ilya k

Ilya K have released an EP called The Pink Blood (available for download and on their Myspace). Its an eclectic, adventurous piece of surreal work that starts with some glorious tribal drums and chants and then gently meanders through 5 and quarter minutes of Syd Barrett tinged weirdness and clutch burning tempo and style changes that System of a Down would be proud of. Its a unique and profoundly odd track but, the oddness is not random, its made that way and well crafted. A first listen may cause a bit of head-scratching but it really does have, albeit a carefully designed, car-crash quality that you can't help but looking at. The amount of 'left-field' ideas crammed into the song allows for repeated listening and that tribal start becomes very addictive after a 2nd listen. For novelty factor alone, The Pink Blood made me nose through Ilya K's back catalogue and what a diversity of sounds there are to explore! No two tracks are the same, sometimes even one track isn't the same... Before dismissing anything as 'a bit too weird' I would recommend several listens and checking out tracks like 'Glass Eye' and 'Empire is a cave' which are far more accessible than The Pink Blood and give you a much better overview of what Ilya K can do. But be prepared for a Dark Side Of The Moon style journey.
If you took a large box of musical styles and dropped it out of a 10th story window, Ilya K would be picking up what's left and make something pretty interesting with the bits. Listening to The Pink Blood - and their other tracks is a great if somewhat trippy experience but they have a great knack of assembling a farrago of ideas interlaced with some sneaky commercial hooks and into something really very listenable indeed. It would be wrong (if impossible) of me to try and draw any comparisons with other bands - which on its own, has to be a good thing.
Review by Drumhead
5 out of 6 - Musicreview.com

Another massive talent from Ireland, When you listen to their music you can hear elements of many many influences far too many to mention! Although a quick description of their sound would be "hard rock hallelujah meets anthrax"! - Mutedpie.com

....the beguiling and enigmatic Ilya K. Their set list is littered with wildly disparate styles. Just when you think you have a handle on their combination of madness, humour, unexpected twists, searing guitars and demonic bass lines culminating in an incredible sound all of their own, they catch you off your guard and offer a mainstream gem.....one thing that all of their songs have in common is that they are pure gold. Ilya K are the most exciting and original band this journalist has heard in a long, long time and anyone with an open musical mind should do themselves a favour... - Meath Post