Rodion G.A.

Rodion Rosca came of age during Romania's "open period" of 1965 to 1972, soaking up jazz, Kraut and prog-rock influences, forming Rodion G.A. (the G.A. refers to band members Gicu Farcas and Adrian Capraru) under the oppressive shadow of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1975. In stark contrast to the sanitized pop music of the period, and despite the barebones recording techniques and instruments ⎯ East German drum machines, a toy Casio and a Soviet-made Faemi organ, all recorded and overdubbed on primitive Tesla machines — the sounds on The Lost Tapes are immersive, complex and also difficult to classify. Strains of Can, early Pink Floyd and Kraftwerk are echoed throughout. However, it's with the jumpy, off-kilter time signature on cosmic workout "Diagnola," the aggressive, techno-creepy drive of "Cantaec Fulger" and narcotized, ambient closer "Zephyr," which juxtaposes haunting vocals and classical piano touches with queasy psychedelic effects, where The Lost Tapes demonstrates how musicians behind the Iron Curtain appropriated Western influences into a unique, personal and essential hybrid.