Alexander Kostarev
Encyclopedia
Aleksander Kostarev a Russia
n instrumental
progressive rock
musician. Though his musical career started back in the 70's, it was only the 2000s that he gained recognition, becoming one of the most important artists of the Russia
n progressive rock
scene.
. His musical genre is usually considered progressive rock
, but actually its a mixture that includes art rock
, psychedelic rock
, jazz fusion
, experimental rock
and many more.
.
The first band he played with was Perekrestok, which was formed in 1976 while being students at the Ural University.
In 1986 Kostarev moved to Moscow
and together with other musicians started a band called Quadraphonic Sound Theatre, which soon changed to CosMoBob. At the same time Kostarev worked with many Russia
n jazz
and rock musicians as a session guitarist, one of them being Yegor Letov.
In 1995 CosMoBob changed its name to Dead Music, but soon returned to CosMoBob.
In the 2000s Kostarev started performing solo and gained popularity as one of the most important Russian progressive rock
figures.
In 2003 the band CosMoBob decided to change its name to Kostarev's Group. In 2003 the Kostarev Group first album was released by Starless Records. The album was called Live@InProg 2003 and it was recorded during the bands performance at the InProg
music festival in 2003.
In the years 2003-2005 Kostarev Group was a constant act in the InProg
festival, the 2000s most important progressive rock
festival in Russia
and one of the most important in the world.
In the year 2006 Alexander Kostarev was specially invited to lead the Jam session
that concluded the first day of the InProg 2006 festival. At the same year the Kostarev Group song "who's flying over me" appeared on the "Theme of Appreciation - A Worldwide Tribute to Eddie Jobson
" compilation.
In 2006 Alexander Kostarev released a compilation called Kostarev. Works 1978-2006, which included chosen recordings of Alexander Kostarev and different groups he played with at the period of 1978-2006.
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 instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
musician. Though his musical career started back in the 70's, it was only the 2000s that he gained recognition, becoming one of the most important artists of the Russia
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 progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
scene.
Style
Being a guitarist, the music of Kostarev is instrumentalInstrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
. His musical genre is usually considered progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, but actually its a mixture that includes art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
, psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
, experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
and many more.
Biography
Alexander Kostarev was born on July 1, 1954 in SverdlovskYekaterinburg
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...
.
The first band he played with was Perekrestok, which was formed in 1976 while being students at the Ural University.
In 1986 Kostarev moved to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and together with other musicians started a band called Quadraphonic Sound Theatre, which soon changed to CosMoBob. At the same time Kostarev worked with many Russia
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 jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and rock musicians as a session guitarist, one of them being Yegor Letov.
In 1995 CosMoBob changed its name to Dead Music, but soon returned to CosMoBob.
In the 2000s Kostarev started performing solo and gained popularity as one of the most important Russian progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
figures.
In 2003 the band CosMoBob decided to change its name to Kostarev's Group. In 2003 the Kostarev Group first album was released by Starless Records. The album was called Live@InProg 2003 and it was recorded during the bands performance at the InProg
InProg
InProg is an international progressive rock festival held almost yearly since 2001 in Moscow, Russia.The festival was organised by the Russian Rock-magazine InRock....
music festival in 2003.
In the years 2003-2005 Kostarev Group was a constant act in the InProg
InProg
InProg is an international progressive rock festival held almost yearly since 2001 in Moscow, Russia.The festival was organised by the Russian Rock-magazine InRock....
festival, the 2000s most important progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
festival in Russia
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...
and one of the most important in the world.
In the year 2006 Alexander Kostarev was specially invited to lead the Jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
that concluded the first day of the InProg 2006 festival. At the same year the Kostarev Group song "who's flying over me" appeared on the "Theme of Appreciation - A Worldwide Tribute to Eddie Jobson
Eddie Jobson
Edwin "Eddie" Jobson is an English keyboardist and violinist noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K., and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zappa's band in 1976-77...
" compilation.
In 2006 Alexander Kostarev released a compilation called Kostarev. Works 1978-2006, which included chosen recordings of Alexander Kostarev and different groups he played with at the period of 1978-2006.
Discography
- Kostarev Group. Live@InProg 2003 (Live album)(2003)
- Kostarev. Works 1978-2006 (compilation)(2006)
Trivia
- In 1987 the guitar-maker Yevgeniy Berezov created specifically for Alexander Kostarev a green extra-long guitar which has 29 frets on a 770 mm length scale tuned in the C# key. The name Alexander gave to it was "a green long instrument". It turns into a regular E-key-tuned guitar once a capoCapoA capo is a device used on the neck of a stringed instrument to shorten the playable length of the strings, hence raising the pitch. It is frequently used on guitars, mandolins, and banjos. G.B...
is placed at the third fret. - Kostarev appeared six times in the InProgInProgInProg is an international progressive rock festival held almost yearly since 2001 in Moscow, Russia.The festival was organised by the Russian Rock-magazine InRock....
festival. Currently, it is the record for the biggest number of appearances in the InProgInProgInProg is an international progressive rock festival held almost yearly since 2001 in Moscow, Russia.The festival was organised by the Russian Rock-magazine InRock....
festival for one man/band.
External links
- The official site of the Kostarev Group (English) (Russian)
- The Kostarev Group Myspace page (English)
- Kostarev's personal page in LiveJournalLiveJournalLiveJournal is a virtual community where Internet users can keep a blog, journal or diary. LiveJournal is also the name of the free and open source server software that was designed to run the LiveJournal virtual community....
(Russian) - About the band from the Russian Association Of Independent Genres site (English)
- An article about the main Russian progressive rock and art-rock bands where Kostarev's group are mentioned (Russian)
- A review about the Live@InProg 2003 album (English)
- About the band from another web-site (Russian)