The concert is part of the Rock Alternative Music Prize awards, an annual event organized by A-ONE, Russia's only alternative-music television channel. Appearances by up-and-coming local acts and another high-profile event -- Marilyn Manson's first appearance in Russia, on Nov. 10 in St. Petersburg -- complete the schedule.
Unkle has three albums, scores of remixes and some film soundtrack work to its credit. Founding member James Lavelle, now 32, got his start at the age of 15, DJing at parties in his native Oxford, England, playing an eclectic mix of hip hop, house and other styles. At 18, he started his own label, Mo' Wax.
In 1996, Mo' Wax released "Entroducing," an album by U.S. producer DJ Shadow that was made up entirely of samples and received worldwide acclaim. Lavelle and DJ Shadow started collaborating, and three years later made the first Unkle record, "Psyence Fiction." The album was a film-flavored patchwork of variegated styles informed by hip hop, and featured Richard Ashcroft of The Verve, as well as Mike D and Yorke.
DJ Shadow left after touring with the album, and Unkle's next two releases, "Never, Never Land" and this year's "War Stories," featured different contributors, including Massive Attack's 3D, the Stone Roses' Ian Brown, Gavin Clark of Clayhill and Ian Astbury of The Cult.
"If the first record is 'Unkle does hip hop,' and the second record is 'Unkle does electronic,' then 'War Stories' is 'Unkle does rock,'" Lavelle has said in more than one interview.
Some of Unkle's tracks feature samples from films, including "THX 1138," "Blade Runner," "Jacob's Ladder" and "Hearts of Darkness," a documentary about the making of "Apocalypse Now."
Unkle's videos are often narrative films starring professional actors, such as "Rabbit in Your Headlights," sung by Yorke, which features French actor Denis Lavant as a homeless man spouting gibberish in French and English in a tunnel. He gets hit a few times by cars before a surprising and poetic climax. The video was directed by Jonathan Glazer, who subsequently enlisted Lavelle to lend his stylish sounds to Glazer's 2001 film "Sexy Beast."
Unkle's recent video for "Burn My Shadow," with vocals by Astbury, was directed by newcomer Miguel Sapochnik, and stars Goran Visnjic from the U.S. television series "ER."
The Unkle concert was the brainchild of A-ONE general director Mikhail Yevgrafov, who said that A-ONE has supported Unkle since the channel's inception and and considers the show a return favor. Unkle is now touring with Lavelle and a band featuring Baltimore-based trio Big in Japan. Russia was not originally on their schedule, and Yevgrafov said A-ONE only persuaded them to come after lengthy talks.
"The group is bringing an all-new sound," Yevgrafov said. "And we're building a special black-colored stage for their appearance. One of the main elements of their performance is their video show, which we will feature on a giant screen."
Asked if the members of Unkle would present any of the awards, Yevgrafov replied cryptically: "If everything goes as planned, one of the RAMP winners will be doubly happy."
Unkle will play Wed. at 7 p.m. at B1 Maximum, located at 11 Ulitsa Ordzhonikidze, Metro Leninsky Prospekt. Tel. 648-6777.
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