About

Bio

One of the earliest Romanian bands to delve in post rock compositions and engage in fragile experiments, Alternativ Quartet was formed in the late 2000s in Bistrița / Cluj-Napoca and has since released several albums which follow their ongoing development as both musicians and lyricists. Currently touring and working on new music, the band emerged after a long hiatus with two new releases: Deocamdată suntem / Departe de solstițiu, that redefined both their style and presence, expanding their performance with multiple collaborations and a fresh production.

History

2008—2013: Beginnings

Alongside bands such as Fluturi pe Asfalt and The: Egocentrics, Alternativ Quartet ventured to add a new layer to the Romanian underground musical scene, where echoes of post rock and post metal began to appear. From Sigur Rós inspired compositions like Nu uita că te aștept and Când nu cânt, to unique compositions like Moscova, Liniștea astupă goluri and Sunet prea dactil, the band tried to lend a personal voice to the music from which they drew their inspiration. Grounded in their surrounding ethos, they mixed the then existing wave of post rock bands (ranging from Mogwai to Isis) with traditional Romanian harmonies as can be heard on songs like Apocnis vitro and the greater part of their second album Aripi.

2013—2019: Hiatus + Iglu

The band’s later metamorphosis into the alias Iglu, under which they released the more personal album Stasis, marked a moment of revival after a long hiatus: an even more cinematic album which expresses the tension between an intimate closeness and an abandoned distance.

2020—2023: A new beginning

The year 2023 opened a second chapter for the band with two new LPs: Deocamdată suntem and Departe de solstițiu. With an expansive production and more contemporary in their composition, the albums take a significant turn from guitars towards synthesizers, brass instruments, vintage organs and classical percussion, which lend the 14 tracks a dense, monumental sound. “From Doom to Autotune”