Little Big (band)

Little Big are a Russian rave band founded in Saint Petersburg in 2013.[1] The band currently consists of Ilya "Ilich" Prusikin and Sonya Tayurskaya.[2] Their first full-length album, With Russia from Love, was released on 17 March 2014.[3] The group has released a total of four albums and nine singles. The band is currently based in Los Angeles, California, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[4][5]

Little Big
Little Big in 2019
Little Big in 2019
Background information
OriginSaint Petersburg, Russia
Genres
Years active2013 (2013)–present
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Olympia Ivleva
  • Anna Kast
  • Anton "Boo" Lissov
  • Sergey "Gokk" Makarov
Websitelittlebig.band

History

Little Big onstage in 2016. From left to right: Sergey "Gokk" Makarov, Sonya Tayurskaya, Anton Lissov, Olympia Ivleva, Ilya "Ilich" Prusikin

The band was formed by musician Ilya Prusikin and videomaker Alina Pasok and made their debut on 1 April 2013, releasing their first video "Every Day I'm Drinking".[6] They made their first public appearance on 2 July 2013 at the club A2,[7] opening for Die Antwoord.[8][9][7] They have toured in Europe, Russia, and North America.[10][9][11][12] "This music is really in demand. We have not invested a single penny, just shot video, and became known in Europe", Ilya Prusikin said in an interview with UTV.[13][14] On 19 December 2015, the band released their second album, Funeral Rave. It was 8th on the Russian iTunes chart for the 52nd week of 2015. On 21 May 2016, videos for the songs "Give Me Your Money" and "Big Dick" received a prize at the Berlin Music Video Awards 2016.[10][15] "Big Dick" won Most Trashy,[16] and "Give Me Your Money" won third place for Best Performer.[17] "Big Dick", with over 70 million views,[18] is full of sexual imagery and overtones.[19] "We just want to show people that they own their lives. Countries and governments are not as important as they think, a person can deal with what he wants", said frontman Ilya Prusikin on the purpose of the band in an interview with Noisey.[12] The band has its own label "Little Big Family", which includes Little Big (2016–present), The Hatters (2016–present), Tatarka (2016–present), Khleb (2017–present), and Lizer (2018–present).[20]

Little Big performing at VK Fest in 2019

In April 2018, Olympia Ivleva decided to leave the band.[21] Later that year, she stated her "burnout after five years of doing the same job", combined with intention to start her own non-musical businesses (chocolate paste and lingerie), were the reasons behind her exit.[22] Little Big achieved viral success with the release of the video for "Skibidi" on 5 October 2018. The video features a dance that became popular when others tried to imitate it as part of the "Skibidi Challenge".[23] Little Big took the first prize in the Most Trashy category at the 2018 Berlin Music Video Awards for their music video ''Lolly Bomb'',[24] and their music video ''Skibidi'' won the first place in the Best Concept category in the festival's 2019 edition.[25]

In March 2020, Little Big were announced as Russia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, where they would have performed "Uno".[26] The music video for the song, released at the same time, features Yuri Muzychenko from The Hatters and Florida Chanturia from Leningrad, both of whom were to join the band on stage during the contest.[27] However, on 18 March 2020, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the band won the Most Trashy category with their video ''Go Bananas'' at the Berlin Music Video Awards. The same year, they also placed third for the Best Music Video.[28] In October 2020, Little Big's cover version of "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" was used over both the trailer and the closing credits of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.[29][30]On 30 December 2020, the group performed the song "Mamma Maria" on the Evening Urgant New Year's special, Ciao, 2020!, under the name Piccolo Grandi.[31]

On 1 March 2021, Little Big announced on Instagram that founding member Anna Kast had died.[32] On 8 March 2021, Little Big released a new single, "Sex Machine," along with a video which referenced the video to "Uno" the year prior. However, they subsequently posted on Instagram, "We are not going to Eurovision 2021. We think that Russia has many talented and unique artists, each one of them deserves the chance to be seen out there."[33] Little Big was nominated for Best Art Director with their music video ''S*ck My D*ck 2020'' at the Berlin Music Video Awards 2021.[34] On 24 November 2021, Little Big released the video "“LITTLE BIG NFT SURPRISEN EGG” episode 1" (sic)[35] to announce that the band was making NFTs.[36] On 1 December 2021, people could buy 1 of 1000 unique surprise eggs which would hatch a week later, revealing one of the designs. Ilya Prusikin stated that they were inspired by Kinder Surprise Eggs, which are popular in Russia.[36] On 11 February 2022, the single 'Ebobo' by Glukoza was 'Inspired and Evilized by Little Big'. Members of the group can be seen in the music video and on the cover art for the single.[37][38]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the two leaders of the band, Prusikin and Tayurskaya, relocated to Los Angeles, California on 2 March of that same year.[4][39][40] They stated that they were on a government blacklist, and aren't allowed to perform any shows in Russia. When asked about a possible return to Russia, they stated that it will be possible "when Putin leaves".[5] On 24 June, the band released the single "Generation Cancellation", which carries a pacifist, anti-war message, characterizing it as a war of war profiteering old men, a chess game with soldiers as chess pieces to be sacrificed at will, with gloomy consequences on younger generations.[41] After the release of the song, they condemned the actions of the Russian government and Russian war propaganda.[42] However, the song was regarded by some Ukrainians as rather anti-American and anti-West rather than anti-Russian.[43] A protest by Ukrainian activists caused their show in Kraków, that was supposed to take place 12th of November, to be cancelled.[44] In Russia, they were accused of being "traitors" by the government-controlled media.[45] Prusikin was designated in Russia as a "foreign agent".[46] The band planned to release a fifth studio album in 2022,[47] but did not end up doing so. Prusikin noted that "We are a band that likes to work in so many styles: pop, rave, punk and hardcore. And (now) we embody our ambition and love for different genres in the (new) album. It will be different".[47]

Musical style

Less than a half of Little Big's 738 million yearly YouTube views were from Russia, as of March 13, 2020.[48]

The team calls itself a satirical art collaboration,[8] which relies on the music, visuals, and the show.[8] Little Big mocks various national stereotypes[12] about Russia.[9] All the videos are filmed by co-founder Alina Pasok.[8][49] The band shoots and produces all of their music videos.[9]

Since the first concert took place as the opening act for Die Antwoord, the band was dubbed "The Russian Die Antwoord",[8][12] and is often compared with this band.[50] Vice also called Little Big "a Russian mental patient's answer to Die Antwoord".[12] Other critics point out that while Little Big has an identity of its own, it also exposes the listener to Russian folk songs and Russian culture.[51]

The band was influenced by a variety of musicians from Cannibal Corpse, NOFX, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rammstein, and The Prodigy to Mozart and Vivaldi.[13][52]

Band members

Current members

Former members

  • Anna Kast – backing vocals (2013–2014; died 2021)
  • Olympia Ivleva – backing vocals (2013–2018)
  • Sergey "Gokk" Makarov – DJ, backing vocals (2013–2022)
  • Anton "Boo" Lissov – vocals, guitar (2014–2022)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details
With Russia from Love[53]
  • Released: 15 March 2014
  • Format: Digital download, CD
  • Label: Little Big
Funeral Rave
  • Released: 21 December 2015
  • Format: Digital download, CD
  • Label: Little Big
Antipositive, Pt. 1
  • Released: 8 May 2018
  • Format: Digital download
  • Label: LB Family
Antipositive, Pt. 2
  • Released: 5 October 2018
  • Format: Digital download
  • Label: Warner Music Russia

Live albums

Title Details
Live in St. Petersburg
  • Released: March 5, 2019[54]
  • Label: Warner Music Russia
  • Format: Digital download

Compilation albums

Title Details
Greatest Hits[55]
  • Released: 13 November 2020
  • Label: Warner Music Russia
  • Format: 2×LP

Extended plays

Title Details
Rave On[56]
Skibidi
  • Released: February 22, 2019
  • Label: Warner Music Russia
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Go Bananas
  • Released: November 14, 2019
  • Label: Warner Music Russia
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Covers
  • Released: June 3, 2021
  • Label: Warner Music Russia
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
Welcome to the Internet[57]
(with Oliver Tree)
  • Released: September 30, 2021
  • Label: Atlantic
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
Russia RUS Estonia EST Hungary HUN Lithuania LIT Scotland SCO
[58]
United Kingdom UK
Down.

[59]
"Everyday I'm Drinking"[60] 2013 With Russia from Love
"We Will Push a Button"[61]
"Russian Hooligans"[62]
"Life in Da Trash"[63]
"With Russia from Love"[53] 2014
"Public Enemy"[64]
"Dead Unicorn"[65] Funeral Rave
"Kind Inside, Hard Outside"[66] 2015
"Give Me Your Money"[67]
(featuring Tommy Cash)
"Big Dick"[68] 2016
"Fucking Asshole"[69]
"Hateful Love"[70]
"To Party"[71]
"Polyushko Polye"[72]
"Pump It"[73] Non-album single
"U Can Take"[74]
(featuring Tatarka)
2017
"Adibass"[75]
"Rave On"[56]
"For Haters"[76]
"Lolly Bomb"[77] Antipositive, Pt. 1
"Punks Not Dead"[78] 2018
"Love is Dead"[79]
"Faradenza"[80]
"AK-47"[81]
"Skibidi"[82] Antipositive, Pt. 2
"Слэмятся пацаны"[83]
(with Ruki Vverh!)
Non-album single
"Skibidi (Romantic Edition)"[84] 2019
"Rave In Peace (In Memory of Keith Flint)"[85]
"I'm OK"[86]
"Arriba"[87]
(with Tatarka featuring Clean Bandit)
"Rock-Paper-Scissors"[88] Go Bananas
"Go Bananas"[89]
"Uno"[90] 2020 5921339781 Non-album single
"Hypnodancer"[91]
(featuring The Hatters)
53
"Tacos"[92][93] 1
"Suck My Dick 2020"[94]
"Sex Machine"[95] 2021
"We Are Little Big"[96]
"Everybody"[97]
"Moustache"[98]
(featuring Netta)
3364
"Turn It Up"[99][100]
(with Oliver Tree featuring Tommy Cash)
Welcome to the Internet
"You're Not There"[101]
"A Lot of Money"[102] Non-album singles
"Generation Cancellation"[103] 2022
"Pendejo"[104] 2023
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released.

Participation

Awards and nominations

Year Country Prize Category Nominee Result Notes
2015 Russia Wildfest 'Like 2015' Like for music Little Big Nomination [113]
2016 Russia Wildfest 'Like 2016' Like for the song Big Dick Nomination [114]
Alfa Future Awards TOP-100 best DJs in Russia Little Big 89th place [115]
Germany Berlin Music Video Awards Most Trashy Big Dick Win [16]
Best Performer Give Me Your Money Nomination [116]
2018 USA Global Film Festival Awards Best Music Video Lolly Bomb Win [117][118]
Germany Berlin Music Video Awards Most Trashy Win [24]
2019 Belgium Ketnet The Gala of the Golden K's 2018 Hype of the year Skibidi Win [119]
Russia Chart Dozen Clip Win [120]
Native Sound Best Pop Little Big Nomination [121]
Best Meme Win [122]
Best Clip of the Year Skibidi Nomination [123]
BraVo Music Video of the Year Win [124]
Germany Berlin Music Video Awards Best Concept Win [25]
Russia RU.TV Award 2019 Best Duet Слэмятся пацаны Nomination [125]
TopHit Music Video Awards 2019 Video Clip of the Year on YouTube in Russia (mixed voals) Skibidi Win [126]
Rise of the Year on YouTube in Russia Little Big Win
2020 Russia New Radio Awards Best Producer Little Big Family Win [127]
Germany Berlin Music Video Awards Most Trashy Go Bananas Win [28][128]
2021 Russia Muz-TV Award The Best Group Little Big Win [129]
2023 USA WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival Music Video – New Artist Generation Cancellation Win [130]

See also

References

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  2. LISSOV VLOG – Backstage LITTLE BIG April 2 STEREO HALL (MSCs) «ANTHONY LISSOV (LISSOFF) Voice of JANE AIR, Clown from LITTLE BIG»
  3. "russian pop – The Weirdest Band in the World". Weirdestbandintheworld.com. 2014. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  4. "Little Big Homepage". Little Big Band Website. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  5. BBC News (5 July 2022). "Little Big: The rave band who fled Russia – BBC Newsnight". YouTube.
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  58. We Will Push a Button on YouTube
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  60. Life in Da Trash on YouTube
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  63. Kind Inside, Hard Outside on YouTube
  64. Give Me Your Money on YouTube
  65. Big Dick on YouTube
  66. Fucking Asshole on YouTube
  67. Hateful Love on YouTube
  68. To Party on YouTube
  69. Polyushko Polye on YouTube
  70. Pump It on YouTube
  71. U Can Take on YouTube
  72. Adibass on YouTube
  73. For Haters on YouTube
  74. LollyBomb on YouTube
  75. Punks Not Dead on YouTube
  76. Love is Dead on YouTube
  77. Faradenza on YouTube
  78. AK-47 on YouTube
  79. Skibidi on YouTube
  80. Слэмятся пацаны on YouTube
  81. Skibidi (Romantic Edition) on YouTube
  82. Rave in Peace (In Memory of Keith Flint) on YouTube
  83. I'm OK on YouTube
  84. Arriba on YouTube
  85. Rock-Paper-Scissors on YouTube
  86. Go Bananas on YouTube
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  88. Hypnodancer on YouTube
  89. Tacos on YouTube
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