Agata Kristi
Encyclopedia
Agatha Christie is a Russia
n gothic rock
band led by brothers Vadim and Gleb Samoylov, that was established in Sverdlovsk
in 1988. It is named after English detective writer Agatha Christie
. According to Gleb Samoylov, it's the band playing art-rock and rock'n'roll, and with texts infiltrated by decadance's ideas. According to Aleksandr Kozlov, they play music for teens, that can fill their sensitive hearts.
, September 25, 1961) and Petr Mai—were schoolmates, they played together in a school band. In 1985 they (together with Vadim's younger brother Gleb Samoylov, who was born in Asbest, August 4, 1970) created a music band named ВИА РТФ УПИ (which is an acronym for: Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble of the Radioengineering Faculty of Ural Polytechnical Institute). The original band comprises:
. The name was chosen by Aleksandr Kozlov, because of his initial's co-incidence to Agatha Christie's ("Александр Козлов"; "Агата Кристи"). Then, Vadim said that the name reflects the band's sound style, a mysterious, eccentric, and at times sadistically spooky mix of glam
, goth rock, and techno-like electronics.
The official birthday of Agatha Christie is February 20, 1988, the day of their first concert and the release of the first official album Vtoroy front (Second Front). In 1988-1989 Agatha Christie played at several rock festivals and was noticed. At this time Peter Mai left the band and was replaced by Albert Potapkin. Still, two more albums to follow — Kovarstvo i lyubov (Craft and Love) and Dekadans (Decadence) — seemed overly theatrical and pompous. There were also some internal tensions in the band. Albert Potapkin left and was replaced by Andrey Kotov (born in Sverdlovsk, April 3, 1963). After the release of Decadance, band changes the style from pompeous suits to simple jeans and jackets.
In 1993 the band released a much more focused and balanced album Pozornaya zvezda (Shameful Star), which marked a shift from the guitar-driven glam rock of the previous albums to synth-based post-punk
with a more subdued vocal delivery. Also, that year band
The next album Opium enjoyed considerable success. Agatha Christie quickly became a popular act. Two songs from Opium, "Skazochnaya taiga" (Fairy Taiga) and "Opium dlya nikogo" (Opium for Nobody), became hits. The next albums, Uragan (Hurricane) and Chudesa (Miracles), were gloomy, even depressive, and loaded with electronics, a move which was not welcomed by many of the band's fans. A 2000 Mein Kaif? (a word-play derived from Mein Kampf
and the Russian word "Kaif", meaning 'bliss') featured sound no less gloomy and bleak than its predecessors, but received critical praise because of its unorthodox composition and song structures. In 2001 the founding keyboardist Aleksandr Kozlov died, which is said to be the reason for prolonged creative stagnation. It was only in 2004 that the Samoylovs released the next album, Triller. Chast 1 (Thriller. Part 1). Despite a significant stylistic deviation from the band's trademark murky electronic sound, this lean, heavier, hard rock-infused album was generally well received by both listeners and critics. Several songs from this album made to the top of charts in Russia. In 2008 Andrey Kotov left the band, but soon the Samoylovs recruited two new musicians: Dmitry "Snake" Khakimov (drums) and Konstantin Bekrev (keyboards and bass-guitar).
Several days before the band's 21st anniversary in February 2009 the band announced that they will finish their career as Agatha Christie with the final album Epilogue which was released in 2010.
While being less prolific in the 2000s, Agatha Christie have proved to be quite long-lasting a project. Over their history, the band explored a variety of styles, from the synth-pop of Depeche Mode
and Freddie Mercury
's extravaganza to the gloomy post-punk
of The Cure
and The Damned. Unlike the majority of the Russian rock scene, which historically adhered to the guitar-driven rock, Agatha Christie embraced a hefty share of synthesizer rhythms and drums, which, together with the characteristic vocals switching from suggestive whisper to hysterical shrieks, makes their style easily recognizable. Agatha Christie won the Grand-Prix of the festival of young European bands Open du Rock (France, 1991), World Music Award as the most popular Russian music band (Monte-Carlo, 1997), and four national "Овация (Ovation)" prizes.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band led by brothers Vadim and Gleb Samoylov, that was established in Sverdlovsk
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
in 1988. It is named after English detective writer Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
. According to Gleb Samoylov, it's the band playing art-rock and rock'n'roll, and with texts infiltrated by decadance's ideas. According to Aleksandr Kozlov, they play music for teens, that can fill their sensitive hearts.
History
The founders of the band - Vadim Samoylov (born in Sverdlovsk, October 3, 1964), Aleksandr Kozlov (born in AsbestAsbest
Asbest is a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Bolshoy Reft River on the eastern slopes of the Urals, northeast of Yekaterinburg. Population: Postal code: 624260. International dialing code: +7 ....
, September 25, 1961) and Petr Mai—were schoolmates, they played together in a school band. In 1985 they (together with Vadim's younger brother Gleb Samoylov, who was born in Asbest, August 4, 1970) created a music band named ВИА РТФ УПИ (which is an acronym for: Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble of the Radioengineering Faculty of Ural Polytechnical Institute). The original band comprises:
- Gleb Samoylov (Глеб Самойлов) — vocals, guitar, bass, lyrics, adaptation, keyboard
- Vadim Samoylov (Вадим Самойлов) — vocals, guitar, bass, lyrics, adaptation, keyboard
- Pyotr Mai (Пётр Май) — drums, percussion
- Aleksandr Kozlov (Александр Козлов) — keyboard, composer/lyrics (now deceased)
VIA RTF UPI
They've released several tape albums: Esli (If), Svet (Light), Golos (Voice) while Vadim was stud. In the year 1988, when Vadim finished his studies they've changed the name of the band to Agatha Christie after English detective writer Agatha ChristieAgatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
. The name was chosen by Aleksandr Kozlov, because of his initial's co-incidence to Agatha Christie's ("Александр Козлов"; "Агата Кристи"). Then, Vadim said that the name reflects the band's sound style, a mysterious, eccentric, and at times sadistically spooky mix of glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
, goth rock, and techno-like electronics.
The official birthday of Agatha Christie is February 20, 1988, the day of their first concert and the release of the first official album Vtoroy front (Second Front). In 1988-1989 Agatha Christie played at several rock festivals and was noticed. At this time Peter Mai left the band and was replaced by Albert Potapkin. Still, two more albums to follow — Kovarstvo i lyubov (Craft and Love) and Dekadans (Decadence) — seemed overly theatrical and pompous. There were also some internal tensions in the band. Albert Potapkin left and was replaced by Andrey Kotov (born in Sverdlovsk, April 3, 1963). After the release of Decadance, band changes the style from pompeous suits to simple jeans and jackets.
In 1993 the band released a much more focused and balanced album Pozornaya zvezda (Shameful Star), which marked a shift from the guitar-driven glam rock of the previous albums to synth-based post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
with a more subdued vocal delivery. Also, that year band
The next album Opium enjoyed considerable success. Agatha Christie quickly became a popular act. Two songs from Opium, "Skazochnaya taiga" (Fairy Taiga) and "Opium dlya nikogo" (Opium for Nobody), became hits. The next albums, Uragan (Hurricane) and Chudesa (Miracles), were gloomy, even depressive, and loaded with electronics, a move which was not welcomed by many of the band's fans. A 2000 Mein Kaif? (a word-play derived from Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
and the Russian word "Kaif", meaning 'bliss') featured sound no less gloomy and bleak than its predecessors, but received critical praise because of its unorthodox composition and song structures. In 2001 the founding keyboardist Aleksandr Kozlov died, which is said to be the reason for prolonged creative stagnation. It was only in 2004 that the Samoylovs released the next album, Triller. Chast 1 (Thriller. Part 1). Despite a significant stylistic deviation from the band's trademark murky electronic sound, this lean, heavier, hard rock-infused album was generally well received by both listeners and critics. Several songs from this album made to the top of charts in Russia. In 2008 Andrey Kotov left the band, but soon the Samoylovs recruited two new musicians: Dmitry "Snake" Khakimov (drums) and Konstantin Bekrev (keyboards and bass-guitar).
Several days before the band's 21st anniversary in February 2009 the band announced that they will finish their career as Agatha Christie with the final album Epilogue which was released in 2010.
While being less prolific in the 2000s, Agatha Christie have proved to be quite long-lasting a project. Over their history, the band explored a variety of styles, from the synth-pop of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
and Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
's extravaganza to the gloomy post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
of The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and The Damned. Unlike the majority of the Russian rock scene, which historically adhered to the guitar-driven rock, Agatha Christie embraced a hefty share of synthesizer rhythms and drums, which, together with the characteristic vocals switching from suggestive whisper to hysterical shrieks, makes their style easily recognizable. Agatha Christie won the Grand-Prix of the festival of young European bands Open du Rock (France, 1991), World Music Award as the most popular Russian music band (Monte-Carlo, 1997), and four national "Овация (Ovation)" prizes.
Discography
| Original title | Transliterated Title | Translation | Year of release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Второй фронт | Vtoroy front | Second Front | 1988 |
| Коварство и любовь | Kovarstvo i lyubov' | Intrigue and Love Intrigue and Love Intrigue and Love , , is a five-act play, written by the German dramatist and writer Friedrich Schiller... |
1989 |
| Декаданс | Dekadans | Decadence Decadence Decadence can refer to a personal trait, or to the state of a society . Used to describe a person's lifestyle. Concise Oxford Dictionary: "a luxurious self-indulgence"... |
1991 |
| Позорная звезда | Pozornaya zvezda | Shameful Star | 1993 |
| Пять лет Live | Pyat' let Live | Five Years Live (**) | 1994 |
| Opium | Opium | Opium Opium Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine... |
1995 |
| Heroin 0 Remixed | Heroin 0 Remixed | Heroin 0 Remixed (*) | 1996 |
| Ураган | Uragan | Hurricane | 1996 |
| 10 лет жизни | 10 let zhizni | 10 Years of Life( **) | 1998 |
| Два корабля Remixed 2 | Dva korablya Remixed 2 | Two Ships Remixed 2 (*) | 1998 |
| Чудеса | Chudesa | Miracles | 1998 |
| Максисингл № 1 Секрет | Maxisingl № 1 Sekret | Maxisingle № 1 Secret | 2000 |
| Майн Кайф? | Mein Kaif? | My Bliss? (pun on Mein Kampf) | 2000 |
| Максисингл № 2 Выпить море | Maxisingl № 2 Vypit' more | Maxisingle № 2 Drink the Sea | 2000 |
| Максисингл № 3 Ein Zwei Drei Waltz | Maxisingl № 3 Ein Zwei Drei Waltz | Maxisingle № 3 Ein Zwei Drei Waltz | 2001 |
| Избранное | Izbrannoye | Selected | 2002 |
| Скаzки | Skazki | Fairy Tales | 2003 |
| Триллер. Часть 1 | Triller. Chast' 1 | Thriller. Part 1 | 2004 |
| Эпилог | Epilog | Epilogue Epilogue An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work... |
2010 |
- (*) collection of remixes
- (**) concert recording