Wasp'n'Hornet - Wasp'n'Hornet
Debut album of Belarusian English-speaking project created by Alyaksandr Starazhuk, ex-drummer of “Lyapis Trubetskoy” and his son Mikalai.
The news about drummer Alyaksandr Starazhuk leaving “Lyapis Trubetskoy” surprised back then. What will he do, will he quit music?.. It has turned out to be very simple. The musician decided to create a new project with his son Mikalai, artist Vital Sidaruk and guitarist Ivan Kalkouski. Wasp'n'Hornet is English-speaking electronic rock. There is a lot of such music all over the world. But the style has been neglected in Belarus.
However, you cannot call Wasp'n'Hornet plagiarists or say that they are trying to copy some foreign musicians. Of course, you compare them to something while listening to their tracks. But there are a lot of such things for the album’s 12 songs. You may recall Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Kasabian… the list is not short.
Judging by Alyaksandr Starazhuk’s experience, you should not doubt the quality of the recording. The sound is clear, nothing is out of place and you cannot even think of anything else that could be added to the arrangements. Maybe the vocal needs more energy and charisma. But it is not obligatory; it will be achieved with time because this is certainly not a one-day project.
Despite the fact that the band works with electronic sound in the first place, live guitars and drums have a lot to do with the project. Wasp'n'Hornet is a product for a narrow circle of amateurs of such music. “AD” is the most electronic track of the disc but it is unlikely to attract a wide audience either.
Judging by the fact that the album was released by a Russian label and Alyaksandr Berger (PR manager of the Lyapises) worked with the musicians, it was planned to be promoted outside Belarus. The English language opens the way to the West for them. And it is right as our audience is not ready for mass perception of such music.
Let us discusses the drawbacks now. You feel lost somewhere in the middle of listening to the album and the music turns into a background of the other events. That is why the last tracks seem lost and alike. It is up to you to decide whether it is good or bad. We can only wish success to Wasp'n'Hornet and admire Alyaksandr Starazhuk who left the successful “Lyapises” for a new project. This project’s music is something fairly new to the drummer.
Track list:
01 - Not Rockers
02 - Different Kind Of Man
03 – Narcissus
04 - Through The Fog
05 – AD
06 - True Painter
07 - Feeling Out
08 - Heavy Sun
09 - The Thing She Does The Best
10 - Elder Bro
11 – Guide
12 - Choise
Music – Mіkalai Starazhuk
Lyrics – Vіtal Sіdaruk
Wasp'n'Hornet band:
Mіkalai Starazhuk – programming, guitar, arrangement
Vіtal Sіdaruk – vocal
Mіkalai Starazhuk – drums
Іvan Kalkouskі – guitar
