Agata Kristi has created its unique style incorporating post-punk / new wave music with decadent poetry in their lyrics and made a great contribution to Russian rock. They achieved the Grand-Prix at festival of young European groups "Open du Rock" (France, 1991), premium "World Music Awards" as the most popular Russian music band (Monte-Carlo, 1997), four national premiums "Овация (Ovation)", in 2000 it was voted the best Russian group of the 90s.
The founders of the band - Vadim Samoylov (born in Sverdlovsk, 3 October 1964), Aleksandr Kozlov (born in Asbest, 25 September 1961) and Petr Mai - were schoolmates, they played together in a school band. In 1985 they (together with Vadim's younger brother Gleb Samoylov, who was born in Asbest, August 4, 1970) created a music band named "ВИА РТФ УПИ" (which literally stands for: vocal-instrumental ensemble of Radioengineering faculty of Ural Polytechnical Institute). The original band comprises:
Глеб Самойлов (Gleb Samoylov) - vocals, guitar, bass, lyrics, adaptation, keyboard
Вадим Самойлов (Vadim Samoylov) - vocals, guitar, bass, lyrics, adaptation, keyboard
Петр Май (Petr Mai) -- drums, percussion
Александр Козлов (Aleksandr Kozlov) - keyboard, composer/lyrics (now deceased)
They released several tape albums: "Если (If)", "Свет (Light)", and others. In the same year they changed the name of the band to "Agata Kristi" (the way Agatha Christie's name is pronounced in Russian). The name was chosen allegedly as best reflecting the band's sound style, a mysterious, eccentric, and at times sadistically spooky mix of glam, goth rock, and techno-like electronics.
The official birthday of "Agata Kristi" is February 20, 1988, the day of their first concert and the release of the first official album "Второй Фронт" (Vtoroj Front - Second Front). In 1988-1989 "Agata Kristi" played at several rock festivals and was beginning to attract attention. Still, two more albums to follow -- "Коварство и любовь" (Kovarstvo i Lubov - Craft and Love) and "Декаданс" (Dekadans - Decadence) -- seemed overly theatrical and pompous to many. There were also some internal tensions in the band: Petr Mai left and was replaced by Альберт Потапкин (Albert Potapkin), and then by Андрей Котов (Andrey Kotov) (born in Sverdlovsk, April 3, 1963).
In 1993 the band released a much more focused and balanced album: "Позорная Звезда" (Pozornaya Zvezda - Shameful Star), which marked a shift from the guitar-driven glam rock of the previous albums to a synth-based post-punk with a more subdued vocal delivery. The next album "Опиум" (Opium) enjoyed considerable success. "Agata Kristi" quickly became a popular act. Two songs from "Opium" -- "Сказочная Тайга" (Fairy Taiga) and "Опиум для Никого" (Opium for Nobody) became hits. The next albums - "Ураган" (Uragan - Hurricane) and "Чудеса" (Chudesa - Miracles) -- were gloomy, even depressive, and loaded with electronics, a move which was not well-recieved by many of the band's fans. 2000's "Майн Кайф?" (Main Kaif? - a word-play derived from Mein Kampf (Hitler's autobiography) and the Russian word "Kaif", meaning 'bliss' - featured sound no less gloomy and bleak than its predecessors, but received critical praise because of its unorthodox composition and song structures. In 2001, the founding keyboardist, Alexander Kozlov, died, which is said to be the reason for prolonged creative stagnation. Only in 2004 did the Samoylovs release the next album: "Триллер Часть 1" (Triller Chast' 1 - Thriller Part 1). It was a significant stylistic deviation from the band's trademark murky electronic sound. This lean, heavier, hard rock-infused album was generally well received by critics, that have found a likeness with the "Opium" album, and it has divided listeners & fans in two: those who stayed with the band, and those who didn't accept the new style. Several songs from this album made it to the top of the charts in Russia and made appearances on the radio.
While being less prolific in the 2000s, Agata Kristi has proved to be quite a long-lasting project. Over their history, the band explored a variety of styles, from the synth-pop of Depeche Mode and Freddie Mercury's extravaganza to the gloomy post-punk of The Cure and The Damned. Unlike the majority of the Russian rock scene, which historically adhered to the guitar-driven rock, Agata Kristi embraced a hefty share of synthesizer rhythms and drums, which, together with the characteristic vocals switching from a suggestive whisper to hysterical shrieks, makes their style easily recognizable.
Starting officially on 11.10.2008, after Andrey Kotov was driven out of the band - Agata Kristi was comprised of the Samoylov brothers and the following new members:
Дмитрий "Снэйк" Хакимов (Dmitry "Snake" Khakimov) - drums, percussion
Константин Бекрев (Konstantin Bekrev) - keyboard, bass
As for now the band does not give and live concerts anymore. Their last and final album "Epilogue" is announced to be released in spring 2010.
Official website: http://agata.ru
Письмо
Агата Кристи Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Чтобы видеть светлое во тьме
Здесь нас потихоньку убирают
Но мы еще не всё, мы еще не все
Ночь упрямо целится мне в спину
Может, мы скорей уже уснем
Я хотел бы умереть красиво
Днем, может, не умрем
Днем, может, не умрем, может, не умрем
Всё ты знаешь, я же тоже знаю
Всё на свете кончится ничем
Что нам, в самом деле, предлагают
Быть этим или тем, каким-то или с кем
О, я хотел бы умереть красиво
Но не так, не пошло, не вдвоем
Ночь упрямо целится нам в спины
Давай уже уснем, давай уже уснем
Днем, может, не умрем
Днем, может, не умрем
Днем, может, не умрем, может, не умрем
Днем, может, не умрем
Днем, может, не умрем
Днем, может, не умрем
Днем, может, не умрем, может, не умрем
Жаль, что кончается всё
Всё, что хотелось хранить
Жаль, что кончается зря
И зря не кончается боль
А где-то возможно все
Бессмертие, дружба, любовь
Невинность ума и души
Целую, пока, пиши!
The lyrics of Агата Кристи's song "Письмо" (Pis'mo, meaning "Letter" in English) convey a sense of despair and longing for something more meaningful in life. The song opens with the line "Hello, I sit here, breaking myself," suggesting the singer's struggle to find meaning or contentment. They express a desire to see the light in darkness, but also acknowledge that they are gradually being taken away from their current state.
The night, symbolically portrayed as targeting the singer from behind, represents the challenges and hardships they face. There is a wish to die beautifully, but not on this particular night if they are together with someone. This hints at the presence of a potential love interest, suggesting that their presence gives hope and a reason to keep going.
The chorus of the song suggests the possibility of surviving during the day, perhaps hinting at the hope that daylight brings and the potential for a brighter future. However, there is an underlying uncertainty as to whether they will actually survive or not.
The second verse highlights the awareness that everything will ultimately end in nothingness. It questions the choices the world offers and the dissatisfaction of settling for a certain identity or association. Once again, there is a desire to die beautifully, but the night stubbornly pursues them both. The repetition of the line "let's sleep already" indicates a longing for an escape from the struggles and hardships of life.
The final verse expresses regret that everything ends and that which was desired to be preserved is lost. It suggests that there is a possibility of finding immortality, friendship, love, and the innocence of mind and soul somewhere else. The song concludes with a farewell and an invitation to continue writing.
Overall, the lyrics reflect a deep longing for something more meaningful and a yearning for a better existence, while acknowledging the challenges and limitations of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Здравствуй, я сижу, себя ломаю
Hello, I am sitting, breaking myself
Чтобы видеть светлое во тьме
To see the light in darkness
Здесь нас потихоньку убирают
Here they are slowly removing us
Но мы еще не всё, мы еще не все
But we are not done yet, we are not all
Ночь упрямо целится мне в спину
The night stubbornly aims at my back
Может, мы скорей уже уснем
Maybe we'll fall asleep sooner
Я хотел бы умереть красиво
I would like to die beautifully
Но не в эту ночь, если мы вдвоем
But not tonight, if we are together
Днем, может, не умрем
Maybe we won't die during the day
Днем, может, не умрем, может, не умрем
During the day, maybe we won't die, maybe we won't die
Всё ты знаешь, я же тоже знаю
You know everything, and I know too
Всё на свете кончится ничем
Everything in the world will end up as nothing
Что нам, в самом деле, предлагают
What are they really offering us
Быть этим или тем, каким-то или с кем
To be this or that, with someone or alone
О, я хотел бы умереть красиво
Oh, I would like to die beautifully
Но не так, не пошло, не вдвоем
But not like this, not alone
Ночь упрямо целится нам в спины
The night stubbornly aims at our backs
Давай уже уснем, давай уже уснем
Let's fall asleep already, let's fall asleep
Днем, может, не умрем
Maybe we won't die during the day
Днем, может, не умрем
Maybe we won't die during the day
Днем, может, не умрем, может, не умрем
During the day, maybe we won't die, maybe we won't die
Днем, может, не умрем
Maybe we won't die during the day
Днем, может, не умрем
Maybe we won't die during the day
Днем, может, не умрем
Maybe we won't die during the day
Днем, может, не умрем, может, не умрем
During the day, maybe we won't die, maybe we won't die
Жаль, что кончается всё
It's a pity that everything ends
Всё, что хотелось хранить
Everything that was worth preserving
Жаль, что кончается зря
It's a pity that it ends in vain
И зря не кончается боль
And the pain doesn't end in vain
А где-то возможно все
And somewhere it's all possible
Бессмертие, дружба, любовь
Immortality, friendship, love
Невинность ума и души
The innocence of mind and soul
Целую, пока, пиши!
Kisses, for now, write!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Gleb Samojlov
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind