"For research, Kiefer turned to thick volumes on the assassination of the Romanoff family, the tradition of Russian folk music, and to early Russian silent film. The central musical concept, though, was not to represent a version of Russian folk material or a literal rendition of the Russian Revolution, but rather to utilize the ideas and in order to form a particular vision of Russia on the brink of revolution. Kiefer brought in a handful of his favourite musicians and asked them to improvise with him live in the studio with a handful of simple instructions. The material was then worked over further in the studio, edited, rearranged, and produced, often with additional parts being added or subtracted as the musical force of the album began to reveal itself. The end result is part collective improvisation on a conceptual and musical theme, and part constructed and composed musical work." www.cameraobscura.com