Biography
In their widely acclaimed albums and EPs they sing of it, and with their bodies they support actions against the profiteering, privatization, government corruption, racism, and human rights abuses that many would accept as a bargain for having a new car, IKEA, supermarkets, and American-style malls. As early 30 somethings, they want to stand between two worlds and show the younger generation of Czechs that there is something crucial besides just material comfort. Rather than lecture, they dance.
And with More, their 2009 Starcastic/Deadred album, SPORTO have decided that they will now only sing in Czech. Widely considered a form of commercial suicide for a band in a small country with a tricky Slavic tongue, Czech lyrics for them are a symbol much as they were when Bedřich Smetana started using them in the 19th century – a sign of resistance against homogeneity, a joy in the pleasure of one’s native tongue, and a demand that the globe respect small, local cultures. It’s also a worthy challenge to get a slewof š or ř’s to rhyme.
The band began in 2007 as a daydream between two friends from the 3000 person village of Kostelec nad Cernymi lesy, Czech Republic. Respected post-punk bandleader Martin (nee, Bonus) asked his childhood friend Pavel (Arab) to come over and sing over some loops made on his laptop. A Myspace profile “SPORTO” was made, and soon songs became solid enough to go into circulation. Following their punk roots they made the radical choice to not release CDs, but only offer their tracks for free. Eventually they even left the News Corp. owned Myspace that started them for their own independent website (temnysily.com). They asked legendary Czech post-punk bassist Dada (of Lvmen) to join, and bright young drummer Kluk rounded out the line-up. Early show supporting Notwist, Kids On Tv, The Ponys, Enon or To My Boy blew away the normally unconvinced audiences, and soon enough SPORTO was being called one of the most important bands of the era. Full-length One Minute Cardinal was their opening statement: a burst of spastic and joyful vocal energy, sparse beats, bent acoustic guitars that got even the angriest punks onto the dancefloor. A true feat.
In 2009 they released More, an ambitious album of anthemic electro and moody post-punk that features collaborations with Slovakian rapper Lyrik and Del of Czech hip hop veterans PIO Squad. This reflects the bands ongoing search for innovative, progressively minded music in the Slavic world. Slovakia has had a stellar hip hop scene for a generation, and SPORTO sought out like minds within it. The album also features touch from another legend in the Czech punk community, Adam from Gnu.
Releases
Friday Is Techno EP, Starcastic 2007
One Minute Cardinal, 2007
Honey Sold Out EP, Starcastic 2008
More, Starcastic/Deadred 2009
listen http://www.temnysily.cz/
download http://www.temnysily.cz/stahuj/23
watch http://www.temnysily.cz/sleduj/v/cilek
label http://www.starcastic.cz
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