On May 27, Strut Records will be releasing The Lost Tapes (artwork above) by Rodion G.A., the experimental 70s/80s Romanian electronic luminaries founded by Rodion Roșca, whose extensive recordings have been, until this point, confined to just two songs released on a Romanian state compilation in 1981. Have a watch of an interview with Roșca below, with a clip of the band performing ‘Stele si lumini’ on Romanian TV on New Year’s Eve, 1980, their only recorded performance, and a download of ‘Cantec Fulger’ from the album at the foot of the piece:
Having acquired records during Romania’s "open period" between 1965 and 1972, Roșca earned himself the nickname the ‘King Of Records’, and went on to start making his own recordings, eventually forming Rodion G.A. in 1975-6, the initials coming from his bandmates, Gicu Fărcaș and Adrian Căpraru. The band’s sound, founded on a set up of Tesla tape machines, guitar, drum machine, an early synth and a Soviet-made Faemi organ, was hugely distinctive from the main output of Romania’s rock scene, and their releases, both those featured on the state’s Electrecord label’s Formații Rock Vol. 5 compilation and their radio-only singles, were massively well-received.
They continued to play live even during the Ceaușescu regime’s heavy censorship during the 70s and 80s – at one point being pulled up by censors for singing "yeah yeah yeah" in a chorus – and also recorded music for a film, Delta Space Mission, as well as soundtracking the Romanian National Opera, before Roșca retired from live performance and the band’s recordings were shelved.
After filmmaker Luca Sorin, along with the Romanian producers and musicians group Future Nuggets and Stevie Kotey of Ambassador’s Reception, sought out Roșca to uncover the band’s story last year, the original tapes were given a remastering, with their first-time release set to be followed by a Europe-wide tour this summer.
Roșca goes into depth about the band’s history in the video above, which finishes poignantly with his reply to a question about his response to the new release: "It hurts me because it’s too late, even if I became a millionaire now, it will be too late. It’s too late, my life was destroyed."
Stay tuned to the Quietus for further coverage of Rodion G.A..
