Кино - Закрой За Мной Дверь Y Ухожу (c.1988)
(English: Kino - Close The Door Y Leaving Behind Me)
Kino (Russian: Кино́ “film”, also “cinema”, often written uppercase, КИНО) was an iconic Soviet post-punk band headed by Viktor Tsoi. It was one of the most famous rock groups in the Soviet Union.
Kino was formed by members of two earlier groups from Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia), Palata No. 6 and Piligrim, in 1981.
All Kino songs were written by Viktor Tsoi. His lyrics are characterized by a poetic simplicity. The band’s message to the public was not overtly political but had a recurring theme of freedom that influenced Soviet youth to demand change. Their songs largely focused on man’s struggle in life and dealt with such overarching themes as love, war, and the pursuit of liberty.
Since rock music in the former Soviet Union was viewed as undesirable by the government, Kino, like the other rock bands of the time, initially performed only in semi-underground clubs and at private apartments (‘kvartirnik’).
Musically, Kino’s music was inspired by post punk and new wave. Tsoi’s vocals were especially influenced by those of Ian Curtis of the British band Joy Division.
Kino has remained popular in modern Russia, and Tsoi in particular is a cult hero. The group’s popularity is referred to as “Kinomania,” and fans of the group are known as “Kinophiles.” In Moscow, there is a Tsoi Wall, where fans leave messages for the musician, and the boiler room where Tsoi once worked is a place of pilgrimage for fans of Russian rock.
On December 31, 1999, Russian rock radio station Nashe Radio announced the 100 best Russian rock songs of the 20th century based on listener votes. Kino had ten songs on the list, more than any other band, and “Gruppa Krovi” took first place.
read more at wikipedia.org
From allmusic.com’s review of the 1988 release:
“…the focus is squarely on frontman Victor Tsoi, whose gruff baritone vocals are compelling even to a listener who speaks not a word of Russian. Listeners who did speak Russian could attest to Tsoi’s subversively poetic lyrics – remember, in the ‘80s, you still had to be oblique about any anti-government sentiments or you had long involuntary interviews with people who could send you to Siberia. “Gruppa Krovi,” the title song, translates as “Blood Type,” the information that is written on the sleeve of every Russian soldier’s uniform. This song from the point of view of a conscript in a foreign war didn’t mention any specifics, but any Russian hearing it would think immediately of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which was still in progress as this song was recorded.“