Intermediary II. The strange case of Pasha K. Pavel Kashin.


This Intermediary conclude a second part of this book. In these chapters we were dealing with a high stage of the Big wave, the first part described the dawn, now it`s a high noon of russian pop music, best groups, big festivals, legendary concerts, indispensable albums. In the first part we more considered the general rules of russian pop, now we dove in content, songs` lyrics, artists` image, backdrop, and the emerging world as a whole, that art of this wave created.

In the first Intermediary we meet the group Kirpichi that stuck in a previous era, now let`s meet an artist who doesn`t belong to neither of them. Pasha Kashin his art not only haven`t time dimension it also denies any classification attempt. He even wasn`t heard on radio since no one station could figure out how to include his songs in their playlists.

Returning to the main point what was the world that had been created or reproduced by the artists.

First of all this world was radically urban. It is a world of big cities, capitals. The defining break through moment for the group Zveri for example was when they embraced the aesthetic of massive, consisted of ten-twelve store buildings blocks at the outskirts of towns, where the modern russians live. The cultural center belonged to the groups like Multfilmy. Zemphira covered the town as an idea, in platonic sense of a word. Even second incarnation of russian rock had a good chances to occupy campuses, which in russia`s case are scattered in a dense town`s quarters as well.

So music arrived to the place of living of its listeners. Art brings magic, and for the period of time it seems that where people can live, and even be rooting for the future.

As of time the place doesn`t really matter for Pavel Kashin, he live a meter above the mundane earth. So his magic may exist, but the magic of above mentioned artists with their close ties to the cities may exist only while a tiny portion of it remains in an urban landscape. Since russian towns had been devoid of this possibility of happiness, the music was doomed.

Second major feature was an intellectualism that soared at this period. Peoples were becoming smarter every year and so were the music. The previous wave`s tunes was primitive, ridiculously cheap. Now people started to appreciate more elaborate melodies, more sophisticated music cadence, meaningful lyric. Simple pop remains but it was not him, who delineate a portrait of current music vibes. Zemphira had very exquisite tracks, and were at the top of billboards. Even boys` bands honed their style to artistic acuteness. Rockers and punks weren`t swearing or cursing, imagine this one.

Pavel Kashin was so well-mannered that he completely cut himself off the public life. Pure art. I am making song, you are free to buy albums and savor it. But should I really burden your experience with appearances as a talking head at shows or magazines, may be sometimes a small concert, if you interested. Extremely refined position, and he had huge fan base consonantly well-polished.

As a third characteristic can be named an optimistic beauty. It was kinda mood of the period. Some may find beauty in destruction, that was the point of a previous wave by the way, or construction. This time it was rather a beauty of being, just existence in an acceptable circumstances of a desent life, a rare period, especially in russia. Time when pursuit of happiness seems a real opportunity.

The freedom is an important issue for the many artists. There is only very few of them who can push aside everything and write a music in an ivory tower. And Pasha Kashin was one of them.

So to conclude this intermediary about main traits of content of russian pop music through this period let`s repeat them in a reverse order. Third is a positive contented self-assertive mood of a man or a woman, today is good, the noon is bright. Second is the quality of music tissue that had rised tremendously, excellent music for the good people. By the way it was completely original content and in a some cases never seen before. First is a backdrop which become recognizable for young urban listeners, their everyday landscape which was reimagined and enriched through an emotionally charged magic of russian music.

Power of thought and beauty pierced the reality and engulfed a life enchanting it into a better place.