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At the beginning of our very Russian bio(wich is very long, filled with naive idealistic emotions and wich ,probably, almost noone will ever even try to read through to the end, but still... I dare to quote Arundhati Roy - “What I would really love to talk to you about is Loss. Loss and losing. Grief, failure, brokenness, numbness, uncertainty, fear, the death of feeling, the death of dreaming.
The absolute relentless, endless, habitual, unfairness of the world. What does loss mean to individuals? What does it mean to whole cultures, whole people who have learned to live with it as a constant companion?”
It's quite useless, I guess, to say who S.L.U.D.G.E. are and I don’t think that you are really interested where and when each of us played before, -We are nowhere band from nowhere Russian town in the middle of nowhere. Eh, I guess maybe 30% of visitors of the page have enough patience to read through our huge clumsy bio section...Too many words...Sorry... Sounds like predictable teeny angst of a self-absorbed young man. Well... Heh, Russia is not the West. And I mean it. It's a Third World, post-Soviet, corrupted, poor, corporate state, where the most negative sides of "wild" capitalism mix with rotten remains of Soviet system and mentality, and in the third world country of 170 million people its quite difficult to expose yourself, as a musical individuality, but what else should we do?
Before telling the rest of my long illogical tale, I would like to clarify one important moment- many would think that we are just whining, un-patroitic kids with no guts, who are saying ugly things about their country, who have no love or respect for the place they are living in. Who try to tell their "sad story" to invoke tears in the eyes of rich and content users of American/European audience. Well.:))) It's our hidden agenda, of course.
You know, all those peculiar aspects of Russian reality that I will mention below are quite typical for every Third World state.
We are not against our culture or people. We are Russians and we are proud to be Russians. BUT...
Being against some aspects of political/moral/economic spheres of our current social reality is not equal to being against our own land or people. ...Very often, state propaganda tries to prove that State is People. But it's a big mistake to mix Russian Nation with Russian State Policy/ Big Business.
I know that sounds too naive to be true, but myspace and the internet is the only way for our music to reach someone, it seems to me.
We gonna try anyway, cause our situation resembles a plight of a dumb and deaf person who have to scream, though he dosen't have a mouth- it's the only way for him to be heard. Maybe it sounds melodramatic. Maybe I am very melodramatic...But I've seen things, I've seen children whose fate and plight make me sound very fucking melodramatic.
I try to analyze objective aspects of our society, and music industry. What it allows, and what it denies.
I've been to England, Danmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, I know that in the westrn life is not a paradise, and that Western Music Industry resembles a hellish nightmare. But what is a Russian rock scene, then? Well, basicly,we don't have one. Russia is a traditional Third World State, with all typical consequences.
There is no such thing as a developed Russian rock scene or industry in our country. If be more honest, rock music is totally UNDEMANDED here ,as undemanded any other genres(so no jazz, no opera, no heavy metal, no funk, no classic etc.) exept TERRIBLE properly packaged pop crap, spreading like a plague in a marred, ugly minds of average Russian consumers. I hate to divide people in grades, like some kind of a Great Judge, but hell, its very sad to realize that obedient majority exists. Sometimes I'm so scared of hearing what people THINK about music they like, about what makes them do this or that particular decision.
We love to play, we need to play, without music typical Russian problems would be unbearable for us- Frustrated, frightened, sick society, where state structures simply don't work, where cheating is the way of making money and lies become so tangled and subtle that no one knows what is wrong or right...T.V spreads its nice propaganda, people starve and struggle in overwhelming circumstances, shiny, happy, laughing elite goes to nightclubs, everything is going in its own 21 century way. Who cares? This story is so typical, that we start to believe that it’s ok and just freakin’ normal.
Russia has a tragic history, a long defeat that lasts centuries. Soviet Union killed millions of its own people. And where the innocent blood has been shed flowers won't grow too soon. And sometimes people here dream about Soviet Union.Therefore, we are heirs of the Soviet Union- poverty in some regions is overwhelming, what rock scene, mind you? We've got those capital cities(Moscow and St.Petersburgh) where all the elite criminals, politicians and other “honest democratically elected rulers” dwell in mansions built on stolen dirty money, and the rest of the fading, bleak country where in some places people don't have essentials- good aparments, sane wages, hot water and electricity for years and haven't seen nothing except total indifference and need.
Their spiritual needs are to fuck, to drink and to consume what they've been given...It's SO sad.So many simply don't filter the information they receive, and in this cursed information era those who control information in any of it numerous forms control human minds.
People are treated like beasts, and many of my countrymen resemble beasts in many aspects, though, on the other hand, there are many whom I truly admire.
If you want to know how things work here, here is a brief picture- it seems that there are two separate kingdoms in Russia- big, rich, content, almost European-like Moscow and St.Petersburgh, who resemble big parasites- and the rest of the country, from where they suck taxes and resources, both spiritual and material. So go beyond big cities into huge spaces to the East, North and South- fading, alcoholic, wasted provinces of which nobody seem to even remember.
Corporate labels, all music industry are concentrated in Russian capitals, and there- conception of the only one national music channel(MUZ-TV, a carbon copy of your MTV, but even worse) is formed, created by monopolistic music corporation "ARS RECORDS". It's so FUCKING awful. It really is.
In some regions people literary die of starvation, not to say about other troubles, and on T.V some freakin’ Moscow pop star holds another “great show”, spending "dirty" millions on it. It just twists the interior of people. They got so confused. Where is the reason or understanding in this?
The rest of the country is simply overlooked and slowly rotting.
Shut it, emo, some of you may say. Don't complain. Find a good job and quit that whining. Maybe our bio looks like a "scary" tale of a young selfish romantic guy who thinks too much about himself and likes to be depressed and receives a satisfaction while acting "sorrowful? Take it easy, man, one may say. Everything is not so bad. Hey, Russian, you are not new "suffering rock star who cares". Heh. To everybody who think so I can say- Come to Russia. Visit any town or village except Moscow, St.Petersburgh or any other huge million city. See it by yourself. And just think about T.V.
It's the greatest fucking lie .
We are not that simple. And the things I'm telling you are not that simple either.There ARE SO MUCH UNSEEN TEARS in this world, not only in Russia, but there is an ocean of tears here. I know so many nice, kind, caring people who literary have to starve and suffer in vain- broken inner worlds, broken fates, broken hopes and lives, and on the opposite side resides Cynic Glamour Way of Life of our most elegant elite- "like in the West, like in bloody Hollywood". 10 millions of content people concentrated in huge capitals against 150 of mistreated angry confused drunken beasts. How nicely done. Take it easy, you say? That drives me SO FUCKING mad.
I’m not ok. We are not ok. Only burnt hand teaches about fire. That’s what I know and feel perfectly.
The global trend of our modern age...The ultimate factor that determines fates and lives- The income ratio of the one-fifth of the world's population in thewealthiest countries to the one-fifth in the poorest went from 30 to 1 in 1960 to 74 to 1 in 1995.3 The United States spends over $87 billion conducting a war in Iraq while the United Nations estimates that for less than half that amount we could provide clean water, adequate diets, sanitation services, and basic education to every person on the planet . that is a very interesting proportion- it can tell us much about what is hidden behind those beautiful talks on T.V...Behind those elite nightclubs, egoism, strange names like East Timor and Bechtel, Rwanda and Darfur, World Bank, Fair Trade and endless consumption.... -
All over the world there are so much sorrow, so many people who need help, need just plain human affection, but have you heard about political lies for geopolitical and selfish reasons? Yeah.Free and Objective Mass Media. UN. Humanism.
Luxury restaurants are for the chosen “golden billion”, why for the pity’s sake why we should spend our precious time and lives, let us just get our well-deserved salary and go to the concert of cherished “STAR”, magnificent and EXPENSIVE shows, yeah, yeah, yeah.
N-O-B-O-D-Y G-I-V-E-S A D-A-M-N about your fucking life, kid, you should check out our new concept of international charity program- “please help our former colonies with some freakin’ new industrialization contract(Chad, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo? ) or maybe some new war for the market. Yeah, geopolitical compassion. Social Darwinism, you know- we are strong that’s why diamonds and unique dresses for our ladies and hopeless death for the rest.
So, kid you life is fucked up, you family is broken , you starve, you are only 10 years old, and you live in some fucking hole with unpronounceable name in a junkyard society.. How typical and sad, don’t you think? Oh, you should fill out that form or maybe that form, and go to Brussels. We are enlightened Europeans, we’ve got a bunch of WONDEROUS ORGANIZATIONS with lots and lots of working places- it’s their work to help you, kid. It’s their work, you are not OUR FREAKING CONCERN. We have our own lives and problems, we have our own precious sorrows and joys, we are not bad, we are just very busy. So, shut up. Actually, you don’t exist. Dolce & Gabbana or Gucci are far more real and what is most important- PREFERABLE then you, kid. We made our choices and your life is down the line. Yeah, life is hard. Accept it. Struggle or die.
But well, if we carefully analzye the story of Rwandian Genocide we can find out what is the cornerstone of modern international law and relationships. But who cares about Rwanda? Who cares about El Salvador, Argentina, Vietnam or Bolivia with privatized water?
In the last ten years , the world's total income has increased by an average of 2.5 percent a year. And yet the numbers of poor in the world has increased by 100 million. Of the top hundred biggest economies, 51 are corporations, not countries. The top 1 percent of the world has the same combined income as the bottom 57 percent. And those proportions are just figures...Are they?
UNITED NATIONS? International justice? Humanism for European Union but colonization, and then Red Cross for the Third World. Developing world, under developing world- it’s just words. They don’t reflect anything. They don’t give us opportunity to feel it. People consume and ratify decisions, while they don’t have the slightest notion of what is really happening.
Children are dying in Africa every hour, but Paris Hilton sings us happy songs through honest and independent media-, and Hollywood shoots another movie with the budget of some African country. And we don’t see any CONTRADICTION IN THIS.
Don’t worry, be happy… Predictable? Yeah, may be. It's typical state of relationships for a human beings, you may say, one live well and are happy, feeding on others suffering, others are in shit- hey, Mikhail, you are fucking naive for a Russian. BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT, that’s I perfectly feel with the core of my being, it’s NOT FUCKING RIGHT!!!
It's not fucking right when looses its feel of good and evil to the Never-Ending Lust for Endless Pleasures. Pleasure , pleasure, pleasure. Our age is based on lie, disinformation, global manipulation and GLOBAL injustice. We've been told- don't concern yourself with anything just enjoy new advertising. Don't give a damn about anyone except yourself. And I say to them- FUCK YOU. So many think that new jacket or fashionable skirt(car, career, money etc) is the highest meaning, real purpose, the matter for thoughts and feelings...YAH! Just visit Africa, or Asia or Russia...People are people everywhere, children are children everwhere.
We are not that different from each other. But Western World always was rich thanks to slaves and innocent blood.
UNESCO estimates that about a half a million deaths a year in Russia since 1989 are the direct result of the reforms, caused by the collapse of health services, the increase in disease, the increase in malnutrition and so on. Killing half a million people a year -- that's a fairly substantial achievement for reformers.
In the Third World, the numbers are unimaginable. For example, another UNESCO report estimated that about half a million children in Africa die every year simply from debt service. Not from the whole array of reforms -- just from interest on their countries' debts.
It's estimated that about eleven million children die every year from easily curable diseases, most of which could be healed by treatments that cost a couple of cents. But - who we are- we love movies, advertising, nightclubs, positive emotions and fashion -we should held another Grammy award, start a war for the intrest of a "defense"-military corporation, design a unique car for those who deserve it, or buy another mp3 player with diamonds or some Gucci bag for a million. We are blameless?
The top 1 percent of the world has the same combined income as the 57 percent at the bottom.
The United States, for example, with 5% of the world's population, consumes 40% of the world's resources. You don't have to be a genius to figure out what that's leading to.
We don’t know undeniable facts, we don’t wanna know them, we don’t have moral, we are lazy enough, we want to be healthy and happy and have joy. Forget disturbing thoughts, simply pass by, turn your eyes away, let it fade- that’s motto of our generation.
The entire ideological systems and huge resources are spent to create that artificial religion of hedonistic consumption.
Its very sad to comprehend and realize that its almost nothing you can do about it, system is so strong- only play music and help those whom you can help. We are almost nothing, a lost little band from nowhere little poor town. But we are making our first steps in something that means EVERYTHING to us.
We play what we really like, though music seem strange. Maybe it's naive, but it's the way of things with youngsters- they are bloody naïve.
To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget. “Arundhati Roy”
Take care, Mikhail, lead singer and bassist, S.L.U.D.G.E. |
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Tool, A Perfect Circle, Alice in Chains, System of a Down, Folk Russian music,DREDG, The Mars Volta, Scars of Broadway attitude and Daron Malakian's vocals, King Crimson, Serj Tankian, 65daysofstatic, Porcupine Tree, Pearl Jam
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