Grahdanskaya Oborona

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Grahdanskaya Oborona (Гражданская оборона)
Jegor Letow 2000 in Nuremberg
Jegor Letow 2000 in Nuremberg
General information
origin Omsk , Russia
Genre (s) Art-Punk , Experimental Rock , Garage Punk , Hardcore Punk , Noise-Rock , Post-Punk , Psychedelic Rock , Punk , Shoegazing
founding 1984
resolution 2008
Website www.gr-oborona.ru
Founding members
Yegor Letov
Konstantin Ryabinov
Electric guitar
 Andrei Babenko
former members
Vocals, electric guitar, electric bass, drums, percussion , effects
Yegor Letow († 2008)
Electric guitar, electric bass, electronic organ , vocals, backing vocals , percussion, effects
 Konstantin Ryabinov (until 2004)
Electric guitar
 Andrei Babenko (until 1985)
Backing song
 Andrei Maschkowzew (1984)
Backing song
 Andrei Wasin (1984)
Valery Roshkov (1986)
Bongos , harmonica , backing vocals
 Yevgeny Filatov (1986)
Electric guitar, electric bass, vocals
 Oleg Lishchenko (1987) †
E-bass, drums, vocals
 Yevgeny Lishchenko (1987) †
Electric guitar, electric bass, vocals, backing vocals
 Igor Shevtun (1988-2005)
Drums
 Arkadi Klimkin (1988–1990)
Singing, accompanying singing
 Oleg Sudakov (1988)
Backing vocals, electric bass
 Jana Djagilewa (1988–1990) †
Electric guitar
 Dmitri Selivanov (1988) †
Electric bass
 Yevgeny Dejew (1988) †
Electric bass
 Igor Starovatov (1988)
Electric bass
 Sergei Selensky (1989)
flute
 Alexander Roschkov (1993)
Electric bass
 Arkadi Kuznezow (1994)
Electric guitar, electric bass, backing vocals
 Yevgeny Kokorin (1994-2004)
Drums
 Alexander Andryushkin (1994-2005)
Electric guitar, electric bass
 Yevgeny Pyanov (1994–1999) †
E-bass, keyboard , e-violin , backing vocals
 Anna Volkova (1995–1997)
Sergei Letow (2000-2004)

Grazhdanskaya oborona or gross ( Russian Гражданская Оборона, ГрОб to German vigilantes or civil defense ) was one of the first and internationally known Russian punk bands . The group from Siberia was the first successful Soviet punk band and has inspired hundreds of other bands. The erratic ideological course of the founder and front man Yegor Letow contributed to the confusion and heated controversy within the scene .

history

The Soviet dissident Yegor Letow ( Егор Летов ) founded the band in December 1984 during a heyday of Soviet underground music . Bands like Aquarium , Maschina Wremeni ( Маши́на вре́мени) and Kino enjoyed great success. However, the Soviet underground had not yet had any experience with punk. GrOb was able to fill this niche and has since gained a large fan base. The band inspired hundreds of other punk bands across the Soviet Union and later Russia.

In 2004 and 2005 GrOb released one album each: 2004 Dolgaja Stschastliwaja Schisn, ( Долгая Счастливая Жизнь ) and 2005 Reanimazija ( Реанимация )

Yegor Letov died on February 19, 2008 in his hometown of Omsk from respiratory failure as a result of alcohol poisoning.

style

GrObs sound consisted of distorted guitars, simple bass lines, a rudimentary percussion and Letow's deep and impressive singing voice. Since the late 1980s, the band experimented with elements from the industrial .

Until the fall of the Soviet Union , the band was considered anti-Soviet. Letow often spoke out against militarism, dictatorship, the Soviet state and the war in Afghanistan in his lyrics - the band had corresponding problems with censorship. Letow and the other band members spent most of the Soviet era hiding with friends and playing their tapes in kitchens and cellars. The listeners passed the recordings on on tape. The tapes were transferred and an audio samizdat was created . Nevertheless, they made a few live appearances, like at the first rock festival in Novosibirsk in 1987, which were promptly considered a sensation.

Although the band was considered anti-communist, Letow described himself as a “true communist” and maintained the claim until the last change in his views. Since the band was founded, his ideological convictions have been contradicting one another, if not directly opposite, which has repeatedly led to confusion on the part of the fans and the scene. The writer of anti-militarist and anti-nationalist texts appeared in a long phase of his life together with the National Bolshevik Party ( Национал-большевистская партия ), whose party flag is deliberately reminiscent of the swastika flag . In 1998 Letow resigned from the party, dissatisfied with its policies and later distanced himself from any political orientation. Most recently (2006) he describes himself as a "world Christian."

Discography (selection)

Transcribed title Original title Translation / remark Year of publication
Poganaja molodjosch Поганая молодёжь like cursed youth 1985
Optimism Оптимизм optimism 1985
Igra w bisser pered swinjami Игра в бисер перед свиньями Beads-before-the-pigs game (“ Unplugged ” album)
“Semi-acoustic” version of the following “Krasny albom”. The title of the album is a play on words from the Russian title by Hermann Hesse's Das Glasperlenspiel ( Igra w bisser ) and a quote from the Bible: “ Don't throw your pearls in front of the pigs ” ( Gospel of Matthew , 7.6) 		1986
Krasny albom Красный альбом Red album 1987
Choroscho !! Хорошо !! Well!!
Choroscho! is also the original title of a poem by Wladimir Majakowski , which is the German translation as Gut und Schön! is known 		1987
Myshelovka Мышеловка mousetrap 1987
Necrofilia Некрофилия necrophilia 1987
Totalitarism Тоталитаризм totalitarianism 1987
Tak sakaljalas stal Так закалялась сталь How steel was hardened
Allusion to Nikolai Ostrowski's novel How steel was hardened (Russian Kak sakaljalas stal ) 		1988
Boyevoi stimul Боевой Стимул Combat incentive 1988
Wsjo idjot po planu Всё идёт по плану Everything is going as planned 1988
Toschnota Тошнота Nausea 1989
Woina Война war 1989
Sdorowo i Wetschno Здорово И Вечно Great and forever 1989
Armageddon Pops Армагеддон-Попс Armageddon Pops 1989
Russkoye Pole Experimentow Русское Поле Экспериментов Russian experimental field 1989
Pojesd uschol Поезд Ушёл The train is gone
publication only in 2002 		1989
Swet i Stulja Свет и Стулья Light and chairs
released in 2001 as a limited edition 		1988-1989
Pesni Radosti i Shchastja Песни Радости и Счастья Songs of happiness and joy 1989
Istorija: Posew 1982-89 История: Посев 1982-89 History: Sowing 1982-89
retrospective compilation. Whereby Posew ( the seed ) is also the name of one of Letow's earlier bands 		1989
Instrukzija po wyschiwaniju Инструкция По Выживанию Guide to survival 1990
Posledni concert v Talline Последний Концерт В Таллине The last concert in Tallinn
live recording 		1990
Concert w MEI. 02/17/90 Концерт В МЭИ. 02/17/90 Live at MEI. 02/17/90
live recording, together with Janka Djagilewa ; MEI is the Moscow Energy Institute 		1990 г.
Pops: 1984-90 Попс: 1984–90 (сборник, издан на виниле) Pops: 1984-90
"Best Of" compilation 		1990
Pryg-skok (detskije pessenki) Прыг-скок (детские песенки) No album by GO, but the successor band Jegor i Opisdenewschije,
for example Hüpf-Spring (children's songs) 		1990
Sto let odinochestva Сто лет одиночества Not a GO album, but the successor band Jegor i Opisdenewschije
Hundred Years of Solitude (double album)
corresponds to the Russian title of Gabriel García Márquez 's Hundred Years of Solitude 		1992
Solntsevorot Солнцеворот Solstice 1995
Nevynosimaya ljogkost bytija Невыносимая лёгкость бытия The unbearable lightness of being
corresponds to the Russian title of Milan Kundera's The unbearable lightness of being 		1996
concert Концерт Concert (live double album) 1997
Soldatski son Солдатский сон Soldiers dream 1997
Zvezdopad Звездопад Starfall (i.e. falling stars ) 2002
Swoboda Свобода Freedom
concert in the Ulan Bator cinema (Moscow) on April 21, 2002 (+ 3 bonus tracks: concert in the Voschod cinema (Moscow) 2001) 		2002
Dolgaja shchastliwaja schizn Долгая счастливая жизнь Long happy life 2004
Reanimation Реанимация revival 2005
XX let XX лет XX years
concert in the Gorbunow House of Culture (Moscow) on November 13, 2004 		2006
Satschem snjatsja sny Зачем снятся сны What one dreams for 2007

Movie

  • I Don't Believe in Anarchy (orig. Russian Здорово и вечно ). Documentation, RUS / CH 2015, directed by Anna Tsyrlina, Natalya Chumakova

Remarks

  1. ↑ Letov's cause of death named (Russian)
  2. ↑ a b Pops is the contemptuous term for pop music (in Russian also попса / popsa ) and mass cultural products

Web links