a music box while relaxing on a room full of marshmallows. The first two tracks "Dark Matter" and "Deja Vue" do offer some rocking out with fiery guitar picking and heavy drumming action. The second two tracks are pure ambience. When the rock parts are in full swing, Explosions In The Sky is a good reference but as far as innovative post-rock that stands above the legions of posties out there, this is a fairly generic release as far as the genre goes.