Mashina Vremeni

Mashina Vremeni, a Russian rock band formed in 1969, helped pioneer Soviet rock music and is still active, making it one of Russia's oldest continuously performing rock groups. Their sound blends classic rock, blues, and bard's song. The most famous members are Andrey Makarevich (the founder, main songwriter, and public face), Alexander Kutikov (bassist, producer, and sound engineer), and Evgeny Margulis (guitarist and songwriter).

Makarevich's musical start came with a school band called The Kids, which had two male guitarists and two female vocalists. They mostly sang English folk songs at Moscow school talent shows. A key moment came when the Soviet group VIA Atlanty visited his school and let him play a couple of songs on their equipment during a break. After that, in 1969, Makarevich joined with other musically talented students from his school and another to form Mashiny Vremeni (using the plural form, like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones). Key founding members included Sergey Kawagoe and Makarevich. Their early repertoire had eleven English-language songs, now lost.

The band started playing in the early Brezhnev years but couldn't get official professional bookings. In 1979, Makarevich signed them with Rosconcert, making them somewhat legitimate within the state music system, though they still couldn't perform in Moscow.

In 1971, Alexander Kutikov joined on bass, bringing more buoyant rock and roll to the material. The band lost several members in 1972 when they were drafted into compulsory military service. Tensions between Sergey Kawagoe and Kutikov in 1973 led Kutikov to leave for the hard rock band Visokosnoe Leto. Kawagoe left in 1974, and Kutikov returned, but Kawagoe also came back after about six months. The lineup then was Makarevich, Kutikov, Kawagoe, and Alexey Romanov (who later led Voskreseniye). In 1975, Romanov and Kutikov suddenly left, and Evgeny Margulis joined on guitar. The band made its first studio record in 1978, with Kutikov, still in Visokosnoe Leto, helping as producer and sound engineer.

A crisis hit in 1979 when Kawagoe and Margulis left to form Voskresenie. Makarevich then wrote one of the band's most enduring songs, "Poka gorit svecha" ("As long as the candle burns"), as a statement of perseverance. After a frustrating period, Kutikov saved the situation by leaving Visokosnoe Leto and bringing drummer Valeriy Efremov and keyboardist Pyotr Podgorodetsky. In 1981, the song "Povorot" topped charts for 18 months. The band also composed the soundtrack for the popular movie Dusha, starring Sofia Rotaru, which over 57 million Soviet viewers saw. Repressions began in 1982 with a denouncing article called "'Blue Bird' ragout," which called the band's output depressive and ideologically unsound. A nationwide wave of protest sent thousands of fan letters to newspaper editors. Podgorodetsky left that year, replaced by Alexandr Zaitsev.

The first official group LP, V dobriy chas ("Good Luck"), a compilation, came out in 1986. The 1987 album Reki i Mosty ("Rivers and Bridges") is considered their first official album, as all previous ones were recorded illegally for underground distribution. That year also brought their first television appearances and a performance at the Live Aid 2 festival in Japan. Their first international tours followed in 1988, to the USA, Canada, Greece, Spain, and Bulgaria.

The album V kruge sveta ("In the circle of light") was released in 1989. Zaitsev left in 1990, and Margulis and Podgorodetsky rejoined. Medlennaya khoroshaya muzyka ("Slow good music") came out in 1991. In 1993, Kutikov's company Sintez Records released retro albums Best songs 1979–1985 and That was so long ago (the 1978 recording), along with Vneshtatniy komandir Zemli ("Part-time commander of the Earth"). An acoustic live album, Unplugged, was recorded and released in 1994.

The band's 25th anniversary was marked by a seven-hour concert on Red Square featuring Chaif, Nautilus Pompilius, Garik Sukachov, and Bravo. A 1995 compilation of old unpublished songs, Kovo ty hotiel udivit? ("Whom did you expect to surprise?"), took its name from a celebrated Kutikov song. Kartonniye krylia lubvi ("Cardboard wings of love") came out in 1996, followed by Otryvayas ("Breaking away") in 1997. The 30th anniversary in 1999 included a huge world tour ending with a massive concert at Moscow's Olympiyskiy stadium, often considered one of their best.

The album Chasy i znaki ("Clocks and signs") was also released that year. Podgorodetsky was fired due to tensions, and Andrey Derzhavin, formerly a solo artist, replaced him on keyboards. Mesto gde svet ("The place where there's light") was released in 2001. The 35th anniversary in 2004 featured a concert of 35 selected songs.