Pill Couple — a well-deserved victory in the Battle! Welcome to V-ROX!

In April and May of this year, the Mumiy Troll Music Bar, Vladivostok and Restaurant Paulaner held an unprecedented music competition – the “Battle for V-ROX”. There, some of the best representatives from the Far Eastern music scene did battle in order to secure a place at the 2016 V-ROX festival.

To win a coveted place, each member of each band (in addition to a strong desire to play their music), had to have well-honed stage skills and in-depth musical knowledge. Key representatives – drawn from the Far East’s music industry – sound engineers, music teachers, drama coaches, presenters on local TV channels – as well as members of Russia’s renowned Mumiy Troll band, were among the panel of judges.

During the ‘Battle’, an additional music event ” The Round Table” took place. Here, musicians were able to discuss many important issues and share new ideas in an informal atmosphere. The jury (the panel of judges), often disagreed during the actual voting process, and the task of reaching a consensus proved to be difficult. In the end, however, and after a hard-fought bout, it was Pill Couple that reigned supreme over their worthy competitor – Maybe Tomorrow.

Dmitry Udovichenko, a member of the panel and the V-ROX stage engineer: “One of my most vivid memories of the Battle – was of Nikita Katzman from Pill Couple. His hard work combined with his natural talent shone through and showed him as a true artist. I sincerely wish that he and, indeed, all the contenders in the Battle, do not stop there and continue to move forward.”

Natalia Kuchma, a member of the panel and also a teacher and founder of the music studio: “Ultimately, the musicians were able to hear and see each other on the same stage and evaluate each others’ strengths. They perhaps learned something useful – both from colleagues’ remarks as well as from comments made by members of the jury. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a great movement and soon we will have new music stars and be even more proud of our city “.

Igor Lagutenko, V-ROX International Relations Manager and panel member: “I am delighted that this event was able to connect the different parties and helped open up new avenues of communication for them. There was something new and important to learn. I offer my congratulations to all participants of the Battle and thank you for your efforts and, especially, for your talent! “.

Sergei Taranov, panel member, founder and sound engineer of the studio “Atmosphere”: “We noticed a definite improvement in the musical abilities and in the performing skills of many participants but, alas, not in all. Lamentably, the stage performances of some participants left a lot to be desired and, frankly, one had to ask oneself why (and how) they actually came to be before us? Perhaps every system sometimes fails and the Battle is no exception. Even so, I would like to express my great respect for all of the participants in the Battle. Not only for their presentations and completed assignments, but also for the great work that always takes place behind the scenes – but which is largely invisible and goes unnoticed by the general public.”

Anna Berezhnaya, a member of the panel, TV host and “Channel 8” producer: “The most difficult part for the jury was the last round of the Battle. We had two, equally-strong – but completely different groups in contention. I still do not know whether I voted objectively or just for my ‘favourite’, because you can’t always rely upon your own taste in music. But in Pill Couple’s performance I liked everything. It is very important that songs are immediately memorable and recognisable; that the singer is charismatic and has strong stage presence. With a lead singer like Nikita, this group will always have its own character, its own energy.”

Nikita Katzman, Pill Couple about himself and the world: “We want to do something that compels the listener to plunge into a real journey to the deepest corners of his inner senses and feelings. We want to reach into the listener’s psyche and to create a new reality at our concerts.”

Group Pill Couple perform at the V-ROX Festival August 19-21, 2016.