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Yellowhead

The style of YellowHead's tunes may be generally regarded as 'downtempo' and some related genres. Nevertheless his experimental approach lets some of his works to be considered as IDM what is quite a different kind of the electronic music. While both of the above are true, his live performances may really vary from what is presented on the CDs, as they are closer to 'big beat'.

Its no matter what stream the the artist's works are close to as long as the peculiar features of the sound let his style be recognizable among the others.

The artist describes his music like 'Tram-pam-pam'. Although this statement may seem a bit doubtful, it shows the mood of the tunes and the entire concept which unite most of the Yellowhead's works. The unifying line comes through a game, through an entertainment, through an experiment with no pretension for revelation, through a pure joy for the sounds and melodies... through everything, what Yellowhead suggests to describe with a term of "lo-fine".

The pseudonym shows, that the personage of 'YellowHead' was formed under the influence of 'Yello', 'Propellerheads' and 'Portishead'. This also explains the Artist's predilection for percussion instruments (as well as his thorough work with that kind of sounds), surprising melody turns (some of them may sound like a mocking at a listener) and cheerfulness blending to melancholy and back.

The creative work of Alexander Ilyin was started in 1991, right at the time of forming the strange band, called 'Stinky' which was distinguished with a complete neglect of the sound quality and a deliberate usage of the things, other than musical instruments for sound evoking. Some of the Stinky compositions turned into the subjects of cult for a narrow group of audience. (for instance "Children are bathing in the Sea", "Jon Disney", "Isbitspyasar"). Back to that time, before tranforming into the Yellowhead, Sasha banged upon the window sashes with the ladles and sang the songs in finnish and other languages he did not know.

He transferred his music to the electronic base in 1998, and since that the musician bears the name of Yellowhead. The same year YH and Booka Dehuk under the pseudonyms of "Dj5" and "Dj 6" created the soundtrack for the "Exhibition #56". It was an experimental techno-grunting with 56 bpm.

After the year of 1998 YellowHead managed to perform in various clubs of Saint-Petersburg and took part in a number of festivals and events ("Museum Night" — Krasnoyarsk; "Linoleum" — Moscow; "Update Music" — St. Petersburg, Moscow; "The Day of the Day" — St. Petersburg; "Symposium V" — Kemerovo; "Sun Vibes" —- Altay, "Spring Freaks" — St. Petersburg; "Multidirectional" — St. Petersburg and others. He remixed some songs and compositions and the remixes were published (remixed for: 5nizza, YaD, Zimmer-G and even The Beatles). His music was broadcasted on some FM and online radio stations and his tracks were released on many compilations of various labels in Russia and abroad. the artist's work gained a high mark of Porky, who's the founder of one of the most respected downtempo labels of the planet — "Pork Records" (the UK).

In 2004 with the help and participation of Few, Jeune homme, Moonscape & Booka Dehuk a literary-musical work "The girl and the mushrooms" was created. It was based on the story of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. If you're used to trust the journalists, you probably would like to know that this work of YH and friends was marked as the best russian noncommercial project of 2004.

While performing live, Yellowhead literally goes on with the style of 'saucepan' music, rhythmically hitting the empty cans with the long pencils. The artist makes his best to create a kindergarten climate during the show, using childish and infantile cartoons and videos, records meant for children and something he calls 'retro-scratch'. However, its important to mention that YH claims his music to be much more serious than anyone would think after the first play. So he asks the audience to listen with intention.

Discography:

"Intelligent Rave Music" (2005)
© 56 STUFF

Tm (2002) with Booka Dehuk; © 56 STUFF
Violet-Yellow Small People (2000); © 56 STUFF
Drumlover (1999); © 56 STUFF
Dirty Candies (1999) with Booka Dehuk; © 56 STUFF

In compilations:

"Past Perfect" (2006) © 56 STUFF / Laridae
"Hemispheres" (2005, © Prominence Reñordings);
"Some Dots of a Certain Sound" (2005, © Electrosound.Ru)
"Different listening 2" (2004, © 56 STUFF);
"Natural Selection vol. 3" (2004, © SHUM Records);
"Stereo Softcore" (2004, © MediaTone);
" Different Listening" (2003, © 56 STUFF);
" Ljubit-Ljubit" (2003, © Snegiri/Legkie);
"Exotica VS. The Beatles / black CD" (2003, © Exotica);
" -TJE" (2002, © Experiment.Ru Records);
" Tell Tchaikovsky the News, vol. 6" (2002, © Exotica lights);
" Tainy hod fishkee" (2002, © 56 STUFF);
" Tell Tchaikovsky the News, vol. 5" (2002, © Exotica lights)

You may download some audio stuff by Yellowhead in "to listen" section.