Машина времени

Mashina Vremeni (Russian: Машина времени, Russian for Time Machine) is a Russian rock band founded in 1969. Mashina Vremeni was a pioneer of Soviet rock music, and remains one of the oldest still active rock bands in Russia. The band's music incorporates elements of classic rock, blues, and Russian folk music. Mashina Vremeni's best known members are Andrei Makarevich - the founder, principal singer-songwriter and the band's public persona, Alexander Kutikov - the bass player and producer/sound engineer, and guitarist/songwriter Evgeny Margulis.

History: Andrei Makarevich's musical career can be traced to a school band called The Kids that was made up of two male guitarists and two female vocalists. The group sang mostly English-language folk songs and performed primarily at talent shows put on in Moscow schools. According to Makarevich, the momentous event in his musical career came when the Soviet group VIA Atlanty (Russian: ВИА «Атланты») visited his school and allowed him to play a couple of songs on their equipment during a break in the performance. On the heels of this experience, Makarevich joined with other musically talented students from his school and another school to form Mashiny Vremeni (Time Machines - in plural form imitating The Beatles, Rolling Stones etc.) The most significant founders included Sergey Kavagoe and Andrey Makarevich.

The band's repertoire consisted of eleven songs in English, now lost. 1971 - Alexander Kutikov becomes the bass player, introducing more of buoyant rock-n-roll into the band's material, 1972 - Line-up losses in the band as several members are drafted into service (which to this day is compulsory in Russia), 1973 - Tensions between Sergey Kavagoe and Alexander Kutikov; the latter leaves the band for a hard rock outfit Visokosnoe Leto (Leap Year Summer), 1974 - Sergey Kavagoe leaves, Alexander Kutikov returns. However, Kavagoe also returns after about six months. The band performs with the following line-up: Andrei Makarevich, Alexander Kutikov, Sergey Kavagoe, and Alexey Romanov (future leader of another prominent Russian band Voskreseniye ("Resurrection" or "Sunday")), 1975 - Romanov and Kutikov suddenly depart. Evgeny Margulis joins on guitar, 1976 - Mashina Vremeni is invited to a festival "Songs of youth in Tallinn - 76" and performs there with a great success.

Many people join (including couple of violinists) and leave after some time during this year., 1978 - First studio record of Mashina Vremeni. Alexander Kutikov, though playing in Visokosnoe Leto, was also working in sound-recording studio in order to help the band gain access to good equipment. The record is now known as Eto bylo tak davno ("It was so long ago")., 1979 - Band in crisis. Sergey Kavagoe and Evgeny Margulis leaves the band and join Voskresenie.

At this time, Andrei Makarevich writes one of the band's most enduring and popular songs: "Poka gorit svecha" ("As long as the candle burns"), as a statement of his not giving up. After some time of frustration, Alexander Kutikov saves the situation by leaving the Visokosnoe Leto band and bringing Valeriy Efremov (also from Visokosnoe Leto) as drummer and Petr Podgorodetskiy on the keyboards., 1980 - The beginning of the golden era of Mashina Vremeni. The band wins the festival "Spring Rhythms 80" main award and continues its concert tour. However, they are only allowed this because of musical freedom indulgences given in light of 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow., 1981 - The song "Povorot" ("The turning point") stays on the top of charts for 18 months.

The band composes the soundtrack to the popular movie Dusha, starring Sofia Rotaru watched by more than 57 million cinema-goers in the Soviet Union., 1982 - Repressions begin in earnest with a denouncing article "'Blue Bird' ragout" ("Blue Bird" was a popular song of the band) which describes the band's output as depressive and ideologically unsound. A nationwide wave of protest against the denunciation sends thousands of fan letters to newspaper editors. Petr Podgorodetskiy leaves; Alexandr Zaitsev replaces him., 1986 - Best songs 1979-1985 compilation is recorded. Album V dobriy chas ("Good Luck") is recorded., 1987 - Reki i Mosty ("Rivers and Bridges") album recorded.

It is considered Mashina Vremeni's first official album (all the previous ones were recorded illegally, for underground distribution). First appearances on the television. The band performs at Live Aid 2 festival in Japan., 1988 - First international tours - USA, Canada, Greece, Spain and Bulgaria., 1989 - V kruge sveta ("In the circle of light") album is released., 1990 - Alexandr Zaitsev leaves and Evgeny Margulis and Petr Podgorodetsky join the band once again., 1991 - Medlennaya khoroshaya muzyka ("Slow good music") album is released., 1993 - Alexander Kutikov's company "Sintez Records" releases retro albums Best songs 1979-1985 and That was so long ago. Album Vneshtatniy komandir Zemli ("Part-time commander of the Earth") is released., 1994 - Acoustic live album Unplugged is recorded and released. 25th anniversary is celebrated in a 7-hour concert on the Red Square featuring Chaif, Nautilus Pompilius, Garik Sukachev and Bravo., 1995 - Compilation of old unpublished songs is released.

This compilation is known as Kovo ty hotiel udivit? ("Whom did you expect to surprise? "), after one of Alexander Kutikov's most acclaimed songs., 1996 - Kartonniye krylia lubvi ("Cardboard wings of love") album is released., 1996 - 20 let spustya ("20 years later") album is released., 1997 - Otryvayas ("Breaking away") album is released., 1999 - The 30th anniversary of the band. A massive concert, usually considered to be the band's best ever, takes place in the main stadium of "sport-complex Olympiyskiy" im Moscow. Chasy i znaki ("Hours and signs") album is released.

Petr Podgorodetskiy leaves due to tensions. Andrey Derzhavin takes his place on the keyboard., 2001 - Mesto gde svet ("The place where there's light") album is released., 2004 - 35th anniversary of the band. A concert featuring 35 selected songs is played at the Red Square. Mashinalno ("Mechanically") album is released., 2005 - Live album Kremlin rocks is released.

The band performed with the Kremlin chamber orchestra "Kremlin"., 2006 - Sintez Records releases a compilation called Mashina vremeni - chast' 1 ("Time Machine - Part 1"). The band records a new album (which is called in English Time machine) at famous Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios., 2007 - The group releases the Time machine album., 2009 - The band celebrates its 40th anniversary with a large concert., 2010 - The band continues to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a seven-stop North American tour, Musical style: Mashina Vremeni's sound is eclectic and incorporates multiple different genres. Contributions to song composition have been made by almost every band member, and often reflect each member's particular stylistic preferences. Makarevich is a renowned fan of The Beatles, and many of his songs reflect the Beatles' influence.

He is also influenced by blues music and Soviet singers-songwriters, the so-called "bards". Kutikov is a quintessential rocker, he composes guitar-oriented hard rock. Margulis is one of the Russia's best known bluesmen, and his songs are usually blues rock ballads. All the band's lyrics are written by Makarevich.

They were often metaphorical fables that made allegorical puns relating to life in the Soviet and Post-Soviet eras.