Understories by Julia Úlehla and Dálava
Dálava, the genre-defying ensemble led by vocalist Julia Úlehla with guitarist Aram Bajakian (Lou Reed, John Zorn), returns with Understories, a deeply evocative new album that explores uncharted territories of sound, seamlessly weaving Moravian folk traditions with an experimental, improvisational approach into a captivating new soundscape. Their music has received critical acclaim for its expressive depth: fRoots extolled their prior release as “so overwhelming and so intense that it is hard to put into any category…. Saying that The Book of Transfigurations is a masterpiece is not an exaggeration.”
Much of the music is based on a published collection of engagingly melodic songs that Úlehla’s great-grandfather collected from his native village a century ago. Sung in Czech and English, Úlehla’s hypnotic voice spans from whisper to holler, by turns vulnerable and stentorian, embodying each song in its own fantastical world. The music resides in that indeterminate, liminal space between past and future, magic and realism, neither primordial nor of this world. The album is a sonic exploration that transcends time and borders, fusing disparate traditions into a singular, emotionally charged experience.
Tracklist
| 1. | Open Your Ear to the Great Below | 3:02 |
| 2. | Escape Velocity | 3:07 |
| 3. | Entanglement | 5:30 |
| 4. | Queen of Heaven and Earth | 6:07 |
| 5. | Bowed Low | 5:18 |
| 6. | The Way Down | 6:32 |
| 7. | Phase Transition | 8:08 |
| 8. | Water of Life | 1:11 |
| 9. | Sacrifice | 2:30 |
| 10. | The Way Up | 10:30 |
| 11. | Side Real Time | 4:11 |
Credits
MUSICIANS
Julia Ulehla, voice, effects, lotar
Aram Bajakian, guitars, bass, piano, synths, percussion
Peggy Lee, cello
Josh Zubot, violin
License
All rights reserved.
Dálava is an homage to traditional Moravian (Czech) folksong, sourcing melodies transcribed over 100 years ago by the great-grandfather of Dálava's singer, Julia Ulehla, and reanimating them in an extremely stirring, avant-garde, post-rock musical language. Comprised of a group of stellar musicians from Vancouver, Dálava's release The Book of Transfigurations has garnered critical acclaim.