Check out our lesson № 1 - 'What is to be done?' / 'Что Делать?'
Dear Friends,
Now more exciting news for you!
Sasha Ilyukevich and his band 'the Highly Skilled Migrants' have
started working on a new long-term music project - 'Lessons of Russian
Literature'! And here is the first track for you - '
What is to be done?'
A new lesson will be arriving to you approximately every two months.
And of course, these creative moments would not continue without your
generous support. Thank you!
Best wishes,
Sasha Ilyukevich &
'the Highly Skilled Migrants'
PLEASE SUPPORT 'LESSONS OF RUSSIAN LITERATURE' VIA BANDCAMP!
About 'Lessons of Russian Literature':
…Why ‘Lessons of Russian Literature’? I wanted to make a collection of
songs inspired by, or with direct reference to, literary works of well
known Russian writers.
In my experience of reading Russian
literature there is a striking continuity in the characters across the
entire literary canon. At any given point in history, from the 19th
century works of Pushkin to the modernist Pelevin, the cast of players
in a Russian literary work seems to be always roughly the same. One can
find the drunk, the sage, the shamanic avant-garde joker, the devil, the
sinister exploiter, the rich and morally dubious hedonist, the madman
with his moments of insight, the witch and the corrupt and politically
ambitious man.
Furthermore, these archetypal Russian characters
always seem to find themselves projected against the same dramatic
backdrop: darkness, weirdness, madness, vivid social injustice set
against ferocious political satire and ultimately an overarching
Spiritual longing.
For this record, I wanted to offer my own
reflections on this literary pattern [that informs the Russian artistic
experience to such an extent] through the irreverent and dynamic lens of
rock and roll music. Like the Russian works of literature I refer to in
my songs, things are not always as they seem on this album. Allegory
and surrealism can trip you up at any time but a richly emotional
collection of songs is nonetheless guaranteed!
Ladies and
gentlemen, this is ‘Lessons of Russian Literature’! Please support us
and help us to bring to life this heady mix of Russian heroes and
villains for the first time ever on a rock and roll record!