Hungarian Treats

Zalatnay Sarolta: Hadd Mondjam El and Ne Hidd El
From Hadd Monjam El [Pepita, 1973]

Finally got a copy of this record after seeing it on a number of wall of fames and hearing tales of it being heavily regarded as a beathead’s dream. The cover alone is certainly enough to create intrigue as many diggers tend to be drawn to records fronting attractive vixens, but it’s definitely more than a wall piece; the music inside is lovely Hungarian rock with a funky twist, and strong female vocals to boot.

This record was actually one of Soul-Sides’ first features back in June 2003, Oliver highlighting the strong drum breaks that were laced throughout. But that was back when mp3 blogs were just a dream, and a reader could only imagine what the writer was talking about, especially when it comes to rare titles like this one. So I present two killer tracks from this LP, both coincidentally featuring prominent drum breaks. The title track is rhythmically more furious, while the latter has more of a dusty fingers type vibe to it. I think the instrumentation is pretty strong throughout, and while some could find displeasure in Sarolta’s singing, I tend to be drawn towards female vocals. And even though I can’t understand a word she’s saying, I think it only adds to the intrigue.