Mumiy Troll

Mumiy Troll (Russian: Му́мий Тро́лль [ˈmumʲɪj ˈtrolʲ]) is a Russian rock group, founded in 1983 in Vladivostok by vocalist and songwriter Ilya Lagutenko (Илья Лагутенко). The band's name translates as 'The mummies' troll' and is a pun on Moomin Troll, the series of Finnish children's books by Tove Jansson.[1]

Mumiy Troll
Mumiy Troll in 2016
Background information
OriginVladivostok/Moscow, Russia
GenresRock, alternative rock, indie rock, britpop
Years active1983–present
WebsiteOfficial site
MembersIlya Lagutenko
Oleg Pungin
Alexander Kholenko
Artyom Kritsin
Pavel Vovk
Past membersYuri Tsaler
Eugene "Sdwig" Zvidionny
Olesya Lyashenko
Denis Transkiy

Career
The band in 2000

The group was founded on 16 October 1983 in Vladivostok. In 1985, they recorded the first album, Novaya luna aprelya, which was eventually distributed on tape.[2] Mumiy Troll broke up when Lagutenko, who graduated in Mandarin and Chinese Economy, went to serve in the Soviet army (Russian Air Navy). Then he came back, the band released the second album, Delay Yu-Yu in 1990. The early concerts were proven commercially unsuccessful.[2] They first gained immense popularity with the release of their first (official) album Morskaya (Морская, Marine) in May 1997, which showcased a combination of melodic hard rock and Lagutenko's offbeat lyrics and coy, androgynous performance style. The second CD Ikra (Икра, Caviar), followed seven months later, and was equally successful.

The band in 2007

Mumiy Troll remains one of Russia's most popular musical acts. Ilya Lagutenko defined their music style as rockapops. Once again Mumiy Troll became the leader of an entire new musical trend copied now to greater or lesser degree by Russian wannabees and mainstream artists. Being an example of one of the successful long-standing independent artists in Russia band released 13 albums (including English-language). In 2015 they released album Pirate Copies (in Russian) and in 2016 - Malibu Alibi (English) – all songs were created during the band's round-the-world trip on a 19-century sailing ship in locations as diverse as LA, Moscow, China, Singapore and South Africa.

The group wrote and produced soundtracks for a full-length cartoon movie and gave a new sound to classic Russian silent sci-fi movie and donated tracks to feature films including Russian blockbuster Night Watch, where Lagutenko also plays the Vampire. His face is on the cover of the American release.

The band on first V-Rox festival, 2013

Mumiy Troll is well known in Japan, China and Europe. The band cooperate with "Shoot The Artist" (Bjorn Tagemoose, video) and "The Agency" (North American tours-2009). The band's North American tour of 16 dates earlier this year was a huge success, so "The Agency" announced another two-month North American tour.

In 2001, they represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest and came in 12th place.[2][3] Time Out (London) wrote that they 'stole the show' by standing out as snakeskin heroes amongst all the taffeta and tuxedos.

The group has participated in various international festivals and music conferences, including SXSW, Culture Collide, Zandari Festa, Mu:Con, Sound City, and Visual Japan Summit. In 2013, they founded their own showcase festival "Vladivostok Rocks" (V-ROX).[4] The festival was dubbed "a small Pacific Woodstock" by Russia Beyond The Headlines.[5] V-ROX was held annually from 2013 to 2019. The 2020 edition of the festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]

Mumiy Troll was the first to support the activities of PSI organization fighting AIDS in Russia and performed at the No Name Fever exhibition for AIDS in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2005. They are also well known for conservation activities on wild life in Far-East taiga and helping local minorities to survive. Ilya Lagutenko is a patron of the British-Russian Amur fund for the protection of Amur tigers and leopards.

Trivia
  • The first Russian music video to be broadcast by MTV Russia in 1998 was Mumiy Troll's "Vladivostok 2000."
  • The very same day (31 December 1999) that Mumiy Troll scheduled the release of the single "The Carnival Is Over" Vladimir Putin took over from Boris Yeltsin.
  • Their album Merger and Acquisitions (2005) was called back from the printers on the day of release when distributors realized that the bride and groom on the cover were wearing masks of Putin and Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The band changed them into symbols of hearts and United States dollars respectively.

Band members
The band in 2016 (from left to right: Oleg Pungin, Ilya Lagutenko, Alexander Kholenko, Pavel Vovk, Artyom Kritsin

Discography
  • 1985 – Novaya luna aprelya (Новая луна апреля, New April Moon)
  • 1990 – Delay Yu-Yu (Делай Ю-Ю, Do Yu-Yu)
  • 1997 – Morskaya (Морская, Nautic)
  • 1997 – Ikra (Икра, Caviar)
  • 1998 – Shamora – pravda o Mumiyakh i Trollyakh (Шамора. Правда о Мумиях и Троллях, Shamora: The Truth About Mummys and Trolls)
  • 1998 – S novym godom, Kroshka! (С Новым Годом, Крошка!, Happy New Year, Baby!)
  • 2000 – Tochno rtut' aloe (Точно Ртуть Алоэ, Just Like Mercury Aloe Is)
  • 2002 – Meeamury (Меамуры, Meamurs)
  • 2004 – Pohititeli knig (Похитители Книг, The Book Thieves)
  • 2005 – Sliyaniye i pogloshcheniye (Слияние и Поглощение, Merger and Acquisition)
  • 2007 – Amba (Амба)
  • 2008 – 8
  • 2009 – Comrade Ambassador – US release (in Russian)
  • 2010 – Paradise Ahead – US EP Release
  • 2012 – Vladivostok
  • 2013 – SOS matrosu (SOS матросу, SOS to the Sailor)
  • 2015 – Piratskie kopii (Пиратские копии, Pirate Copies)[7]
  • 2016 – Malibu Alibi
  • 2016 – #31E
  • 2018 – Восток Х СевероЗапад

Awards
  • 1997 The Best Still Image 1996 for Utekai (Slip Away) The Best Still Image 1997 for Delfiny (Dolphins) – the award from the Pokolenie Video Festival.
  • 1997 The Best Rock Group 1997 – Ovation prize from the Russian Music Academy.
  • 1997 The Best Group 1997, The Best Album 1997 for Morskaya (Nautical), The Best Song 1997 for Utekai (Slip Away), The Best Group 1998, The Best Video 1998 for Delfiny (Dolphins), The Best Video 1999 for Nevesta? (Bride?), The Best Musical Site 1999 – Russian music magazine Fuzz prize
  • November 2002 Golden Disk according to the Meamories album sales in Latvia.[1]
  • 2002 Zolotoy Grammofon (Golden Gramophone) premium (for the most popular song at Russkoe Radio in 2002) was awarded for the song Eto po lyubvi (Based on Love).[1]
  • 2002 The Best Group 2002, The Best Song 2002 for Eto po lyubvi (Because of love) – the Poboroll prize from Nashe Radio.[1]
  • May 2004 Golden Disk according to the Pohititeli Knig album sales in Latvia.
  • 2005 The Best Album 2005 for Sliyanie i Pogloshenie (Merger and Acquisition) – Russian music magazine Fuzz prize.
  • 2006 Animation category – video clip Strakhu Net – Russian Flash Awards prize.
  • 2006 For the contribution to rock-art – Russian music magazine Fuzz prize.
  • 2006 Legend of MTV – MTV Russia Music Awards.
  • 2008 The Best Album 2008 – Mumiy Troll, «8» – Chartova Duzhina
  • 2008 The Best Music 2008 – Mumiy Troll, Contrabands – Chartova Duzhina
  • 2008 Internet 2008 – Mumiy Troll, www.mumiytroll.com – Steppe Wolf
  • 2008 CD 2008 – Mumiy Troll, «8» – Steppe Wolf
  • 2009 The Best Group 2009 – Mumiy Troll – Chartova Duzhina

References
  1. Davidson, Neil. "Biography: Mumiy Troll". Allmusic. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  2. "Рок-группа "Мумий Тролль"" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  3. "Мумий Тролль". Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  4. Ryzik, Melena (28 August 2013). "East by Far East: Vladivostok Rocks (Published 2013)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  5. Shenkman, Yan (1 September 2013). "V-ROX: A small Pacific Woodstock". Russia Beyond The Headlines. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  6. "V-ROX 2020 = V-ROX 2021". V-ROX. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  7. Starostin, Alexey (16 April 2015). ""Мумий Тролль" — "Пиратские копии"" (in Russian). Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Alsou
with "Solo"		 Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest
2001		 Succeeded by
Prime Minister (Band)
with "Northern Girl"
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