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"ELECTROSHOCK RECORDS"
In 1997 the Russian electronic composer Artemiy Artemiev and the sound engineer and producer Vkadimir Krupnitsky set up a studio and a record label, both called 'Electroshock'. The work of this studio is dedicated to composers who work in the fields of electronic, electroacoustic, experimental and avant-garde music. The Electroshock label reguarly issues compilation albums devoted to this music, called 'Electroshock Presents:" The music on these releases is not electronic pop-music or new age music, but continues the tradition of serious composers such as Stockhausen, Xenakis, Varese, Shaeffer or Nono. Usually the tracks are exclusive to these compilations, and do not appear anywhere else. Frequently, the tracks were created for performance at serious international festivals, such as 'Metafonie: Cinquant'anni Di Musica Electroacustica', which is held in the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan. Others were written specifically for this compilation series. All of the 'Electroshock Records Present' CDs are issued in limited editions of 400 copies. The first album was issued in 1997, entitled "Electroshock Presents - Electroacoustic Music from Russia, Vol.1" (ELCD 004/005). This was actually a double-CD album, but with each CD packaged separately. The tracks are as follows:
Vol.1, CD 1:
1-3. Taras Bujvski:
a). Vox Unius 07.47
a). Awakening 01.50
c). Ciao Antonio 16.50 (26.27)
4-5. Vladimir Komarov:
a). Computer kaleidoscope 09.40
b). Cherish Hopes 11.31 (21.11)
6-9. Artem Vasiliev "Life in The Outside" 20:42:
a). Dream 05.05
b). Landscape 04.45
c). Game 02.37
d). Hymn 08.15
10. Andrey Rodionov:
Laboratory-8 05.18 (05.18)
Total Time: 73.48
Vol.1, CD 2:
11-12. Vladimir Nikolayev:
a). Antique Landscape 13.30
b). Laughtrack 05.55 (19.25)
13-14. Artemiy Artemiev:
a). Space Distortion 05.22
b). Evening In The Country 03.52 (09.14)
15-16. Stanislav Kreitchi:
a). Music for Wood & Metal 06.29
b). Triptych "Ocean" 09.57
1-st movevemnt - Waves. Wind & Birds
2-st movevemnt - Tam-tams of the Green Island
3-st movevemnt - Dolphins Play (16.26)
17-18. Edward Artemiev:
a). I Would Like To Return 11.34
b). Vassara. (Summer) 15.20 (15.20)
music by E.Artemiev,
words by Sigitus Gedda,
vocal - Gintare Yautakaite,
solo on violin - Tatiana Grindenko
19. Andrey Rodionov:
OsciD 05.56 (05.56)
Total Time: 77.55
Whilst in Europe and America much of the work of modern electronic composers is available, it is no secret that the majority of electronic and electro-acoustic music being created in Russia now is quite unknown to most of the lovers of this music. Therefore this double album gave a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the music of leading Russian composers working in various styles of electronic music. The next album was issued in 1998, titled 'Electroshock Presents - Electroacoustic Music, Vol.2' (ELCD 006). It contains seven compositions by seven composers, each of them famous amongst fans of serious modern music:
Vol.2:
1. Clair Laronde (France)
"Nouvele" (1997) 18.45
2. Charles Kriel (Great Britain)
"Songs for G" (1997) 13.56
3. Christopher Andrew Arrell (USA)
"Reel Sence" (1996) 04.45
4. John Palmer (Great Britain)
"Phonai" (1997) 10.55
5. Robin Julian Heifetz (USA)
"Beyond Words in Hunger Dark" (1992) 08.25
6. Graham Bowers (Great Britain)
"Tangression. Part One" (1997) 08.53
7. Jukka Ruohomaki (Finland)
"Luscina" (1997) 07.15
Total Time: 72.53
Unfortunately both of these first two issues are completely sold out. The third album was issued in 1999: 'Electroshock Presents - Electroacoustic Music, Vol.3' (ELCD 010). It also contained seven tracks:
Vol.3:
1. Richard Bone (USA)
"Elusia, I Can See!" (1997) 06.59
2. John Palmer (Great Britain)
"Epitaph" (1998) 09.45
3. Martin Alejandro Fumarola (Argentina)
"Shaguir" (1998) 08.20
4. Pete Stollery (Great Britain)
"Onset/Offset" (1996) 07.25
5. Rudiger Gleisberg (Germany)
"African Moods" (1998) 07.32
6. Alejandro Iglesias-Rossi (Argentina)
"Angelus" (1996) 16.24
7. Hans Joachim Roedelius (Austria)
"Message from the Ivory Tower" (1999) 15.25
Total Time: 71.50
Finally, the fourth and most recent album of this series was also issued last year. It contains unique material - again compositions of Russian composers - but this time, recorded between 1964 and 1971 on the ANS synthesizer. One of the first synthesizera in the world, it was created by the Russian engineer E. Murzin over a period of twenty years from 1937, and it created music using light, rather than electrical variations, unlike all oher synthesizers. Murzin invited talented (and then young) composers to work on his synthesizer. But, due to the political situation, this work remained unkown in the west. Music from these sessions was issued only in 1990 as the Melodiya LP 'Musical Offering', but this only contained 36 minutes of music. This fourth CD has 74 minutes of music from this project - more than twice the amount of material.
"Electroshock Presents - Electroacoustic Music, Vol. 4:
Archive tapes Synthesiser ANS (1964-1971)" ELCD 011.
Vol.3:
1. Oleg Buloshkin
"Sacrament" 03.34
2. Sofia Gubaidulina
"Vivente-Non Vivente" ("Alive & Dead") 10.44
3-4. Edward Artemiev
"Mosaic" 04.00
"12 Looks At The World Of Sound" 12.52
5. Edison Denisov
"Bird's Singing" 05.05
6. Alfred Schnitke
"Steam" 05.50
7-8. Alexander Nemtin
"Tears" 04.41
"I.S.Bach: Choral Prelude C-DUR" 02.30
9. Schandor Kallosh "Northern Tale" 05.38
10. Stanislav Kreitchi
"Voices Of The West" 02.00
11. Edward Artemiev and Stanislav Kreitchi:
"Music From The Motion Picture "Cosmos" 12.15
12. Stanislav Kreitchi
"Intermezzo" 02.00
You can find more information about the ANS synthesiser at: And you can also hear some samples of music from these albums at:
VM (Vitaly Menshikov): October 1998
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