Safe (band)

The Safe (Сейф)
Origin USSR, Russia
Genres Rock, new wave, fusion, Russian rock
Years active late 1980s –present
Labels Safe Records
Website Official website
Members Nikolay Kovalev, etc. (see as below)

The Safe is one of the most enigmatic bands in Russian underground with its original poetry and music style, as well as a sizable stock of about thirty albums.

History

Late 80s

The Safe was formed in late 1980s in the world-wide famous settlement of Palekh which is the center of Russian lacquer miniature painting. The creative atmosphere which dominated over young Nikolay Kovalev, Sergey Karavaev, Ivan Beketov, Sergey Shamin and Yuriy Petrov, as well as their inspiration by Tarkovsky's movies and his visit to Palekh Art School (which had been attended by three of the band), had a major impact on the creative development of the group. And it is not by chance that some 20 years later the Safe played at the closing of the 1st Zerkalo ('Mirror') International Film Festival named after Andrey Tarkovsky. In 1989, the Safe joins the newly established Ivanovo Musicians Association (Rock Club) and immediately becomes one of the most outstanding bands of the Association; the Safe participates in its sessions and festivals. Mass media calls the Safe the most poetic band of the region, while Nikolay Kovalev and Sergey Karavaev who are the main lyric writers are awarded for the best lyrics from then onwards. The band earns its first money and plans concerts in Poland… however in early 90s, changes happen in Russia, the Association disintegrates and the well-established contacts break down…

1990-s

Since 1992, the Safe chooses another form of existence — once a year the musicians get together to record a new album in own Safe Records studio and play a couple of concerts, while the rest of the time they spend on their primary occupations (Kovalev, Beketov and Petrov are painters and Karavaev is a medical man). The musicians admit that it was financial independence from music that made it possible for them to preserve the creative independence of their music and lyrics.

'Style, style, style!!!' — proclaimed the young Safers in their earliest days. However, it is very hard to define their music style among other existing styles, as it changes throughout the multiple albums of the group – still staying recognizable. It has permanent inclusions of 80's new wave, dalliance with jazz rhythms, touches of Latin rhythms, venturing mixing in DJ style, and somewhat cosmopolitan ethnics of the melodies… It is an original combination of styles.

2000-s

Gradually, a creative association established around the team that arranged various cultural and art performances. The Safe helped Palekh music school. They issued LPs of the children's orchestra and choir. They created a unique literary and musical album called 'Music of the Winters in Palekh' (Muzyka Palekhskikh Zim).

They also produce amateur feature films: Upadanie (Falling-Down) 1999 after Starukha (Old Woman) by Daniil Kharms and Tot Bereg (That Shore) 2000 based on the own original script. (Scripted and directed by Nikolay Kovalev and Alexey Zhiryakov).

During the pick-up, Kovalev finds creative touch-points with his old friend, artist and musician, Mikhail Larionov who brilliantly acted the part of Old Woman in "Falling-Down". At the turn of the century, the Safe's membership is updated and Larionov brings to the band some elements of the eccentric show. This ingenious musician and showman could make sound not only of classical instruments (the wind and the strings) or self-made instruments (postindustrial hurdy-gurdy), but also "non-musical" instruments (jar, water plug, plastic watering pot, etc.). He turned Safe concerts from neoromantic laid-back actions into really effervescent performances with humor and irony.

The updated band also included Mikhail's daughter Maria (percussion, harmonica & trumpet), Tatyana Sviridenko (keyboard & back vocal) and Pavel Bakharev (drums & back vocal). The Safe gave many concerts with this stage crew. "Over one year we delivered more concerts than in all previous time of our band existence" — Nikolay Kovalev says in his interview in the end of 2005.

At that time, the group releases two diverse but very strong LPs: Chas Tainstva (Mystery Hour) in 2004 and Pereferiynoe Zrenie (Peripheral Eyesight) in 2005.

The presentation of the latter is accompanied by a photographic exhibition of the same name and a performance. The songs of Peripheral Eyesight are dedicated to existing people who surround us on the periphery of our day-to-day interests. The sound of the album combines the sounds that surround a person, including working printer and jingle of tableware.

"The First Duty of Police Inspector Klochkov" becomes a mega-hit. It is a real story of the first duty of a police inspector whose name is Klochkov. The song was issued as an independent maxi-single in 2006. Naturally, it is a self-consistent LP of 9 compositions devoted to one character.

In 2007, the Safe released a milestone LP Minory Vesny (Minors of Spring). New versions of 13 songs of various years absolutely do not resemble a compilation, and its long-awaited concert sound gives the album even more integrity.

"…The gorgeous 'Marihuana', three tracks from the very old and the most conceptual album and the following… eight naturally fabulous tracks that one after another, logically and without pauses, set up an internal spring which releases all its bliss-out accurately at "Mastodon" track…" (Pavlov's quote from Я& newspaper.)

Mikhail Larionov unexpectedly passes away on 5 October 2007, just one month before their jubilee concert commemorating 20 years of the band. Overcoming the grief of loss, the Safe stages their jubilee concert and invites musicians from other bands and jazz orchestra under the leadership of Yuriy Strepetov. The concert is dedicated to the memory of Mikhail Larionov.

Cooperation with Strepetov's jazz orchestra continued in the form of joint concert program and preparation of stuff for the new album.

2010-s

In 2010 - 2013, the Safe plays in a number of local and all-Russia music festivals including the famous Nashestvie.

2013 Members

Discography

Albums

Scarce Things

Shared Compilations

External links

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