Rockstadt Extreme Fest announced a new event which took place inside the Valea Cetății Cave. A special event could not be happening in any other place than a one special as well. This first edition included four separate performances, spread across two days. Attila Csihar attended with his project Void ov Voices, together with Arktau Eos, Alone in the Hollow Garden and ARAC (the project of Costin Chioreanu).
I arrived in the first day just in time to see Alone in the Hollow Garden, a project which was new to my ears. Everything fit the whole environment and even if I was pretty skeptical towards how the sound may be inside the cave, everything was beyond awesome. For those who are not familiar with this band, it’s based in Bucharest led by Dan Șerbănescu of Tanz Ohne Musik ‘The’ sound is rendered in new forms through the use of analogue and modular synthesizers but also the use of old acoustic, percussion and ritual instruments. This kind of music is definitely not for everyone but for sure brings the proper environment for contemplation and meditation. Because of the conditions the show was pretty short but I will follow this band for more stuff from now on.
Arktau Eos was a band which I unfortunately missed on stage when they came in Bucharest for a special performance. I couldn’t miss them again. This band is sort of a connector between two worlds. The whole mystic atmosphere they’ve created during the show: burning incense, feels like a journey in solitude, seeking further enlightenment in unknown realms. Arktau Eos has the ability to use their large selection of sonic tools to dig deep into the consciousness of the listener, without sticking too closely to the standard ritual/tribal framework. For a couple of minutes I closed my eyes and imagined this world, which they have illustrated, unfolding before us. We were able to travel through time and space to a destination which exists only in our head. For sure it was a brilliant experience I won’t forget very soon.
This second day of “The Cave Between Worlds” also marked the premiere of the ARAC project. Started initially by Costin Chioreanu and the wonderful voice which is embodied by the Greek singer Sofia Sarri and for the percussions, Adrian Tăbăcaru. The name might be familiar for many of you since he is a renowned percussionist of the local scene and the orchestral music and a former member of the death metal group Taine. It was a very nice show, her voice was beyond amazing and I am really happy for that because again I was nervous that the sound won’t be good enough in such location. From avant-garde, metal and post-rock to free jazz this show was something which somehow can be expected from Costin since he is always part of nice projects and good music.
Unfortunately because of the bad weather, the cave flooded and the Void ov Voices show was postponed after Accept gig on „Brasov” stage. Of course many people left because it was pretty late but I am sure that with another occasion Atilla will return to our country with one of his side projects apart from Mayhem.
Even if the road to the cave itself was pretty harsh, this event was nonetheless special and obscure. “The Cave Between Worlds” had a small number of attendants given the overall capacity of the cave. Probably modeled after the idea of Prophecy Fest held in a similar location in Germany, The Cave Between Worlds was a very nice experience, a very unique chance for the underground experimental music, the dark ambient and the reverberation-built expressions was wonderfully amplified by the cave’s structure. I hope I can attend next year too but hopefully with warmer weather and without any rain if possible (laughs).
