Escape From The Past Cover by Derek Stenning
Who play in Skafandr (space suit)?
Eugeniy Rybnikov plays the guitar, Yuriy Vitel plays bass and Kirill Solovitov is on drums. Until 2001 the band had a fourth member – Anna Stolyarova, vocalist. Since then we focused on instrumental music only.
When was your band established?
1998 is the year, when the name “Skafandr” first appeared, but we did release our first instrumental album already in 1997. We just played music that we liked and didn’t think about the band’s name or indeed a name for our album. On 12 of April (Cosmonautics Day) we decided to start our band’s chronology.
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How can you describe the music you play?
I think right now we are close to psychedelic post-metal, but every post-metal fan will say “hey, that’s not post-metal at all”. It is hard to describe: we are thinking more about the form right now, not the sounding, so I would say we play something that is both instrumental and psychedelic.
Do you have a favourite concert?
Yes, when we had a concert together with Meshuggah in “Glav-club” (“Глав-клуб”). We remember it brightly and will remember it for a long time. Also we had a great concert together with Matisyahu in “Waiting Room” (“Зал Ожидания”). It is actually always awesome to perform together with any big band.
By Vladimir Ljadov
And now perform to promote your new album?
No, to promote our new single that was released in Germany on a 7” vinyl record. To support our album we will have a bigger tour around Europe, because now we came only here, tomorrow we will go to Riga and then to Vilnius.
Why did you release the vinyl in Germany?
There is no demand for them in Russia, and actually, instrumental music is also mostly listened in Europe.
How many albums did you made in your 13 years of existence?
Five or six, it’s easier to check on our website (skafandr.ru) We also did a lot of music for video games: strategy game “Stalingrad” and an action game “The Hunt” (“Черная Метка”)
By Vladimir Ljadov
Brings more money than concerts?
Oh, we don’t speak about the income; we don’t know what that is. It is for the sake of art. The more time you spend – more skills you earn. And speaking about video games: our last cover was designed by Derek Stenning from Canada, who works for the monsters like Sega, Nintendo, Activision and Marvel Entertainment. Actually, all our evolution, we never plan it, just we always understand that we must do something that will unscrew someone’s brain. In Internet we used to look on common things like we were watching a cover of a magazine and we thought “wow, people can create cool stuff”. Now the situation is different, we look and see that we can cooperate with this person – work together, the main case is not to be shy, just write him/her a letter or send a demo.
Yes, I think a lot of people here don’t do exactly this…
Because they are afraid or have something else in their mind…
By Vladimir Ljadov
Is this your first visit to Tallinn?
Yes, first time. And again, speaking about “flash here – flash there”, we didn’t specifically ask to make this concert. Just sent a demo.
Happy with the audience?
Yes, very happy. Good level, great stage, awesome sound. I’m not afraid to compare it to Russia’s festival “StereoSummer” (“Стереолето”). Bands are pleasant and nice music from every corner.
By Vladimir Ljadov
And how can you describe your fans?
“Aggressive geeks”, no, actually just kidding. We can’t describe our fans, all the traffic that we have – those are them. Our music is moody; we can please anyone, if we catch their mood. Audience cultivation is a nasty thing to do, that’s why we have moody fans. It can happen that there will be a full house, and sometimes people aren’t in the mood, then the place is empty.
Future plans?
Release of a LP and then a big tour with this LongPlay. A record in Germany also named “Glaz” that was recorded together with an ex-drummer from “Tequilajazzz”.
skafandr.com
www.myspace.com/skafandrband
Vladimir "wovka" Ljadov is an amateur film photographer and occasionally a freelance journalist. Lives in Tallinn, is fascinated by technology and vintage graphic design, spends a lot of time in latest generation social media and does PR for a living. Believes in diversity, discordianism and is against insularity.
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http://www.facebook.com/kultuuritolm?sk=wall#!/kultuuritolm?sk=wall&filter=2
for more info on the gig in Tallinn during July at Patarei
Skafandr is a really cool band, one of the best in Saint-Petersburg high quality music scene, actually. Anticipating their new release.
Skafandr are playing in Tallinn again at Patarei Kultuuritolm festival in July 2011.
