It is with a certain macabre irony that Mihály Víg’s debut in this country is announced so soon after Béla Tarr’s departure from this earthly realm. A name closely linked to the enduring images created by the master of Hungarian cinema – alongside László Krasznahorkai -, Víg has captured in his music all the imagery and melancholy of such idiosyncratic and striking films as Damnation, Werckmeister Harmonies, The Turin Horse, and the epic Sátántangó—in which he also played the lead role—in a deeply symbiotic and lasting relationship. In collaboration with the publisher purge.xxx, ZDB welcomes this veteran musician, poet, and actor, accompanied by his long-standing band – Balaton – in a presentation of a vast repertoire ranging from themes from the above-mentioned soundtracks to the discography of that same band and the Trabant collective, formed in 1980 and dissolved six years later, whose core brought together several essential figures from the Hungarian artistic mosaic, such as Janós Vetö and Marietta Méhes. Without a discography per se, Trabant’s body of work was based on spontaneous creation and recording, leading to a frugal, practically secret existence, had it not been for the various members revisiting its songs over the years. This is therefore a rare opportunity to get in touch with this legacy. Founded by Víg and Károly Hunyadi in 1979, Balaton is one of the essential bands of the still obscure Hungarian avant-garde universe, in more or less regular activity since then, never settling on a particular genre, between stripped-down rock, pop deviating from new wave, and influences from the folk music of their country of origin.
BS