This close to the holidays many concert halls and clubs go on hiatus, but there's still quite a bit happening in terms of music in snowy Moscow. Check out our picks for this week, which include a rapper from Detroit, a German electronic musician and a couple of homegrown stars.
Petlya Pristrastiya is a band from Belarus with an unlikely name — it literally means “Noose of Prejudice.” Petlya Pristrastiya plays a mix of mainstream rock and post punk, which is often quite danceable, and the group has became quite popular on the Moscow scene. They recently released their fourth album, “Moda I oblaka” (Fashion and clouds) and this concert will be part of the tour to support the record. Their previous album, Phoebus, was named the best Russian language album of 2013 by Afisha magazine.
Oval started out as a trio, but now it's just Markus Popp, a German electronic music artist. Oval is one of the pioneers of glitch music, and what better place for him to present his work than the Mars Center, which focuses on digital and sound art. Oval recently released a new album called “Popp,” one of his more accessible records. Popp mixes the electronic sounds of the 1990s with glitch esthetics.
SousKefal is a Russian-American band that was established by actors from the Meyerhold Center (TsIM). SousKefal perform their own songs written in a style they invented themselves – junk folk. The music is produced by anything and everything that Stephen Ochsner can find at his Colorado attic or Jordan Frai at her Massachusetts country house. The Russian part of the band is represented by playwright Mitya Zolotov and Grisha Spiridonov, member of legendary reggae band Jah Division. Live performances include readings and theater segments.
Indie-rockers from Yekaterinburg Sansara have been around for more than fifteen years but have seen their popularity grow immeasurably. The band's frontman, Alexander Gagarin, has a voice that sounds a bit like late Viktor Tsoi of Kino fame, but with a distinct lisp, which makes it unforgettable. They released their new album, “Lastochka” (Swallow) just last April, but ready to present some new material at their Moscow concert.
Guilty Simpson grew up in a music family in Detroit and worked with prominent hip-hop artists from the city such as J Dilla, Black Milk, and even a young Eminem. Last year he released a new album “Detroit's Son,” which he will be presenting in Moscow. He will be joined by Phat Kat, a fellow Detroit rapper.
