Music NSRD – S/T Cheap

Stroom released a fine retrospective of work by one of Europe’s most obscure experimental electronic outfits: 1980s Latvian combo NSRD.

As that fine compilation outlined, the band produced impossible-to-pigeonhole music that sat somewhere between the electro-dub fusion of Mark Stewart’s post Pop Group work, Greek new age ambient music, skewed new wave and the psychedelic electronic experimentation of Michael Turtle.

That curious but exciting blend is evident throughout this “bonus 12” (the label’s words), which features five cuts that didn’t make it onto the compilation.

Balearic sorts should definitely check the bizarre but brilliant “Nujorkas Taksometra Pa Manhetenu” and whistling downtempo shuffle of “Spilvens”, though it’s the epic and thrillingly melodious “Augu Nakti Kada Rita Sovakar” that arguably stands out.