The legendary St. Petersburg musician Grigoriy Grigoriyevich (Grikha) Sologub died in a local clinic on February 27, 2009 from heart failure. Born on July 19, 1961 in Leningrad, he was one of the pioneers of the new wave / punk movement in the city. He started out playing guitar, accordion and singing in ska / new wave band STRANNIYE IGRY (“Strange Games”) in which he joined his older brother Viktor in 1981 after a stint in hard rock band TEKH. POMOSHCH. They mostly used translations of French modernist poetry and chansons for lyrics (Brel, Brassens, Tzara, etc.) and combined them with inventive music that was devoid of cliches, innovative (for the Soviet scene of the era anyway) and alternately funny and sad, or bittersweet. They recorded two underground tape albums; “Metamorfozy” was issued on cassette in 1996 by Manchester Files, while their second, “Smotri V Oba” from 1986, was released on LP by Melodiya in 1988, one of the first Leningrad rock releases. Songs from both were also featured on “Red Wave” compilation 2LP. The band split up by 1986. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s STRANNIYE IGRY occasionally played reunion gigs – the most recent ones I can think of were in the Autumn of 2008. Local label Bomba-Piter works on a 3 CD set featuring STRANNIYE IGRY both studio albums and a live set from 1984. In early 1986 the Sologub brothers formed IGRY (“Games”). They were more guitar-orientated and heavier-sounding, more post-punk in approach. They toured internationally, recorded two albums in 1989 (one of which, “Krik V Zhizni,” was given a CD release in 1994 by Kontras) and mostly ceased activity in the 1990s. Both Viktor and Grigoriy Sologub played together in DOLPHINS which was one of the first hardcore bands in the city and existed between 1993 and 1995 (they released a self-titled tape on Kontras in 1996). Grigoriy also played in bands on his own. In 1992 he joined Alexandr “Alex Ogolteliy” Strogachov in ISRAIL who recorded an album which was issued on CD in 1998 – under the name NARODNOYE OPOLCHENIYE, because after a bit Strogachov gave the project the name of his most famous punk band. In 1994 Sologub joined MASHNINBAND, punk / alternative rock band with whom he recorded “Trezviye-Zliye” in 1995 (CD release in 2006 on Manchester Files) and then quit. He played in jazzcore band BONDZINSKIY for a short while – they had one song with ska bits and Sologub played it brilliantly, telling his bandmates that “no one plays ska in this city better than I do.” The alliance didn’t work out, and Sologub went to Canada to try and sober up through Alcoholics Anonymous. In 1997 he returned to musical activity becoming the new frontman of ska / pop band 2VA SAMALIOTA. That was probably one of the few projects that he was involved with which did release anything while he was actively involved (“Don Pedro, Gomez & Mamochka” CD on Zvezda Records). He was punk as fuck, a total nihilist, academically trained musician, and a true backbone of the local scene. It’s a pity that he lacked recognition in his lifetime. He always played in some of the best and most intense local outfits, and his music has been important for me throughout my life.
Grigoriy Sologub died.
February 27, 2009 by soveticusZABAVY PROSTOLYUDINA – old recordings.
February 19, 2009 by soveticus
Z.P. live 1997
ZABAVY PROSTOLYUDINA (very loosely translated as “commoner’s fun”) from Pskov are what I’d term a cult band.
They started playing sometime in the mid-nineties, mostly gigged around Russian North-West – with some gigs being truly great and some being truly awful. The only official release they did was a split tape with St. Petersburg’s TRIBAL in 2002 on Caravan Records. It contained some, but not all, material of the then-recent sessions at AnTrop Studios in St. Petersburg. There are also early recordings with the participation of MARKSCHEIDER KUNST guitarist Vladimir Matushkin, a three-song CDR demo done at Dobrolyot studio, perhaps assorted live materials. There’s an animated video that Misha Safronov lovingly done.
I’d first encountered them in Summer 1997 which was when I took the photo above – they blew me away, gave me a tape (which is sadly unlistenable now, being an MK-60), and I occasionally had the pleasure of keeping in touch with them.
The band has never widely popular, largely due to lack of gigs and releases, but there was a small core of enthusiasts who appreciated their poetic lyrics, idiosyncratic, angular mix of post punk, indie, Russian rock, jazzcore and alternative music (which unfortunately led to some misguided experiments with rap-metal), and the overall charisma. There are faithful who still believe that ZABAVY PROSTOLYUDINA will one day forget about their modesty and laziness and start gigging again, or that at least their old songs will be reissued one of these days. There were rumours to that effect last year – also of the band’s continued existence, but, well, perhaps with the recession the CD won’t materialise after all…
MySpace
Misha Safronov’s animated video for “Spichechnykh Korobkov Grokhotom”
Early recordings
Demo part 1
Demo part 2
WE BLEED CHARISMA – Minimum Rock ‘N’ Roll demo.
January 17, 2009 by soveticusSt. Petersburg’s WE BLEED CHARISMA had an extremely short career cca. 2005. To my knowledge, they only ever played one gig, at Deep Sound Club at that, with GOODOK and KYSHTYM-23, a KING-KONGS side project. That was for a reason, only one of the members is a native of this fine city – singer Pavel Sasin (‘TIL I DIE, DOTTIE DANGER) aka DJ Pablo Diablo. Kostya Severniy the drummer was originally from Severodvinsk where he fronted pop punk band VYSHKA. He later drummed in CUT’N'RUN and is now in WIDOWLAND, as well as playing as a solo act which I personally find rather distasteful. French guitarist Seb is a member of SLEEP TALKER and CALL ME LORETTA. I dunno where the seppo sheila (the term used ironically) Naomi who was a keyboardist played before or after WBC, can anyone clue me in? They recorded nine songs, of which only a couple were properly mixed (and consequently released on a bunch of compilations in Russia and France). No cover, no nothing, can’t even find a band photo. It is still good. The degree to which English was mastered by this lot (who didn’t sing in Russian) is obvious from the name. Uploaded by Kostya.
Mikhail “Mikka” Dryzlov was killed.
December 30, 2008 by soveticus
This year is beyond terrible. My good pal Mikhail “Mikka” Dryzlov, 24, has been found drowned in the Moika today. He went missing shortly after midnight on Boxing Day as he was walking home to his wife Kseniya and eleven-months old daugher Vasilisa. The circumstances are yet to be cleared; the desperate search didn’t yield much of anything. Most likely he’s been robbed and thrown into the river.
Mikka was a singer in local hardcore / grind band OPARYSH OSOZNAL, now defunct, keen photographer, active participant in local social movements such as Critical Mass etc., and simply the sweetest person around. I’m yet to understand what happened but I know for sure that the world is now a dreary, terrible place if wonderful people like him meet such terrible fates.
He was buried at the Alexander Nevsky Church cemetery at the village of Ust-Izhora on January 4, 2009.
Condolences to his family.
MESSER CHUPS don’t fail to amaze…
December 14, 2008 by soveticus
MESSER CHUPS
I went to a MESSER CHUPS gig last night, and was much amuzed. They’re one of my favourite local bands as far as recordings go but I wasn’t sure what the live version would be like. The tour videos that one of their CDs included were kind of, whatever, two blokes and a Bettie Page lookalike playing surf music with a video screen behind them projecting horror B-movie excerpts. But, well, the lookalike in question is named Zombie Girl. The playing – that of guitarist / bandleader Oleg Gitarkin (also in NOZH DLYA FRAU MUELLER), anyway – was extraordinary, huge sound, amazing technique. Their new drummer is Alexander Belkov of CHIKISS. Finally, there was one extra bloke on stage that night – Alexander Skvortsov (DURNOYE VLIYANIYE) did a few songs now and then. They were all in rather scary-sounding English. I take it he’s gonna be on the band’s next album but I dunno when that would materialise. They’ve got the whole greaser aesthetic down.
Oh, and speaking of Bettie Page, MESSER CHUPS’ cover of “The Model” by KRAFTWERK was dedicated to her memory.
Eduard Nesterenko died.
November 17, 2008 by soveticus
The world seems to have an unlimited supply of bad news sometimes.
Eduard Nesterenko had died after a long illness on October 31st, 2008, at Mariinskaya Hospital in St. Petersburg. He started out as a singer / guitarist in new wave band Kofe in 1984. In December 1987 three of its ex-members formed a new post punk band, PETLYA NESTEROVA, which was Nesterenko’s best-known project. Their debut album, “Kto Zdes?”, featuring members of IGRY and KINO, is recommended most highly. He also played in Durnoye Vliyaniye for a year or so. While he wasn’t as active musically in the nineties and noughties, he kept a version of PETLYA NESTEROVA going and sometimes moonlighted with other bands, e.g. dub band SAMOSAD BEND features him on 2007’s Digun 2CD.
Nesterenko was buried on November 3 in St. Petersburg.
DURNOYE VLIYANIYE – “24 Chasa” video.
October 13, 2008 by soveticus
Video for the DURNOYE VLIYANIYE song “24 Chasa” (“24 Hours”) by Andrius Ventslova, cca. 1988. The band was one of the leading lights of Leningrad post punk scene of its time; the members went on to play in BONDZINSKY, SPITFIRE, BRIGADNIY PODRYAD, JUGENDSTIL and GRANDSHUTTLEBAND. In 2003 SzSS and Karma Mira reissued their debut album, “Nepodvizhnost,” on tape. I still have copies available. English translation of the lyrics follows.
24 hours
if there is a door i have to walk in
in dark rooms in ancient houses
for a long time i couldn’t pass by
nightmare dreams and horrible fear
i’d seen naked nerves more than once
but maybe i’ll do what ian curtis did
i pity your crying fading eyes
can i put them out before dying
24 hours of senseless scenes
24 hours of senseless words
walls with no windows apartments with no walls
it seems to me i’m long dead already
it seems to me that some stranger’s hand
the noose i have to put my neck through
i hear you tenderly whisper goodbye
24 hours to die
My five cents…
October 11, 2008 by soveticus
Lunatic Fridge
An interview with yours truly can be found here:
http://www.kobayashi-disko.org/eng/Info_StPetersburgDIY.htm
It seems that the comrades have translated their own translation of the original English-language interview back from German, alas. As is mentioned, it’s printed in the October issue of Trust zine in Germany. Another interview, conducted over email and translated into French should be in Ratcharge #14 but I haven’t seen it yet.
Ratcharge 14 cover
Antifascist Fyodor “Fedyay” Filatov has been killed in Moscow.
October 11, 2008 by soveticus
Fyodor "Fedyay" Filatov
I’m back, but I don’t have any particularly good things to report. Follows is a slightly edited version of the news of the death of Fyodor “Fedyay” Filatov, one of the leaders of Moscow Trojan Skinheads, most likely murdered by nazis.
In the morning of October 10, 2008, Fyodor Vasiliyevich Filatov aka Fedyay has died in a hospital from multiple knife wounds. He was only 27 years old.
Around 7:30 a.m. he walked out of his apartment block in Moscow. He was attacked by four unknown persons, armed with knives. There is no doubt that these people planned this attack. As a result, having received numerous knife injuries, Fyodor Filatov has been taken to hospital on the ambulance. Feodor has died in a hospital without regaining consciousness.
We, friends and comrades, deeply grieve over his untimely death. We remember Fedyay as the staunch friend and the fine person who could not pass by the stranger’s misfortune or leave a comrade in trouble. It was one of those people who stood at basis of Moscow Trojan Skinheads, community of apolitical antiracist skinheads from Moscow and Moscow Region. He made for development of Russian antiracist skinhead scene more than anybody else. There is no doubt that he was murdered for his believes.
Memory of him will eternally live in our hearts. Rest in peace, brother.
Never forget! Never forgive!
http://tupikin.livejournal.com/364507.html
http://piter.indymedia.org/en/node/5414
TOVARISCH KARMA – “Umri, Kapitalizm” video.
April 5, 2008 by soveticus
TOVARISCH KARMA (“Comrade Karma”) was a short-lived anarchist hip hop project that emerged from a faction of Moscow underground in the late 1990s, recorded three tracks and made a comparable number of gigs (one was at an anti-nuclear protest camp on Kola peninsula though). The chief musical force, Pasha Shevchenko, has continued under the name TRYOP – there are three albums in existence, as well as an electronic off-shoot TRESK. He’s now a member of LISICHKIN KHLEB. Another TOVARISCH KARMA member, Vova “Jim” Korobeinikov, was also in LISICHKIN KHLEB at the time, and I’m not sure who’s the third guy (Zakhar Mukhin?). The video, made in 2000 by Andrei Stvolinskiy, is compiled from the footage of Moscow anarchist actions cca. the time “Umri, Kapitalizm” (“Capitalism Die”) was recorded. Stvolinskiy’s pretty dodgy from what I heard – he is said to have informed on his comrades during the New Revolutionary Alternative investigation (which was a lefty terrorist group in Moscow in the 1990s). Tevs. The song was issued on “Bei Po Vragu Kulturnoi Revolyutsii” solidarity CD in Germany, while the complete works of TOVARISCH KARMA ended up on some split tape in Moscow and later on a Belarussian bootleg TRYOP tape. It was covered by 777 BAKUNINA I think. What else is there? The lyrics are good.
