| Aquarium (Аквариум) | |
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Aquarium live (2004) |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | USSR, Russia |
| Genres | Folk rock, Reggae, Fusion, other subgenres |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | Magnitizdat by Andrei Tropillo, Melodia, Solyd, Soyuz |
| Website | www.aquarium.ru |
| Members | |
| Boris Grebenshchikov (vocals, guitars), Sergey Kuryokhin (keyboards, piano), and many others |
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Aquarium or Akvarium (Russian: Аква́риум) is a Russian rock group, formed in Leningrad in 1972 by Boris Grebenshchikov, then a student of Applied Mathematics at Leningrad State University, and Anatoly (George) Gunitsky, then a playwright and absurdist poet.
Contents |
In the 1970s and early 1980s, rock and roll was strictly regulated in the Soviet Union, and only a few artists managed to be approved and signed by the government record label Melodiya. Aquarium's usual concert venues were private apartments and they faced many years of fierce competition to land a spot on the label. These "apartment concerts" (квартирники) were a unique Soviet phenomenon, created by underground musicians. They were usually acoustic, as noise could cause the neighbors to call the Militsiya. The limited space fostered an atmosphere of intimacy between the group and its audience, who listened with bated breath, perhaps with someone recording the concert on a simple tape recorder. This was similar to the concepts of the Russian bards. However, Aquarium were admittedly much more influenced by Western rock music, particularly by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, T.Rex, progressive rock acts Jethro Tull, King Crimson and Roxy Music and also by new wave and reggae artists. Thus their compositions were considerably more complex and their lyrics covered a broader range of topics, showcasing Grebenshchikov's notable erudition in Celtic and Indian cultures, among other things.
In 1979-80, the band members, in addition to Grebenshchikov, included Andrei Romanov (flute, piano), Vsevolod Gakel (cello), Michail Fainstein-Vasiliev (drums) and Alexander Alexandrov (bassoon). (source: http://www.aquarium-web.com/en/history/index.htm)
Until 1987 Aquarium recorded all of their albums in live concerts and in a self-assembled underground studio - several members had engineering education - disguised as a "Young Technicians Club". A notable exception was the album Radio Africa (1983), which was secretly recorded using a government-owned mobile studio, after bribing a technician. Despite those hard conditions, the recording quality was rather high and Aquarium's albums between 1980 and 1987 are considered by most fans as their best.
The advent of Glasnost in the second half of the 1980s brought many underground Russian rock musicians to public recognition and Aquarium became one of the most popular acts. They were allowed to play in large concert halls, appeared on state-owned television and recorded soundtracks for several films, most notably Assa [1]. In 1987 they recorded their first album for the state-owned Melodiya record label. With official backing and legalized distribution the album was a huge hit in the USSR, selling well over a million copies within a few months. This was, however, the last album recorded by this Aquarium line-up and the band broke-up shortly afterward. Grebenshchikov subsequently released two albums in English and toured with several different backing bands. In 1991 after the break-up of the Soviet Union he released music under the name "the BG-Band", "The Russian Album", a collection of melancholic folk songs influenced by his travels all over Russia and demonstrating a return to his Russian roots. Grebenschikov kept touring and shortly afterwards returned to calling his band "Aquarium", although most of the musicians were different. This band continued to release more albums and touring extensively all over the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and also appearing in front of Russian-speaking immigrant communities in Germany, Israel and the United States. In 2007 Aquarium for the first time has given a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2008 "Aquarium International" (with participation of more than 20 musicians all over the world) project was created.
The release of the 2008 album "Loshad' Belaya" (White Horse) utilised the same concept as Radiohead's "In Rainbows" did in 2007. It was offered for free download in mp3 format.[1] Each person who downloads it may decide about the sum of money to donate for this download, starting at 0.
Although often criticized for departure from their original style and constant line-up changes, which make the later incarnations of Aquarium essentially a Grebenshchikov solo project, the group still enjoys considerable success in Russia—their old and new songs get a lot of airplay, their albums sell well, and they tour constantly. Aquarium today consists of Boris Grebenshchikov, Boris Rubekin (keyboards), Andrey Surotdinov (violin), Igor Timofeyev (guitars, saxophones and flutes), Alexander Titov (bass), Oleg "Shar" Shavkunov (percussion) and Albert Potapkin (drums).
Studio albums:
Live albums:
Songs performed by Aquarium Incognito:
Albums recorded independently by BG:
Grebenshchikov's solo albums in English:
Albums (pre-historical) from the 1970s:
Compilation