Talk:Vladimir Andreyevich Komarov

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Copyeditor here. The article has a lot of content that isn't subject-heavy. I have left it here for posterity, as it could be used in their own articles. — Tenryuu 🐲 ( 💬 • 📝 )  20:19, 27 May 2020 (UTC)

In its early days, Hot Zex was influenced by punk rockers like the Dead Kennedys and The Clash, and drifted towards American alternative rock like Sonic Youth and the noise experiments of My Bloody Valentine. Hot Zex incorporated touches of post-punk, dream pop, Britpop, synthpop, krautrock, ambient and even dub with trademark shoegazing constant noise/guitar-synth wall of sound and noise pop tunes. [citation needed]

The band recorded its debut album, "Sugarbabes", in January 1995, featuring Komarov on vocals, guitar, drums, and programming, Shibanov and Alex Kelman on guitar, and Anton Zenkov on bass. Shibanov left the band soon after. The album was recorded and mixed overnight on an 8-channel portastudio by Pavel Peretolchin. It is the only Hot Zex record that Komarov did not produce. The sound concept was "maximum DIY." Musically, "Sugarbabes" is a snapshot of the band developing their style through long-winded and complex noise improvisations. The influence of Sonic Youth is clearly audible throughout the record. One track is especially worthy of mention: the early version of a Hot Zex classic, "Waiting". [citation needed]

In summer 1997 "Velvety/Dual" was released. The album combined two EPs that were recorded separately but had not yet released. On of these EPs, "Velvety," was recorded and mixed in January 1996, while the other, "Dual", was recorded and mixed in January 1997. Compared to "Sugarbabes", "Velevty/Dual" features improved production quality and does not include live drums. Stylistically, the album is reminiscent of Madchester and shoegaze. The album was produced as Komarov stepped into his role as Hot Zex's main songwriter; he wrote all the material for "Velvety/Dual". Despite continued adherence to the noise genre, the song "Planets" was received over the radio and contributed to the band's popularity. [citation needed]

Although Hot Zex was based in the remote region of Siberia, the internet boom of the late 1990s gave the band access to a wider audience in Russia and abroad. In October 2000, the single "She Could Make Things Perfect" was named Song of the Month on the German Bouncing Corporation label website. In May 2001, an international shoegaze compilation, "Seven Winters," featured the Hot Zex track "Skylab Sounds". The song went to #9 in the annual chart of U.S. Voyage Beyond Radio — The 10 Best Indie Music From The Michael Antony Show 2002. In the same year, MTV Russia aired the music video for "Feel the Light." [citation needed]

The third Hot Zex album titled "7 Lovesongs and a Track about Daily Routine of an Airport" was released by Tokyo label Chelsea Girl Records in June 2003. By that time, the line-up had changed dramatically: Konstantin Nikonov became full-time drummer and Kelman was replaced by Mikhail Grinin. The album, recorded between July 1999 and March 2001, was met with warm reviews in the foreign press.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Hot Zex rose to cult status in their homeland, while British Ef-zine named "7 lovesongs… one of the best indie albums ever". [citation needed] In 2005, the band toured large European festivals Eurosonic (the Netherlands) and Popkomm (Germany). Mark Ames for eXile (a Moscow-based alternative newspaper wrote:

We caught Hot Zex this past winter, and were floored by their Sonic Youth-meets-My Bloody Valentine-by-way-of-the-Siberian-winter sounds. Since then, the band has been to Europe, and played its biggest Siberian shows ever. Could this be the starting point of shoegazer crossing over into the pop sphere? We don't know, but we'll be here with, uh, beers in hand. Psychedelic drugs might also be OK, if you're into that sort of thing, [8]

In Autumn 2006, Hot Zex started the fourth album "Standby" as a trio (Grinin had left) at Moscow Gigant Record studio. All of the material had been written by Komarov shortly before the recording session and tried out during the Baltic States tour. The new live sound of the band became more electronic and sample dominated; therefore, all the 2002-2004 demos were abandoned with the exception of electronic/acoustic ballad "Falling", recorded by Komarov in December 2004 in Novosibirsk. The album showcased rock'n'roll drive plus lo-fi Boss DR-202 Dr. Groove sounds and vintage analogue synths recorded in an "upscale" studio. [citation needed] The band finished mixing the album in early 2007, but a conflict with the record company delayed the release until 2009. By this time, the band's moment had passed and Zenkov left the group in summer 2007. By that time, Komarov's side-project Punk TV had gained momentum and Hot Zex was viewed as a less exciting Punk TV side-project by the public and the press. Despite this, many critics and fans rated "Standby" as the best album by Hot Zex.

The actual forming of the band can be traced back to December 2003, when Komarov heard the home demo of "Snowboy" instrumental by Alex Kelman (ex-Hot Zex) and offered to complete the song in a studio. He added vocals, guitar, bass and mixed the track almost overnight. A few months later, "Snowboy" was released on "Alley P.M. Vol 01" CD compilation and became a sudden hit. Punk TV received numerous invitations to festivals; the band was joined by Hot Zex drummer Konstantin Nikonov and played a successful debut in July 2004 at Sunvibes international fest. By 2005, Komarov had produced another three Punk TV tracks and forwarded them to Hermeet Chadha, assistant to John Peel and Steve Lamacq. Soon afterward, BBC Radio 1 played "Snowboy" and "Zoomer Goodnight". Several Russian labels offered Punk TV a debut album deal. The band chose Alley P.M., a small but friendly label that guaranteed Punk TV complete artistic freedom, and in June 2005, the eponymous debut was finished. A year later the record was re-released in the U.S. by AeroCCCP.

Punk TV's 90% instrumental debut, a blend of Lo-fi, krautrock and breakbeat, half of it recorded at home, was received well.[1][2][3][4]

In the summer of 2005, Punk TV played Russia's major festivals: Nokia Lab in Moscow (sharing the bill with Howie B) and Stereoleto in Saint-Petersburg (with Gus Gus and 2020 Soundsystem). "Snowboy" became the anthem of Russia's #1 electronic fest KaZantip Republic. Punk TV was named "debut of the year" by the press in 2005.

In summer 2006, Punk TV signed with Moscow production company Soundhunters, moved to the capital and started recording the follow-up. The record was recorded in autumn 2006 in Riga's Sound Division Studio and mixed at Gigant Record in Moscow. At the end of the year, Punk TV received the Golden Gargoyle national prize for "Best Russian Electronic Act 2006". The second album, "Music for the Broken Keys", was released in March 2007.

While Punk TV's debut immersed Komarov in guitar work and the search for the band's unique sound, with a brief nod to singing, "Music for the Broken Keys" boosted his songwriting talent. [5][6][7]

The closing track "Good Morning 1985" was a last-minute addition. The original version was recorded by Komarov as a birthday present for Punk TV drummer Nikonov, a big fan of 1980s new wave. Komarov resisted the idea of re-recording "Good Morning 1985" to the last, calling it "a throwaway joke".

In 2007, Punk TV played 56 gigs in Russia, England, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. The band played Moscow's largest B1 club, opening for The Rupture and Happy Mondays. In spring 2008, the band released "Sunderground" EP, a teaser for the third full-length Punk TV album "Loverdrive".

Despite a successful career in Moscow, the band and their production company Soundhunters decided to part ways. Punk TV continued their heavy touring schedule, while recording and mixing their new album at Gigant Records. The LP was released by Fusion/Gala on 18 March 2009. Unlike its predecessors, "Loverdrive" was more guitar-heavy and relatively short — clocking in at less than 38 minutes. Three tracks had already been available on "Sunderground" EP, with slightly altered mixes for the album. This is largely due to the band bankrolling the album after their split with the production company, however, the quality of the record did not suffer. Tight finances did not affect the material. The record was lauded by critics and cemented the band's #1 national indie rockers status.[8]

Following a 30-gig Loverdrive Tour that spanned Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, Komarov returned to the studio to almost single-handedly record a new Punk TV single "Solar". The record was released by Fusion on 14 April 2010 in two formats and under different titles: 7" vinyl "S.S." (b-side "Suburban Sounds") and CD EP "Solar" (featuring remixes for "Solar" and b-side "Discounted Toy"). The entire material had been written by Komarov as early as summer/autumn 2009. The singer of legendary Irish post-punk band Power of Dreams, Craig Walker, co-wrote and sang lead on "Suburban Sounds".

In February 2010, Punk TV opened for Ian Brown at Moscow's B1, and in April, the band embarked on Solar Tour through Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Kazakhstan. The tour wrapped up in end-September and the musicians decided to start a new album, tentatively slotted for release in March 2011. Unlike two previous LPs, when Punk TV went in with a ready, rehearsed and live-tested album, the new record, "Space Shadows", was a studio affair built from scratch. Komarov almost went back to the production method of the first eponymous Punk TV album, despite all recording and mixing taking place at Gigant Records. The result was a jigsaw sound puzzle of styles and moods. The album featured EMF singer James Atkin on "Breathing Out" and the Lali Puna sound architect Christian Heiß, who remixed "SID" into a new track, "Seeds". Drums on "Phantom", "Parker's Beat" and "SID" were played by Komarov, since the band drummer was not always available for recording sessions.[9][10][11]

"Space Shadows" was released 25 March 2011 by Punk TV and supported by a three-month Russian tour, after which the band took some time off. In summer 2012, Komarov began working on a remixed version of "Loverdrive", acting as executive producer. "Loverdub" was released as a free Bandcamp download on 1 October 2012. Komarov was also one of the authors, re-recording "Jetlag Sunday" under the alias Millrock.

Discography Punk TV Albums 2005 — Punk TV (CD, Alley P.M., Russia) 2006 — Punk TV (CD, AeroCCCP Recordings, USA) 2007 — Music for the Broken Keys (CD, Soundhanters LTD, Russia) 2007 — Music for the Broken Keys Deluxe Edition (2CD, Souz, Russia) 2009 — Loverdrive (CD, Fusion/Gala Records, Russia) 2011 — Space Shadows (CD, IceCream Disco, Russia) 2012 — Loverdub — ремиксовая версия альбома Loverdrive (Digital, Punk TV)

Singles & EP

2006 — Snowboy Remixes (Digital, AeroCCCP Recordings, USA) 2008 — Sundeground EP (CD, Punk TV, Russia) 2009 — Every Minute is OK (CD, Fusion, Russia) 2010 — Solar EP (CD, Fusion, Russia) 2010 — S.S. (7", Fusion, Russia) 2011 — Phantom Remixes (Digital, Punk TV)