Pop-Mechanics

Pop-Mechanics (Popular Mechanics) (Russian: «Поп-механика», «Популярная механика», romanized: Pop-mekhanika, Populyarnaya mekhanika) was a musical collective founded by Sergey Kuryokhin in 1984. The line-up of Pop-Mechanics often changed; musicians from rock groups such as Aquarium, Kino, Strannye Igry, AVIA, and Auktyon took part in its performances. Pop-Mechanics ceased to exist with Kuryokhin's death in 1996.

Pop-Mechanics on stage. Moscow, 1986

History

Sergey Kuryokhin acted as the composer, conductor, and artistic director of Pop-Mechanics, as well as performing as a musician. The collective's performances were partly improvised and mixed genres, including elements of jazz, rock, avant-garde theater, and ancient mystery plays.[1] The stage performances sometimes included animals.[2][3]

The orchestra's director and composer, free jazz pianist Sergei Kuryokhin, collected around 30 people on stage. Among them were all the members of Strange Games, Boris Grebenschikov, Viktor Tsoy and all standing members of Leningrad's bohemian artistic community. The entire crew was divided into sections—jazz (brass instruments), rock (electric guitars), folk (some kind of elongated Caucasus horns), classical (a string quartet) and 'industrial' (sheets of metal, saws, etc.).

Artemy Troitsky, Back in the USSR : the true story of rock in Russia[4]

The first Pop-Mechanics concert took place on 14 April 1984 in Moscow on the stage of the Moskvorechye House of Culture. The group's first performance in Leningrad took place in the spring of 1985 at a festival of the Leningrad Rock Club.[5]

In 1988, Pop-Mechanics had their first international performances,[5] including shows in Finland, Sweden, and Germany.[6] From 1988 to 1991, the majority of Pop-Mechanics performances took place abroad. The group was less active after 1991.[5]

Kuryokhin's final Pop-Mechanics show took place in Saint Petersburg in September 1995. The performance was also a fundraiser and advertisement for Aleksandr Dugin's Duma electoral campaign.[1]

Pop-Mechanics participants
External image
image icon Kuryokhin and Kola Beldy on stage

With the exception of Kuryokhin, Pop-Mechanics did not have a permanent line-up.[1] Participants in Pop-Mechanics shows included:

The British actress Vanessa Redgrave also took part in a Pop-Mechanics performance.[9]

References
  1. Rogatchevski, Andrei; Steinholt, Yngvar B. (2016-08-07). "Pussy Riot's Musical Precursors? The National Bolshevik Party Bands, 1994–2007". Popular Music and Society. 39 (4): 448–464. doi:10.1080/03007766.2015.1088287. ISSN 0300-7766. S2CID 192339798.
  2. Shumov, Vasily (2013-11-02). "New Russian jazz and its architects". Russia Beyond. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  3. Litweiler, John (1988-10-20). "Soviet Pianist Exudes an Animal Magnetism". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  4. Troitsky, Artemy (1988). Back in the USSR : the true story of rock in Russia. Boston : Faber and Faber. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-571-12997-3.
  5. Fobo, Hannelore (2018-03-26). "Pop Mekhanika in the West: Pop Mekhanika chronology 1984-1995". www.e-e.eu. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  6. Mandel, Howard (1988-11-13). "The Anarchist at the Keyboard". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  7. Fobo, Hannelore (2017-01-06). "Pop Mekhanika • Поп-Механика, Moscow, 1984. The First Concert "PM2"". www.e-e.eu. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  8. Fobo, Hannelore (2018-01-08). "Pop-Mekhanika • Rock Club, Leningrad, 1985". www.e-e.eu. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  9. "Сергей Курехин. Поп-Механика". Sobaka.ru (in Russian). 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
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