Many consider chanson indecent and vulgar music. However, fans of the Russian group "Affinage" think otherwise. They say that the team is the best thing that has happened to Russian avant-garde music.
The musicians themselves call their style of performance "noir chanson", but in some works you can hear notes of jazz, soul, even grunge.
History of the creation of the collective
Before the creation of the collective, only two members of the group were professionally engaged in music: Alexander Kryukovets (accordion player) and Sasha Om (trombonist). Em Kalinin and Sergey Sergeyevich are self-taught. However, before the formation of the Refining group, all musicians already had experience in this area.
Em Kalinin is a frontman and vocalist, after the first serious passion for music, he was engaged only in solo activities.
Initially, Kalinin positioned himself as a poet, but later he had his own musical project "(a) AIDS". Sasha Om also did not play in groups, but developed alone with the project of the same name.
Sergey Shilyaev was seriously interested in rock music, in particular punk rock, and played in the band Her Cold Fingers.
The guys met in Vologda. However, not everyone managed to immediately find future colleagues in the shop. Mikhail "Em" Kalinin and Sergey Shilyaev met and immediately decided to create a new group. Unfortunately, there were no musicians suitable for the style of the group.
So, the guys moved to St. Petersburg and stopped exhausting themselves in search of new faces, creating a duet. They chose the extraordinary name “Me and Mobius are going to Champagne”.
Shortly after the guys met, two more musicians found each other in the same city of Vologda. Sasha Om and Sergey Kryukovets very quickly found a common language, as both were professional musicians.
A few months after the first rehearsals of the duet of Kalinin and Shilyaev, fate brought them together with Kryukovets. Now the trio was playing, giving small concerts and planning to record the first album. Together they renamed the team "Refining".
They played their first live performance at the Baikonur club in St. Petersburg. In fact, immediately after that, trombonist Sasha Om joined them.
In 2013, the band released their debut album "Refining".
At the moment, the band's discography includes 11 albums.
The first sip of the popularity of the group Refinage
After the release of the debut album, many heard about the group. Their singles hit the Russian charts and occupied a leading position there.
If the first album was presented only in St. Petersburg, then with the release of the third work “Russian Songs”, the guys visited St. Petersburg, Moscow, even Minsk. It was after the release of the album "Russian Songs" that the group got a logo - a wolf cub, which is also mentioned in the song "Volchkom".
The musicians had many doubts about the third studio work. It is unlikely that the listeners warmly accepted the gloomy album with motives of Russian folklore and fairy tales. This is not a trend in modern music.
However, regarding the quality of the music, the band was sure that it was a worthwhile thing. And they were not mistaken, the "fans" spoke positively about the album. Everyone was especially impressed by the manner of Kalinin's performance - the transition from calm singing to screaming.
Style and sound
For the Russian scene, the sound of the Refining group is something unusual in terms of genre. Style varies from indie to harder rock, from pop to folk. At the same time, listeners noted that thanks to such a combination of genres, one can easily recognize the group among the rest.
Their songs are characterized by depressing lyrics and acoustic sound. Also unusual for the Russian listener is that the musicians use button accordion and trombone to create a darker and more gloomy atmosphere.
However, not all of their songs are like this. In some works, the problems of relationships, love and friendship are touched upon. The texts are distinguished by hooligan motives.
Kalinin's vocals also shine with variety: from a calm and quiet recitation of poetry to an hysterical scream.
The musicians themselves call the style of their music “noir chanson”, explaining this by the fact that they want to get rid of unnecessary labels. In addition, the presence of their own unique style helps the team to "keep up the mark" not only in terms of sound, but also purely formally, because there is no longer a noir-chanson group on the Russian stage.
What does the name of the group Refinage mean?
The name of the group was borrowed from French and means purification. The word "refining" in modern Russian is used in the mining industry to refer to the process of purifying precious materials from unnecessary impurities.
Interesting facts about the group
- The group's songs such as "Sodom and Gomorrah" and "Like" were used as a soundtrack in Alexei Rybnikov's film "It'll all be over soon." According to the director, the selection of music was a whole year. It is the songs of the group "Affinage" that are ideal in meaning and atmosphere.
- The symbol of the group (wolf cub) was also embodied as a medallion. It was part of the deluxe edition of Russian Songs. The set also included photographs of the band and their lyrics.
- To record songs, musicians often use unusual instruments: bassoon, violin, button accordion, trombone, darbuku.
- Initially, the album "Russian Songs" was distributed in St. Petersburg near the church.
Refining Group in 2021
At the beginning of June 2021, the musicians of the Affinage band presented a new video to fans. The video was titled "Sydney". The piece of music is written from a little boy who wants to go on a rocket journey. "Fans" awarded the work of the musicians with positive comments.
