LIFESTYLE37 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014 MUSIC & MOVIES Russian rock stars rail against Crimea campaign Indian Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, African actor Vipinno and Bollywood director Asshu Trikha speak onstage during a promotional event for the forthcoming Hindi film ‘Koyelaanchal’, produced and directed by Asshu Trikha, in Mumbai. — AFP Nine Inch Nails’ Trent A picture taken on October 11, 2010, shows Russian rock musicians Andrey Makarevich and Boris Grebenshchikov speaking with Dmitry Medvedev, then Russiaís President, during their meeting Beat-Blues Cafe in Moscow. — AFP photos hile patriotic fervour grips Russia ‘From Crimea to the Yenisei!’ over its takeover of Crimea and The Kremlin has a cohort of stars Reznor feels ‘fresh start’ WPresident Vladimir Putin’s ready to turn out in support, however. approval ratings soar, some of the top For Red Square celebrations after rent Reznor says he feels “a fresh new start” for Nine Inch Nails after names in Russian rock have emerged as Crimea’s annexation, rock band Lyube- the band’s latest album and world tour. Reznor released “Hesitation among very few high-profile voices of said to be a favorite of Putin’s-swiftly Marks” in September after his long, self-imposed hiatus. In the five T dissent inside the country. Those who updated a patriotic hit to sing that Russia years since the industrial rockers’ last offering, he won an Academy Award have criticized the intervention in Crimea stretches “From Crimea to the Yenisei,” for his soundtrack work on “The Social Network,” married musician include several grizzled veterans of the referring to a river in Siberia. A host of Mariqueen Maandig and became a father to two young boys. perestroika-era rock scene as well as popular stars signed a Soviet-style public “In these few years, I kind of accidentally got into scoring films. I started younger stars. Among the most outspo- letter organized by the culture ministry a new band: How to Destroy Angels; we put two records out. I tried writ- ken critics is Andrei Makarevich, a curly- in support of Putin’s position on Ukraine. ing a TV show for HBO, which failed. I started a family, and surprisingly, I haired singer who led the hugely popu- Among them were squeaky-clean found myself inspired by that,” Reznor told The Associated Press before lar Soviet-era band Mashina Vremeni pop singer Valeriya and patriotic singer playing over the weekend at the Lollapalooza festival in Chile. And he felt (Time Machine), known for melodic Oleg Gazmanov, both listed in Forbes like writing some Nine Inch Nails songs. songs about personal freedom. Russia’s top 50 entertainment figures At first Reznor was hesitant about embarking on tour. “But we started “Everything that is happening in our and regularly shown on state television. rehearsing and it was fun, it felt fresh. I’ve been looking at things through country today-the rabid propaganda, the Rock band Alisa, which has played at finite eyes,” he said. “Life feels different at 48 than it did at 24. I don’t know frenzy of jingoism, even the Olympics- Kremlin concerts, this week cancelled a how much longer I’ll be doing this, or people will care ... it’s not as endless tour of Ukraine planned for May calling it as it once seemed, so I treat it more preciously.” While on tour, Reznor is in a state of “coup d’etat and anarchy.” also working on scoring director David Fincher’s upcoming film “Gone Girl.” “The main thing that I’m concerned about is putting myself in positions ‘Stop lying to your people’ and places that are often uncomfortable, to force myself to grow as an Yet Makarevich is not alone in break- artist,” Reznor said. “I don’t think I’ve written the best songs I can write. I ing ranks on Ukraine. Cult rock singer don’t think I know how to write songs very well yet. I’m not saying that to Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails performs at the Vive Latino music festi- Boris Grebenshchikov, reacted furiously be humble, but I’ve got a long ways to go.” — AP val in Mexico City, Mexico. — AP when state television used one of his hits as the soundtrack to footage of Kiev protests. How Paramount kept ‘Godfather’ of house music They combined footage of clashes in Kiev with his lyrics: “This land was ours ‘Noah’ from sinking and until we got bogged down in the fight. It Frankie Knuckles dies at 59 will die if it belongs to no one. It’s time for us to return this land.” beat the bad buzz - again rankie Knuckles, a pioneer of pulled at Disco Demolition Night and To retaliate, Grebenshchikov, the lead house music who also mixed it didn’t mean a thing to me or my singer of Aquarium, posted a simple anti- Frecords for the likes of Michael crowd,” Knuckles told the Tribune. war song on YouTube called “Love in a Jackson and Whitney Houston, has time of war.” “Stop setting one people died at the age of 59, news reports against others, stop lying to your people said early yesterday. The death of a Russian rock musician Andrey for the sake of the semblance of profit man dubbed the “godfather” of Makarevich performing in Beat-Blues today. Tomorrow it will lead to immea- Chicago house music was confirmed Cafe in Moscow. surably worse losses,” he wrote on by his longtime business partner, are very reminiscent of Germany in the Facebook. One of Russia’s most mysteri- Frederick Dunson, the Chicago late 1930s,” he wrote in a series of ous stars, rock singer Zemfira, who fierce- Tribune reported. Dunson said Facebook posts. “When the mass psy- ly guards her privacy, also chose to put Knuckles died unexpectedly at home. chosis ends (and it will), we will all out a pro-Ukrainian message. The cause of death for Knuckles, remember that Ukraine is our neighbor On March 2 the androgynous singer who over the weekend deejayed at and closest relative,” he added. The 60- posted on her official site a video of her the Ministry of Sounds’ club in year-old singer-who until now was not singing a song by ultra-political Ukrainian London, was not immediately known. seen as an anti-Kremlin figure and even band Okean Elzy which staunchly backed Dunson said more details on the sat next to Putin at a Paul McCartney the uprising against president Viktor This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Russell Crowe, death would be released today. left, and Ray Winstone in a scene from ‘Noah.’ — AP concert in 2003 — has faced a backlash. Yanukovych. “I want to support, say hi and Besides developing the sound and When Makarevich attended a peace to thank and join all Ukrainian musicians,” oah’ withstood a tsunami of of those - it was both.” She added: culture of house music, Knuckles march down a Moscow boulevard in late she wrote on VKontakte social networking bad buzz to score a $44 mil- “The key was to provide moviegoers mixed records for performers includ- March, wearing ribbons in Ukrainian col- site. Okean Elzy has had its concerts in ‘Nlion debut last weekend and with context, so that they would ing Houston, Jackson and Depeche “But it scared the record companies, ors, state television zoomed in on his face Russia cancelled following the crisis. capture the top spot at the box office. know what they were going to see.” Mode, the Tribune said. After learning so they stopped signing disco artists with a disapproving comment. More than Senator John McCain photographed its The opening won’t be one for the to be a club DJ in New York, Knuckles and making disco records. So we cre- 21,000 people have signed an online electrifying concert on Kiev’s record books, and with a reported From ‘World War Z’ to ‘Noah’ moved to Chicago in the late 1970s ated our own thing in Chicago to fill petition calling for Makarevich to be Independence Square in December. production budget of $125 million, Going into last weekend, the story and forged fame as one of the city’s the gap.” Knuckles would extend mix- the picture must navigate more of “Noah” - the movie - was of a studio stripped of his state decorations includ- Other more predictable figures to speak most influential dance music forces. es of soul and R&B records and turn ing the title of “People’s Artist” for march- out include shaggy-haired Yury Shevchuk, rough weather on its journey to prof- at war with director Darren He came to the city just as disco them into dance tracks, introduce itability, but it’s the latest example of Aronofsky, best known for “Black ing “with murderers from the Maidan” the leader of rock band DDT who is a reg- was dying out, a trend underscored new singles being produced by protest hub in Kiev. In response, writer ular at protests against Putin. “Each of us Paramount Pictures taking a pricey Swan,” and under siege from Christian when a local deejay Steve Dahl blew fledgling house artists and incorpo- high-profile movie that could have groups over deviations from the Lyudmila Ulitskaya and Russia’s top pop must simply do everything he can to up hundreds of disco albums. “I wit- rate drum machines to emphasize diva Alla Pugachyova were among those avoid a fratricidal war,” he wrote on his capsized under the weight of punish- Bible, while a wildly expensive pro- nessed that caper that Steve Dahl the beat, the Tribune said. —AFP ing headlines and launching it suc- duction hung in the balance.