Vostok_

joined 1 week ago
 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.


During the late 60s up until Glasnost in the 80s the Soviet government allowed more western styles of music to slowly reach the soviet people through curated vocal and instrumental ensembles, where many musicians would band together under a single group, had an official manager appointed to them, and were allowed to have their music broadcast through official media channels.

A product of this initiative was the Samotsvety group, which became one of the most popular ensembles. One of their hits was the track called My Address is the Soviet Union, a pop song featuring lyrics describing an idealized vision of life in the Soviet Union, the place where people are honest, hardworking, sensible and proud to live the world's premier worker's state.

After the collapse of the union, however, this song became popular due to another reason, as it now has become a symbol of post-soviet nostalgia and rejection of the new status quo. This version was released in 2008, years after the USSR ceased to be, and now includes a really catchy rock arrangement.

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.


My favorite version of the song, sung live where the crowd was integrated into the song, giving it the energy it deserves.

The song was made shortly before the overthrow of Salvador Allende in Chile, the songwriters had to live in exile during Pinochet's dictatorship and only returned after his reign was over. Meanwhile their song grew to outstanding popularity.

[–] Vostok_@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Today I have learned what a "bombardino crocodilo" is.

I have tried every solution but no matter what I do it seems that modern day "brainrot culture" is inescapable, also the fact that bombardino crocodilo's lore is that it is an IDF superweapon against children does nothing to slow down my descent into madness.

[–] Vostok_@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

Now that phrase captures it perfectly, "revolutionary optimism", I firmly believe that such a mindset is what socialists need if we were to get anywhere and sway more people to our ideas. We are firmly dominated by the 'organic ideology' of our capitalist leadership, if we ourselves are not convinced by the vision of a better world being possible, how could anyone else?

[–] Vostok_@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Beautiful edit, thank you for trying to preserve it.

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.


The Sacred War was the song made by the Red Army Choir mere days after the start of the Great Patriotic War, when the fascist armies of Europe launched the largest land invasion in the history of the world against the Soviet Union.

It was a brutal war waged with the sole purpose of enslaving and exterminating the Soviet people and the original song conveyed that feeling perfectly, for the Soviet people it was not only a war to defend themselves, their families and the socialist project, but a sacred war to put down the vile ideology of fascism that was poised to bring a new dark age over humanity.

The song became one of the most famous tracks from the WW2 era, inside the Soviet Union the song was so widely circulated some say it effectively became its unofficial anthem during the war. Like Katyusha it was translated into numerous languages, including German where the famous East German singer Ernst Busch covered it.

This version is much more different, however. Sung by Chris Peterka in German, his version becomes a slow, mournful and melancholic soliloquy, almost resembling a campfire song. I personally interpret it as a song mourning the fate of the Soviet Union, as it was the nazi invasion that took the lives of over 26 million soviet people and was what I would argue to be the first domino that led to its eventual collapse less than 50 years later.

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.


This is the modernized version of the anthem of the Fifth Regiment of Republican Spain, when the Spanish Civil War broke out the Communist Party of Spain organized new fighting units to fight back against francoist forces. Out of them the Fifth Regiment became the most famous due to its effectiveness and organization, it was composed of working class people of all ages and professions and constantly attracted new volunteers. Once the army of Republican Spain was reorganized the unit was absorbed into it, but it's members were involved in the defense of Madrid up until the end of the civil war.

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.


Happy 1st of May everyone! This song is the American classic Solidarity Forever adapted into the Chinese language, now titled Song of Unity. Solidarity Forever is usually sung with little instrumentation backing the vocals, if there is any at all, this version however includes a whole modern set of instruments, the result sounding much more like a contemporary rock song with a triumphant and celebratory tone.

As for who made it, I sadly could not find a clue. It would take some research on the Chinese internet, which I sadly did not have the time for. If anybody happens to know the source, please tell me so I can include it in the title.

[–] Vostok_@hexbear.net 0 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I accidentally posted without the link at first, oops.

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.


The story of the Italian communist movement is a tragic one, but there are few western countries where the population has so persistently pursued those ideas. Fischia Il Vento is an older song from the days of the partisan struggle inside Italy, being first composed in 1943 and adopted as the unofficial anthem of the Garibaldi Brigades, the communist unit of the resistance which was also by far the largest partisan group.

The song took the melody of Katyusha and many musician groups have decided to make their own rendition, the rendition I chose was made by the Modena City Ramblers and published in 2015. While communism in Italy has sadly been beaten back by the relentless efforts of Gladio-backed terrorism, I would say that songs like this still being published as far as 2015 and getting almost 600 thousand views is evidence that it has been by no means defeated.

[–] Vostok_@hexbear.net 2 points 6 days ago

Glad to provide something worth checking out, tovarish. sankara-salute

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

The Internationale is a classic all can recognize, but this rendition in particular is my favorite. The inflection of the vocalist, distinct choices of instrumentation as well as the upbeat tempo give it an unmistakable energy which makes it stand out from other renditions of the song. As far as the musical group this originates from I sadly can't provide much insight, but surface level information says that they are politically active and involved in the fight for minorities rights in Japan, anti-war causes and support for Palestinian rights.

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

Song 2 is my favorite from bANDİSTA, Haydi Barikata, it is a modern version of A Las Barricadas sung in Turkish. For context, A Las Barricadas was the anthem of the CNT-FAI, the anarchist organization that fought at the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War. The lyrics are quite faithful to the original, but modified to be more upbeat, combined with the new instrumentation it gives the song less of a "we are about to die" type of energy and more of a "we will win and dance to celebrate" sort of energy. I wish I could find more bands like bANDİSTA that did this.

I think that the title "Posting Socialist Music Daily From My Collection" might be a little too cumbersome to read, I wonder what would be the best way to change it while also explicitly including the language of the song...

 

Whenever I stumble across a song I like on youtube I download it into my personal music folder, I started this practice more than 4 years ago and I accumulated a large amount of socialist music from very niche spaces, spanning across a wide variety of languages. Because I see that nobody else is doing this specific thing on this site, I feel compelled to share this collection track by track, maybe it will lead to someone else also feeling the same inspiration that I felt when first listening to it.

Song 1 is from what I discovered to be a modern band, explicitly leftist in its messaging and based in Turkey of all places. All of their songs are in Turkish, but some of them will be immediately familiar as they were made with a melody picked up from one of the classics, but with a modern twist. Aim is based on the melody of Die Arbeiter von Wien, which is also based on the melody of White Army, Black Baron, both famous revolutionary songs. The title "Aim" is just the initials of Avusturya İşçi Marşı, Austrian Worker's March in English.

I loved this song since I first discovered it, the lyrics are about the struggle for the socialist vision of a better tomorrow, how it transcends borders, language or religion and how eventual victory is assured.