Ota Petřina

Ota Petrina Is A Czech Art-Rock Symphonic Prog Band Masterminded By Ota Petøina Himself. When He Was Not Involved In Prog Music He Was Involved In Contributing To The Writing Of Pop Songs For Various Artists And Music For Films. The Band Are Renowned For Their Popular Czechoslovakian Album "Super Robot" That Was A Unique Project In 1978 With Strong Genesis Influences And Pink Floyd Atmospherics. The Members Of The Band Are Virtuoso Musicians Consisting Of Bass Guitarist Vladimir Padrùòek Drummer Anatoli Kohout And Piano And Synthesizer By Jan Neckáø. The Leader Of The Group On Vocals Guitar Flute And Harmonica Is Ota Petøina Who Consistently Ensured The Band Maintained A Progressive Art Rock Style. The Music Is A Textured Blend Of Synthesizers And Solid Guitar Riffs. The Drumming Is Jazz Influenced At Times And There Are Layers Of Keyboards. Some Songs Are Acoustically Driven And With Minimalist Piano. Often There Is A Heavier Feel With Distorted Guitars And Faster Tempo But Overall The Feel Of The Music Is Slow Paced And Ambient Often With Spacey Or Psychedelic Atmospheres. The Cover Work Of The "Super Robot" Album Cover Is A Striking Design By Petr Foltera. Sung Entirely In Czech Language The Album Fared Well In Their Home Country But Was Not Heard Of In Other Parts Of The World. The Followup Album Was "Peèet" Which Means "The Seal" In 1983 Again With Czech Lyrics And Though Not As Popular As "Super Robot" Is Still Known In Prog Circles As Another Solid Example Of Czech Art-Rock. It Features A Mini Epic "Hemmingway" That Clocks In At 15 Minutes. The Sound Is Unmistakably Driven By Orchestral Arrangements In A Similar Vein To Yes But What Makes This Unique Is The Sound Of Petøina's Voice A Very Clean Soft Vocal That Lends Itself To An Ambient Style. The Basslines Are Distinctive And Well Executed By Padrùòek. The Flute Passages Are Played Deftly By Petøina And Add A Pastoral Flavour. The Albums Were Both Released On Supraphon Labels On Vinyl. Due To The Harsh Conditions For Musicians In Czechoslovakia Back Then The Albums Sound Rather Like Mid And Late 70s Respectively Instead Of Late 70s Or Early 80s. The Band Continues To Influence Czech Prog Artists With Their Unique Symphonic Brand Of Prog Rock. By AtomicCrimsonRush Scott read less