THEODOR BASTARD is one of the most successful contemporary Russian music collectives. The band works between genres that can be defined as world music, ethnoronica, experimental and trip-hop. The trademark of the band is the unique voice of Yana Veva and unimprovable sound-producing by Fedor Svolotch.

Yana Veva has a rare vocal timbre and she uses a special vocal technique that refers to Arabic and Indian vocal tradition. Besides singing in THEODOR BASTARD Yana recorded an album with Stefan Hertrich (Shiva in Exile, Darkseed, Betray my secrets) “Nour” in which all vocals were sung by Yana.

To support the album THEODOR BASTARD went on tour around Russia, Belgium, Germany and visited several festivals in Europe and Russia. Live performance is the strongest aspect of THEODOR BASTARD (totally there’ve been more than 300 concerts in band’s history). There are six musicians in the band who use plenty of electronic devices and special acoustic instruments like various ethnic percussions, kazu, saz and others.

Apart of recording their albums, THEODOR BASTARD are always keeping in touch with musicians from other countries: collaboration with Martin Attkins from Pigface who released a track by THEODOR BASTARDat his label Invisible/Underground Inc.; with Peter Christopherson of Coil – the band recorded a version of “Love’s Secret Domain”; with Ethan Jordan, American saxophonist, playing live together in Brussel; and also THEODOR BASTARD was the support band for the Nine Inch Nails gig in St.Petersburg, August 2007.

In June 2011 the band successfully performed at the largest German festival WGT in Leipzig. The concert took place on one of the main stages of the festival, in Central Theater of Leipzig. Also, during the tour, the band gave solo concerts in Poland and Lithuania.

Recently, in November 2011 the release of “Remixed” on CD – the collection of remixes of THEODOR BASTARD’s songs – has taken place. Such artists from all over Europe as Neotropic, Animals on Wheels, Up,Bustle&Out (all three of them has signed on the label Ninja Tune), Scanner, State of Bengal, Geomatic, Flint Glass, and others took part in the work on the collection.

During all the fall and winter of 2011 THEODOR BASTARD are occupied with the recording of the new album which, as the musicians themselves admit, has become the most complicated and tedious in their career. The musicians had recorded the material in several studios at the same time. Many invited guests took part in the recording. On the album one can hear such instruments as udo, mbira, marimba, reco-reco, caxixi, ashiko, and spring drum. Fedor also used the instruments that he had invented and contrived with his own hand of improvised material such as coconuts, door springs, empty bottles, and plastic. The album will be the most lively and diverse in its contents in the entire history of the band. Also famous British band Fun-Da-Mental (in the collaboration with the Africans The Mighty Zulu Nation) and unique French singer Julien Jacob took part in the recording of the compositions for the album.

In February 2012 the main representatives of world music in Russia THEODOR BASTARD, after a break that lasted a year and a half, have returned on stage with the presentations of the new album “Oikoumene” in Russia and abroad. Conerts in Moscow and Saint Petersburg were sold out.

pronounced "kid"

mgmt: whoskid@outlook.com

Metal Blade Records history by Dan Slessor:
Founded upon owner Brian Slagel's enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982 Metal Blade has brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seen Metal Blade build up a stunning and diverse catalogue, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it strides into its fourth decade.

What perhaps makes this achievement all the more notable is the fact that Slagel never even intended to start a label. Working in an LA record store and writing for various publications, Slagel was acutely aware that many great bands in the local metal scene were being ignored, and he decided to release a compilation of tracks drawn from these ranks. "There were a lot of really good bands and I was just bummed out that nobody could hear them. It just seemed like I could help them out and have some fun at the same time, and that compilation was the first Metal Massacre," he states. Collating tracks from then unknown bands including Ratt, Bitch, Cirith Ungol, and Metallica amongst others, the compilation sold out immediately. "How important is Metal Blade to our career? They're only the reason we are enjoying the worldwide success we have today," states Metallica's James Hetfield. "Without Brian's openness to some raunchy teens with a crap sounding cassette tape we would be who knows where, and playing who knows what!" With the popularity of the tape spurring Slagel on, the first seeds of Metal Blade were sown. "After the success of those compilations I just started putting out records of bands that I was friends with, but without ever really intending it to be a label at all," he explains. "After I put out four or five releases I started to feel like something was happening, and I decided to quit the record store and quit college and see where it went."

Battling through the first few lean years, when the label consisted solely of Slagel working out of his mom's poorly ventilated garage in the San Fernando Valley, it gradually grew in both revenue and stature. Within a few years Metal Blade would go on to release the debuts of Slayer, Armored Saint, Trouble, and Corrosion Of Conformity amongst others, fanning the flames of the burgeoning metal scene and launching careers of bands that would go onto reap global success. "Without Metal Blade, there is a damn good chance we never would've made it out of L.A," says Slayer's Kerry King. "That was the one bit of luck we needed. You can be the most awesome band on the scene, and if no one notices you, you don't catch on. And Brian Slagel is still one of the biggest metalheads I know!" This genuine love and devotion to metal is central to the relationship many of the artists have with Metal Blade, and King Diamond credits much of its relevance and strength to this passion. "I refer to it as having 'boots on the ground'," the mighty Dane states. "It's not like a major label where some people might be into what you're doing but a lot of them just see it as a job – there's a genuine love for metal there. Through staying true to that and doing their own thing they've carved out a very specific niche that they control, and as an artist it's wonderful to be a part of that."over the years. Clearly without those people we couldn't do what we do, and to everyone out there who has helped us along by being a fan we are so very grateful to you."

Read more: http://www.metalblade.com/us/about-us/

“This generation’s Trent Reznor” - edm.Com

Nikki Kaelar, better known by his stage name Varien, is a platinum record producer whose musical compositions, recordings, and productions  include credits and releases with Skrillex’s EP Bangarang,  John Wick, Overwatch, 300, The Walking Dead, Fast & Furious, viral TikTok hits, and 300 million Spotify streams released under his Varien project. 

Varien has been attributed to being a true mastermind in the electronic realm, a vanguard in innovation, and a figurehead for both underground electronic producers.  His earliest releases were on Monstercat and OWSLA, and over the years his clients have included Skrillex, Justin Bieber, Activision, Monstercat, Splice, Spinnin' Records, Paris Hilton, Cutting Edge Music, Dreamhack, Hyperx, Output, The Verge, Louis Vuitton, 8dio, JYP, EXO, VIXX, Super Junior, Killstar, Blackcraft Cult, and more.

Varien has been making an impact on the culture of electronic music since his debut ep album hit #1 on iTunes electronic worldwide.

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