Biography
MCH Band draws its name directly from Mikolás Chadima, who carried forward the experimental trajectory first mapped by Extempore. Chadima’s sharply critical worldview and dark outlook on society permeate the band’s material. Active only in the underground throughout the 1980s, the group issued a handful of albums during the following decade; each received strong critical praise in the Czech Republic and established MCH Band as a central figure in the nation’s developed alternative-rock community.
After Extempore disbanded in September 1981, saxophonist, guitarist, and singer/songwriter Mikolás Chadima paused to organize his next project. He issued the first MCH Band album, Krokodlak, in 1982 on his own Fist Records imprint as a samizdat cassette—privately duplicated and officially prohibited. Early explorations leaned toward new noise textures, yet Chadima’s songwriting soon dominated, extending the direction already signaled on Extempore’s final recording, Velkomesto. The texts grew more caustic while the music settled into austere, direct rock occasionally punctuated by rock-in-opposition flourishes. Throughout the decade the band performed frequently, though always illegally and under assumed names, owing to Chadima’s ongoing difficulties with authorities after he signed Charta 77. Recordings circulated outside the country, with several tracks appearing on international anthologies such as the opening volume of Chris Cutler’s ReR Quarterly series. In 1992 the label Tom K assembled a two-CD retrospective titled MCH Band 1982-1986.
Following the Velvet Revolution of 1989, MCH Band produced two significant studio albums. Gib Acht!!!, issued in 1993 and featuring German lyrics, retained traces of the intricate compositional approach heard in late-period Extempore. While pursuing other collaborations, Chadima maintained the group through the 1990s, eventually stabilizing the lineup around Vladimir Helebrant on keyboards, Hynek Schneider on drums, and Martin Schneider on bass. This quartet recorded the overtly political Karnival in 1999, widely regarded as one of Chadima’s strongest achievements with any ensemble.
After Extempore disbanded in September 1981, saxophonist, guitarist, and singer/songwriter Mikolás Chadima paused to organize his next project. He issued the first MCH Band album, Krokodlak, in 1982 on his own Fist Records imprint as a samizdat cassette—privately duplicated and officially prohibited. Early explorations leaned toward new noise textures, yet Chadima’s songwriting soon dominated, extending the direction already signaled on Extempore’s final recording, Velkomesto. The texts grew more caustic while the music settled into austere, direct rock occasionally punctuated by rock-in-opposition flourishes. Throughout the decade the band performed frequently, though always illegally and under assumed names, owing to Chadima’s ongoing difficulties with authorities after he signed Charta 77. Recordings circulated outside the country, with several tracks appearing on international anthologies such as the opening volume of Chris Cutler’s ReR Quarterly series. In 1992 the label Tom K assembled a two-CD retrospective titled MCH Band 1982-1986.
Following the Velvet Revolution of 1989, MCH Band produced two significant studio albums. Gib Acht!!!, issued in 1993 and featuring German lyrics, retained traces of the intricate compositional approach heard in late-period Extempore. While pursuing other collaborations, Chadima maintained the group through the 1990s, eventually stabilizing the lineup around Vladimir Helebrant on keyboards, Hynek Schneider on drums, and Martin Schneider on bass. This quartet recorded the overtly political Karnival in 1999, widely regarded as one of Chadima’s strongest achievements with any ensemble.
Albums
