Korova Milky Bar
Encyclopedia
Korova Milky Bar is the fifth studio album by Polish alternative rock
band Myslovitz
. It was released in 2002, and followed in 2003 by a release of the English version, which in fact included four songs from the band's previous album, Miłość w czasach popkultury. The title of the album is a reference to the Korova Milk Bar
in Stanley Kubrick
's classic screen version of A Clockwork Orange
.
Strikingly, the melancholic elements took over almost completely, with both music and lyrics creating an almost depressive overall mood. Nonetheless, the album sold even more copies than its predecessor had in the same time, with the singles Acidland and Sprzedawcy marzeń repeating the success of Długość dźwięku samotności, Myslovitz's previous best-seller
The reason for the new material's popularity, as some critics surmised, was that its atmosphere closely conformed to a presumed resignative-recessive mood within Polish society at large – which guitarist Przemek Myszor seemed to confirm in an interview for the Montreal Mirror
: "For us, the Korova Milky Bar is a place where something different may happen to your mind. It's a place like today’s Poland. You know, Poland is a place where very strange things happen to your mind. It's a country full of crisis and everything around you is very sad, very dark, very fucked. There is an economic crisis here. People don't have money, politics are fucked. The lyrics on our record are sad because of this. We sing a lot about being in a strange state of mind."
In November 2002, Myslovitz signed a new contract with EMI
's Polish outlet Pomaton EMI, and released an English-language re-recording of Korova Milky Bar. The album was released in 27 countries, including Germany
, the Netherlands
, Belgium
, Switzerland
, France
, Spain
, Russia
, Turkey
and South Africa
.
Even before the album's release, The Sound of Solitude was released as a single. A music video
for this song was directed by Janusz Kamiński
, and received frequent plays on MTV Europe. The English album as a whole received positive reviews in the European music press, particularly in Germany, although radio airplay was sporadic and largely limited to Alternative programmes, such as John Peel
in the UK
.
On both albums, the last track contains two songs separated by a period of silence.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Myslovitz
Myslovitz
Myslovitz is a Polish rock band, whose music incorporates elements of college rock, shoegazing, and, arguably, Britpop. Since 2003, EMI Group has been attempting to establish them internationally, with considerable support from MTV Europe...
. It was released in 2002, and followed in 2003 by a release of the English version, which in fact included four songs from the band's previous album, Miłość w czasach popkultury. The title of the album is a reference to the Korova Milk Bar
Korova Milk Bar
The Korova Milk Bar appears in the novel and film A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. It is a twisted version of a milk bar....
in Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's classic screen version of A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
.
Strikingly, the melancholic elements took over almost completely, with both music and lyrics creating an almost depressive overall mood. Nonetheless, the album sold even more copies than its predecessor had in the same time, with the singles Acidland and Sprzedawcy marzeń repeating the success of Długość dźwięku samotności, Myslovitz's previous best-seller
The reason for the new material's popularity, as some critics surmised, was that its atmosphere closely conformed to a presumed resignative-recessive mood within Polish society at large – which guitarist Przemek Myszor seemed to confirm in an interview for the Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror
Montreal Mirror is a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with a circulation of 70,000, and reaches a quarter of a million readers per week. It is published by Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée....
: "For us, the Korova Milky Bar is a place where something different may happen to your mind. It's a place like today’s Poland. You know, Poland is a place where very strange things happen to your mind. It's a country full of crisis and everything around you is very sad, very dark, very fucked. There is an economic crisis here. People don't have money, politics are fucked. The lyrics on our record are sad because of this. We sing a lot about being in a strange state of mind."
In November 2002, Myslovitz signed a new contract with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Polish outlet Pomaton EMI, and released an English-language re-recording of Korova Milky Bar. The album was released in 27 countries, including Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Even before the album's release, The Sound of Solitude was released as a single. A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for this song was directed by Janusz Kamiński
Janusz Kaminski
Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński is a Polish cinematographer and film director. He has photographed all of Steven Spielberg's films since 1993's Schindler's List.-Life and career:...
, and received frequent plays on MTV Europe. The English album as a whole received positive reviews in the European music press, particularly in Germany, although radio airplay was sporadic and largely limited to Alternative programmes, such as John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
On both albums, the last track contains two songs separated by a period of silence.
Track listing
- "Sprzedawcy Marzeń" (Dream sellers) – 3:55
- "Acidland" – 4:14
- "Bar mlecznyBar mlecznyA bar mleczny - literally "milk bar" in Polish is a Polish form of cafeteria. They were invented by the communist authorities of Poland in the mid-1960s as a means of offering cheap meals to people working in companies that had no official canteen...
Korova" (Korova Milk BarKorova Milk BarThe Korova Milk Bar appears in the novel and film A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. It is a twisted version of a milk bar....
) – 3:04 - "Wieża melancholii" (The melancholy tower) – 5:13
- "Za zamkniętymi oczami" (Behind closed eyes) – 3:28
- "Kilka błędów popełnionych przez dobrych rodziców" (A few mistakes made by good parents) – 3:55
- "Siódmy koktajl" (Seventh cocktail) – 4:19
- "Nigdy nie znajdziesz sobie przyjaciół jeśli nie będziesz taki jak wszyscy" (You'll never find friends if you won't be like everyone else) – 3:12
- "W 10 sekund przez całe życie" (Throughout life in 10 seconds) – 5:19
- "Chciałbym umrzeć z miłości" (I'd like to die of love) – 6:55
- "Szklany człowiek / Pocztówka z lotniska" (Man of glass / Postcard from an airport) – 4:52 / 5:42
Singles
- "Acidland" (April 2002)
- "Sprzedawcy marzeń" (September 2002)
- "Chciałbym umrzeć z miłości" (January 2003)
English version track listing
- "Man of Glass" – 4:52
- "Dreamsellers" – 3:46
- "Sound of Solitude" – 4:05 †
- "Acidland" – 4:07
- "Townboys" – 3:57 †
- "Korova Milky Bar" – 3:04
- "The Melancholy Tower" – 5:13
- "A Few Mistakes Made By Good Parents" – 3:55
- "Behind Closed Eyes" – 3:28
- "For You" – 3:45 †
- "Throughout Life in 10 Seconds" – 5:19
- "Us" – 3:26 †
- "I'd Like to Die of Love / Postcard from an Airport" – 4:58 / 5:42
- † indicates English versions of songs originally found on 1999's Miłość w czasach popkultury.
Singles
- "Sound of Solitude" (April 2003)
- "Acidland" (January 2004)
- "Behind Closed Eyes" (February 2004)