Music Style rock, pop, alternative, punk, folk

Press Reviews Friday, September 16, 1994 The Moscow Times Ukraine Mountain Village Rockers By Alexander KushnirThe leaves are falling off the trees and the skyseems to have turned permanently gray, but thereare still some advantages to Ihe beginning of au-tumn, particularly for Moscow's music fans. Whenthe new rock season kicks off this weekend, Muscovites will get a taste of one of Ukraine's most popular bands — Vopli Vidoplyasova, or "Vidoplyasov's Howls."The band's name is a lip of the hat to "The Vil-lage Stepanchikovo and Its Inhabitants," a Dostoevsky story in which one ot the characters hopes topublish a series of nearly incomprehensible lyricshe lias written.Vopli Vidoplviisova — or VV, as they areknown, seem to have done belter tor themselves. Since forming in the late 1980s, the Kiev-basedgroup has come to symbolise the best of Ukrainianrock, and has been hailed by local critics as a band"for all limes and all nations."The band has won afaithful audience in Western Europe, and has performed live in concerts with the likes of INXS,Slade and Sonic Youth."When we formed the band, everyone aroundus was saying that l here would never be good music in the Soviet Union," said Oleg Skripka, thegroup's vocalist and accordion player"We wanted to be an unusual alternative toboring Soviet pop, making fun of ihe truly abnormal things that had become a part of so many people's lives."The band achieves its alternative sound with arrangements of kotomiiki and kolyadki, traditionalUkrainian folk melodies. Adding on their Stepanchikovo-style absurdist Ukrainian lyrics, theband's performances are guaranteed to overwhelm.VV's first concerts sparked instant controversy.The Ukrainian press immediately took up thetopic, writing that the band "makes fun of thingswe should cry about" and that "after their concerts, the Pavlov (psychiatric hospital) seems morelike a high-class health spa."But the hand's Moscow debut was an immediate sensation and hits like ''Dances," "Twist" and "Lida," combined vvilh VV's frantic onstage energy made every show an enormous success. Skripka as frontman tirelessly combines elementsof classical ballet, sexy, Jagger-esque posing andeven break dancing. His accordion has played ev-erything from AC/DC to Ukrainian mountain village tunes. In the beginning of the 1990s, the band put anew twist on its image, adding two French musicians— Felix LaBars and Stefan Mouffliar— to its ranks. Both Skripka and bass player Alexander Pipa are married to French women as well, and theband now spends most of its time traveling between France and Ukraine, a change that can he felt in the increasingly international flavor of their music."We finally realized that we don't have much incommon with hard rock." Pipa said. "Now we play a mix of new wave, post-punk and Soviet hits ofthe 1960s." VV's latest album, the 1993 "Either Or," has won praise from rouk critics as one ofthe year's best.The best way to experience the band, however, is live. VV has not performed in Moscow in five years, but the time away may work to theiradvantage — the sensation is all the more effec-tive for being unexpected.---DE NEVERS A L'AUBE 8'FESTIVAl TOUT COURT VV PROGRAMMEV.V alias Vodi Vodipliassova "Satire pour instruments loufoques el quintet dejante."Sans deference aucune. ces Ukrainiens melent I'univers sombre de DostoTevski a lavague folk. Le repertoire de melodies nationales un tantinet dynamise par ces quatrescosaques sert de base a leur composition.Tel un spoutnik projete dans le cosmos musical, les V.V investissent les scenesfrancaises, Et ce n'est que le debut...---Ukraine-France-musique PREV "VV", en tete du hit-parade ukrainien apres un apprentissage en France(REPORTAGE) par Francine BOULETKIEV, 13 oct (AFP) Haut-lieu de la spirituality orthodoxe, les mursdeja millenaires de la laure de Kiev resonnent parfois aux sons desguitares electriques et des percussions rock.C'est la, au sous-sol d'un batiment blanchi a la chaux, que 1'un desgroupes de rock les plus populaires d'Ukraine mixe son prochain "tube"dans un studio ultramoderne.Pour les musicians du groupe "w", c'est une premiere: leurs precedentsalbums ont tous ete enregistres et produits en France ou ils ontdecouvert le show-business."Notre experience francaise nous a permis de mieux connaitre1'industrie du spectacle et du disque" en dehors de 1'ex-Unionsovietique, explique Oleh Skripka, le chanteur vedette du groupe.En 12 ans de carriere, "VV" aura donne plus de spectacles en Francequ'en Ukraine ou en Russie voisine.Une premiere experience au Printemps de Bourges (France) en 1990convainc les musiciens de "VV" de s'installer a Paris "pour y faire de lamusique ukrainienne".Les premieres annees, nos fans "trouvaient notre musique sympa mais seplaignaient de ne rien comprendre", souligne skripka.II se met alors au francais et traduit lors de ses spectacles quelqueslignes de texte avant chaque chanson."Aujourd'hui, je parle toujours avec le public que ce soit en Ukraine,en France ou en Russie. Cela aide a creer une bonne ambiance dans lasalle", explique encore Skripka.Le groupe "w" apprend en France les ficelles du metier, depuis1'enregistrement et la sonorisation a la post-production et1'organisation des tournees."Avec les techniciens francais, nous etions obliges d'adopter un rythmede travail infernal. L'enregistrement en studio coute cher, pas questionde s'attarder", se souvient Skripka.Les musiciens de "VV" multiplient les concerts en France dans lesmaisons de la culture et les festivals de rock alternatif. Une experiencequ'ils sauront aussi mettre a profit en Ukraine ou leur etoile est enpleine ascension.Apres plusieurs annees passees entre Paris et Kiev, le groupe, devenucelebre en Ukraine, decide de rentrer s'installer au pays."En arrivant a Kiev j'aurais embrasse chaque arbrei" s'exclame lesourire aux levres Skripka "On etait content de rentrer. Tout ici noussemblait different, la couleur de 1'herbe, la bouffe, tout quoi",poursuit-il.Mais tres vite, la dure realite 1'emporte sur la nostalgie. Les rockersukrainiens se retrouvent confrentes aux maux qui rongent 1'industrie duspectacle dans un pays ou le piratage est devenu une institution."Nous nous sommes fait escroquer par notre maison de production" aveclaquelle nous sommes en proces, explique Skripka. "Nous ne donnonspratiquement plus de spectacle et la sortie de notre dernier disque estincertaine", poursuit-il depite.Mais pour les fans francais, il est toujours possible d'entendre sur lesite internet du groupe (vv.cn.ua) deux de leurs succes traduitsspecialement pour eux: "Dansez" et "T'es partie".

Location Kiev, Ukraine - Ukraine

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