Megapolis

Megapolis are a Moscow-based rock group started by Oleg Nesterov in 1986. Unlike many of its contemporaries whose careers were meddled with (or worse) by the Soviet regime, Megapolis lived a comparatively charmed existence that began just before the thaw of perestroika. Their music combined elements of electronica with pop/rock, and they were one of the first groups to explore the possibilities of the music video as an art form to accompany musical works. Megapolis are also notable for their role in promoting the careers of young indie musicians in the new millennium. Megapolis's debut, Utro (Morning), was self-released in May 1987. A couple months after their debut, Megapolis were standouts at a festival of the Moscow Rock Laboratory. The press and public were immediately attracted to their comfort in the then-uncharted sphere of electronic music, a rarity at the time. In this period, Oleg Nesterov led the group with guitar and vocals, Andrei Belov played bass, Mikhail Alesin was the drummer, Aleksandr Suzdalev and Arkady Martinenko played keyboards, and Igor Zhigunov was featured on percussion. It didn't take long for Megapolis to be signed to the government label Melodia, which re-released the group's debut, Utro, and released its second album, Bednie Ludi (Poor People), which was considered characteristic of the Moscow sound at the time. In 1989 the group filmed its first two music videos and played concerts all over Russia. Megapolis' relationship with Germany found its beginning in a 20-minute program about the group on German radio and a performance at an international German music festival in August. The group toured with American rockers the Beatnigs. During this period the group's lineup was significantly altered: Mikhail Gabolaevim returned to replace Andrei...