Kat's Cradle

My last encounter with Elena Kats-Chernin’s captivating music came in the shape of three works on an ABC disc devoted to the composer (see review). There we had the Second Piano Concerto, the Wild Swans concert suite and Mythic and I thoroughly enjoyed it all. Elements of the concert suite make a reappearance here because some of the pieces are heard in versions for solo piano. If you know the soprano-and-orchestral version you will enjoy hearing these stripped back, pared down versions.

Fresh, innovative indie swing from Vienna. This trio, led by the sparkling and charismatic Marina, engages spectators in her swing, swing, swing world with personal compositions and an original line-up. Racy gypsy guitars, nimble melodies, airy snare drums and Marina‘s uniquely charming voice conflate into a nostalgic cocktail. Marina & The Kats take you on a dreamy journey into the times of Django Reinhart and Cab Calloway, the Divas and the Crooners, the Lindy Hops and Radio Shows, Buick Rivieras and convertibles Cadillac… Originally a three-piece and now a quartet, Marina & The Kats has been one of the most exciting and trailblazing bands in Austria (if not Europe) for years, as anyone who has ever had the chance to catch one of their many high-octane shows will confirm.

Fresh, innovative indie swing from Vienna. Originally a three-piece and now a quartet, Marina & The Kats has been one of the most exciting and trailblazing bands in Austria (if not Europe) for years, as anyone who has ever had the chance to catch one of their many high octane shows will confirm. Their new record "Different" is, on the one hand, as coarse as it is frank, infused with a reassuringly rough and ready swagger. It is also, understandably though, a musical reflection of the last year. A rollercoaster ride of a year that started promisingly with concerts in Israel, Germany and Austria, suddenly came to an abrupt halt. So too did the band as the ingrained drive and passion for the stage hit a metaphorical brick wall, leaving them to come to terms with the fact that life and making music had come to a complete standstill.

Fresh, innovative indie swing from Vienna. This trio, led by the sparkling and charismatic Marina, engages spectators in her swing, swing, swing world with personal compositions and an original line-up. Racy gypsy guitars, nimble melodies, airy snare drums and Marina‘s uniquely charming voice conflate into a nostalgic cocktail. Marina & The Kats take you on a dreamy journey into the times of Django Reinhart and Cab Calloway, the Divas and the Crooners, the Lindy Hops and Radio Shows, Buick Rivieras and convertibles Cadillac… Originally a three-piece and now a quartet, Marina & The Kats has been one of the most exciting and trailblazing bands in Austria (if not Europe) for years, as anyone who has ever had the chance to catch one of their many high-octane shows will confirm.