vtgnike

vladimir / moscow

The one whom we call Music / for want of better names: / Will she save us?

А та, кого мы музыкой зовем / За неименьем лучшего названья, / Спасет ли нас?

Vladimir Mayakovsky, “Our March” (1917)

“Vtgnike” is an abbreviation of “vintage Nike,” and pronounced as such. When Danil Avramov’s first recordings appeared, domestic fans would refer to him as “the Russian Flying Lotus.” He was not keen on foreign parallels, however, and looked to downplay any brouhaha. Early interviews record complaints that “apart from hip-hop and hardcore bass music, everything here is stagnant.” He did not, however, promote himself as a solution.

Years later, he would instead praise the collective efforts of Russian electronica. “Overall the international recognition of Russia’s scene has grown. The older guys at home have formed their own unique styles. I tend to follow Russian musicians who’ve been in the game for ten years or more.“ Thus he places greater emphasis on success at home than anything internationally.

“Ninety per cent of the time, I look to the past. If you delve into music made 15 or 20 years ago, you feel more useful and less hung up. Without all those hopes…” One of Russia’s most influential electronic musicians quietly proposes a humbling membership amid sounds of the past, instead of arrogance regarding the future. How fitting for a man from the medieval streets of Vladimir.

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