" Mashina Vremeni" (Mashina Vremeni) is a band that is considered to be the founders of Russian rock. They gave this genre a classical sound, were among the first to sing in Russian, and filled the lyrics with deep meaning. Raising simple but important human problems, the band members always made the audience think and analyze the course of life. Their creativity is considered to be a benchmark. The songs are relevant even now.
How the legend was created
The founder and permanent soloist of the collective is Andrei Makarevich. He has always gravitated to creativity, in high school he organized talented young musicians around him. Together with Mikhail Yashin, Larisa Kashperko and Nina Baranova they composed the first compositions. The girls sang, the guys were responsible for the music. They played at school events and discos, in clubs. They sang famous foreign hits. Their whole team was fluent in English.
Once they were lucky enough to sing during a break in the performance of the then popular ensemble "Atlanta" and play on their professional equipment. After that Makarevich revised the concept of the group and created a new collective Time Machines, where there were:
- Andrei Makarevich (lead singer, guitarist);
- Igor Mazaev (bass guitarist);
- Yuri Borzov (drummer);
- Alexander Ivanov (rhythm guitarist);
- Pavel Rubin (bass guitarist);
- Sergey Kavagoe (keyboardist).
Their style and manner of performance was associated by many with the legendary The Beatles. Thanks to Kavagoe's parents they had modern equipment, electric guitars, amplifiers. In those days, such equipment was considered a rarity, so the sound of the group was very high-quality and original for the public.
First steps to the musical Olympus
There were often disagreements in the Time Machines team: all the members wanted to sing in the style of the Beatles, but Makarevich insisted on a more original performance. Mazaev, Kavagoe and Borzov even tried to create their own group, but having failed, returned to the lineup. The debut album of 11 English-language songs was never officially released.
At the very beginning of the creative biography of the group, the paths of the musicians diverged. They graduated from school, each chose his own way, began to organize his personal life. Rubin and Ivanov left the group. And Makarevich and Borzov entered the same institute and took new musicians - Alexei Romanov and Alexander Kutikov. With the renewed composition they continued to conquer small stages and clubs. When Mazaev was taken to the army, he was replaced by Maxim Kapitanovsky. But he stayed in the band for a short time, and soon also went to pay his debt to his homeland. Kavagoe took the place of the drummer.
They began to perform under the name "Mashina Vremeni". And from this moment they began a new stage of creativity.
The blossoming of their musical career
In the mid-70s, they deservedly received the first fame, gained fans, finally decided on the concept, repertoire and style. They were not like other Soviet youth groups: the songs had a deep meaning and subtext. That is why they were ignored by both Roskonzert and the Union of Composers. But this did not embarrass the musicians, they confidently continued to create.
In 1974 Sergey Kavagoe was replaced by Yevgeny Margulis. His bluesy voice gave the band a new sound. At the same time they starred in the movie "Afonja" (the episode with their participation was cut, but the song was played), in the program "Musical Kiosk". A little later they won the prize of the rock festival in Tallinn. There, for the first time, the band realized that fame had come to them: the public knew the words of their songs by heart. They made many useful acquaintances, which helped them to organize several concerts in St. Petersburg. The performances were very successful.
Despite the public's appreciation, officials hindered the development of their creativity in every possible way. They were in the status of "illegals". But only Makarevich was disturbed by this. He was the only one who tried to bring the group to a new level. This was the reason for the development of conflicts and, consequently, another change of the lineup: in 1979, instead of Margulis came Peter Podgoretsky and Kutikov. At the same time they managed to perform from Roskoncert at the festival in Tbilisi. After that there was a rapid rise in their popularity.
"Mashina Vremeni" was played on the radio, cassettes were bought off the shelves, the participants began to be recognized. It was their fans who forced the "tops" to stop persecution and harsh criticism. Since the mid-80s they finally began to tour freely around the country, although in Moscow it was officially forbidden for them to go on stage.
The Perestroika period changed everything. They started giving concerts abroad, where every performance caused an incredible stir. In 1986 they released their debut studio album "In a Good Hour". "Time Machine" sounded officially: at concerts, radio and TV screens. The success was overwhelming. In 1988 they were named "Group of the Year".
Activity of the last decade
Until 2009, the collective almost every year replenished its discography. They toured a lot, recorded dozens of legendary hits, which are loved and sung by the second generation of music lovers. In their piggy bank a large number of awards, prizes, orders and victories at festivals. They gathered stadiums and became true legends. The creativity of the "Time Machine" remains timeless.
In recent years, the activity of the group has significantly decreased. One of the reasons was the position of musicians regarding the conflict with Ukraine. Makarevich sided with the Ukrainians, recognized the annexation of Crimea, participated in demonstrations. Andrey Derzhavin supported the policy of the Kremlin, did not participate in tours in Ukraine, and in 2017 he left the group. This situation became the basis for all sorts of rumors. There was even talk of disintegration. But these speculations were not confirmed, the collective continues to perform and delight with new hits.
Today in the main lineup are:
- Andrey Makarevich (songwriter, soloist, keyboardist, guitarist);
- Alexander Kutikov (bass guitarist, sound producer, vocalist);
- Valery Efremov (drummer).
In 2019, Mashina Vremeni celebrated its 50th anniversary. And today they continue to write the history of the group, pleasing fans with songs and quality arrangements. In the catalog of artists on the website kontramarka.de you will learn about the further achievements of the collective and their development in the musical field.
Discography:
1986 - "In the Good Hour".
1987 - "Ten Years Later"
1987 - "Rivers and Bridges"
1988 - "In the Circle of Light"
1991 - "Slow Good Music"
1992 - "It was so long ago...1978"
1993 - "Freelance Commander of the Earth. The Blues of El Mocambo."
1996 - "Cardboard Wings of Love"
1997 - "Breaking Away"
1999 - "Clocks and Signs"
2001 - "The Place Where the Light Is"
♪ 2004 ♪
2007 - TimeMachine
2009 - "No Parking Cars"
2016 - "YOU"
