Hingus (1978) ...
Soviet era electronica, recorded 1978 to 1980. Shades of Edgar Froese, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre. Music from Tallinn, Estonia on hand built synths...Hingus (full album)...
Composed in the late 1970s and released in 1981, Hingus is a fantastically grand album of astral pieces-for-synthesizer, created by Estonian musician Sven Grünberg. The Talinn resident had previously led prog outfit Mess, who were active in the late 1970s but, due to Soviet censure, forbidden from actually releasing any recordings until many years later. Mess’ music isn’t messy, per se, but it is haphazardly structured and full of proggier-than-though flights of fancy. Hingus, though, is very different – an album of ecstatic cosmic dazzle.
Played on bespoke synthesisers (built by Mess member Härmo Härm), Hingus trades mostly in mock-orchestral swells in a ‘Trans Europe Express’ mould, decorated with chimes and harmonics. Pretty ambient passages, reminiscent of Steve Hillage’s works for synthesizer, break up the bombast, but the sense of high drama rarely lets up. The album is effectively split down the middle: the A-side is a four-part suite, whereas the flip centres around a long-form piece, ‘Valgusxis’. It’s occasionally stern, but Grünberg plays with Riley-esque force and exuberance throughout... Factmag
© «МЕЛОДИЯ», 1981
ТАЛЛИНСКАЯ СТУДИЯ ГРАМЗАПИСИ, ЗАПИСЬ 1980 Г.
РИЖСКИЙ ОРДЕНА ЗНАК ПОЧЕТА ЗАВОД ГРАМПЛАСТИНОК
ТИП. РЗГ «МЕЛОДИЯ» 1981 3597 3000
APT. 36-8
