Yegor Letov: biography and discography. A photo

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The fact that Yegor Letov died at the age of 44 will not cause much surprise. His life was a model for a person who existed in the musical and social underground. The persecution of the communist authorities also did not add to his he alth. Nevertheless, in his relatively short life, this man managed to leave a lot behind.

Birthplace and real name

What is Egor Letov primarily associated with? Of course, with Omsk - the city where he was born, grew up and began his creative activity. A few decades later, in music journalism, such a term as the “Siberian underground” was formed - a set of many composers and performers who played things that were completely unformatted by Soviet standards.

It was in Omsk that this movement received an impetus to development. In 1964, Igor Letov was born here, he will take the name Egor for himself later. Like many of his friends, he chose a pseudonym for himself. It was under him that fans and simply caring people remembered Yegor Letov, whose real name remained in the childhood of a Soviet child during the Brezhnev stagnation period.

Sowing

In 1982, Letov finishes his studies at school and thentogether with his comrades creates his first musical group. She received the name "Sowing". This was the name of a well-known magazine among political emigration, which actively criticized the Soviet government. Thus, from his first steps in his work, Yegor Letov designated intolerance and uncompromising attitude towards the existing system. Political themes will remain one of the main topics throughout his career as a musician. Although Yegor himself in his interviews rejected such a definition. He believed that his songs were not about politics, but only had many vivid images.

Egor's first guitar was an Orpheus bass, which he bought in St. Petersburg in the same 1982. During the existence of the group, 11 recordings were made in album format. Of course, such amateur performance existed in the most artisanal conditions. It was physically impossible to make a high-quality recording. However, Letov himself adapted to such an environment and, even with the advent of popularity, did not invest in expensive studios. Low-quality sound, which is also called garage sound, will become a signature card of all his projects. The original recordings of The Sowing, for the most part, have not survived. However, some songs were remastered on various compilations already at a more mature age of Yegor.

Start of "Civil Defense" and persecution of the KGB

"Sowing" became the forerunner of another more mature project, which was destined to become the main business of Letov's life. Two years later, in 1984, Yegor and his friend Konstantin Ryabinov formed a new group. She iscalled "Civil Defense". Over time, the fan community developed its own branded abbreviations: "Grob" and "GO".

At first, the group performed at underground venues where informal youth gathered. The team quickly became popular, and the KGB became interested in its activities, which, among other things, was responsible for ideological issues.

Young people were quickly given an ultimatum, including a threat of a criminal case under articles on an anti-Soviet organization and a terrorist act. Ryabinov was quietly taken to the army, to the closed zone of Baikonur, despite the fact that he had heart problems.

The conflict with the Chekists became the inspiration for such songs as "We are the ice under the feet of the major" and "Totalitarianism". Letov was taken for a month for interrogations, where he was threatened with drugging, after which he was sent to a psychiatric hospital for three months. Egor's acquaintances and friends gave a subscription stating that they would not conduct any joint activities with him. The band's story seemed to be over before it even started.

First albums

Nevertheless, Yegor Letov continued to play right after he got home. The first albums were created under the influence of punk rock, post-punk and noise. These are records like Filthy Youth and Optimism.

Another significant album of those years is Red Laughter. It was recorded with acoustic instruments and mostly contained old songs in other arrangements. Its name was a reference to the famous story of the Silver Age writer LeonidAndreeva.

The albums were self-published on low-quality magnetic cassettes. Many things were recorded semi-legally in local recreation centers. In 1988, Yegor Letov created his own label "Grob-records" and remastered his first opuses.

1987

This year the band plays at its first major festival, which was held in Novosibirsk. By that time, perestroika was in full swing with its slogans about glasnost - it became easier to speak. In the same year, five albums were recorded at once (Necrophilia, Mousetrap, Totalitarianism, Good!! and the electric version of Red Laughter). Psychedelic influences and experimental searches appear on some songs. These changes were drawn from the work of Western bands of the 60s.

Then Egor meets Yanka Diaghileva. Their creative tandem remains cult in the Russian rock underground. Yanka participated in the recordings of "Civil Defense" and some other projects of Yegor. Disappeared and tragically died in 1991.

Everything is going according to plan

In 1988, the most famous song written by Yegor Letov appeared. The discography of all his work is little known to a wide audience, but the song "Everything is going according to plan" is familiar to almost anyone who has found perestroika. She became her symbol of sorts.

As Letov Yegor himself explains, whose biography is presented in the article, the text was created while watching Soviet television. Musiciansimply set to music the plots of one news release. It turned out to be a very symbolic stream of consciousness with familiar images. There are several versions of the song. In one of them, the checkmate is veiled and replaced by neutral expressions.

Peak of popularity. Russian field of experiments

In the late 80s, "Civil Defense" was distinguished by the greatest fertility in the history of its existence. The last album of that period before stopping the band's activities was called "Russian Field of Experiments". It is considered a reference, and Yegor himself called the song of the same name the pinnacle of his work.

The recording features a fast and furious tempo. The sound is intentionally distorted by overloaded equipment and seems "dirty". The concluding "Russian Field" is a 14-minute composition that uses a huge number of images of Russian culture, and especially literature.

Then new ideas appear, which Yegor Letov is fond of. Rare photos captured him as the frontman of Communism, a conceptual musical project created by a large Siberian underground community.

Psychedelic music and politics

In the early 90s, Yegor announced the dissolution of "Defence" and took up psychedelic projects that were somewhat different from the former style of the musician. Two albums of that period - "Jump-skok" and "One Hundred Years of Solitude" - remained separate phenomena in Letov's discography. The key songs of the early 90s can be called "Eternal Spring" and "About the Fool".

In the same years, a stormy political life begins in the country, in which Letov Yegor is involved. Photographs from that time showed him with such controversial figures as Eduard Limonov and Alexander Dugin. Together with them, the musician supports the National Bolshevik Party.

Latest albums of "Civil Defense"

The first record released after a significant period of stagnation was "Solstice", which appeared in 1997. Musically, the influence of the shoegaze genre was clearly manifested here. Of the subsequent albums, "Starfall" stands out in particular, which included re-recorded versions of popular songs of the Soviet years created by other composers.

Egor's last record "Why do you have dreams?" was released in 2007. Letov Yegor, whose biography is marked by dozens of entries, died a year later.

Death and influence

The musician continued to live in Omsk. Yegor Letov died there. The cause of death was sudden cardiac arrest. The musician was 43 years old. At the funeral, a civil memorial service was held from people who are not indifferent to the work of "Groba". This dispelled doubts about whether Yegor Letov remained popular. The cause of death was the subject of numerous rumors, but none of them were confirmed.

After the departure of the musician left a great legacy and archive. On its basis, in 2014, the documentary “He althy and Forever” was released, the title of which is a reference to one of the most popular songs of the “CivilThe chronicle also includes interviews given by Yegor Letov during his tour. The photos and videos of past years presented in the film are exclusive and give a reason to take a fresh look at a unique phenomenon in Russian and post-Soviet culture.