Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Gillett adopts a conciliatory tone in his liner notes, trying to lure listeners into what he calls the album's "collage of virtual unreality." But tracks such as Markscheider Kunst's "Kvasa Kvasa" make a convincing case on their own; leaning tropical rhythms against glancing African guitars, the song gives a danceable base to vocals that point to their homeland -- Russia.
- Washington Post Sunday, September 5, 2004
This is world fusion music informed by a rock aesthetic that never actually becomes rock - which is just how I like my world fusion. - Songlines July/August 2005
Mit ihrem Molotowcoctail aus kubanischen Rhythmen mit Punk- Attitüde, aus karibischen Bläsersätzen und kongolesischen Surf- Soukous gelten Markscheider Kunst nun als beste Afrosalsa- band Russlands - taz- die Tageszeitung
Discography
Discography:
-cassette album "Kem Byt'" (Caravan Records 1998), single "Live in Helsinki" (self-release 1999)
-maxi-singles,"Dance" (2001) and St.Petersburg-Kinshasha-Transit" (2005, a rerelease of the original 1999 release), and "Ryba" (2006), and
-two albums "Krasivosleva" (2001) and "Na Svyazi" (2004) on Gala. "Krasivosleva" and "Na Svyazi" have been released internationally by EMI/Virgin.
-compilations: Charlie Gillett's "World 2003" (EMI/Hemisphere) features "Moryak" from "Krasivosleva" and "World 2004" (Wrasse) the band's "Kvasa Kvasa". Markscheider Kunst songs are also on German Russendisko, as well as and various ska and latin compilations, and feature in films, the most recent being 2006 Russian blockbuster "Piter FM" the first half of which could be described as a video to various Markscheider Kunst songs. The band also make a cameo appearance in the film.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Latin ska, Afro-cuban roots, cumbia-jazz, reggae-afrobeat with a touch of Russian folk and Gypsy music... all in Russian, played by outstanding musicians.
A true indie band at heart, even though signed to a major label,Markscheider Kunst, a popular act in their home country in the club circuit, take their melodic, intoxicating, positive, irresistibly danceable and groovy music regularly abroad, crossing mental and physical borders effortlessly with their music.
They have been touring western Europe, from Finland to Austria and beyond, regularly since 1997, and performed on numerous festivals such as Lowlands Festival (Netherlands 2002), Ilosaarirock (Finland 2004 ), Stanser Musiktage (Switzerland 2006). Summer 2007 they peformed at Imatra Big Band festival, and North Europe's largest world music festival, Kaustinen Folk Festival (Finland) as well as Finland's foremost alternative ethnic music festival Faces in southern Finland.
They have opened for Manu Chao and performed with The Skatalites, who consider them one of the real heirs of Jamaican ska. In 2002, Markscheider Kunst were showcased at WOMEX. Most recently, they shared the stage twice and jammed with Cuba's Septeto Nacional at Kaustinen Folk Festival.
The band take time off from Markscheider Kunst to write film music and perform as Tres Muchachos - an acoustic side project performing Cuban and Russian classics. Tres Muchachos released album "La Vida" in 2007.
What's ahead:
-Markscheider Kunst will be releasing their third album spring 2008, and will be touring spring-summer 2007, the tour in support of the third album will take place spring 2008.
website (in russian): http://www.mkunst.ru
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mkunst
Links
