LUCIDVOX

Booking Agent : Federico Zanatta & Marco Portello

Firmly established as an influential voice in the burgeoning Russian DIY rock scene, Lucidvox’s incendiary mixture of atmospheric psych-rock, heavy riffs and Russian folk mystery has already gained them both critical attention and audience loyalty outside of their homeland.
Bands in which all or most of the members learn how to play their instruments just to be in the band are something of a special category in the history of popular music. British avant-gardists Wire and American roots hit-makers Creedence Clearwater Revival come to mind, as do, in varying degrees, post-punk legends like The Raincoats and The Slits. From such beginnings, the results can be quite compelling. The individual player’s inexperience becomes an asset―they are free to create without the burden of past prejudices―and the sound attains a mysterious balance. The sum becomes greater than its parts and a unique musical vocabulary is stitched together piece by piece. Musical skills are developed specifically for their usefulness in creating that collective sound. The Russian quartet Lucidvox are another one of these bands. And a great one at that.

Lucidvox comprises four women self-exiled outside of Russia: Alina (vocals/flute), Nadezhda (drums), Galla (guitar) and Anna (bass). Formed in 2013, after 10 years of carrier they’ve released in 2023 their latest record.
That’s What Remained cannot be anything other than a Lucidvox record – that firebird quality they always had, the busy rhythms and spitting guitar runs, are still there. But it’s a work with a considerable presence; much more so than their debut, We Are. This is down to a number of factors, maybe the key one being the number of people involved. Lucidvox are a tight-knit, democratic band, used to making music together, alone. But when formulating this record they turned outwards, and asked trumpeter Timur Mizinov from Wooden Whales, violinist Dasha Avramova, guitarist Dmitry Chesnov and multi-instrumentalist Ella Bayisbaeva as a back vocalist to contribute; alongside a children’s choir(!). Guitarist Galla Gintovt mapped out the reason. “We wanted to have a bigger, more powerful sound. And when many people make music together, we can come together as one in the group; it’s different, an interesting experience for a musician when you are one of many.” The results were such that Galla, and drummer Nadya Samodurova both quipped they wanted to rename the band Lucidvox Orchestra. Samodurova noted: “Dima [Dmitry] came to the rehearsals and tried to make a bigger sound. Dima is magic; he has a good ear for music and plays his guitar instantly, to find the correct point where to add to the sound.” Vocalist Alina Evseeva: “All the musicians who played with us created their parts themselves. It wasn’t us suggesting it. It was coworking and co-curating.” It is an oddly liturgical work, too. Devotions are made in sonic form, the songs often seem to be acting as ritual missives offered up in the hope of better times. The lyrics on single ‘There Ahead’ are indicative, and in their straightforwardness dovetail well with this new approach to structure: “Stay there, the lights will shine ahead / New flags of the new spring / You can’t break me / You can’t break me / You can’t break me / Peace to the world.”

 
Lucidvox bandcamp
Lucidvox Instagram

Tourdates

No shows booked at the moment.