Concurrere

Cimbalom​ ​and​ ​percussion,​ ​Moravian​ ​folklore​ ​and​ ​progressive​ ​rock;​ ​these​ ​are​ ​the​ ​cognitive​ ​features​ ​of the​ ​art-rock​ ​Narajama.​ ​On​ ​their​ ​new​ ​album,​ ​​Concurrere​,​ ​the​ ​band​ ​surprises​ ​their​ ​fans​ ​with playfulness.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​multi-genre​ ​concept​ ​of​ ​music,​ ​Narajama​ ​uses​ ​the​ ​unconventional​ ​sounds​ ​of cimbalom​ ​and​ ​applies​ ​the​ ​influences​ ​of​ ​Moravian​ ​folklore​ ​through​ ​progressive​ ​rock​ ​to​ ​modern​ ​jazz.

 Concurrere​ ​shows​ ​Narajama​ ​in​ ​great​ ​form,​ ​more​ ​than​ ​twenty​ ​years​ ​after​ ​their​ ​debut​ ​“Vytancuj chmury”​ ​​(i.e. Dance Off​ Your Gloom)
​ ​ ​and​ ​three​ ​years​ ​after​ ​their​ ​last​ ​album,​ ​​Convergere​.​ ​The South-Moravian​ ​musicians​ ​then​ ​released​ ​an​ ​album​ ​after​ ​more​ ​than​ ​ten​ ​years.​ ​They​ ​added percussion,​ ​used​ ​several​ ​genres,​ ​including​ ​their​ ​Moravian​ ​roots.​ ​The​ ​current​ ​album​ ​continues​ ​their established​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​connecting​ ​genres​ ​and​ ​only​ ​confirms​ ​how​ ​such​ ​connections​ ​are​ ​inspiring. Igor​ ​Judas,​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​founders​ ​of​ ​the​ ​band​ ​and​ ​bass​ ​player,​ ​confirms​ ​that​ ​the​ ​last​ ​two​ ​albums​ ​are related:​ ​​“The album Concurrere ​​follows up on our​ last​ album in​ all the significant parts and we find it musically and sonically more mature.​ In​ fact, the relationship​ is​ also​ reflected​ in​ the names​ of​ both​ albums.​ The​ name​ of​ the​ previous​ album,​ Convergere, can​ be​ freely​ understood as bending over​ oneself,​ approaching​ oneself.​ For​ us,​ this​ meant​ searching​ and​ finding​ a common​ path.​ We​ called​ the​ new​ album​ Concurrere,​ which​ we​ freely​ translate​ as​ to​ go together,​ to​ run​ together,​ to/​ meet.”

 The​ ​distinctive​ ​musical​ ​style​ ​and​ ​original​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​the​ ​way​ ​of​ ​making​ ​the​ ​new​ ​album​ ​enables​ ​the band​ ​almost​ ​the​ ​impossible​ ​-​ ​to​ ​unite​ ​in​ ​a​ ​perfectly​ ​functioning​ ​whole​ ​a​ ​wide​ ​range​ ​of​ ​music​ ​genres that​ ​inspire​ ​the​ ​band.​ ​​“We​ have​​ never​ thought​ about​ the​ links​ between​ the​ songs​ -​ each​ one was created​ separately.​ All​ of​ us​ listen to music​ of​ all​ kinds​ and​ genres​ and​ that is​ also reflected​ in​ our​ work.​ But​ our​ attempt​ is to​ create​ a​ compact whole,” ​​​ Igor​ ​Judas​ ​admits​ ​and​ ​at the​ ​same​ ​time​ ​reveals​ ​the​ ​background​ ​of​ ​Narajama.​ ​​“Most of​ the​ songs​ come​ out​ of improvisations​ during​ our
​ rehearsals.​ The​ tracks​ with​ folk​ lyrics​ originate​ partially​ from the cimbalom, nevertheless, the cimbalom​ is​ added​ in some​ of the​ other​ instrumental passages. Other​ tracks​ were​ created​ on​ the​ basis​ of​ improvisations​ from​ the​ torso​ of​ the​ band,​ and​ other instruments​ are​ not​ included​ in​ the​ final version,​ such​ as​ the​ first​ song,​ Rozséváš.”  

Narajama​ ​is​ ​a​ ​combination​ ​of​ ​the​ ​non-traditional​ ​cimbalom​ ​and​ ​classic​ ​rock​ ​instruments,​ ​which​ ​chime in​ ​thanks​ ​to​ ​the​ ​careful​ ​arrangements​ ​of​ ​the​ ​songs.​ ​The​ ​band​ ​let​ ​their​ ​songs​ ​gradually​ ​and non-violently​ ​flower,​ ​the​ ​right​ ​moods​ ​of​ ​the​ ​individual​ ​songs​ ​are​ ​highlighted​ ​by​ ​suitable​ ​dynamics.​ ​The current​ ​Narajama​ ​is​ ​much​ ​more​ ​varied,​ ​and​ ​yet​ ​compact,​ ​than​ ​the​ ​original​ ​one.