Categories: Misc

Listen // Solilians – Old Schmeckled Hen

Variation 2 Vectorized

We’re extra proud to present “Old Schmeckled Hen“, first single off of “American Klezmische” upcoming 4 track EP by Solilians! Said EP (scheduled for Jan. 2022 release) represents the second installment in our In the Running series (part 1 of which was Skyjelly/Solilians split).

We’ll let Ben Solilian take it from here…

Old Schmeckled Hen fuses the spirit of Kosmische (Krautrock) & Klezmer with Americana, hearkening back and ushering in a dystopian future, a drone rock both hopeful and resigned. Opening with the engine of a modular synth and tribal drum that disappear as quickly as they came, a brief conversation singer Neptune Sweet recorded with her Grandfather Paul Sweet ensues (-please see below for the transcription).

Bare bones banjo, drums falling into place, vocals proclaiming let’s follow the glare of the steel tracks and glistening ambient guitar enter the scene, minimally picking up steam until warm, all-encompassing modular synth enters the fray about one minute and thirty seconds in. From that point on the song begins to soar.

Running banjo and syncopated drums fall into the groove, yearning vocals broadcast from the nether world It’s all there just waiting / It’s all there just for the taking. Modular synth provides a deep, benign bed for the music to flow through, and when we finally get to the Buddhist chant at 4:30 (ohm / muni / maha / muni ya / soha) you are totally in. The entire song comes together in glorious cinematic end-of-the-movie splendor until all that’s left are the vocals alone, finally extending into the modular synth and tribal drums that began the song and come full circle. This music should not work but it does. Therein lie Solilians in a nutshell.

A note from Neptune Sweet: the recording is a conversation between myself and my grandfather Paul Sweet. He was talking about the Great Depression and how people would jump on trains to throw coal off so they could have fuel. He was just a boy at the time. Luckily his father also worked as a railway conductor and they had money and a car. They would buy groceries for their less fortunate neighbors and give them what they could. That was the inspiration for the lyrics. the mantra is a Buddhist mantra expressing heart-essence.