Vlad MAKAROV is a free improv musician, painter and improviser on cello & guitar. Born in 1950, he lives and works in Smolensk, Russia. Makarov is an abstract expressionist artist, his method of painting uses tachism and dripping. The distinguishing features of his works are musicality, spontaneous energy, sound tension and emotional pressure.
He is one of the pioneers of Russian new improvised music and Russian alternative art. From different styles; free improvisation, contemporary classic, new jazz, avant-rock, experimental, noise, electro-acoustic music. The Makarov’s aesthetic is not postmodernist, but he searches an own language, a personal territory for making the art a holistic feeling. Makarov as a musician follows the aesthetic creed of free improvised music. He has developed his own structural method and style of improvisation. His music is filled with emotional pressure from a tragic freedom background.
He has worked with both Russian and Western alternative music stars; John Fisher, Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser, Greg Goodman, Jim Menesis, LaDonna Smith (USA), Elton Dean, Chris Cutler, Maggie Nichols, Phil Minton , Vladimir Miller, Alex Kolkovsky (England), Erhard Hirt, Martin Teurer, Heinz-Erich Goedecke, Alfred Harth, Hans Schuttler, Martin Verborg, Paul Schwingenschloegl (Germany), Ive Robert, Didier Petit , Misha Lobko (France) Jacques Siron, Markus Eichenberger , Fahrt Art Trio, Duo Fatale (Switzerland), Dror Feiler and “Lokomotiv- Konkret” (Sweden), Ryoji Hojito (Japan).
with Fred Fith and Chris Cutler
In the Russian side: Sergey Kuryokhin, Sergey Letov, Sainkho, Valentina Ponomareva, Vjacheslav Gayvoronsky, Alexandr Nesterov, Valery Dudkin, Alexey Aigui, Michael Yudenich, Nick Sudnik, Ed Sivkov, Alexey Borisov, Nick Rubanov, Yury Yaremchuk, Dmitry Kachovsky, Roman Stolyar, Ilia Belorukov o.a. Since 1980 he is performing as solo cellist-improviser and with various ensembles.
He has been participant of many festivals, actions, concerts of jazz, rock, contemporary and avant-garde music: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Volgograd, Ekaterinburg, Smolensk, Vologda, Arkhangelsk; Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Parnu, Kiev, Kharkov, Minsk, Lvov; London, Berlin, Cologne, Muenster, Dresden, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hagen, Val Poschiavo, Switzerland.
What do you remember about your first instrument?
- My first instrument was an acoustic guitar from my childhood
- I began to play cello when I was interesed in new improvised music
Which was the first and the last record you bought with your own money?
- My first record... I bought it at early 70's - The Bee Gees 1st (Polydor 1967)
...now I do not buy any CDs.
What are the differences between the cello and the guitar for you?
- The guitar for me is an everyday working instrument,
but the cello is my lady for the important and main art occasions
Which work of your own are you most surprised by, and why?
- All of them always surprise me
What's the relevance of technique in music, in your opinion?
- The technique must serve the idea and the style of your music
What is your relationship with the musical traditions of your country?
- For my music it's important the whole and universal music cosmos
What’s the difference between a good instrument and a bad one?
- They are not so many differences, mainly
What are the challenges and benefits of today's digital music scene?
- Digital music kills music life and sound differences...
Define the sound you're still looking for.
- It seems to me that I already found my own sound, you can hear it...
What quality do you most empatize with in a musical work?
- A personal existential expression and an own original style
What special or extrange techniques do you use?
- I change the traditional sound of my cello using many ways of prepared techniques...
What's your best musical experience?
- To play with musicians who knows and share my music language.
GUITAR MOOD - Vlad & Evgeny Makarov. Evgeny makarov - guitar, Vlad Makarov - guitar
What’s your craziest project about?
- With tuvinian (Tuva - the eastern country) musician as my EvroAsian project 1996
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
- 2003 Live at Mudd V. Makarov-P.Schwingenschloegl-E.Makarov-V.Chesnes. CD Xtra-t rec.002
2003 Hot Summer in Berlin V.Makarov-P.Schwingenschloegl-E.Makarov CD Xtra-t rec 001
2003 Riga Quartet 1984 V.Makarov-S.Letov-A.Akseonov-A.Kondrashkin CD Pentagramma 038
2003 Fours V.Miller and Quartets CD LongArms CDLA 03052
- 2002 Golden Years of the Soviet New Jazz Anthlogy vol. 3 CD's Leo Records 409-412
2002 Psycho V.Makarov-S.Letov CD Pentagramma 036
2002 Music Out of Time V.Makarov-V.Gayvoronsky-N.Rubanov CD Mak-Art 009
2002 Music-Not-In-Itself V.Makarov-Aigi-Sivkov-Boys Band Trio CD Mak-Art 010
2002 Middle Russian Exotic Project V.Macarov-N.Rubanov-M.Davydov-M.Yudenich CD Mak-Art 011
- 2002 Pieces of Music for White Dots A compilation of St.Petersburg avantgarde music CD Palace editions
2001 Deep throat -voice festival H.Ooorzhak & Primitive music Orchestra CD Doma rec. 0105
2000 The Hand V.Makarov-S.Letov CD Pentagramma 021
2000 The Death of Andropov… V.Makarov-S.Letov-M.Yudenich CD Pentagramma 022
2000 Alexandr Kondrashkin A.Kondrashkin-V.Makarov-S.Letov
2000 Pushkin Vigil . Live at Pushkinskaja 10 V.Makarov-Rubanov-P.Runovskaja-M.Davydov CD Mak-Art 005
2000 Invitation to… Makarov & Friends Shelley Hirsch, Erhard Hirt,Greg Goodman,Henry Kaiser, LaDonna Smith, Phil Minton,Vlad Makarov CD Mak-Art 008
- 1999 Works V.Ponomareva, S.Letov, V.Makarov a.o. CD Pentagramma 012
1998 The Caprices for Cello and Voice V.Makarov-L. Ishenko-M.Davydov-O.Dostay CD Mak-Art 003
1997 The End of a Belle Epoch V.Makarov-V.Miller-E.Sivkov-M.Yudenich CD Mak-Art 002
1997 Space - Mythology - Silence V.Makarov - M.Yudenich CD Mak-Art 001
1994 Life at City Garden Moscow Composers Orchestra & Saincho CD U-Sound 95027
1993 Kings and Cabbages Moscow Composers Orchestra cod.by V.Miller CD Leo lab 005
1989 Document-New Music from Russia Anthology vol. 7 Leo records LR 801-808
1987 Temptation - Iskushenie V.Ponomareva LP Melodija
