Since its inception in 2014, Gralitsa has masterfully blended ancient Kostroma folk songs with the freedom of jazz, cinematic atmospheres, and electronic textures—creating music that resists neat categorization. The Kostroma region, located in the north along the Volga River, preserves unique singing traditions that set it apart from other Russian regional folklores. These songs are never loud, often centered on women’s destinies and the cycles of life. Gralitsa stands out to me for the same reason: it is meditative music, gentle and flowing like a river. Although Gralitsa rarely performs live, their albums and releases always catch my attention, as they are far removed from the vulgar pop-folk that now dominates and prevails in the Russian “folk” music industry.
The album Gralitsa II is a work where several remarkable circumstances came together. First of all, it was recorded entirely by the authentic core of the ensemble:
Olga Gralitsa — vocals, co-arrangement, light, and a subtle sense of form;
Gennady Kiselyov — saxophone, horn, and warm improvisation that unites listeners;
Serge Tsymlyakov — from domras and guitars to synthesizers and drums, an inexhaustible search for new sonic solutions.
No guest musicians, no studio “add-ons” — everything was done independently at the Ukha studio, from recording and arrangement to mixing and release. While Gralitsa began as both a live ensemble and studio project, their focus has recently shifted to studio experimentation. There are 8 tracks on the album: 1. Introduction; 2. Shimmering River; 3. Memory Washed by Summer Rain; 4. Glimmer of Light; 5. Question that Remains; 6. Echo of Caution;
7. Breaking the Bird Cherry; 8. Search. Revelation. Partying.One of the key features of the album is the desire to preserve the feeling of the ensemble’s presence “here and now.” Almost all instrumental parts were recorded in a single take, without splicing or polishing. Even the rough edges and imperfections of performance were deliberately left in place to retain that very “shadow of a mistake” — "the breath of music".
Recording the drum kit became a real challenge for the group: with a limited number of microphones and the room’s acoustics, they had to search for unconventional solutions. In the end, the drum sound remained almost unprocessed — just a couple of compressors and a few “secret tricks.”
The approach to each instrument was experimental: a bass guitar run through four switched-off pedals, the “Vyuga” instrument recorded with a karaoke microphone, an old Casio SZ — all of this produced unexpected timbres impossible to replicate with digital plugins.
Serge Tsymlyakov calls Gralitsa II “a bit of a punk album”: its boldness lies not in aggression, but in living experimentation, in the rejection of autotune and studio sterility, in the joy of imperfection. There’s also a refusal of the traditional album release cycle with global streaming platforms. For now, the record is only available on the group’s VKontakte page and Bandcamp. Altogether, the Kostroma-based project has five releases and several singles. And of course, this is completely non-commercial music.
At the heart of Gralitsa’s creativity remain Kostroma folk songs — a source of strength and inspiration. But alongside them, one can hear texts by classical poets, jazz improvisations, electronic textures, and cinematic soundscapes.
The guiding principle is improvisation: no composition ever sounds the same twice. The group creates its own world in the moment, with no repetitions and no strict rules.
Gralitsa II marks a new step for the ensemble toward experimentation and fresh sound. Gralitsa reminds us: living art is always a little unpredictable.gralitsa.bandcamp.com
Daryana Antipova
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