Neuromonakh Feofan is a unique project on the Russian stage. The band's musicians managed to do the impossible - they combined electronic music with stylized tunes and balalaika.
Soloists perform music that has not been heard by domestic music lovers until now.
The musicians of the Neuromonakh Feofan group refer their works to the old Russian drum and bass, chants to a heavy and fast rhythm, which deal with the life of Ancient Rus' and the simple joys of peasant life.
To attract attention, the guys had to work on their image. There is a bear on stage in video clips and during performances. It is said that during performances, an artist dressed in a heavy suit loses up to several kilograms of weight.
The vocalist and frontman of the band performs in a hood that covers half of the face. And the third character does not let go of his favorite instrument - the balalaika, with which he appears everywhere - on stage, in clips, during the filming of programs.
The history of the creation and composition of the Neuromonakh Feofan group
The soloists have created a real legend about the creation of a unique project. It talks about the fact that the lonely Feofan walked and wandered through the forest with a balalaika, singing songs and dancing. One day, a bear accidentally wandered to him, who also started dancing.
But one day they met a man named Nicodemus and joined Theophanes and his furry friend.
And the trio decided that it was time to please people with a good Russian folk song. And the musicians came out to the people, began to perform, forgetting about grief, loneliness and sadness.
The musical group "Neuromonakh Feofan" was created in 2009. The unique idea to combine electronic music and Slavic motifs belongs to a young man from the cultural capital of Russia, who prefers to remain incognito for fans.
Soon the personal details of the band's frontman were all known. The young man gave a detailed interview to journalist Yuri Dudyu. The release with the leader of the Neuromonakh Feofan group can be viewed on YouTube video hosting.
Already in 2009, the debut compositions of the new group hit the major radio station Record. Some tracks have been aired. Radio listeners appreciated the creativity of the soloists of the Neuromonakh Feofan group.
A little later, the image of the frontman was invented - a man in a hoodie that resembles a monk's attire, with a hood that covers his face, in bast shoes and with a balalaika in his hands.
Group soloists
To date, the current soloists of the group are:
- Neuromonk Feofan - aka Oleg Alexandrovich Stepanov;
- Nicodemus is Mikhail Grodinsky.
With a bear, everything is much more complicated. From time to time there is a replacement of artists, as they cannot withstand the busy tour schedule.
The performances of the Neuromonk Feofan group are stylized as Russian folk festivals with extras. People are dressed in onuchi, blouses and sundresses.
Musical compositions abound with Slavicisms and outdated Russian words, and the vocals are filled with a characteristic touch.
The creative path of the team Neuromonakh Feofan
The musical compositions of the Neuromonakh Feofan group became available to the general public in 2010. It was then that the band's frontman created the official VKontakte page, where, in fact, the content was uploaded.
The popularity of the team began to increase. However, for a long time, popularity did not leave the network space. The reason for this is the poor sound quality, although there was already enough material for the release of the first album.
DJ Nikodim joined the group only in 2013. The new member also hid his real name. With his arrival, the tracks began to sound completely different - high-quality, rhythmic and "tasty".
In addition to taking on the functions of a DJ, Nikodim played the role of a composer and arranger.
In 2015, the discography of the Neuromonakh Feofan group was replenished with the first album. The tracks that were included in the debut album were already known to music lovers.
Despite this, interest in the record was genuine. Soon the album entered the top ten sales leaders in the Russian sector of iTunes.
Music critics noted that the band's album was a resounding success. And all due to novelty - electronic sound and Russian motives.
Some experts explained the demand for Feofan's tracks by the post of Sergei Shnurov, who allegedly promoted the new team, predicting that they would outshine everyone.
Soon the second album of the group "Great Forces of Good" was released. Despite the fact that some critics foreshadowed the collection as a "failure", it hit the top three in iTunes downloads.
Now everyone who called the debut collection "a cracker" started talking about the good that the group's work has. Since the release of the second album, the peak of the popularity of the Neuromonakh Feofan group has come.
Big tour in Russia
In 2017, the team went on a big tour of major Russian cities. In addition, 2017 was marked by the release of another album that broke all sales records. We are talking about the collection “Dance. Sing".
If we talk about the fullness of the disc, then everything remains in the best traditions of the Neuromonakh Feofan team. The musicians did not change either the image or the theme of the tracks. Such monotony was liked by music lovers and avid fans of the group's work.
2017 is the year of discoveries and new interviews. The band's frontman was invited for an interview with Yuri Dudyu. The frontman's "curtain" was slightly "opened", although the vocalist felt it necessary to keep the hood on.
In 2017, the musical group took part in the Evening Urgant program.
Scandals
Many sincerely do not understand how the Neuromonakh Feofan group can be associated with scandals. The guys create good and positive music. However, there is still some "blackness".
Once the band's frontman shared with fans the idea that her husband was singing along with the Russian singer Anzhelika Varum, "chasing" his voice through a special computer program.
The reaction of the "characters" manifested itself quickly. A conflict broke out, which quickly ended.
In 2015, the missionaries published a report on the website of the religious department, in which they reported that the performance of the group had been disrupted due to a creative pseudonym.
For some individuals, the pseudonym evoked an association with the word "hieromonk". In short, this report stated that Theophan's attire and behavior were absolute blasphemy.
Two years later, Archpriest Igor Fomin said that the soloists of the group were blasphemers. He compared the band's performances with the scandalous group Pussy Riot.
The soloists of the collective acted wiser. They ignored any provocations, sending "rays" of good to their enemies and well-wishers. Musicians do not need scandals and intrigues.
In particular, musicians believe that this is not the best way to increase the rating. However, they do not mind freely expressing their opinion, even if it may offend someone.
The team of Neuromonakh Feofan today
In 2018, the Neuromonakh Feofan group took part in the Kinoproby festival. Their performance could not be ignored, as the musicians were paired with the popular rock band "Bi-2". For fans, they performed the song "Whiskey".
In the same year, the band visited the rock festival "Invasion". The musicians performed old and new songs. The audience noted that the appearance of the Neuromonakh Feofan group was one of the most memorable.
A little later, the musicians presented the Shining album, which included only 6 songs. For 2019, the musicians have a big tour planned.
In 2019, the band's discography was replenished with the Ivushka collection. Fans and music critics warmly welcomed the new work. In 2020, the musicians continue to tour. Most likely, this year the musicians will present a new album.
