Už Jsme Doma

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Už Jsme Doma
Origin	Teplice, Czechoslovakia
Genre(s)	Progressive rock Avante-garde Punk rock
Years active	1985–present
Label(s)	Indies Records Skoda Records
Associated acts	FPB Zuby Nehty
Website	www.uzjsmedoma.com
Members
Miroslav Wanek Pepa Červinka Tomáš Paleta Adam Tomášek Martin Velíšek

Už Jsme Doma, (pronounced oosh-smeh-dough-ma), are a progressive rock band from Prague, Czech Republic, who originally formed in Teplice in 1985.

Although, according to their pop-up book 11, they have "received all kinds of labels, like intellectual punk, Slavic tone provocation, African music, orchestral punk, funky punk, ska, inspiration by Zappa, Uriah Heep, Gregorian chants, melodic avant garde and plenty of others," their distinct take on rock music defies specific categorization or direct comparison. Many accuse the band's music of being chaotic, when, in actuality, it is thoroughly arranged, structured in a manner similar to classical composition.

The Prague Post has termed them one of "the two great bastions of the Czech alternative scene" (along with Psí vojáci). ^[1] Rolling Stone's David Fricke referred to them as "an amazing Czech quintet called Už Jsme Doma that rattled like a combination of Hot Rats-aphonic Frank Zappa and John Zorn’s hyperjazz" ^[2]. Cited musical influences include The Residents, The Damned, Ebba Grön, Pere Ubu, Uriah Heep, Omega, and the Rock in Opposition movement.^[3] ^[4] Critics have also compared the band to Fugazi and Men at Work ^[5].

The band has, to date, released six proper studio albums, two live albums, a best-of package and a DVD containing live footage and a documentary about the history of the band, which discusses its artistic significance and chronicles its dozens of lineup changes in its 21+ year career. In addition to traditional band functions such as recording albums and touring, UJD have taken on a wide array of ambitious projects, including work with theater, film and art. The band's name translates literally to, "we're home now" but, as an idiom, means something more like, "well, there you go" in Czech conversation.

1 History
2 Musical analysis
3 Poetic and artistic merit
4 Current and former members
5 Discography
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

Until the Velvet Revolution in Czech in 1990, the band was considered ‘illegal’ by the communist state and the band was forced to hold secret concerts and risk arrest if caught. Singer / guitarist / bandleader Miroslav Wanek was actively involved in the integration of democracy to Czech in the early 1990s. Despite this history, the band eschews straight-forward political commentary within their lyrics and art in favor of poetry and artistic symbolism.

UJD was founded by saxophonists Jindra Dolanský and Milan Nový, drummer Jula Horváth, keyboardist Jiří Závodný, bassist Petr Keřka, and guitarists Ota Chlupsa and Jiří Solar. They played their first of many illegal concerts on a riverboat on July 6th, 1985, with Czech punk bands FPB (Fourth Price Band, which featured Nový on drums,) and Plexis. By 1986, singer Miroslav Wanek and guitarist Romek Hanzlík, both from FPB, had joined UJD, initially simply as guest members.

After a dissolution of the original incarnation sometime in 1986, they settled as a four-piece: Wanek (bass and vocals), Hanzlík (guitar), Horváth (drums) and Dolanský (saxophone). This same year, the band first worked with painter Martin Velíšek, who designed a poster for the band. (This collaboration would have future significance, as Velíšek would go on to design all of the band’s album art, as well as their posters and t-shirts, and have significant input in their live show.)

By 1989, Horváth had been replaced on drums by a returning Milan Nový. The band had also added saxophonists Alice Kolousková and Martina Fialová, the latter of whom only played in the band for a short time, and bassist Pavel Keřka (also formerly of FPB), which allowed allow Wanek to concentrate on singing and composing. This lineup, without Fialová, recorded the band’s only pre-democracy record, the three-song “Rock Debut No. 7” 7″ EP, released on the Panton label, which, strangely, uses a programmed drum beat rather than a live drum track. By the end of this year, Nový had left the band, emigrating to West Germany before the Czech Revolution, and had been replaced by Pavel Pavlíček.

[edit] The early ’90s - a new regime, first three albums

Having written more material than could fit on a single album, the band recorded the material they'd written in their first five years mostly chronologically. The first album, "Uprostřed slov," or "In The Middle Of Words," was recorded in May and later released on the Globus Int. label; their second, "Nemilovaný svět," or "Unloved World," was recorded in June and released on Panton. The former album included songs that owed a fair-sized debt to punk rock (although several tracks, such as "Sopot", are closer to the avant garde than anything in rock;) the second album, conversely, stood as the group's most orchestral and compositionally experimental album for years, featuring dense arrangements and a host of outside musicians and vocalists.

The early years of Vaclav Havel's regime also marked a major change for the band in that they were able to not only play concerts legally, but also make a living off their music and thus involve themselves in a wide array of projects, including work with theater groups and an expanded European touring schedule, not to mention eight hour practices five days a week. The band also began integrating costumes into their live set.

By 1991, Kalousková had left (she would later join the all-woman group Zuby Nehty,) and Wanek had begun playing second guitar and piano live. Although they juggled members, the band would stick with this five-member set-up into the next century. In 1993, UJD recorded "Hollywood," the band's third LP, which began to stray back towards harder-edged rock, while still incorporating plenty of progressive compositions and non-traditional elements, such as rhythmic crying and clapping. At this time the band made its first appearance on North American shores, in 1992. Slowly, the band was turning into what Nils Frykdahl of the bands Idiot Flesh and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum once described as "touring monsters^[6]," playing 80+ concerts in 1993 alone. The band also recorded a music video for the title track.

"Hollywood" also marked their first record deal with a North American label, BMG. This deal was short-lived, and UJD, dissatisfied with the BMG's distribution setup, left to work with the Czech label Indies, whom they have dealt with ever since.

In late 1993, Keřka and Pavlíček left and were replaced by Jan Cerha and a once-again returning Milan Nový, respectively. Under new management with a larger company called the Unijazz Agency, the band continued touring and began working on a new album. Curiously, the band also re-recorded the vocal tracks to "Nemilovaný svět" in English and released the reworked album on an American label, Memphis.

[edit] The late '90s - "Fairytales From Needland," collaborations with the Residents, "Ears"

The band released "Pohádky ze Zapotřebí," or, "Fairytales From Needland," their fourth album, in 1995. With Wanek receiving the producer credit, this album drifted deeper into the rock realm, and is considered by some to be their most accessible album, compositionally. Sonically, however, the band has mentioned regret and dissatisfaction with the poor quality of the recording, and has expressed an interest in re-recording.

This lineup also recorded a soundtrack album to a documentary called "Jaro, Peklo, Podzim, Zima," or, "Spring, Hell, Autumn, Winter." This film was based around the life and work of painter Martin Velíšek. Around this time Velíšek had been granted full membership in UJD; Wanek says that Velíšek's art is as important to the band as the guitar lines, saxophone parts or lyrics.

In 1995, the band played their 10th anniversary set, which was the first show with their young new drummer, Petr Böhm, who replaced Novy. The opening act for this set was the UJD Revival Band, a band of anonymous Czech musicians faithfully covering UJD songs.

Later in the year, another change in the rhythm section occurred, ushering in bassist Kamil Krůta to replace Cerha. Krůta was a notable fixture of the Teplice scene, having been in the post-Wanek/Hanzlík lineup of FPB that Nový and manager Petr Růžička put together in 1986. Krůta and Nový also played in the two-piece bass/drums group Pseudo Pseudo.

The new incarnation of UJD was given a difficult task - to serve as the live band for famous American avant garde artists the Residents, who picked UJD as their backing band for their 1995 musical play based around their 1991 album Freak Show. Wanek arranged live band versions of their complex, unique compositions, and UJD, along with select other Czech musicians, performed these arrangements in the Freak Show theater piece, with Wanek acting as conductor. This musical was performed 20 times in the Archa theater in Prague in 1995. The Residents later released selections from these performances on CD and DVD.

In 1996, UJD began working with American label Skoda Records, who issued "Hollywood," and, later, the rest of their back catalog. In Europe, Indies Records began re-releasing the four albums, which had fallen out of print. Hanzlík, the band's guitarist for ten years, left this same year to pursue a career in the business end of music with his agency AMP. He was replaced by young guitarist Radek Podveský. This year also marked the release of "11," a pop-up book with illustrations by Velíšek and prose by Wanek, detailing the band's career up to that point.

In 1997, Jan Čejka (previously of the bands Hej Vy, Klid, and Orchestr Ondřeje Hybše), also joined, replacing Krůta, who later moved to Orlando, Florida, USA, to form the experimental group Koonda Holaa and the Beetchees. The new UJD lineup toured vigorously for three years. One live set was released as a live album, "Vancouver 1997," along with two other live tracks from previous tours (the only UJD tracks featuring Kamil Krůta.)

"Ears" cover.

In 1999, they released "Uši," or "Ears," their fifth CD. Producer Dan Rathbun, known for performing with the bands Idiot Flesh and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, as well as production work on punk rock and experimental records, recorded the album and gave UJD a fuller sound that many fans felt was lacking on previous efforts. The songs themselves continued in the direction of "Fairytales from Needland," with emphasis on epic rock and punkier elements. Indeed, the opening track has been described as sounding like a Clash outtake ^[7], but the album is not without epic moments of sweeping grandeur. Influenced by the death of Dolanský's father and Wanek's divorce, "Ears" is a meditation on communication, mental divisions between individuals, and loss. "Ears" is also notable for featuring the largest number of Jindra Dolanský compositions of any UJD album, at four songs.

[edit] Early 21st Century - Dolansky departs; "Codliver Oil"

UJD began the century with the release of "Patnáct Kapek Vody," or "Fifteen Drops of Water," a fifteen-track retrospective of their career featuring three songs from each of their five albums. As a bonus, the disc included a track from "Spring, Hell, Fall, Winter," and a recording of the song "Jó Nebo Nebo" recorded live at their very first concert in 1985.

In late 2001, after 16 years in the band, Jindra Dolanský, saxophonist and only original member, left UJD. Having grown weary of the exhausting touring schedule and having developed an interest in family life, the band decided that Dolanský's desire to reduce the band's activity was incompatible with Wanek's desire to intensify it. Wanek's decision to continue the band was a controversial one, as many felt UJD couldn't maintain their identity Dolanský's distinct saxophone, and that Dolanský's role in composition would be irreplaceable. The new arrangements of old material used keyboard, guitar lines and vocal melodies to replace the saxophone parts in the old songs. The band has remained a four-piece ever since. Čejka also left the band at this time and was replaced by Jaroslav Cvach, who, after two years in the band, was followed by bassist Miloš Albrecht, who remained in the band long enough to record the bass lines on the next album.

This album was released in late 2003 under the name "Rybí tuk," or "Codliver Oil." With Rathbun again recording, but with the production credit going to Wanek, the new material incorporated walls of guest instrumentation and choir vocal layers, including guest appearances from members of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Tin Hat Trio and Faun Fables. The compositions were the most avant garde and orchestral since "Unloved World," a sharp left turn from their increasingly rock-oriented sound.

[edit] All-new lineup; commemorative releases

The band continued their hefty touring schedule, although they had ceased travelling to North America due to complications with their booking agency. A live DVD shot in 2003 at a Tokyo performance was released on the Poseidon label in 2006, and featured a good overview of material from the band's career with the hornless arrangements.

In 2005, things took a surprising turn when Böhm, Podveský and Albrecht all departed the band at the same time. Wanek says he was forced to fire the latter two, which led to the departure of Böhm for financial reasons ^[8]. After briefly questioning the future of the band, Wanek hired all new replacements - Pepa Červinka (bass,) Petr Židel (guitar,) and Tomáš Paleta (drums.) This lineup enjoyed successful tours of France and Japan, and recorded the track "Životopis," a song with lyrics written by early 20th century Czech poet Ludvik Kundera and music by Wanek, which appeared on the compilation "Brno - město básníků," or "Brno - Town of Poets," released in 2007 on the Indies Records label. This song is notable as the only song from UJD's history to have lyrics written by someone other than Wanek, and for being the only studio track recorded by this lineup.

In October, 2006, UJD performed a grandiose 20 year anniversary set at the Archa Theater in Prague. The first half of this performance was a 40-minute medley of songs from 1985-1999, with guest appearances from many former members, including Dolanský (who performed the entire first half of the set,) Alice Flesarová (nee Kalousková,) Závodný, early xylophonist Roman Kolařík, Čejka, Cvach, Hanzlík, and Böhm. The second half was a 'proper' set by the lineup of the time accompanied by a 20 piece choir, Mikrochor. This performance was recorded and released as a live CD and live DVD, both called "20 Letů," the latter packaged with an hour-long documentary about the history of the band called "Puding" ("Pudding.")

In late 2006, Židel left after a short tenure due to "family obligations^[9]." The lineup was then rounded out by trumpet player Adam Tomášek, the first horn player in the band since Dolanský's departure. This also marked the first time UJD had only one guitar player since the early '90s. This new incarnation debuted with a Polish tour, where UJD was met with "packed venues and enthusiastic responses from the Polish audiences^[10]." This lineup also recorded music for the Czech TV puppet series called "Krysáci," or "Rats," and planned future work with this show and the accompanying film, "Lajka." They also announced plans for a new album, "Jeskyně," or "Caves," although a release date hasn't been mentioned.

In October, 2007, the band embarked on their fifteenth US tour, their first since 2001, playing their first shows ever on American soil without Jindra Dolanský. This coincided with the long-delayed US release of "Rybí Tuk," on the reestablished Skoda label. Later in the year, Wanek collaborated with famous Czech drummer Pavel Fajt on a 60+ page poem Wanek had written, with structured improvisational musical accompaniment by Fajt.

For the summer of 2008, UJD is planning, in addition to traditional summer festival dates, a live set of 21 FPB songs performed by the current UJD lineup along with FPB/early UJD guitarist Romek Hanzlík, which will coincide with the release of a 3-CD set of FPB material by Malarie Records called "Kniha prani a stiznosti," or "A Book of Wishes and Complaints."

[edit] Musical analysis

The band's approach to arrangements is unique in the world of rock. They bring the instruments and vocals in different directions within the same scales and keys to create a dense melodic atmosphere. In addition, their rhythms often accent off-beats and half-beats, throwing the listener in unexpected directions. The music seems to be an exhausting juxtaposition between beauty and ugliness, as songs will frequently shift between modes to create tumultuous, powerful hooks (a good example of this is the song "Hollywood.") The band is also fond of shifts between time signatures and the insertion of extra beats in the shaping of the mood of the song.

Jindra Dolanský's saxophone playing is unique, and his tendency to grab notes with very little sustain shaped the band's approach to songwriting, enabling them to build complex melodies within condensed spaces. In a private conversation, former Dead Kennedys lead singer Jello Biafra once described Dolanský's saxophone playing to me as that of a "hyperactive frog."

The lead guitar work often involves a lot of single-note soloing with no bends, and very high-pitched, frantically strummed diminished chords whose backbeat-emphasizing rhythm may call reggae or ska music to mind for some listeners. Others may describe the sophisticated chords of Wanek's pickless, strummed guitar work as jazz chords. The drumming is consistently high-energy, relying on backbeats, polyrhyhthmic tom-tom work and off-beat cymbal fills for cunning distinction. The bass lines are also high-energy, utilizing sixteenth notes to pack more into less space than most rock bands, and harmonic notes to complement the primary melodies and add to the composition's density.

Every aspect of UJD's music is premeditated and composed; there is no improvisation ^[11]. This approach has allowed the band to sail through their many lineup and instrumentation changes while retaining the intentions of the compositions. The departure of Dolanský pushed saxophone parts onto the guitars, keyboards and vocals; the recent replacement of solo guitar with trumpet has condensed lead guitar and sax lines into the singular trumpet parts.

All compositions between 1985-2001 are credited to either Wanek and Dolanský or solely Wanek, with all lyrics credited to Wanek; and all post-2001 compositions are credited to Wanek. Wanek has said that all told, UJD compositions were "80% [himself], 20% Dolanský." The pre-Wanek songs to appear on UJD records include "Jó Nebo Nebo," "Jazz 1960," "Šantrůček," "Fíkus," "Krešlak," "Soubor opatření," and "Delikatesa," although Wanek was responsible for the lyrics and final arrangements, which involved his adding and reworking parts. Early lyrics were not actually scripted, but were improvised "Swahili", or fake English, lyrics which eventually gave shape to the Czech lyrics Wanek wrote. How much influence any other musician involved with UJD has ever had on the songwriting process appears to be minimal-to-none. In regards to the songwriting process, Wanek has said in interviews that the band has always retained creative democracy within its ranks, although he gets the final say, acting as the chairman of the board on a board of directors ^[12].

[edit] Poetic and artistic merit

Wanek’s lyrics have earned him a reputation as a respected Czech poet ^[13]. In addition to UJD lyrics, he wrote lyrics to a song for the Czech band Pluto, the prose in the pop-up book “11,” co-authored the out-of-print book on the Residents entitled “Eyeball to Eyeball” with Karel Císař (a collection of Czech translations of Residents lyrics with a forward by Wanek), and amassed countless unpublished works. His lyrics, unfortunately, reflect a poetic sensibility that English speakers often struggle with relating to. His lyrics have been described his writing as “an axe for the frozen sea inside us,” a line taken from fellow countryman and influence Franz Kafka ^[14]. In the documentary “Pudding,” Wanek also states, albeit with a snicker, that the music isn’t important to him and is merely a vehicle for his lyrics. Nearly all of Wanek’s lyrics were written in Czech, while a few verses in songs like “Hollywood” and “Kovbojska,” or “Cowboy Song,” are in English (to connect the particular verse to a Western sensibility.) All have been translated into both English and Polish, and while on American soil, Wanek has occasionally sung English versions of the songs from “Unloved World,” as well as a few translated verses, such as in the song “Ticho”, or “Silence.”

Artist Velíšek has been published in several volumes and enjoyed popularity outside of his work with UJD. His unique, absurd cartoon style, replete with alarming flourishes of realism, gruesomeness and beauty, gives UJD records their distinct look. Through the ’90s, UJD performed in yellow robes designed by Velíšek, giving their live show an equally absurd and distinct look. UJD slowly began to stay away from this due to a distaste for uniforms and the distraction from the music that the robes induced.

[edit] Current and former members

Guitar, keyboards, lead vocal, bandleader, lyricist

Miroslav Wanek (1986-present)

Saxophone

Jindra Dolanský (1985-2001)
Milan Nový (1985-1986)
Martin Kubát (1986)
Alice Kalousková (1989-1991)
Martina Fialová (1989)

Trumpet

Adam Tomášek (2007-present)

Guitar

Ota Chlupsa (1985-1986)
Jiří Solar (1985-1986)
Romek Hanzlík (1986-1996)
Radek Podveský (1996-2005)
Petr Židel (2005-2006)

Bass

Petr Keřka (1985-1986)
Miroslav Wanek (1986-1989)
Pavel Keřka (1989-1993)
Jan Cerha (1993-1996)
Kamil Krůta (1996-1997)
Jan Čejka (1997-2001)
Jaroslav Cvach (2001-2003)
Miloš Albrecht (2003-2005)
Pepa Červinka (2005-present)

Drums

Jula Horváth (1985-1988)
Milan Nový (1988-1989, 1993-1996)
Pavel Pavlíček (1989-1993)
Petr Böhm (1995-2005)
Tomáš Paleta (2005-present)

Piano

Jiří Závodný (1985-1986)

Xylophone

Roman Kolařík (1986)

Vibraphone

Romek Hanzlík (1985-1986)

Brushes, visuals

Martin Velíšek (1986-1994 unofficially, 1994-present officially)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Uprostřed slov (In the Middle of Words) (LP, Globus - 1990, CD issued on Skoda, Indies)
Nemilovaný svět (Unloved World) (LP, Globus, 1992, CD issued Skoda, Indies; with re-recorded English vocals, Memphis, 1993)
Hollywood (LP/CD, BMG - 1993, CD reissued on Skoda, Indies)
Pohádky ze Zapotřebí (Fairytales from Needland) (CD, Indies, Skoda - 1995)
Jaro, Peklo, Podzim, Zima (Spring, Hell, Autumn, Winter) (soundtrack CD, Indies - 1996)
Vancouver 1997 (live CD, Indies - 1997, reissued on Skoda as bonus disc with "In the Middle of Words")
Uši (Ears) (CD, Indies, Skoda - 1999)
Patnáct Kapek Vody (Fifteen Drops Of Water) (Best-of CD, Indies - 2000)
Rybí tuk (Codliver Oil) (CD, Indies, Skoda; LP, Nikt Nic Nie Wie - 2003)
20 Letů (20 Flyears) (live CD, Indies - 2006)

[edit] Singles

Rock Debut no. 7 (vinyl 7″, Panton - 1989)
Tříska, split with ZZZZ (vinyl 7″, Polyvinyl - 2004)

[edit] Video

v Tokin (Live in Tokyo) (DVD, Poseidon - 2006)
20 Letů / Puding (20 Flyears / Pudding) (2 x DVD, Indies - 2006)

[edit] Other

11 (pop-up book written by Wanek, illustrated by Velisek, about the band and its implications, Argo - 1996)

[edit] Compilation appearances

Roll Over Teplice (LP, Panton - 1990 - 3 tracks, reissued on CD reissue of "In The Middle Of Words")
Czeching In (CD, Skoda - 1996 - "Jassica," from "Hollywood" CD)
KFJC 89.7 FM Live From the Devil's Triangle (CD, independent release - 1998 - "Telefon", live on KFJC)
East Timor Benefit Album (CD, independent release - 1999 - "Jassica", live on CIUT Toronto)
Brno - město básníků (Brno - the Town of Poets) (CD, Indies - 2007, unreleased song "Životopis")
several other compilation appearances

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Categories: Czech musical groups | Progressive rock groups