Gulag Orkestar
Encyclopedia
Gulag Orkestar is the debut album of Beirut
. It was recorded in 2005 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
.
It is written in the booklet that the front and back photos were found in a library in Leipzig
, torn out of a book. The original photographer was unknown to the creators of the album while it was recorded, but has since been discovered to be Sergey Chilikov
.
The album has received great critical acclaim and was voted the best album of 2006 by the record store Rough Trade. The album was later re-released to include the Lon Gisland
EP
.
The etymology of the name Gulag Orkestar can be attributed to Gulag
, a Soviet government agency administering forced labor camps, mostly known through the novel The Gulag Archipelago
. Orkestar is the Slavic word for "orchestra,".
Beirut (band)
Beirut is an American band which was originally the solo musical project of Santa Fe native Zachary Francis Condon, and later expanded into a band. The band's first performances were in Wollaston, United Kingdom, in May 2006, to support the release of their debut album, Gulag Orkestar...
. It was recorded in 2005 in Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
It is written in the booklet that the front and back photos were found in a library in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, torn out of a book. The original photographer was unknown to the creators of the album while it was recorded, but has since been discovered to be Sergey Chilikov
Sergey Chilikov
Sergey Chilikov is a Russian photographer.Chilikov graduated from the philological faculty with a Ph.D. Until 1991, he had been teaching in the universities of Yoshkar-Ola. In 1993, he published his first book on analytical philosophy titled “Artseg...
.
The album has received great critical acclaim and was voted the best album of 2006 by the record store Rough Trade. The album was later re-released to include the Lon Gisland
Lon Gisland
Lon Gisland EP is an EP by Beirut. It is a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Gulag Orkestar and the first album performed by the full band, which came together after the release of Gulag Orkestar...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
The etymology of the name Gulag Orkestar can be attributed to Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
, a Soviet government agency administering forced labor camps, mostly known through the novel The Gulag Archipelago
The Gulag Archipelago
The Gulag Archipelago is a book by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn based on the Soviet forced labor and concentration camp system. The three-volume book is a narrative relying on eyewitness testimony and primary research material, as well as the author's own experiences as a prisoner in a gulag labor camp...
. Orkestar is the Slavic word for "orchestra,".
Track listing
- "The Gulag Orkestar" – 4:38
- "Prenzlauerberg" – 3:46
- "Brandenburg" – 3:38
- "Postcards from Italy" – 4:17
- "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" – 3:15
- "Rhineland (Heartland)" – 3:58
- "Scenic World" – 2:08
- "Bratislava" – 3:17
- "The Bunker" – 3:13
- "The Canals of Our City" – 2:21
- "After the Curtain" – 2:54
Personnel
- Zach Condon: vocals, trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
and ukuleleUkuleleThe ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings.... - Heather TrostHeather Trost-Biography:Trost was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is one of the two members of the American Balkan Folk band A Hawk and a Hacksaw, with Jeremy Barnes ....
: violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average... - Jeremy BarnesJeremy BarnesJeremy Barnes is an American musician. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the son of a local businessman. In 1995 he moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University but later dropped out. He joined the band Neutral Milk Hotel in January 1996. The band disbanded in 1998 and Barnes spent time...
: drums