Theodor Bastard

Theodor Bastard
Background information
Also known as Fedor Svoloch
Origin St Petersburg, Russia
Genres World music, Dark wave, Trip hop, Neofolk, Ambient music
Years active 1996 – present
Labels Fulldozer Records, Q-Code Records, Planktone Productions, Species Of Fishes, Pandaimonium Records, The Art Records, Noise Kontrol, Muzikal Yapım, Manchester Files, Twilight Records, Theo Records, Danse Macabre Records
Associated acts Shiva in Exile
Website theodorbastard.com
Members Fedor Svoloch
Yana Veva
Kusas
Andy Vladych
Alexey Kalinovskiy

Theodor Bastard is one of the most unusual (in style) and independent (in production) Russian musical bands, from St Petersburg. Theodor Bastard were pioneers of world and neofolk music genres in Russia. Also elements of dark wave, trip hop and ambient are present in the band's music. The themes of band's songs are very far from everyday problems, they are based on mythology and fantasy. The hallmark of the band is a female vocal by Yana Veva - the lead vocalist and author of many songs. She often sings in idiosyncratic language invented by her and in rare languages ranging from African and Asian to Native American and many more. Theodor Bastard albums were released in 5 countries: Russia, Germany, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina.

Theodor Bastard's musicians use classical instruments: cello, harp as well as electronic instruments: synthesizers, samplers, theremin and ethnic instruments: darbuka, ashiko, conga, djembe, daf, didgeridoo, bağlama, gusli, cimbalom, dulcimer, caxixi, agogô, bawu, mbira, marimba, udu, reco-reco, ocarina, morin khuur, tibetan horn, kangling, cajón, jew's harp, spring drum and many other.

History

The band was founded in 1996 by Alexander Starostin - guitarist and composer. His stage name is Fedor Svoloch and the birth name of the band was the same. More members joined the band later, in 2000's, including vocalist and composer Yana Veva who also participated in Shiva in Exile[1]. In 1999 the band's name became Theodor Bastard as the English translation of the stage name 'Fedor Svoloch'. At the beginning they played mostly electronic, industrial, noise music but later, after Yana Veva joining, their style started to crystallize gradually, balancing on the edge of dark wave, world music, neofolk and trip hop.

In 2004 Theodor Bastard released the album Pustota. The album name is a Latin transliteration of the Russian word for emptiness, voidness. Considering a Buddhist concept Shunyata. This album has a great success, it was released in Germany (Pandaimonium Records), Mexico (The Art Records, Noise Kontrol) and Turkey (Muzikal Yapım[2]). In 2014 the remastered version named Pustota (Remastered) came out.

The band performed at famous festivals in Europe: Fusion Festival (2004[3]), Wave-Gotik-Treffen (2011[4], 2014[5]), Dark Bombastic Evening (2012[6], 2013[7], 2016[8]), Castle Party (2014[9]), Castlefest (2015[10]), Mėnuo Juodaragis (2008[11], 2012[12], 2016[13]) and others.

Theodor Bastard collaborated with many artists: Martin Atkins, Peter Christopherson[14], Stefan Hertrich[1], Fun-Da-Mental[15], Julien Jacob and others.

In November 2011 the album Remixed was released - the collection of remixes of Theodor Bastard's songs. Such artists from all over Europe as Riz Maslen, Animals on Wheels, Up, Bustle and Out, Robin Rimbaud, State of Bengal, Geomatic, Flint Glass and others took part in the work on the collection.

All 2011 Theodor Bastard worked on the new album. They recorded it in several studios at the same time. British band Fun-Da-Mental, African band The Mighty Zulu Nation, French singer Julien Jacob - took part in the recording. Many ethnic instruments as udu, mbira, marimba, reco-reco, caxixi, ashiko, and spring drum were used. Fedor Svoloch also used the instruments that he had invented and made of improvised materials, such as coconuts, door springs, empty bottles, and plastic. In February 2012 the album Oikoumene was released. Its name comes from Ecumene - an ancient Greek term for the known world.

In May 2015, Theodor Bastard released the album Vetvi. Its name is a Latin transliteration of the Russian word for branches bearing in mind the branches of the World tree. The work on this album took three years. On the album we can hear many guest artists: Buryat singer Namgar Lhasaranova from the band Namgar, multi-instrumentalist Phillip Barsky (harp and cimbalom), Olga Glazova (she plays the world's largest gusli), Chamber choir Lauda, vocalist Alexander Platonov (Ensemble of Ancient Peasant Music), Gulya Naumova (violin), Natalia Nazarova (cello). Russian horn, traditional Mongol violin morin khuur, ritual tibetan horn dungchen, ancient Russian gusli, cajón, jew's harp, dulcimer (a species of zither) - this is incomplete list of instruments. This album is characterized by special atmosphere of northern dawn.

Theodor Bastard concert on July 19, 2015 at GlavClub, Saint-Petersburg

Members

Discography

Yana Veva - concert on December 22, 2016 at 16 tons, Moscow

Albums

Original title Transliterated Title Translation Year of release
Восемь способов добиться леди Vosem' sposobov dobit'sya ledi Eight methods to pick lady up 1996
Как не нужно делать попсу Kak ne nuzhno delat' popsu How not to create pop music 1997
Зверинец Крафта-Эбинга Zverinec Krafta Ebinga Krafft-Ebing's Bestiary 1998
Wave Save Wave Save Wave Save 1999
Agorafobia Agorafobia Agoraphobia 2000
Live In Heaven Live In Heaven Live In Heaven 2000
BossaNova_Trip Bossa Nova Trip Bossa Nova Trip 2002
Pustota Pustota Voidness 2004
Sueta Sueta Bustle 2006
Белое: Ловля Злых Зверей Beloe: Lovlya Zlyh Zverei White: Hunting For Fierce Beasts 2008
Белое: Предчувствия И Сны Beloe: Predchuvstviya I Sny White: Premonitions And Dreams 2009
Remixed Remixed Remixed 2011
Music For The Empty Spaces Music For The Empty Spaces Music For The Empty Spaces 2012
Oikoumene Oikoumene Ecumene 2012
Pustota (Remastered) Pustota (Remastered) Voidness (Remastered) 2014
Vetvi Vetvi Branches[16] 2015

Singles

Original title Transliterated Title Translation Year of release
"Мир" Mir World 2008
"Будем жить" Budem zhit' Will Live 2009
"Tapachula" Tapachula Tapachula 2010

Festivals

Yana Veva - concert on July 19, 2015 at GlavClub, Saint Petersburg

References

  1. 1 2 "Shiva In Exile - Nour (CD, Album) at Discogs".
  2. ↑ "Muzikal Yapim organizasyon - Muzikal productions & entertainment".
  3. 1 2 "Fusion Festival 2004".
  4. 1 2 "~ Official Website Wave-Gotik-Treffen Leipzig ~".
  5. 1 2 "~ Official Website Wave-Gotik-Treffen Leipzig ~".
  6. 1 2 "Theodor Bastard - Dark Bombastic Evening".
  7. 1 2 "Theodor Bastard - Dark Bombastic Evening 5".
  8. 1 2 "Theodor Bastard - Dark Bombastic Evening 7".
  9. 1 2 "Castleparty - Czy można prosić o rozpiskę jaki zespół w który dzień?" [Castleparty - Could you tell what bands on what day?] (in Polish).
  10. 1 2 "Theodor Bastard @ Castlefest 2015".
  11. 1 2 "MJR 2008 • PROGRAMA".
  12. 1 2 "The programme of the festival Mėnuo Juodaragis XV".
  13. 1 2 "PROGRAMME OF MJR XIX".
  14. ↑ "Various - ...It Just Is (In Memoriam: Jhonn Balance) (CD) at Discogs".
  15. ↑ "Theodor Bastard - Remixed at Discogs".
  16. ↑ Meaning the branches of World tree
  17. ↑ "Третий World Music фестиваль Этномеханика" [Third World Music festival Ethnomechanics] (in Russian).
  18. ↑ "Rock Festival - International festival of Queer culture in St. Petersburg".
  19. ↑ "Участник фестиваля Kamwa 2012: группа Theodor Bastard" [Participant of the Kamwa 2012 festival: Theodor Bastard band] (in Russian).
  20. ↑ "Theodor Bastard (Russia) invites to the festival RE RE Riga! from August 9 till 11 in Riga".
  21. ↑ "Участники фестиваля Движение 2014" [The participants of The Moving 2014 festival] (in Russian).
  22. ↑ "Mūzika un teātris - LABADABA" [Music and theater - LABADABA] (in Latvian).
  23. ↑ "Федор Чистяков, Theodor Bastard и другие группы в саду Фонтанного Дома" [Fedor Chistyakov, Theodor Bastard and other bands in the Fountain House garden] (in Russian).
  24. ↑ "Theodor Bastard - Tallinn Music Week".
  25. ↑ "Фестиваль живой музыки "Троица. Всё живое" - Участники" [Festival of live music Trinity. All Living - Participants] (in Russian).
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