Rodion G.A.

In mid-1970s Romania, Rodion G.A. came together, though the bulk of its recordings stayed buried until the Strut label issued a 2013 compilation spotlighting the long-overlooked avant rockers. Rodion Rosca assembled the band in 1975, the initials standing for fellow members Gicu Fărcas and Adrian Căpraru. Its sound pushed into experimental and futuristic territory, clashing with the sanitized pop promoted by Electrecord, the sole label sanctioned under the Nicolae Ceausescu regime. Even so, the group performed on Romanian television for a 1980 New Year’s Eve broadcast, and Electrecord included two of its tracks on a 1981 compilation album. Lacking official backing, Rodion G.A. remained unable to connect with listeners in subsequent years and disbanded permanently in 1987. Intrigued by the obscure ensemble, Danish blogger, filmmaker, and designer Luca Sorin reached out to Rodion Rosca; in 2012 he uploaded clips from the New Year’s Eve appearance together with previously unheard Rodion G.A. material. The Romanian music collective and historians Future Nuggets organized several reunion performances, after which Strut presented the official collection The Lost Tapes in 2013. A European tour in support of the release ensued, accompanied by news that Rosca had been diagnosed with liver cancer. More attentive than ever to the group’s history, Rosca delved back into his archives and recovered additional reels that formed the basis of 2014’s The Lost Tapes on the BBE label.