TRANSLITERATION

ZETS! iz di tsveyte plate fun der melburner kosmos-klezmer kapelye YID! un di naye plate iz a groyse simkhe fun onheyb bizn sof.

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di ersheter tsvey lider, Uvertur eyns un Uvertur tsvey, zaynen di farkerperung fun YID!. Men vert teleportirt in a kosmos-yidish tsukunft-fargangenhayt mit a robotishn min kol Tomi Kalinskin, mit smitshik-instrumentn, elektronisher 'blipn' un 'blopn', un klezmer akordn vos shafn a moyredike stsene.

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Nokh dem, dreyt dos lid sharf oys, un es vert ayngepakt mit fonk, herner un mit a saksofon solo fun Loklan Deyvidson. Demolt kumt der ritem glaykh arayn inem kerper. ven di herner vern opgeshvakht mit a klezmer grageray, firt Uvertur tsvey ayn a rok-melodiye oyf der gitare. Plutsling, heybt YID! on mit glentsndiker zingeray vos hot mikh iberrasht.

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Di lider (Uvertur eyns un Uvertur tsvey) zaynen a prekhtiker araynfir tsu YID!s muzik far an ershtmolikn tsuherer.

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Es zaynen do a sakh hoykhpunktn oyf der plate, spetsyel 'Fun Tehilim' - a zibn-minutike nesiye mit a klez-lataynish gefil (dos lid rekhnt ayn di Liron, Sholem Aleykhem, Mir Kumen On un di Dovid Hamelekh Mitlshul khorn). s'iz mir interesant vos dos lid iz mer 'lataynish' un nisht azoy oyfhayterndik oyf der rekordirung in farglaykh mit YID!s forshtelung far an oylem. an ander hoykhpunkt iz a nayer oystaytsh fun 'Rumenye' mit a 'spageti vestern' klezmer gefil vos past a stsene in 'Frisco Kid

 oder a nayem film vegn yidisher kosmos-kouboys - prekhtik far a 'hoe down'!

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Me hert zikh tsu tsu a shtil lid vos iz nisht tipish far der kapelye mit 22 klezmorim, 'oyfn pripetshik', mit Alma Zygier vi di hoypt zingerin. Di kapelye handlt zikh mit yoysher mitn folkslid. 

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Dos lid git undz a hafsokeh kimat in mitn fun der plate tsu makht an iberrays un k'dey men zol zikh tsugreytn oyf der klez-kozmos rayze, vos heybt on nokhn araynfir tsum kumendikn lid 'Rumenye'.

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S'iz oykh do a kameo fun Kadimah prezident, legendarisher yidish aktior un bundist Yosl Tigel inem lid 'Oy Tate'. Er shpilt an oysrufer durkhn gantsn lid. Zayn khokhldiker, tumuldiker kol git dos traditsionele lid a 'shenkish', ruishik gefil.

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Di robotishe Tomi kumt arayn un fort avek durkh der plate, mit YID!s kharakteristishe geredte-tsvishnshpiln. Di tsvishnshpiln diskutirn farshidene temes - yidishe derfarungen in der alter heym un in shtetl, heldn fun der yidisher literatur, hayntike ekonomishe un filosofishe inyonim un a metoforishe un poshete krigeray tsvishn nay un alt, traditsye un progres, un di fargangenhayt un di tsukunft. 

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ZETS! is a plate vos hot a zamlung fun naye lider un naye oystaytshn fun traditsionele lider, vi oykh a yidishe verzye funem AC/DC lid 'tsurik in shvarts'. Mit dem vayzt di kapelye, un kapel-mayster Shimon Starr, vi shver es iz glaykh arayntsubrengen traditsiye un progress mit yidisher kultur un muzik. 

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YID! iz der yidisher kehiles entfer tsu 'king gizerd un der lizerd vizerd'. Zeyer forshtelung farn oylem iz in gantsn andersh vi tsuhern zikh tsu zeyer plate. Zey shpiln lider fun kimat yedn zhaner un zey zaynen muzikalishe khides.

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A hartsikn mazel-tov YID! (A kapelye mit a sakh shtern fun der melburner muzic stsene) oyf a shoyn lang oysgekukte plate - ZETS! - vos vet endern di tsukunft fun yidisher muzik in oystralye. 

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YID! vet shpiln zeyer kumendikn angazhmant dem tsentn detsember. 

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION

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ZETS! Is the second album from Melbourne space-klezmer band YID! This new album is a party from start to finish.

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The first two songs, Overture 1 and Overture 2 are the absolute epitome of YID! – First, you are teleported to space-Yiddish future-past. The sounds of a robotic Tomi Kalinski, string instruments, electronic ‘bleeps and bloops’ and klezmer chords create an eerie scene, before taking a sharp turn into a funk- and horn-packed tune featuring a saxophone solo from Lachlan Davidson. Soon, the rhythm flows through your body, with a horn mixed klezmer rattle which begins to fade. As Overture 2 starts, a slowly building slow rock melody on guitar plays when suddenly YID! Surprises you a powerful all-in singalong.

The two songs (Overture.1 and Overture 2) are the perfect introduction to YID!s music for a first-time listener.

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There are lots of high points in the album, especially “Fun Tehilim” – a seven-minute musical journey with a klez-latin feel (the song features the Liron, Sholem Aleichem College, Mir Kumen On and King David School choirs) – it’s interesting that the song sounds so latin in its style in the recording compared to how the band perform it live. Another highlight is YID!s version of ‘Rumenye” which has a unique ‘spaghetti western’ klezmer feel which would not be out of place in the “Frisco Kid” or a movie about Jewish space-cowboys – perfect for a hoe down!

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There also a more stripped back song in the album, not typical for the 22-piece klezmer band, “Oyfn Pripetchik”, with Alma Zygier on vocals. The band does justice to the traditional folksong. The song provides a perfect break in the album to have a break and take a breath to prepare oneself for the rest of the space klezmer journey, which begins with the intro to “Rumenye”.

Kadimah president, legendary Yiddish actor and Bundist Yosl Tigel features on “Oy Tate”. He plays a town spruiker throughout the song, with his raspy, loud voice giving the traditional song a rowdy feeling of being in an old timey tavern.

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The robotic Tomi flows in and out throughout the album, with YID!s characteristic spoken word introductions. The monologues discuss various themes, including Jewish experiences in the old-world and the shtetl, characters from old Yiddish literatyre, present day economic and philosophic issues, and a metaphorical and literal battle between new and old, tradition and progress, and the past and the future.

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ZETS! Is an album with a variety of new compositions and reimaginings of traditional songs​ – even a Yiddish version of AC/DC’s “Back in Black”. With this mix, the band – and the band leader Simon Starr – show the difficulty that presents itself when creating Yiddish cultural work – in acknowledging the tradition but presenting progress too.

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YID! Is the Jewish/Yiddish community’s answer the “King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard”. Their live performance is a different but incredible experience ​to listening to their recordings, they create music in almost every genre imaginable and they are musical enigmas in their own right.

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A warm congratulations/mazel tov YID! – a band with many stars of the Melbourne music scene – for a long-awaited second album – ZETS! – which is sure to influence the future of Yiddish music in Australia.

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​YID! Will be playing their next show on December 10th (not 11th as published in LINK!)