Oligarkh, Russia

Orthodox chants, Russian folk, dark electronica in spectacular AV-show

“This is the real deal, trust me. That`s all i have to say about it.” GenerationBass

Oligarkh’s crashing collages of sound, images and words draw from disparate musical and visual sources to create surreal juxtapositions of contemporary urban culture, deep folk memory and decades of popular expressions of the national character. The young hip-hop producer from Saint Petersberg made his debut in 2013 with his album Zemlya i Volya (Land and Liberty), described as ‘an abstract-orthodox mix of spiritual, folk, chanson and lyrical music framed by solid bass bells, 8-bit balalaika and broken rhythms’. Oligarkh’s live gigs are augmented with a drummer and arresting video collages taken from historical films, documentaries, fairytales and old TV clips. It’s a journey through the Russian collective conciousness, from grand cathedrals to remote villages, from suburban ghettos to the enclaves of the rich. Oligarkh’s music erases the borders between high and popular culture, ancient and modern (text Colin Bass).

April 29-May 1, 2017 The Rose Bud, 798 Arts Zone