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З​и​м​а​+​Ж​е​л​т​ы​й г​о​р​о​д

by Элен Elen

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witchgang
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witchgang This music fills oneself with passion; an appreciation for the times in one's life where all the pieces may align, if not for a brief moment, leaving photos of youth to be cherished in older age. Favorite track: Планер.
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Ньютон 03:44
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Планер 03:31
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Зима 04:32
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Tell me 02:58
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about

The story of Ellen began as one of the first names among indie genre pioneers in Rostov. But before that in the not so distant 80’s in Rostov there was a band called "Loch Ness" comprised of Oleg Mezherovskij (guitar, vocals) and Alexander Makushin (bass) who were later joined by Sergej Cherevkov on drums. With this line up they started to perform at an open air dancing locations in city parks, including the major one called Melody in Revolution Park in the city of Rostov. With some material already written, the first demo recordings were done on a reel recorder but none of them made it to this day. After Mezherovskij was summoned to the army, remaining members Makushin and Cherevkov got a drum machine and started to play at weddings and graduations ceremonies to make a living. Makushin sang, played guitar, keyboards, saxophone and Cherevkov switched to bass. On his return from serving in the army Mezherovskij brought with him Roman Kalitkin who he met while playing in the army orchestra. Meanwhile Makushin, who just graduated from the university went to work on a local television studio, which brought the end to his participation in the band…and the band became a trio, consisting of Oleg Mezherovsky (guitar, vocals), Roman Kalitkin (guitar), Cherevkov (bass) plus generously left behind by Makushin the drum machine which added to their sound so popular at the time New Wave flavour. The band was re-named from Loch Ness to shortened Ellen (another optional/alternative description was Electric Lenin). Initially the band based their sound on British indie scene ignoring at that time prevailing in soviet rock music social and political themes. Drawing their inspiration from vinyl records mostly by British artists which they found and bought at an unlicenced by the government authorities but still very popular record fair outside the record shop called Melodia in Rostov. In the 1990 with enough material to date the band decides to record their first album with the live drummer. For that recording session they invited their pal Oleg Gumenov (ex-Day And Night band) of Rostov-On-Don Rock Club fame based on the premises of Gorky Theatre. The album was titled "Winter" and it was recorded by sound engineer Pavel Omelchenko in his studio on the premises of Public Hall ‘Chemist’ and it was produced by Alex Nezhentsev (ex- Day and Night). In '91 Ellen recorded their second album Yellow City at the local television and radio studios-Don TR with the help of their ex member and friend Makushin who was still working there. Sound engineering duties this time were done by Alex Nezhentsev and Vladimir Gubatov. Both albums were recorded on analogue audio reel recorder with master tapes sometimes get damaged and torn in the process but getting fixed straight away with a help of scissors and scotch! All this time the band performs at various rock festivals held at local clubs: Builders Public Hall, Red Aksai Public Hall, Sports Palace and The Officers House with then little-known and later famous bands Agatha Christie and CHAIF. With the lack of a proper stage equipment in soviet Russia the bands resorted sometimes to use a home/hand made amps and speakers! In the same year 1991 Ellen were invited by their friends in a band Matrosskaya Tishina to Moscow to be their support band together with a band Shpingler….but in the end instead of returning to their home town Ellen boys ended up staying in Moscow for the next six months. While hanging out in Moscow Ellen toured a couple of other city’s Pskov and Saint Petersburg but unfortunately with the lack of promotion the gigs attendance was poor. At that time there was also a line-up change in the band, Oleg Gumenov had to leave the band to look after his family in Rostov and his place was filled in by a new keyboard player Viktor Sorokin(RIP). While in Moscow the band’s leader Oleg Mezherovsky self taught some English with the help of a pocket tutorial and the band began to write their first songs in English. At the later time Ellen with a new acquired taste for English lyrics in their material transforms into the new entity Sputnik Vostok…but that’s another story

credits

released May 10, 1990

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Элен Rostov On Don, Russia

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