"Mergers and Acquisitions" - the sixth studio album of the group " Mummy Troll ", released in 2005. The album "Mergers and Acquisitions" was not similar in sound to the previous recordings of the group, distinguished by rich arrangements. The sound was intentionally minimalistic, which delighted listeners who were afraid of the similarity of the new album with the previously released maxi-single “Go, I Will Be”, on which the group played “bourgeois rock” . The album returned to the group many fans who were frightened by the previous high-quality, but non-standard disc, Book Thieves. Mergers and Acquisitions also allowed the group to recruit new listeners. Despite the high sales of the album, the hopes of the Real Records production studio about the return of the stadium popularity of the “trolls” did not materialize. The album gravitated in mood to the first studio albums "Marine" and "Caviar", which brought the group massive popularity. The album was highly appreciated by critics and received a prize in the nomination "Best Album of the Year" from Fuzz magazine . The album’s promotion on television and radio was weak, so potential hits from the album such as “No Fear”, “Corals”, “Predator”, “Iris”, “Hello Goodbye” were not popular.
| Mergers and acquisitions | |||||||
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| Studio album Mumiy Troll | |||||||
| Date of issue | April 19, 2005 | ||||||
| Recorded by | 2005 | ||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock , Elektropunk | ||||||
| Duration | 45:50 | ||||||
| Producer | Mummy Troll | ||||||
| A country | Russia | ||||||
| Label | REAL Records | ||||||
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| Timeline of Mumiy Troll | |||||||
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Content
Album Title
Ilya Lagutenko unveiled the title of the new album "Mergers and Acquisitions" at the economic summit in Hong Kong. Before the official release of the recording, rumors circulated about the social anti-globalist orientation of fresh material, which ultimately turned out to be erroneous. The leader of the Mumiy Troll group noted that the economic term “mergers and acquisitions” fits the description of the economic situation in Russia as well as possible, but emphasized that in the context of the album we are talking more about culture than about economy . After the presentation of the album, the title had an additional shade - erotic - thanks to the album lyrics (“you didn’t say by chance / you want me orally” - “It happens by chance”; “we got the tomatoes the best” - “Banzai”; “you put in / you put in "-" There is no fear "; female moans in the song" Restless ").
Recording Process
The album was recorded in Riga, London, the Dominican Republic and St. Petersburg. In the press, the recording of the Mumiy Troll group in the Dominican Republic aroused considerable interest. According to Ilya Lagutenko, he wanted to achieve a relaxed atmosphere on the album, so he decided to assemble the whole group in the Caribbean. While the group was in the Dominican Republic, Hurricane Ivan hit the island of Haiti, which caused the loss of electricity, so it was necessary to use an electric generator. Percussion instruments were borrowed periodically in the local church. In Riga, a part of a children's choir for the song “No Fear” and a symphonic intro performed by a children's orchestra were recorded.
In St. Petersburg's “Bastard Studio”, the group worked with sound engineer Oleg Baranov, from whose sample library female groans were used in the song “Trouble”. The album was finalized in London in collaboration with Rick Simpson, who previously worked with Kasabian and Coldplay .
Album
The album was designed by Artemy Lebedev . The album cover is made according to the concept of the title "Mergers and Acquisitions". Ilya Lagutenko is captured on the background of the Bolshoi Theater , behind is the image of the bride and groom, covering their faces with symbols of the heart and the dollar. The venue for the photo shoot for the cover gave rise to rumors about the homosexual background of the album, as the place near the Bolshoi Theater is one of the most popular meeting places for sexual minorities in Moscow.
As a result, the composition does not include the bride and groom from this world - that is, a wedding photographed against the backdrop of the sights, which is also very typical for a wedding; musicians of a rock group, which is the opposite of what is being done within the walls of the Bolshoi Theater, and ... Probably, the concept of mergers and acquisitions would not have been brought to its so significant maximum if our political and economic realities were not introduced into it, - and we implemented them. But, I think, you will have to study this cover very well to understand the whole point of what has been said, because it’s like ... pictures “find 10 differences”.
- Ilya Lagutenko [2]
Critics' rating
Rolling Stone columnist Andrei Bukharin described the album as a fusion of “Soviet pop music with new wave , a primitive beat of a drum machine with guitar solos in the style of the official Soviet rock bands, Igor Nikolaev with Scissor Sisters, ” thereby confirming the album’s successful title. The critic noted that the hedonistic lifestyle of the leader of the Mumiy Troll group, Ilya Lagutenko, does not contribute to the creative process, as evidenced by the presence on the album of a previously rejected material and composition, “It is no coincidence,” dated 1987. The reaction of the journal " Peers " and the Internet portal " Sounds.ru " turned out to be restrained. Other editions praised the album, Fuzz magazine awarded the group a prize for "Best Album of the Year."
List of Songs
All songs of I. Lagutenko . Track number 9 is not in the album.
| No. | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| one. | "Intro" | 2:55 |
| 2. | "Sorry, Pussy!" | 5:11 |
| 3. | Banzai | 2:50 |
| four. | "Predator" | 3:55 |
| five. | “No fear” | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Corals" | 4:08 |
| 7. | Privatization | 3:33 |
| eight. | "It happens by chance" | 4:48 |
| ten. | "Amber" | 3:59 |
| eleven. | "Iris" | 3:16 |
| 12. | "Troubled" | 2:51 |
| 13. | Hello goodbye | 4:24 |
- Bonus Video (Gift Edition)
| No. | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | “Banzai + No Fear + Trouble” |
Radio Singles
The songs "Hello Goodbye", "Sorry, Pussy" and "Predator" participated in the charts " Chart Dozen ."
| Song | Premiere date | Chart Dozen Weeks | Highest position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello goodbye | March 4, 2005 | four | ten |
| Sorry pussy | April 15, 2005 | five | eight |
| Predator | September 8, 2006 | 3 | 12 |
Creators
- Musicians
- Ilya Lagutenko - vocals , guitar, tambourine, keyboards
- Eugene "Shift" Sighted - bass
- Oleg Pungin - drums
- Yuri Tsaler - guitar
Chamber Orchestra of the School of Music Jazepa Medina, Riga (Latvia), conductor Normund Dregis. Vocal parts - Philippe Chernonog, Agatha Savchenkova, Katrina Louise Ozolin (5), Maria Fernandez sample (12)
- Recording, mixing, additional production - Rik Simpson, Oleg Baranov (Bestoloch Studio)
- Mastering - Ian Cooper (Metropolis)
- Registration
- Concept: MT Design
- Photo: Sergey Danduryan
- Models and outfits: D. Loginov, K. Gaidai, D. Charkov
Notes
- ↑ Andrei Bukharin . Privatization Results // Rolling Stone . - May 2005 .-- S. 79 .
- ↑ Anastasia Rakhlina. Ilya Lagutenko (Mumiy Troll). Interview Time Out Moscow. April 2005 . Time Out (April 11-17, 2005). - Time Out Moscow No. 14. Date of treatment November 9, 2009. Archived March 1, 2012.