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
Разные люди
Агата Кристи Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Сидят на берегах небесной реки
Они напоминают людей на блюде
С ними далеко не уплыть не уйти
Разные люди падают в небо
Им от падения так хорошо
Разные люди так вожделенны
Им хочется падать ещё и ещё
Разные люди, разные
Разные люди заразные
От этих людей
Заразных людей
Небо стало такое грязное
Разные люди вращают землю
В разные стороны вокруг себя
Разные люди, и каждый уверен
Что вокруг него кружится земля
Люди локтями давят друг друга
Топчут друг друга скверно бранясь
Бегают каждый по разному кругу
В центре кругов образуется грязь
Разные люди, разные
Разные люди заразные
От этих людей
Заразных людей
Вращение земли такое опасное
Разные люди кусают счастье
На сколько у каждого хватит рта
Счастья так мало, людей так много
И вместо счастья уже пустота
Люди как рыбы хлопают ртами
Требуют жадно у счастья кусок
Люди чужое счастье воруют
Сортируют и прячут в мешок
Разные люди заразные
На волосы счастье намазывают
В красивых коробках его продают
На тело и душу обменивают
А счастья как будто и не было тут
Но разные люди никак не поймут
Что счастье не пряник, счастье не кнут
Счастье смеётся над нами и пьёт за любовь
The lyrics of the song "Разные люди" by Agatha Christie paint a vivid picture of the different people in the world and their interactions with each other. The first verse describes these people as strange and sitting on the banks of a celestial river, resembling people on a plate. This imagery suggests that these individuals are confined or trapped in a certain way of living, unable to escape or float away. The idea of falling into the sky and finding pleasure in the descent can be interpreted as a metaphor for embracing risks and uncertainties in life. These people are depicted as desirable and constantly seeking the thrill of falling repeatedly.
In the following verse, the lyrics emphasize the diversity among people and how their infectious behavior has tainted the heavens, making it dirty. This could symbolize the negative impact of certain individuals on their surroundings, spreading negativity or toxicity. The image of people spinning the earth in different directions around themselves reflects the chaotic and self-centered nature of human interactions. Each person believes that the world revolves around them, leading to conflicts, oppression, and a build-up of filth in the center where they collide.
The theme of people grasping at happiness and consuming it voraciously is prevalent in the next verse. The comparison of people to fish snapping their mouths shut to secure a piece of happiness highlights the insatiable nature of human desire. The lyrics describe a scarcity of happiness despite the abundance of people, leading to emptiness and a sense of dissatisfaction. The act of stealing and hoarding others' happiness further illustrates the competitive and selfish nature of human interactions, where joy becomes a commodity to be traded and hidden away.
The concluding verse delves into the futile pursuit of happiness through external means, such as coating it on hair, selling it in pretty boxes, or trading it for material possessions. However, the lyrics suggest that true happiness cannot be bought or stolen, as it laughs at humanity and celebrates love. The message seems to be a reflection on the misconceptions and misinterpretations of what brings true joy and fulfillment in life, urging people to look beyond superficial pleasures and embrace authentic emotions and connections. The song underscores the complexity and contradictions of human nature, warning against the pitfalls of chasing illusions and encouraging a deeper understanding of what brings genuine happiness and contentment.
Line by Line Meaning
Разные люди странные люди
Different people are strange people
Сидят на берегах небесной реки
They sit on the shores of a celestial river
Они напоминают людей на блюде
They resemble people on a plate
С ними далеко не уплыть не уйти
You can't sail or walk far with them
Разные люди падают в небо
Different people fall into the sky
Им от падения так хорошо
They enjoy falling so much
Разные люди так вожделенны
Different people are so desired
Им хочется падать ещё и ещё
They want to keep falling over and over
Разные люди, разные
Different people, diverse
Разные люди заразные
Different people are contagious
От этих людей
From these people
Заразных людей
Contagious people
Небо стало такое грязное
The sky has become so dirty
Разные люди вращают землю
Different people rotate the earth
В разные стороны вокруг себя
In different directions around themselves
Разные люди, и каждый уверен
Different people, and each one is certain
Что вокруг него кружится земля
That the earth revolves around them
Люди локтями давят друг друга
People push each other with elbows
Топчут друг друга скверно бранясь
Trampling each other and swearing harshly
Бегают каждый по разному кругу
Each one runs in a different circle
В центре кругов образуется грязь
Dirt forms in the center of the circles
Разные люди кусают счастье
Different people bite happiness
На сколько у каждого хватит рта
How much each one can hold in their mouth
Счастья так мало, людей так много
So little happiness, so many people
И вместо счастья уже пустота
And instead of happiness, there's emptiness already
Люди как рыбы хлопают ртами
People clap their mouths like fish
Требуют жадно у счастья кусок
Greedy demand a piece from happiness
Люди чужое счастье воруют
People steal someone else's happiness
Сортируют и прячут в мешок
Sort and hide it in a bag
На волосы счастье намазывают
Smear happiness on their hair
В красивых коробках его продают
Sell it in beautiful boxes
На тело и душу обменивают
Trade it for body and soul
А счастья как будто и не было тут
And happiness seems to have never been here
Но разные люди никак не поймут
But different people just won't understand
Что счастье не пряник, счастье не кнут
That happiness is not a gingerbread, happiness is not a whip
Счастье смеётся над нами и пьёт за любовь
Happiness laughs at us and drinks for love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Vadim Samojlov
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind