Schmalgauzen
Year of foundation – 2020
City – Kyiv
Language – Ukrainian
Genre – dark cabaret, chanson
Lineup:
- Roman Debrin (saxophone);
- Yevgeny Zapoyasko (bass);
- Kyrylo Lypko (drums);
- Vladislav Mykhailchuk (guitar);
- Mykhailo Matyukhin (vocals, piano);
- Andriy Shyrko (accordion and direction).
The producer of the project is Valentyn Bilokon.
History of the group
Schmalgauzen is an original theater and music ensemble that originated in a creative environment Ivan Karpenko-Kary Kyiv University of Theatre, Film and Television. The band was formed in the first year: students from different workshops were preparing original songs for a student concert. It was during one of the auditions that the teacher Andriy Saminin joked: “There must be some Schmalhausen here!” This phrase became the impetus for choosing the name.
As Valentin Bilokon recalls, the catchy word instantly sank into the soul. For the artists, it embodied an explosion of energy, drive and a lively stage element. Later it turned out that “Schmalhausen” is the surname of a famous zoologist. And the Institute of Zoology in Kyiv was named after him. However, this information came after the formation of the idea of the band. Literally translated from German, Schmal means “narrow”, Gauzen means “tracks”. But for the musicians, Schmalgauzen is, first of all, an inner sense of rhythm, freedom and one’s own path.
Each of the band members took different paths to the theater university. Some followed a friend, others were advised by their parents. Music had previously been present in the lives of artists to varying degrees. And it was Karpenko-Kary that the magical combination of acting and the sound of live instruments took place.
Creative path
When the Schmalgauzen band was formed, almost none of the members had a musical education or experience of professional performance. Roles in the band were distributed intuitively. Everyone took up the instrument they liked and independently mastered it from scratch. At first, they performed for their own - students and friends. A circle of the first fans also formed in the creative center. They performed simple compositions and gradually gained stage confidence.
Changes came with the beginning of a full-scale war. It was in the fall of 2022 that the musicians collected the demos they had worked on. They began to work on new material more purposefully. After the start of the full-scale invasion, the group did not give concerts for almost a year. Schmalgauzen took to the stage in January 2023 - with an updated program. As the participants themselves admit, it is extremely important for them to be in a live exchange with the audience. The artists sought to experience the stage here and now, and not disappear for a long time in studio work.
The Schmalgauzen repertoire includes programs:
- concert format "Your City";
- Silence to silence (performance based on the works of Samuel Beckett);
- Avgusto & Gustav (performance based on Robert Walser).
The Schmalgauzen group gained wide popularity and recognition from a large audience thanks to the project "Your City". The program quickly became a cultural phenomenon on social networks. Excerpts from the performance went viral, and the main song “Blood and Wine” has collected over 3 million streams on Spotify.
Since the beginning of 2023, the band has toured Ukraine four times with a concert tour, giving 63 performances. According to producer Vlad Bilokon, tickets for all performances were sold out. And the concerts were attended by thousands of fans of the band across the country. The performance at the Palace of Ukraine was also absolutely sold out.
The band's creative style
The work of Schmalgauzen organically intertwines German cabaret, burlesque, vaudeville and punk rock. The musicians do not limit themselves to the framework of one style. The songs sound funk, alternative rock, post-punk, theatrical chanson. For example, “Spring” is closer to rock, and the track “Portrait” is created in the style of a chansonnier. The artists themselves say: their genre is “Schmalgauzen”. It is not just the name of the band, but a whole aesthetic, way of thinking, charisma and lifestyle.
Theatre plays a special role in the band’s performances. If earlier the ratio of music and creative component was 70/30, now it has reached a balance of 50/50. According to producer Valentyn Bilokon, the team has destroyed the idea of young people about theatre as something boring. Schmalgauzen proved that art can be driving, relevant and emotionally charged.
Singles of the group:
- “And you”;
- “I will not come”;
- “Son Amur”;
- “Doroha”;
- “Spring”;
- “Porcelyanovye ochi” and many others.
Discography (mini-albums):
- “Tviy Vil del.1” (2023);
- Silence To Silence (2023);
- La Dame Blanche (2024);
- “Vtomlena street” (2024).
Interesting facts about the group:
- The artists have their own ritual: before each performance they have three clap your hands and hug. Then shout out a secret word. However, what is a secret;
- The band's birthday is considered to be July 9, 2020, when the musicians made their concert debut.
