Introducing Russian Psychedelic Rock
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Introducing Russian Psychedelic Rock – a mind-bending genre of music that is sure to take you on a trip. From the 60s to present day, Russian psychedelic rock has been evolving and gaining a cult following. In this article, we explore the history and evolution of this fascinating genre of music.
History of Russian Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic Rock is a musical genre that emerged in the 1960s that was inspired by the use of psychedelic drugs. The music is characterized by distorted guitars, expanded consciousness, and trippy lyrics. Russian psychedelic rock emerged in the 1980s and was heavily influenced by Western psychedelic rock bands.
Pre-1960s: Early Russian Rock
The first wave of Russian rock music came in the form of “skiffle”, a British style of music that was popular in the late 1950s. Skiffle combined elements of jazz, folk, and country music, and was typically played on acoustic instruments. The first Russian skiffle group was called “Charlie’s Dixie Band”, and was formed by schoolboys in Moscow in 1957.
In the early 1960s, the Soviet Union began to relax its stance on rock music, and groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones became popular among young people. This led to the formation of the first Russian rock groups, such as “The pioneers of Russian rock”, “The Electric Orchestra”, and ” ddT”. These groups were heavily influenced by British and American rock music, and their popularity led to the construction of the first Russian rock club, “The Flying Dutchman”, in 1965.
The late 1960s saw a significant increase in psychedelic activity in the Soviet Union, with ensembles such as Aquarium, Alisa, Mashina Vremeni), U-Piter) gaining popularity for their mix of western psychedelic and eastern influences. This period also saw the formation of bands like Kodeks Dela Ob Chesti), which blended psychedelic rock with traditional Russian folk music.
1960s-1970s: Russian Psychedelic Rock Scene
Russian psychedelic rock is a subgenre of psychedelic and progressive rock music that originated in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries. It reached the height of its popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it was often informally referred to as “a test for reality”.
The first wave of Russian psychedelic bands formed in the mid-1960s, led by the Moskva- based band Zoopark. Zoopark’s sound was heavily influenced by British and American psychedelic rock, as well as by the work of early Russian avant-garde composers such as Alexander Scriabin and Edgar Varèse. Other early Russianpsychedelic bands included Nautilus Pompilius, Aquarium, Alisa, Krambambula, tea for Four, and Segoda Smeyerdlya.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Smena (youth) movement produced a number of amateur garage bands that were later dubbed “pesniki” (singers) due to their heavy reliance on traditional Russian folk melodies. These pesniks were heavily influenced by Western psychedelic rock and other countercultural movements such as hippie culture. Prominent pesniks of this era include Grazhdanskaya Oborona, Novaya Model’, Stas Namin Group, Mulat Akhmedov Group, Auktyon, Druzhba Narodov,DDT, Kobzon & Ozawa’63 (with future Japanoise pioneer Merzbow), Le PSMSof activity from 1979 onwards meant that mostPsychedelic music from Russia was only heard outsideof the country after 1991.
1980s-1990s: Decline of Russian Psychedelic Rock
In the 1980s and 1990s, rock music in general, and psychedelia in particular, became less popular in Russia. Many rock bands stopped performing, and those that continued tended to abandon their psychedelic sound in favor of a more mainstream style. However, a few bands persisted in keeping the psychedelic flame alive.
Key Figures in Russian Psychedelic Rock
Psychedelic rock, also known as acid rock, is a type of rock music that emerged in the 1960s. The style is based on earlier psychedelic music and folk rock, and is characterized by distorted guitars, feedback, and other sonic effects. The first Russian psychedelic rock band was Nautilus Pompilius, formed in Leningrad in 1982.
Alexander Gradsky
Alexander Gradsky is a Russian singer, composer, actor and television presenter. He was born in 1947 in Moscow. Gradsky is one of the key figures in Russian psychedelic rock. He was a member of the band Aquarium from 1972 to 1995. He has released 20 solo albums and has composed music for over 50 films.
Aquarium
Aquarium is a Russian psychedelic rock band that was formed in the late 1980s by lead singer and songwriter Andrey Kiritchenko. The band’s debut album, The Journey, was released in 1992 and was followed by a series of successful albums throughout the 1990s. Aquarium’s music is characterized by its mix of elements from Western and Eastern music, as well as its use of unusual time signatures and instrumentation.
Kiritchenko is the only original member of Aquarium still with the band; he is joined by drummer Igor Dgen, bassist Pavel Petrov, guitarist Sergey Starostin, and keyboardist Alexei Romanov. The band has undergone several lineup changes over the years, but Kiritchenko has remained the creative force behind Aquarium’s music.
Aquarium has been hugely successful in Russia, where they are considered one of the pioneers of Russian rock music. They have toured extensively throughout Europe and Asia, and their music has been featured in several films and television shows. In recent years, the band has increasingly been working on multimedia projects, such as their 2016 album Theatre of One Act Plays, which was accompanied by a series of short films.
Arkona (band)
Arkona is a Russian psychedlic rock band, formed in Moscow in 2002. The band’s music is heavily influenced by Russian folk music and mythology, and they are known for their use of traditional instruments such as the balalaika and accordion alongside more typical rock instrumentation.
Arkona’s lineup has changed several times over the years, but the most recent incarnation includes vocalist and songwriter Masha “Scream” Arkhipova, guitarists Vladimir “Vova” Bondarev and Sergey “Lazor” Lavrik, bassist Alexey “Svetozar” Koltsov, and drummer Igor Pokrovsky.
Arkona released their debut album Vo slavu velikim in 2004, followed by Goi, Rode, Goi! in 2006 and Ot Serdtsa k Nepriyatiyu in 2008. Their fourth album Slovo was released in 2010, and they have since released a further three albums: Zhizn’ vo vselennoy (2012),deca vedm (2014), and Khram (2016).
Notable Russian Psychedelic Rock Songs
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “acid rock”, is a type of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic rock emerged during the mid-1960s with British and American bands such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Byrds experimenting with new sounds and production techniques.
“Aquarium” by Aquarium
“Aquarium” is a song by the Russian rock band Aquarium. It was released in 1975 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album. The song was a Top 40 hit in the Soviet Union and has since become one of the most well-known and iconic Russian rock songs.
“White Sun of the Desert” by Alexander Gradsky
“White Sun of the Desert” (Белое солнце пустыни, Beloye solntse pustyni) is a Russian song written by Georgiy Mosesov and composed by Alexander Gradsky. It is one of the best-known Russian songs. The lyrics tell the story of a Red Army soldier’s love for a desert woman. The song was used in the 1970 film White Sun of the Desert.
The song has been covered by many artists, including Viktor Tsoi, Zemfira, Alyona Sviridova, and Mumiy Troll.
“Black Raven” by Arkona (band)
“Black Raven” is a song by Russian folk metal band Arkona. It was released as the lead single from their album Goi, Rode, Goi! on February 28, 2012. The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Russia Top 100 chart.
The song is about a black raven that flys over Russia and sees the country’s beauty and history. Arkona’s Maria Arkhipova stated that the song is “an ode to our Motherland [Russia]”.
