After four years, the band Saténové ruky is releasing a new album, which puts a spell on listeners and electrifies at full throttle. The new album is their third album and was given the sonic name “Lom” according to its origin.
The album was recorded at a cottage in Lom nad Rimavicou. Eleven new songs by Saténové ruky were recorded and mixed by Erik Horák from the Lososound studio and published by Pavian Records.
“Lom” was recorded during two joint recording meetings in January and July 2019 in a mountain cabin, which was clearly reflected in its sound.
It is heavier and more forceful than previous recordings. Except for the songs “Vivaldi” and “Zaklínač hadov”, Saténové ruky recorded everything else in a “live” way – the band recorded them all at once, not in individual instrumental segments, as is usually the case.
There are practically no two similar songs on the album. With a bit of exaggeration, the album could be described as a compilation, because its diversity makes it seem to be recorded by several bands.
One of the members of the band and at the same time co-producer of the album Marek Kasko Babušiak commented on this phenomenon as follows: “I have a great relationship with LOM, I’m satisfied in all aspects. The album cover, mixing, mastering and the songs themselves are the best. Definitely the most varied in sound and style, honest, personal, truthful and in some moments daring. Less funny, probably more serious, mature and courageous.”
The author of the cover and all the graphic elements of the album is the well-known artist Palo Čejka.
Based on one of the photographs, he created ridiculous paper characters of the band members. “This is my third ‘piece’ for Saténové ruky, and I’ve always tried to do it completely differently. First a linocut on Bozkávam, a digital collage on the single Monštrum / Gravitácia and now I got inspired by something I did recently at home. My daughter adores Akhenaten, so I made her the crazy pharaoh out of newspaper and glue. It’s a funny technique, so ‘Mexican’. Now the boys are upstairs displayed on the closet. Musically, this record sometimes reminds me of the densest mass that the ‘sixties’ bands have been able to squeeze out. That is the toughest…, ” concludes Čejka.
A little from every genre of rock.
The album opens with the song “ADHD”. The light repetitive composition about attention deficit disorder contains a small conceptual joke on the musical level – only four chords A, D, H and D are repeated in it. ”Braňo Bezák recorded the vocals that evening at the cottage, and when we heard it later in the studio, we could hear the chords on the recording and it’s so good, ”says Kasko. At the end of the song, guest Roland Kánik joins the band with a dynamic piano playing.
The song “Na plný plyn” has a special position on the album “Lom”.
Its text was written and recited by Boris Ondreička from the group Kosa Z Nosa. “My favorite track from the album, it can bring me to tears and give me goosebumps. Boris Ondreička is the Slovak mixture of Gil Scott-Heron and Leonard Cohen, ”said Kasko. This is the only song on the album in which Vlado Janček does not play. The producer of previous Saténové ruky albums and a friend of the band, Tomáš Sloboda, enriches the composition with his guitar playing and an unusual Indian tanpura instrument. He will soon be introduced to the fans at full speed by a feature video clip.
The album was in the works for two and a half years. Therefore, there are also singles on it, which the band released separately during the years 2019 and 2020.
However, they appear on the album in new remastered versions. Vivaldi has inadvertently become a lockdown anthem and will forever be associated with the first wave of the pandemic. Although the lyrics chillingly fit exactly into the gloomy mood of the time, it was recorded before the pandemic began, at the end of February 2020. Another one of the songs the band released before the whole album was released is Gravitácia, publicist Samo Marec‘s status made into a song .
After listening to the song, journalist Štefan Hríb evaluated it as follows: “After listening, I really liked it as a reaction to the presence of hoaxes and national blabbering.” The last song from the series of pre-released singles is a pre-pandemic summer song 37 ° C with surreal lyrics about dysfunctional relationships, sharks in a Viennese aquarium or a fire in a sex shop.
After the popular cover version Kde mám bundu? (Where’s Me Jumper) from the debut album, Saténové ruky brings a new song “Zaklínač hadov” to LOM. Originally, the band prepared it as a tribute to the lyrical talent of Milan Lasica for the Radio_Head Awards 2019. Mr. Lasica, holder of the RHA for his lifelong contribution to Slovak music, is the author of a song from the repertoire of the legendary band Prúdy.
The last important feature on the album is the radiohead Katarína Máliková. In the song K oblohe, with disturbing whispers and a minimalist piano rhythm, Vlad Janček’s singing stands out even more in the darkest-sounding composition from “Lom”.
Although the song “Elektrické mesto” is more dynamic than “K oblohe”, it also contains dark existential tones. According to Kasko’s words: “Originally, electric noises of electric shocks were added to the song, but we removed them because the atmosphere of the song was completely electrifying even without them.”
Welcome Lom!
The album will be released on June 21 on all online platforms, and fans will also find one bonus track in the digital form:V kúte o 3 ráno (In the corner at 3 in the morning), the Afterhours remix is a new version of a song from the previous album.
The christening of the album will take place on Friday, June 25, in the open air at the Ahoy Café in Devín. The godfather will be Michal Kaščák. He will also perform at the christening with the anti-sports punk band Vydrapená Bužírka Punk System. Visitors will also be able to buy fresh vinyls or the CD of the LOM album on the spot.
Capacity is limited and those who won’t be able to make it to the christening will be able to hear Saténové ruky’s live at these summer concerts in Slovakia:
● Záhrada in Banská Bystrica / July 9
● Tužina Groove Festival / July 23
● Žákovic Open / July 31
● Coffee sheep Trenčín / September 4
Alexandra Punová and NMR (photo: press Saténové ruky, translation: Zoe Prívozníková)
