16 June 1954
В Murmansk was born Sergey Kuryokhin. Avant-garde musician, composer, and actor. Keyboardist for Aquarium, Kino, and Alisa. Creator of Pop Mechanics. Author of the media viral "Lenin the Mushroom."
I always want the impossible. And if I want the impossible, it means it exists.
His father was a captain, and his mother taught mathematics. He began playing the piano at the age of four, astonishing his teachers with his ear for music and his musical memory. He graduated from high school and music school in Evpatoria.
In 1971 we moved to Leningrad. He enrolled in the Institute of Culture, attempting to study in three departments at once: conducting, piano, and orchestral music. He didn't finish his studies. He worked as a conductor for a police choir, an accompanist for a student theater, a pianist at a swimming pool, and an organist at a Catholic church.
After his sailor uncle introduced him to Western rock, he became a regular at the legendary underground café Saigon. He played covers and performed with the band Big Iron Bell. In the late 1970s, he became interested in free jazz, playing with a saxophonist. Anatoly Vapirov He toured extensively throughout the country. They broke up due to Kuryokhin's need to introduce elements of farce into his performances.
What is original Russian music, original Russian rock, original Russian jazz? The core of jazz and Russian culture is madness. You can play any kind of music: sing a romance, sing Italian opera, play Dixieland—as soon as you introduce an element of madness, it automatically becomes Russian music.
In 1979, he wrote off Leo Feigin I was with the BBC—he owned a recording studio. I sent him my jazz compositions and suggested releasing them under the title "Ways of Freedom." He allowed me to change the order of the musical themes, but not the titles: "Archipelago," "Wall," and "No Exit"—a clear reference to "The Gulag Archipelago." The album was released in 1981, bearing a disclaimer disclaiming Kuryokhin's responsibility for its release. The authorities did not issue any complaints, but the response in the West was enthusiastic.
For me, the main criterion is freshness. If I don't see freshness in art or science, it has no meaning for me.
In 1981, he invited Aquarium to record a new album. Boris Grebenshchikov "Triangle" was a turning point for the band, in part because of Kuryokhin's performances, which influenced their new sound. The songs "Mochalkin Blues" and "Old Man Kozlodoyev" would later grace the film "Assa." They performed together for several years.
In 1984, Pop Mechanics appeared - the group's lineup changed, Aquarium, Kino, AuktsЫon and even Cola Beldy. The only constant member was "Captain" - Sergei Kuryokhin. Saxophonist and brother Egor Letov Sergey Letov recalled:
He didn't hand out any notes; sometimes he'd hum or play the keys, dictating simple parts to us just before the performance. If the musicians couldn't play what the Captain wanted correctly, he'd simply discard that section and move on to the next one. He'd develop his program plan about a couple of hours before the concert.
If someone couldn't grasp his directorial vision, he simply banished them from the stage—the audience perceived this as part of the performance. And a good performance, it seems, was Kuryokhin's primary goal. For example, in 1988, at the controversial Pop Mekhanika concert at the Oktyabrsky Theater, Kuryokhin was first joined by the Licedei performers, then a beauty contest took place, and at the end, a live cow appeared on stage.
It's all kitsch. And after kitsch, art must finally appear.
Since 1988, he has written music for films—"The Master of Design," "Tragedy in Rock Style," and about 20 films in total. In 1993, he composed "Sparrow Oratorio."
In the early 1990s, he became a frequent guest on Leningrad TV—a talented improviser who delighted in trolling the audience with pseudo-scientific nonsense. Take, for example, the hoax plot about Lenin being a mushroom and a radio wave. To people accustomed to trusting television unconditionally, the editors later proved that a mammal couldn't possibly be a mushroom.
When the forbidden became mainstream, he tried to find a relevant art form in politics. In 1995, he joined Limonov and Dugin's National Bolshevik Party. But he didn't succeed in this endeavor.
He died in 1996 from cardiac sarcoma. He was 42.