Kasta - An Order Higher

Don’t forget your roots - remember There’s things that are an order higher, you hear  They say you gotta get out of here, basically Start a family, raise children

And maybe that is right, but the past can’t be  Left behind, abandoned - and later found again Don’t forget your roots - remember There’s things that are an order higher…

—

Hey bro, wait up Where you rushing off to, sit down with me Tell me how’s life - how you got so thin, man Want a smoke? - You don’t, that’s awesome How many times you tried to quit now?

Didn’t even recognize you right away - Must be an omen that I’m gonna get rich now Haven’t seen you for a hundred years, now tell me Where you coming from? Where you rushing off to? -  You’re even out of breath, man

Maybe you seen one of our old crew lately,  Who’s up to what? Everyone alive and healthy?  Well, thank God… And me? Ah, don’t ask - a bit of everything That’s just life - just fucking around mostly You know how that goes… listen, here’s what I wanted to ask:

Your guys were saying like you’re going abroad to live - Is that true? What, for real? And when? - Day after tomorrow, eh… Come on old man, you could’ve called - like come on, we gotta send you off And so that’s like, forever? You’re leaving without return?  You gonna tell me where at least? Ohh, alright, I got you… Come on, don’t sweat it - you’ll be back again yet I myself have already worn out the skin of an immigrant

And you, I know you like a brother Over here - things ain’t good, not gonna lie, the facts are on your side, man You want to eat and not be hungry, you want to sleep soundly - Then the fuck are you thinking now man, you should’ve bailed ages ago!

But I’ve seen those faces, man - you’re gonna wither there And when you try to look inside them - you’ll die from despair It’s empty there, man - and you, brother, are Russian! That’s what matters about you - fuck everything else

Man, understand that this here is a sincere confession - Sincerity, truth, a soul bright at sunrise - pure like a drop of vodka And there, you’re gonna be alive among zombies An Ignoramus in the Sun City* - but you’ll get to know the price of gold

In the smile of a Russian girl - compare her to an imported sheep Who throws those fake smiles around left, right and center I know how this kitchen works - the airliner will raise you into the air You’ll realize what you’re casting off - but it’ll be too late

I see that you’re pitying yourself - well alright, onwards, be brave now But don’t burn bridges, man - and come back sooner Come on bro, at least send me a few lines from there I’m gonna go grab something to eat, not saying goodbye to you though…

—

Don’t forget your roots - remember There’s things that are an order higher, you hear  They say you gotta get out of here, basically Start a family, raise children

And maybe that is right, but the past can’t be  Left behind, abandoned - and later found again Don’t forget your roots - remember There’s things that are an order higher…

*Neznaika v Solnechnom Gorode (“Ignoramus in the City of the Sun”) is a title of a well-known children’s book, about a well-intentioned but ignorant elf from a magical land, who sets off on a journey to a futuristic Sun City where he wants to do good deeds for people by using his magical powers - but instead ends up in a lot of misadventures.

***

Kasta, a rap trio from the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-the-Don, were perhaps the dominant force in Russian hip-hop during the 2000s and remain a highly influential and respected band. They had, in many ways, helped create a whole generation of Russian rappers and rap fans by maintaining a strong web and street presence, organizing competitions, events and featuring up-and-coming talent. A hallmark of Kasta’s style is the fusion of 1990s American hip-hop with Russian “street” music genres - not an obvious combination by any means, but one that has worked well for Kasta and many others, especially in the Rostov scene, whose sound they had helped shape.

The song “An Order Higher” is as topical as ever today, touching on the difficult issue of emigration and a search for a “normal life” that often motivates people to leave Russia. While the chorus might come off as a bit of a sermon, most of the song is an open and honest discussion of the pros and cons, with a narrator who seems as conflicted as his friend who has decided to emigrate. (archive) 

Noize MC - Jordan

The glaciers will melt, The Jordan river will rise Peace will come upon everyone - Shalom Aleichem, Wa-Alaikum Salaam...

Pixels will again form into camouflage spots on the screen The sound engineer will dial down bursts of gunfire in the mix The offscreen voice once again will tell the incredible truth about our enemies Reading the prepared words in a cold tone off pieces of paper And the inconvenient links won't open on any device now Just like the eyelids of a fighter, who's hurrying home to mom in a metal casket With a smirk, the director of the bloody circus is counting the ticket stubs - But the glaciers will melt, the glaciers will melt...

The glaciers will melt, The Jordan river will rise Peace will come upon everyone - Shalom Aleichem, Wa-Alaikum Salaam...

The naked king promises all his subjects warm clothes for the winter With open mouths, the people applaud his flaming speeches From the cold, the lips are covered in cracks, naked shoulders tremble in the wind But the gift of persuasion is strong, and they wait three years for what was promised He blames the enemy both for the chattering teeth and the frost patterns on windows Like, it's because of the enemy that the seasonal birds are too slow in their migration And the longer he talks, the stronger and more fearsome the attack of the cold winds - But the glaciers will melt, the glaciers will melt...

The glaciers will melt, The Jordan river will rise Peace will come upon everyone - Shalom Aleichem, Wa-Alaikum Salaam... *** Ivan Alexeev, known as Noize MC, remains perhaps Russia’s most popular rapper - although his work, and especially his latest album “Hard Reboot”, remains more firmly grounded in 1990s post-punk grunge and various forms of electronic music. While the stylings of Jordan, his latest single, seem at first to be alluding to the problems of peace in the Middle East, the main point of criticism in the lyrics is aimed far closer to home, attacking the tone of the state-controlled media who, since the start of the seeming “new cold war” with the conflict in the Ukraine, have been escalating the tensions, cracking down on free speech, and attributing both international violence and domestic economic problems to “enemy schemes”, particularly by the US. Released the same week as Russia’s acknowledgment of sending troops to Syria, the song indeed provides a pointed and timely critique... (archive)

Severnyi Flot - Forward and Up

It's cold and empty in the crowd For those like him in any age The strange and sorrowful Will never be respected here

Here, you're only accepted If you think and do like you ought to This world has become a place From a boring movie...

My pain, raise me up! Give me strength to soar high above like a bird An empty world left behind my back - I no longer have any will to return...

I don't want to listen, I don't want to see this nonsense anymore! Desires, but not souls Live inside these bodies for 100,000 years

And besides, the view From up there must be great... The sun has reached the zenith - Hey people, look who's flying!

My pain, raise me up! Give me strength to soar high above like a bird An empty world left behind my back - I no longer have any will to return...

Spreading his arms out wide, He floated above the world like a white crane Time had stopped, the sounds grew silent - He was flying away from us, forward and up... 

My pain, raise me up! Give me strength to soar high above like a bird An empty world left behind my back - I no longer have any will to return... *** Severnyi Flot (”Northern Fleet”) was formed in 2013 by the members of Korol’ i Shut, Russia’s premiere art-punk band following the death of their leader Mikhail “Gorshok” Gorshenyov. Known to many as “one of the last true punks” in Russia, the larger-than-life, eccentric Gorshenyov spent a lifetime struggling with personality problems, substance abuse, violence, and creative differences with even his closest cohorts. In 2013, things seemed to be looking up for Gorshok - he’d made serious progress with drug rehabilitation, got married and had a young daughter, had recently written and starred in his first award-winning stage musical, and had big plans for Korol’ i Shut. Unfortunately, an unexpected drug relapse and overdose in July 2013 cut short all of those prospects. The new band soldiered on, renaming themselves after one of the classic “Korol’ i Shut” songs, and began to create a new identity and style of their own.  Their early work, notably more somber and metal-like in style than Korol’ i Shut’s diverse and often comical art-punk work, has been dominated by the themes of loss - and “Forward and Up”, among other songs, is a dedication to the loss of their oft-misunderstood friend Gorshok. (archive)

Listen to Дельфин/Dolphin - Земля (Альбом - Андрей) by Thevlasov #np on #SoundCloud

Inside me, a tree is growing Its roots are becoming stronger Colourless living shoots, using the pathways of my veins,  Strive downward, seeking earth

The tree needs peace, so it may stand in the same place And contemplate the distance to the stars I feel it: inside my lungs, fresher and newer leaves are unfolding;  Every day it's becoming harder to breathe For the tree, the light of my inner sun is insufficient; Its branches grow right through my arms Trying to raise them upwards, To the tremendous bright star above

Sometimes I feel that The tree is thinking instead of me I realize this from visions of a future So distant, they can't have been born by a human mind

---

When I search for my reflection on the silver sheet of the lake surface A black bird comes to me It lands opposite to where I am, and intently stares into the still-barely-noticeable void in my eyes The void is growing; the bird knows this It is already choosing in which of my eye sockets  It will build a nest Its sharp clattering beak frightens me ---- One day I will awaken standing on the crest of a hill In a lamenting sky's shimmering downpour of pewter droplets With a hundred strong, flexible arms I hold on to the wind My words grow yellow; I converse with the past And it is endless...

I know only one thing:

Tomorrow, he will be born Who will clip the branches There's only time left For one final breath *** Dolphin (the pseudonim of Russian alternative artist Andrei Lysikov) is the premiere figure in Russia's alternative music. On December 9th, 2014, he released his 9th studio album, "Andrei". This is the concluding song. Although he started out in the scandal-rap outfit "Malchishnik" in the early 1990s, Dolphin rapidly outgrew the sex, drugs and partying culture surrounding that scene. Much of Dolphin's solo work, but particularly his last few albums, are a meditation on the themes of death and loss, and "Andrei" is perhaps his most concentrated and complex effort at this. By this point, only the most minimalistic remnants of either rap, or alternative rock, or even 80s darkwave (which influenced his previous 3 albums significantly) can be traced; by this final track on the album, Dolphin dispenses even with rhyme and rhythm, but the effect is only all the more phenomenally unsettling.

Kino - Look After Yourself

Today someone is told "goodbye" Tomorrow they'll say "farewell forever" A wound will flash red on the heart

Tomorrow, someone returning home Will find their cities in ruins Someone will slip off a high-rise crane

Look after yourself, be careful Look after yourself...

Tomorrow morning, someone in their bed Will realize that they're terminally ill Someone, walking out of their house, will get hit by a car

Tomorrow, somewhere at one of the hospitals A young surgeon's hand will shudder Someone in the woods will stumble onto a landmine

Look after yourself, be careful Look after yourself...

At night, an airplane flew over us Tomorrow it will crash in the ocean All the passengers will perish...

Tomorrow, somewhere - who knows where - A war, epidemic, a snowstorm The black holes of space...

Look after yourself, be careful Look after yourself...

***

This is the final song on the last album by Kino, the legendary Soviet rock band fronted by the charismatic Victor Tsoy, then 28 years old. Work on the first demo recordings for the album was completed in Latvia on August 14th, 1990, by Tsoi and Kino's guitarist Yuri Kasparian. The next day, Kasparian headed back to Leningrad; Tsoi decided to take a fishing trip with his 5-year-old son, although the boy was too tired, so Victor ended up going alone. Exhausted by long nights of recording, Tsoi fell asleep at the wheel of his car on a country road, crashing head-on into an oncoming bus. He was killed instantly. (archive)

Mikhail Krug - Vladimirsky Central

Spring has come again And with a little ray of warmth Trustfully looking into my window

It'll again lock up my chest And sadness will come into my soul And start walking through memories with me...

It'll walk through and unsettle And sin together with That girl whom I loved there, so long ago

With that girl it went away, And with that girl it returned To forget her - I won't have the strength...

Vladimirsky Central - a northern wind Staged up from Tver' - with an immeasurable evil A heavy load weighs down upon my heart

Vladimirsky Central - a northern wind When I had made my bets - traded my life away But what kills you is usually not one point, but eleven plus an ace...

There, under the window - cons The thawed track is narrow But still it's short for me - my spring

But I am glad that here Even if it's just this - I still have it How I need your love...

Vladimirsky Central - a northern wind Staged up from Tver' - with an immeasurable evil A heavy load weighs down upon my heart

Vladimiersky Central - a northern wind Though I had made my bets - traded my life away But what kills you is usually not one point, but eleven plus an ace...

***

Mikhail Krug (1962-2002) was a Russian singer-songwriter, referred to by some as "the king of chanson". He achieved some notable popularity in Russia, both before and after his death. The word "chanson" simply means "song" in French, but has a much more specific connotation in Russian - namely, it is a genre of songwriting dedicated to the culture of convicts and organized crime in Russia. Needless to say, this makes chanson both controversial and immensely popular in some circles. Criminal culture is deeply rooted in Russian society, often romanticized and associated with conservative moral norms, as reflected in a strict "law" (honour code), even possessing its own distinct dialect (so-called "fenya") by which criminals (and musicians who sing about them) often communicate - although "Vladimirksy Central" is notably free of such jargon.

This song is perhaps the single best-known and highly-regarded work of chanson in Russia, written from the perspective of a jailed convict. The eponymous "Vladimirsky Central" is a major detention center in the Vladimir region of Russia, frequently used as a staging point for convicts being moved from Russia's more populous western part (for example, Krug's hometown of Tver' mentioned in this song) to prison camps in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East - a relatable moment in the life of any career criminal, with a romantic spin which makes the song relatable to a wider audience as well.

"Vladimirsky Central" has remained Mikhail Krug's greatest legacy - the song's author was murdered at his home in 2002, during what was either an armed robbery or a planned assassination. Some of his critics noted that there was some bitter irony in the manner of Krug's death, following a career of romanticizing, relating to and speaking on behalf of criminals.

(archive)

Boulat Okudzhava - Your Highness

Your Highness, Lady Parting... I feel cold with you, Such a thing this is That letter in the envelope -  Wait before you tear it I might have no luck in death, Perhaps I'll get lucky in love... Your Highness, Lady Fortune... To some, you are kind  To others - otherwise...

9 grams in the heart -  Wait before you catch it I might have no luck in death, Perhaps I'll get lucky in love...

Your Highness, Lady Victory It seems that my song Isn't finished singing

Stop, you devils, Swearing upon blood I might have no luck in death, Perhaps I'll get lucky in love...

***

Boulat Okudzhava (1924-1997) is a Soviet and Russian author, composer and poet, best known for his work as a singer-songwriter. Born to a family of Georgian communists in Moscow, he became best-known for his songs, a number of which featured in popular Soviet films of the 60s and 70s. He is perhaps among the most famous "bards", independent (and typically semi-underground) performers of their own songs and poems who became widespread and popular among later Soviet-era intelligentsia. Although not part of Russian rock/alternative movements, "bards" nevertheless helped shaped the songwriting style of Russian rock, and its focus on nuanced poetics and mood rather than instrumental fireworks and vocal delivery.

Although Okudzhava had sometimes courted controversy (especially for his staunch support of Yeltsin's government after the fall of the USSR) and even his songwriting has been criticized by some, his work remains popular to this day. Covers of his songs are frequently performed by popular musicians - and even more often by aspiring "bards" around a campfire.

(archive)

Agata Kristi - Opium for Nobody

I paint my lips dark with shoe polish I adore the colour black And my hero is stitched together From fine fragrances of candy

Powdering my lips with cocaine I walk out on my promenade And stars shine beautifully at me And hell seems sympathetic

Let's meet with you tonight Some opium we'll smoke-oke-oke Let's meet with you tinight We'll talk in chinese

Don't hide the music, it's opium For nobody - only for us Let's die together happily tonight We'll play some decadence

Kill myself, kill yourself You won't change anything This story has no end You won't change anything

Paint your eyelashes with lipstick And lips - with lacquer for your hair You will become a dead princess And I will be your dog

---

Let's meet with you tonight Some opium we'll smoke-oke-oke Let's meet with you tinight We'll talk in chinese

Don't hide the music, it's opium For nobody - only for us Let's die together happily tonight...

***

Agata Kristi ("Agatha Christie") were perhaps the most iconic band of the early-mid 1990s. Playing an eclectic brand of psychedelic post-punk, they were led by the Samoilov brothers, Vadim and Gleb. Although originally intended to be named after the ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, they settled on British author Agatha Christie, whose work had always been popular in Russia, instead. Though the band remained influential in their later years, they struggled creatively, particularly after the death of founding keyboardist Alexander Kozlov in 2001. After a farewell album and tour, Agata Kristi officially disbanded in 2010.

"Opium for Nobody" is perhaps the band's single-biggest hit, released in 1995. Gleb Samoilov, who authored the lyric, commented on the song as follows:

"...this slogan of sorts was formulated in our album "Opium": "Music is an opium for nobody". What does that mean? Starting from the phrase "Religion is opium for the people", which social-democrats once introduced, we came up with an antithesis: "Opium" in the same sense as used by communists means something intoxicating. And "for nobody" - because art is self-justified and isn't owned by anyone, isn't dependent on anybody. And, roughly speaking, even we, the people who make it, are just as dependent and just as much subject to our art as our audience.

(archive)

Mumiy Troll' - Seems

Warmth goes away, I have nothing left to burn The shavings are bent and the buckshot is soaked It seems like this song is already about nothing It seems like you're cocking the bolt, or moving your knight

It seems, it seems it's here or it seems that it's somewhere You cross before stars - I burn as a comet

It seems our paths are no longer enough It seems that heaven can't be seen, wire over our eyes The wind simply changed, and we didn't know it We wanted to jump, punch our way through the ceiling

It seems, it seems it's here or it seems that it's somewhere You cross before stars - I burn as a comet

Why, little chime, do you look at the bells They won't ring from night or from dawn Neva's* bowstring no longer torments us with waiting It seems to cut gums with its crust of blue ice

It seems, it seems it's here or it seems that it's somewhere You cross before stars - I burn as a comet ***

*Neva - the great (albeit short) river flowing through St. Petersburg, Russia

Mumiy Troll' ("Mummy Troll", a play on the Moomin trolls' name) first appeared in the 1980s in the far east city of Vladivostok, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. At the time, they were censored - for a period, local officials put them at the top of the list of groups that were "most dangerous" to public morals (right next to Black Sabbath). However, over time they grew into one of Russia's premiere experimental bands. Their leader Ilya Lagutenko, along with directing Mumiy Troll', is also a known producer (for instance, he launched the career of Zemfira Ramazanova, perhaps the most popular front-woman in Russia), festival organizer and wildlife protection activist.

This cute and totally psychedelic anime-influenced video, release in April 2014, shows what Mumiy Troll' have been up to lately - and it seems that their efforts only continue to gain them fans. (archive)

Polyusa - Telephone Conversations

I dial your number The phone is broken I walk out in the rain -  Nothing else for me to do...

I should go home -  I'm soaked to the last thread It's bothersome carrying an umbrella -  There's my mistake...

Telephone conversations Every evening till an hour past midnight I want to tell you the news, I call you - but your phone is broken

---

Long tones pierce the ears It must be great sitting at home - Warm air from the heater, Everything's familiar, so familiar...

Again I forgot the keys - I wonder if anyone's home? But the hallway is quiet Everything's familiar, so familiar...

Telephone conversations Every evening till an hour past midnight I want to tell you the news, I call you - but your phone is broken

****

Polyusa ("The [Magnetic] Poles") are an art-rock band from St. Petersburg, active since the late 1990s. Led by Ilya Razin, they typify the musical eclecticism of the city's indie scene - with ironic lyrics, occasional use of odd meter, jazz/latin influence and a soft touch, Polyusa have even invented their own genre name for what they do: Choza Music ("cho za" = "what the?", said in a very characteristic St. Petersburg accent). Their popularity seems to be growing, albeit slowly - though have managed to score a few radio hits with songs as "Poetry" and "Cyborg Goes to Vyborg". While less quirky, "Telephone Conversations" is certainly every bit as indie-poppy and representative of Polyusa's sound.

(archive)

Picnic - The Flower of Troubles

Though it seems the sun still shines for us With its clear rays, beating at the window Though it seems it's easy for us to live in this world Why is it so dark inside the heart?

She is the flower of troubles - Will be picked by whoever sees it She still looks for happiness - Still waits for her only one...

So we will melt without regrets, Under the young summer rain Keeping secret all that we had dreamed of We no longer wait for our most dearly-wished miracle

She is the flower of troubles - Will be picked by whoever sees it She still looks for happiness - Still waits for her only one...

Our way to nowhere from nothing We'll walk through, remembering noone Thus this miracle will break off Break - simply and easily...

***

Picnic (originally called "Roadside Picnic, in honour of the Strugatsky Brothers' novel) was originally formed in Leningrad in 1978, by a group of polytech students - but it was not until the early 80s that the group's definitive lineup, led by singer Edmund Shklyarskiy, was formed. With their eclectic music influences and themes of mysticism, philosophy, poetics and of course the Bohemian lifestyle, they fit right into the semi-underground culture of Russia's liberal culture capital, and quickly found some recognition on this scene. Of course, while for them the description "decadent" was a compliment to their music, it was not so for the communist authorities - and they were attacked relentlessly by Komsomol press for a period in the 1980s, for some time being blacklisted and banned from performing. This, naturally, only increased their popularity.

Like many other bands from this "classic" early period of Russian rock, Picnic adapted to post-Soviet realities by keeping an indie ethos, experimenting with new technology, and maintaining a small but loyal fanbase to their eccentric music. They continue to perform and record to this day. (archive) 

Soviet-Era Bootleg Recordings of Banned Western Music Pressed on Discarded X-Ray Plates   Before the availability of the tape recorder and during the 1950s, when vinyl was scarce, people in the Soviet Union began making records of banned Western music on discarded x-rays. With the help of a special device, banned bootlegged jazz and rock 'n' roll records were "pressed" on thick radiographs salvaged from hospital waste bins and then cut into discs of 23-25 centimeters in diameter. "They would cut the X-ray into a crude circle with manicure scissors and use a cigarette to burn a hole," says author Anya von Bremzen. "You’d have Elvis on the lungs, Duke Ellington on Aunt Masha’s brain scan — forbidden Western music captured on the interiors of Soviet citizens."     Source: Junk Culture    

Ah yes, the famous "bones" ("kosti") - they were used no less for the banned domestic artists too - the legendary actor/singer Vladimir Vysotsky had been widely distributed on "bones" in his time. More common was tape bootlegging though.

The bootlegging scene itself was amazing, creative and somewhat comical. I remember my dad telling me stories of these "secret" tape-trading gatherings that would happen in the woods on the edge of town - and then you'd have the cops show up too, which resulted in scenes of hundreds of hippies running like mad through the woods and bushes with their precious tapes and records in hand!

Noize MC - Influential Benefactors

I have influential benefactors Unattractive people in state-issued overcoats Possessors of the world's most terrifying passport covers Very serious people, very influential...

You don't need to know any more - You better carefully watch your tongue, and that of your buddies Be a little more delicate in making your evaluations - People that like to talk shit often have something mystical Happen to them - a grim unfriendly gaze, shoulder pushed back by the rifle butt - And there, the body's already buried like some pirate booty We'll do without any maps of Treasure Island or black marks - The masked man shoots sharp as a devil We'll do without any names or famous surnames - I want everyone to be either silent, or to praise me The third option is potentially deadly - Here its one of two outcomes: either you get nailed, or get done over And mind you, after the latter you'll want the former yourself So, careful with mom's nerves... I really fucking hate upsetting someone's parents But I have influential benefactors

I have influential benefactors Unattractive people in state-issued overcoats Possessors of the world's most terrifying passport covers Very serious people, very influential...

I greatly value freedom of speech and freedom of choice - I live in a free country, happy with everything The world is harmonious and just, simply delightful - When behind your back there's powerful benefactors I greatly value justice and the rule of law - Themis' sword is infallible and she will fuck you up Her blindfold will be carefully tied up at the back of her head By very long hands, very influential... Wonderful hands do good deeds throughout the land Do them in forests, basements and back alleys Don't be a villain, stop before it's too late - Don't piss off very influential people, very seriously Don't be too hasty to signal "fuck off" To relatives and friends of the siloviki* That's all, you don't need to know any more than that My benefactors are very influential...

I have influential benefactors Unattractive people in state-issued overcoats Possessors of the world's most terrifying passport covers Very serious people, very influential...

I have influential benefactors Unattractive people in state-issued overcoats In my whole life, the only bullshit that always bothers me Is that I'm not the only one who's got them...

***

*siloviki - "power ministers", high-ranking officials in military, intelligence and security services in Russia

Noize MC (Ivan Alekseev) is one of Russia's most famous artists - known as a rapper, though much of his work crosses genres and seems to work in the punk ethos. Though his popularity has waned somewhat since his big breakout a few years ago (back then he'd been dubbed a "Russian Eminem" in the press, and acknoweldged as a "voice of the generation" by many established Russian rock artists), he still remains very relevant and sharp. In particular, his wry, biting, timely social critique is on full display here - and this video hilariously (and sadly, quite accurately) satirizes Russia's present and former ruling elites.  (archive)

Dolphin - Soul

This is the end, mama We're standing on our knees Hearts beat, worn out In their final confessions

Bullets tear into heads Weaving their bloody nests Mama, we were being lied to - In the sky, there's nothing but stars

The burden of victory is weak, For the goal we achieved was easy - Because we were always so close To that which we truly desired

And there won't be much use for us - By a thousand we're worth half a nickel But we still could do it, mama - Blow up the sun if we had to...

---

We wanted something different Than life after a quiet death The worst grew up deep inside us, On the firmament of a stone heart

We fought and defended, mama We kept our souls safe We survived uprightly, We all became better and better

So we want to live, mama Because that happens just once And it's still too early for me And I'm really not so brave

But this is the end, mama And we're standing on our knees Hearts beat stubbornly In their final confessions

Bullets tear into heads Weaving their bloody nests Mama, we were being lied to - In the sky, there's nothing but stars... ***

Dolphin (aka "Del'fin", aka Andrei Lysikov) is Russia's premiere alternative music artist. Difficult to categorize yet incredibly influential, he started out in the rap group Mal'chishnik in the early 1990s - but over time his music lost the hallmarks of hip-hop entirely. Over the past decade, Dolphin - in collaboration with his guitarist Pavel Dodonov - carved out an increasingly austere, startling, minimalistic music style based on drum machines, samples and loops accompanied by very sparse poetry, frequently on the themes of death. In June 2014, "Soul" became the first new Dolphin song to be premiered by them in 3 years, with a new album due out by fall. (archive)

Mal'chishnik - Dancing

(Dolphin:) One time at a party, I saw you You also looked at me, somehow gently A few minutes later, you were with me I remember we were slow-dancing together

I was talking to you about stars, about the tide at sea But to be honest, I was thinking something totally different... I thought about what we'd do later, and was guessing my chances While you were thinking that it was all just dancing

---

(Mutabor:) Look at all the chicks coming at us And at this party, they all keep talking to us I dunno, maybe they really just wanna chat, Well, we can laugh about that later

Everyone knows us here, they know there ain't noone cooler Alright Dan, come on, let's teach 'em! We'll come up to them and say, "Hey, let's hang out!" And let 'em think that it's all just dancing...

---

(Dan:) Alright, why you blowing here? You know I could take those two all on my own They're good chicks, totally better than those ones, And they're dressed better - so they clearly got more cash

Look at how erotically she takes in her mouth That cigarette, and smokes til' morning That's alright, we'll figure out what to do with her too And for now let 'em think that it's all just dancing

But it's all just dancing

---

Now you're complaining about me just playing you But I got everything that I wanted from you I did my thing, you just got lured in by my cash And you're ain't worse for all of it now

You were satisfied and I kept all my money - Now I was holding a different girl in my arms I was trying to get her to like me, I was trying to smile And she also thought that it was all just dancing

Look how wild he is, look what he's doing now! He's already talking up a different chick! He screwed her over money, just like always Well, Dolphin, we gettin' out? - Of course, yeah!

Alright, Dan - get the taxi Nah hold up, Mutabor - wait up just a bit Listen, Dolphin, quit your smiling - They still think that it's all just dancing

***

When Mal'chishnik ("Bachelor Party" or "Boys' Club") appeared on the Russian pop culture scene, they caused something of a sex revolution. The rap group, made up of the trio of MCs - Mutabor, Dan and Dolphin - appeared shortly after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, and rapidly gained notoriety (and popularity) through their scandalous lyrics. Casual sex and hook-up culture, fetishes, drugs, partying, STDs - those were the "Boys' Club" main preoccupations. While what they were rapping about was standard fare for Western hip-hop then as now, for Russian society in 1991 - then still very much stuck in conservative Soviet sexual morals (the key among which was "talking openly about sex is obscene") - it was a discovery. Mal'chishnik were equally reviled and revered. "Dances" is a very tame, subtle, TV-friendly song compared to most of the rest of their catalogue - much of what they did was expletive-laden and full of graphic references to sex, as one would expect from a hip-hop group.

As with all boys' clubs, it was something that wrapped up largely as the band grew up. Founding member Dolphin left the band in the late 1990s to pursue a solo career, moving away from rapping about party culture to austere, difficult music centered on philosophical themes and minimalistic poetry. Dan and Mutabor reunited for a period in the 2000s, but mostly as a "nostalgia group" to perform events for those who grew up on Mal'chishnik. (archive)

DDT - Times

For me, his voice in the broadcast Sounds like the squealing of a stuck pig... These new songs are like ale that's gone sour In cheap beer stalls, in murky alleys

Lies of vodka, And a shaking baseball bat in hand Where every other throat Is counting down days to civil war... In a lively swarm, the manure flies Cover our land like a rusted shitter Tripping out on this bliss Concealing in us the ideas of Juche Soon it will be violated -  This chapter of our history... Motherland, send them all to the devil, Our heads only hurt from them... --- And what can be kinder than deceit here? A way to heaven through a burned-down door Here, for life it's always too early An abyss is expanding inside... You swallow stale air every morning,  Who of us hasn't spoiled here yet? Here, for death it's always too late Let me catch my breath... We're no longer for the "you" of avant-garde - The 16th century is now before you! Firecrackers are lit off in mouths Of the people by their helmsman And when they lead us to be burned at the stake - We'll only throw more wood on the pyre... Lord, please send us all to the devil, Our heads only hurt from us... --- Inside your eyes, there's night for centuries... Beyond them - a dead land... And there's no faith, and there's no truth... In the kitchen - flocks of ravens... When hope cannot be seen... And noone waits for anyone... It'll quietly approach us and say "here, Take a different time..." "Accept these different times..."

***

Russia's top rok band DDT needs little in the way of introduction - led by Yuri Shevchuk over its 3-decade career, the band has always been known for their biting but sincere social commentary, of which this song is an example. DDT released their new album, Prozrachny ("Transparent") on May 16th, 2014 - and although most of the album is rather light and upbeat in its sound, the heavier social themes still find their way onto it with the song "Times". Yuri Shevchuk comments on this song himself on DDT's official site: "The most "civic" song on the album. It's about what's going on in our country now, of everything that's happening to us. I wrote it in a state of an incredibly strong depression and almost in despair. My heart is torn from the sense of an oncoming humanitarian catastrophe, of pathetic lies and soullesness. This is the same state of mind in which I wrote the songs "Premonition of civil war" and "Truth on truth". But after all, in the end of the tunnel - there's hope. There's nowhere you can go without it." (archive)

Lyapis Trubetskoi - Battleship (You Have Nothing To Do With It?)

Remember Battleship Potemkin!* Spit out the rotten meat! How long can you chew the scraps  From the table of your pederast-lords?! Thousands of our brothers Are dying in the name of freedom Police is jerking off the organ of power For a packet of socialized vomit! Glamorous prison vans Wood carvings covered with goldleaf Chained dogs ready for fighting -  Is murder really man's work?! The baby-carriage is already rolling down The black-browed cossack is swinging his sable* On the Patriarchs', the oil is spilled - Woland is coming, everything's ready!** YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT? INDIFFERENCE KILLS NO WORSE THAN A BULLET! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT? THE WORLD IS DYING - WELL, SCREW IT?

---

Across the world, a wave of demonstrations Is making the tyrants shudder On the barricades, a royal piano is burning Dancing upon it - Spartacus and Gavroche Gasoline cans are burning -  Torches of a new dawn Yachts and limos are being blown up, The bell-ringers are tolling alarm The dignity of a person - Freedom, honour and pride! Now is no time for any of us to laugh - Victory is decided here And if we don't fight right now, Tomorrow we're all just fucked Nobody will see the sun again -  A shameful, cowardly end! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT? INDIFFERENCE KILLS NO WORSE THAN A BULLET! YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT? THE WORLD IS DYING - WELL, SCREW IT? ***

*Battleship Potemkin - referring to the famed (though failed) mutiny aboard the battleship Potemkin of the Black Sea Fleet in 1905, and the classic film by Sergei Eisenstein that immortalized it in 1925 (and redefined the art of film montage in the process). The scene involving the soldiers' march down the staircase, along with a runaway baby carriage and cossacks cutting down bystanders of the revolt, have become an iconic symbol of state repression. **Patriarch's ponds, spilled oil and Woland - references to Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece novel "The Master and Margarita", written in the 1930s and satirizing state repression. The first scene of the novel takes place at the Patriarch's ponds, a well-known park in Moscow, where Satan appears in the guise of a certain Professor Woland and accurately predicts the death of a character, brought forth by a seeminly accidental oil spill.

Lyapis Trubetskoi (named after a character in classic Russian comedy novel "12 Chairs") are perhaps the most talked-about band in the Russian-speaking world today. Active in Belarus and neighbouring countries (including Russia) since 1990, it was not until the late 2000s that they struck musical gold - when they settled on their trademark combination of traditional ska-punk with influences from rapcore/nu-metal music and traditional Belorussian folk sounds. Ever since then, they've been a huge hit, with their repertoire mixing Belorussian- and Russian-language lyrics. Unsurprisingly for a ska-punk band, but especially with their own experience of repression, Lyapis Trubetskoi actively promote what one could call an anarcho-socialist standpoint through their music and activism. Needless to say, in an increasingly conservative post-Soviet space where they perform, this has attracted plenty of controversy. They are banned from performing altogether in their native Belarus (home to Europe's most repressive government regime) - and after the band appeared on stage at the Maidan protests in the Ukraine (seen by some as anti-Russian), a number of Russian cities refused to allow the band to perform their scheduled concerts over the last few weeks. Nevertheless, the band's active and loyal fanbase - called "Lyapis Crew" - continues to grow bigger and bigger, and the band is due to headline many of Russia's biggest festivals this summer. Pouring more fuel on the fire, so to speak, the band's leader Sergei Mikhalok also recently announced that the band will "cease to exist" this September, prompting much speculation about their fate. One thing is certain, however - Lyapis Trubetskoi are a tightly-knit band with an easily-recognizable sound, riding the peak of their popularity, and will no doubt remain an important part of the music scene throughout the former USSR. This particular song comes from their 2012 album "Rabkor" (a play on "rapcore" and "rab", Russian for "slave"), considered by many to be their defining release.  (archive)