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.

V-ROX Festival 2016. Details

Dates: 19-21 August 2016
Venue: Vladivostok, Sports Harbour Embankment
Motto: People / Art / Cosmos

Ilya Lagutenko: “The Festival is like a living organism, it is in a constant state of evolution. It has grown and developed – not only taking into consideration the tastes and interests of the curators, but also through the time and space interactions with the audience and participants alike. Last summer, when discussing the future of the festival, we planned to choose as the motto for V-ROX 2016 – People / Art / Cosmos. Why Cosmos? Well, the main criteria for the selection of participants this year were not only their well-rounded artistic talents, but also their ability to communicate with the public and with ‘space’, with micro and macro cosmos. This is an ambitious task – perhaps one that will take centuries to achieve.

But the concept we came up with for one of the festival days this year is a day of cosmic music – a genre which people have been increasingly interested in over the past decade. The next day will be a day of the International Art. By tradition, we gather musicians from different countries to allow audiences to have their own priorities in selecting who they want to see and hear. And the third day will be dedicated to the People – the musicians of Vladivostok. They have already proven themselves in the competition “Battle for V-ROX” and we felt that they deserved a special day to themselves – to perform to a multinational audience.

This year, V-ROX Cinema is all about regional geography. Our partners from embassies will introduce films that allow us all to take a glimpse into the lives of distant and, indeed, close neighbours.
Whilst we have expanded the geographic remit for participating countries, the V-ROX Festival venue remains unchanged – the Sports Harbour Embankment. So plan to vacation in Vladivostok this August and we will do the festival together! “.

Festival Venues
The V-ROX 2016 three-day programme will be held on the main city waterfront – Sports Harbour Embankment. Over the course of three days the main stages will have different programmes – Friday, August 19th – Cosmos Day; Saturday, August 20th – International Artists’ Day and Sunday, August 21st – Vladivostok People’s Day.

The V-ROX festival’s night programme will be located in the surrounding area of Pogranichnaya Street. All the clubs there are within walking distance of each other and the musical genres on offer will vary from heavy metal to experimental electronic music. There will be a chance to see the main stage artists there as well as other acts that we will be welcoming to Vladivostok.

The V-ROX 2016 outdoor main stages will be free public events, however, all night-time activities will have a fee charged on the club doors (festival delegates will be exempt).

Road to V-ROX
Applications for participation at this year’s festival were received between January and May 2016 via the www.2016.vrox.org site. This year, the festival will be welcoming more than 100 different collectives from around the world. There will also be further qualifying rounds for the festival which will start in June. These will be held in conjunction with our festival partners Nashe Radio, MTV Russia, Colisium – International Music Conference and the Mumiy Troll Music Bar, Moscow.

Information Zone
The Press Center for the festival will be located at the Mumiy Troll Music Bar, Vladivostok (Pogranichnaya Street, 6). From the 19th to 21st August, it will be possible to obtain accreditation and information about the festival – including the programme, maps, coupons, tickets, wristbands and merchandise. Festival volunteers will always be on hand to help.

Media
In addition to the Russian local and national mass-media attendees, V-ROX 2016 is inviting leading media representatives from the United Kingdom, China, Korea, the USA, India, France and Australia.

Educational Programmes / Lectures
In true V-ROX tradition, the festival’s conference and educational programmes will be diverse. The educational programme will bring together not only music industry insiders, but also people who connect music with education, with business, and with world culture as a whole.

Cinema
This year, V-ROX Cinema will take place in the recently re-branded OCEAN IMAX cinema. Screenings will include films from France, Australia and India. The film festival will also feature the Russian premiere of the Mumiy Troll’s much-anticipated ‘rockumentary’ film of the year – ‘Vladivostok Vacation’, which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival 2016.

Festival Market
During the three days of the festival, a ‘festival market’, with support from a company called CreativeSpot, will be located across from the main stages. The V-ROX Festival Market is a great opportunity for creative businesses. Here, exhibitors can introduce their creativity to a wider audience, test their business models and, of course, demonstrate the potential of Vladivostok creativity to local Russians and to foreign festival guests alike. Any project is welcome to take part – regardless of its form.

Food Court
With the support of our long-term partner VVO Project, there will be a designated food court at the festival where guests can enjoy authentic Far-Eastern delicacies and signature drinks.

The future of the festival

Ilya Lagutenko: “A favourable vibe about the V-ROX Festival is sweeping across the planet – literally! V-ROX ambassadors receive numerous requests for participation in projects from Japan all the way to the Baltic countries. For me, it is difficult to describe the concept of our festival, it forms itself each year, interacting with the realities of Vladivostok, the city. This is the true essence of any art project. I do not see much sense in having “super concerts for well-known, mainstream performers” or public events ” just for the sake of it”. These often leave audiences cold and indifferent and, sometimes, feeling that they have wasted money and effort.

Our main task should still be to build our own recognisable and organic cultural landscape. It is easier to explain this in terms of comparisons with Primorye province landscapes – they are all very much appreciated for their natural beauty and drama but also for being so intriguing and enticing. The urban architecture and hospitality infrastructure is not perfect, but yet very understanding of the fact that, on a macro cosmic scale, it can be solved and it helps to install faith in what we do.”

Flying to the East: The Road to V-ROX Festival at Mumiy Troll Music Bar Moscow

Russian artists are able to take part in the V-ROX selection rounds , which would take places of the course of whole June month at the legendary Moscow bar ‘Mumiy Troll Muic Bar’. The winner will get the opportunity to travel to Vladivostok and perform on the main stage at the international festival.

Selection rounds will happen in 2 parts:

1. Until 5 June 2016 artists are required to fill out an online form via mumiytrollbar.com/vrox, adding audio links, video and social media links.

2. During the whole of June selected artists will perform on stage at Mumiy Troll Bar Moscow. Winners will be determined through public voting and have an opportunity to represent the far easter famous bar on the main stage V-ROX 2016.

Lets fly to the main festival of the free port of Vladivostok together with Mumiy Troll Bar Moscow !.

WE V-ROX YOU!

Artist Submissions for V-ROX 2016 ends on May 20th 2016!

There are only few days left to submit artists application for the fourth editing of the international music festival and conference — V-ROX taking place in the city of Vladivostok. A full application can be filled out via the festival website.

Under the general terms, the group will be able to play on one or more of the festival venues and participate in all festival activities such as lectures, concerts, exhibitions and film shows. The festival team are happy assist in obtaining visa, general logistics and obtain accommodation discounts via partners. For the selected artists, contract details will be discussed on individual basis.

This year the selection committee will not only include members of the festival team , but also the usual V-ROX festival partners such as representatives of the TV channel “MTV Russia”, “Nashe Radio” and “Mumiy Troll Music Bar” chain. The final line-up of the festival will be announced in mid-July.

V-ROX — the main festival of the Free Port of Vladivostok. The biggest international music festival and creative conference, founded and curated by Ilya Lagutenko (Frontman of “Mumiy Troll” band). V-ROX is a unique opportunity for young Russian artists and producers to present their creations and projects not only to the local audiences, but also to leading international professionals.

V-ROX Festival will be held in Vladivostok 19-21 August 2016.

WE V-ROX YOU!

N.B — Due to high volume of applications we are not able to reply to all.

V-ROX at a popular Estonian showcase festival Tallinn Music Week

Our festival delegation took part in the ‘speed meetings’ program where they met up and spoke with Estonian and foreign artists. They also took the chance to introduce Russian far eastern acts and shared potential artists for 2016 lineup to industry colleagues.

Tallinn Music Week is already in its seventh year and is considered as one of the leading European city festivals.

It is thanks to this festival last year we were able to find the extraordinary group Trad.Attack! (participants of V-ROX 2015) they are now moving to conquering the music scene not only in Europe but are also embarking on a trip to Asia to take part in festivals such as Jazz in Seoul and then perform at a Chinese showcase festival Sounds of The Xity in Beijing, where also V-ROX representatives will participate as panel speakers.

While on a talent scouting mission in Tallinn, V-ROX delegation found a warming surprise, a local talent, in the Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves who presented his very own compilation with a special DJ SET “Teenage Wasteland — Favourites 1963–1978″ . It was a great honour speaking to Mr IIves and share musical tastes, as a present V-ROX received its very own signed copy of the compilation CD.

Until next time, WE V-ROX YOU!

V-ROX VS Colisium

Less than a month is left before the main event of the spring — a one-day showcase of V-ROX festival at Colisium Music Week in St. Petersburg. April 22, at Fish Fabrique club organizers of V-ROX will create a real musical Pacific storm on the Neva river. 

SvoboDA and Sezon Dozhdey are the two bands that will participate in V-ROX showcase in St. Petersburg. Both groups have already participated in Vladivostok V-ROX. Special guest of this showcase will be the loudest funk band from Finland — Eternal Erection. Organizing committee of V-ROX and Colisium in past month received more than 250 applications for participation in the concert at Fish Fabrique. As a result of stormy debate, the victory went to Cosmic Latter group from Yekaterinburg, which will also take part in the Pacific storm of V-ROX on April 22 and has a good chance of going to Vladivostok in August. 

April 22, 20:00 in Fish Fabrique St. Petersburg — perfect musical storm from the Pacific V-ROX at Colisium Music Week. Keep the right course in the sea of music!

Information:

SvoboDA (Vladivostok) — this is the story of how the dream comes true, when on the way to it you are surrounded by like-minded people. In 1.5 years of existence this Vladivostok band managed to be noticed at one of the cult rock festivals of Russia — V-ROX 2014, make a video and realize that your hometown has become too small for the team with such far-reaching plans. SvoboDA’s music is hard to distinguish as just pop rock — it has something lyrical of Coldplay and Placebo, as well as powerful guitar riffs of Tractor Bowling or Jan Air.

Sezon Dozhdey (Ulan-Ude) — is a band born and raised in one of the most beautiful places on our planet — Lake Baikal. During its short existence guys managed to perform at different concert venues in China and Korea, where they have received great experience and showed it at the third international V-ROX festival in 2015 in the glorious city of Vladivostok. Sezon Dozhdey has also got experience performing in the famous clubs of Russia’s capital. Pure and honest voice of the vocalist, non-typical guitar riffs and cardiac rhythm of the drummer will not leave you without emotion. 

Cosmic Latte (Ekaterinburg) — a group that was formed within the walls of the Sverdlovsk Architectural Academy and that plays dramatic synth-rock. The name was born out of the question, which is raised only by astronomers and romantics. What color is the Universe? To determine this, astronomers averaged all colors of all the galaxies. The average range of the Universe was called cosmic latte — “Space coffee milk”…

SPECIAL GUESTS

Eternal Erection — the main and most loud funk band from Finland. Behind their belt they have 6 releases and performances from Brighton to Berdin and from Cuba to Russia. This is a well-coordinated team of seven people on stage that combines groove, funk and soul. They performed with George Clinton P-Funk Allstars, Michael Monroe and many other stars. Vocalist Rick Lover says about his group: “We have always made people dance and move, even caused the trans. We cure depression and weakness, and are introducing funk in to the sex life of many couples.” Not long ago, the group has acquired its own Funky Bus, on the roof of which they often perform at home.

The biggest pacific Russian showcase festival V-ROX is opening the doors to the free port of Vladivostok at SXSW festival in Austin, Texas

This year V-ROX official SXSW showcase event will take place at Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room on 323 E 6th St with entrance from Trinity St on the 19th of March 2016.

Artists taking part at the showcase will be V-ROX ambassadors Victim Mentality from South Korea, Vietnamese female rapper Suboi and an electronic DJ from Japan, Emufucka. The evening will kick off with an amazing performance from Albatross, a popular artist from Nepal. Headlining the event will be the talented German artist Laura Carbone. Mumiy Troll, the famous Russian band and curators of V-ROX Festival have also come up with a small surprise for all participants and SXSW audience. 

Ilya Lagutenko (curator of V-ROX and Mumiy Troll front man) — “SXSW — is the biggest showcase festival in the world, for the last two years it has been an official partner of V-ROX festival. Thanks to our collaboration, we have had the pleasure to introduce many acts to the people of Vladivostok such as YB, HEO, and Victim Mentality from Korea, and mothercoat from Japan as well as many others.”

See you on the 19th of March at Maggie Mae’s Gibson Room, V-ROX delegates are looking forward to meeting new and old friends.

WE V-ROX YOU!