Okean Elzy: "Там, де нас нема / Tam, de nas nema" (album)

I am happy to find you again for our fantastic trip through Okean Elzy songs! This second stop will take us back in 1998...

Album: "Там, де нас нема / Tam, de nas nema"
Recording date: Early 1998  
Release date: September 14, 1998
Recording place: Kiev, studio "Arkadiya" - except
 for: 

• 14. Годі вже - Hodi vzhe - studio "NOVA"
     
• 15. Tam, de nas nema (Danilkin remix) - studio "Z ranku nochi"   

Sound editing: Dmitry Ivanov
      
Sound producer : Roman Surzha
 & Okean Elzy  

Photo: Alexei Stepanov
    

© Alexei Stepanov

Design: Natalia Golibroda - studio "Viktoriya"  

Music: Okean Elzy except for:

• 13. Колиска вітру - Kolyska vitru- Vladimir Ivasjuk 
   
• 14. Годі вже - Hodi vzhe - Irina Bilіk 

Lyrics: Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - except for:

• 13. Колиска вітру - Kolyska vitru - Bohdan Stelmach
• 14. Годі вже - Hodi vzhe - Irina Bilіk & Fedor Mlinchenko

Mastered: Kiev studio "Arkadіya "

Management: Agency "Nemo"
     
Promotion: Agency "Promo Ocean"
Release format: audiotape , CD


© Alexei Stepanov

Musicians:

  

Okean Elzy
• Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - vocals
• Pavlo Gudimov - guitar
• Yuri Hustochka - bass
• Denis Glinin - drums

 
Other musicians:
• Roman Surzha - keyboards
• Edik Kossa - tambourine

The first official band's photos have been used to create the album cover!
Production: Lala Fonareva
Idea: Vitaliy Klimov
Photographer: Alexei Stepanov
Photo shoot took place at the "Petrovka station"
, Kiev.

The album"Там, де нас нема / Tam, de nas nema" contains 12 songs + 3 bonus songs:

1.    Новий день - Novyi den
2.    Там, де нас нема - Tam, de nas nema
3.    Голос твій - Holos tviy
4.    Позич мені сонце - Pozych meni sontse
5.    Тадж-Махал - Taj-Mahal
6.    Сумна мелодія - Sumna melodiya
7.    Поїзд "Чужа любов" - Poyizd «Chuzha Liubov»
8.    Йду на дно - Ydu na dno
9.    Вісім – Visim
10.    Ластівка з твого міста - Lastivka z tvoho mista
11.    Ти забула давно - Ty zabula davno
12.    Long Time Ago
13.    Колиска вітру - Kolyska vitru
14.    Годі вже - Hodi vzhe
15.    Там, де нас нема - Tam, de nas nema (Danilkin remix)


Of course, I cannot resist sharing with you some music!

Here is Okean Elzy's first  big hit - a very famous video where the guys are in a fridge :) ... and a scene in the Potemkin Stairs in Odessa (in echo to Eisenstein's film "The Battleship Potemkin"):

Там, де нас нема - Tam, de nas nema

Each time I'm listening to this song, I have the feeling that Vakarchuk is "lending me the sun" - Позич мені сонце... What a brightful energy!

Позич мені сонце - Pozych meni sontse

And I cannot stop crying on Ти забула давно - "You've long ago forgotten". This song moves me so deeply!

Ти забула давно - Ty zabula davno - 2002

You can listen to songs "Голос твій – Holos tviy" & "Long Time Ago" here.

For more Okean Elzy music:

• MP3 albums can be downloaded on your local iTunes store or on Amazon.co.uk
• Audio streaming: Deezer
• CDs: Ukrainian Online Music Shop - fast, efficient & friendly service! :)

'Illegal downloading is considered stealing.'

 Legal downloading shows respect for the artists who create the music you love 
in a way that works for those artists!

Sources: Okean Elzy Official Fan-Club 

               Vakarchuk.com

Okean of Emotions: six months later...

Six months ago, I wrote my first post on this personal blog devoted to Svyatoslav Vakarchuk & Okean Elzy... 

Thanks to my visitors, for helping to make it a success!

© AleXa - Okean of Emotions - 2014

I knew that there was a need for some information in English, but I didn't expect that this blog would be so succesful... For a total of 183 days:

•  9 846 pages were consulted -  54 pages / day
•  by 2 149 visitors - 12 / day!

This is a very positive surprise.  Thanks to all of you!

Thanks a lot to regular readers...

Top 10 countries / Aug. 2014 - Feb. 2015

...And I'd also like to address a special thanks to the visitors from other European countries, from Mexico, Belarus, Turkey, Azerbaijan, India, Moldova, Australia, Brazil, Georgia, Argentina, Indonesia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Bermuda, China, Hong-kong, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand & Tunisia for their support.

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is used to say that we must break down the real or virtual walls between ourselves. To bring the world closer together, there is no better way than sharing information and emotions... on the rhythm of the Okean's heartbeat!

Thank you again to all.

AleXa

Okean Elzy: Fan-art - February 2015

Okean Elzy's fans have talent! I'd like to share with you today some portraits of Svyatoslav Vakarchuk...

Let's start with the amazing works of Arseny  Samolevsky!

© Arseniy Samolevsky

© Arseniy Samolevsky

"Portrait the lead vocalist of Okean Elzy, the most successful rock band in Ukraine.
Over 3000 unique geometric patterns in national style are combined together to draw his face."  - Arseny  Samolevsky


Another version of the same portrait...

© Olya Litvinchik

I also like this one... I can feel the emotion!

© Inna Kondakova

And what about this? Nice, isn't it?

© Andrey Yanchenko

Let's conclude with our starting point... Like the ocean's waves, in our lives nothing is eternal, everything has to be started over again and again! :)

© Arseny Samolevsky

"Portrait collection of famous ukrainian rock singers made in Pop Art style in national colour palette combined with traditional cross-stitch patterns." - Arseny  Samolevsky

Okean Elzy: "На небі - Na nebi" - New Official Video!

For Valentine's day, a new Okean Elzy video clip is posted on YouTube!

On this special occasion, it's a live version of the romantic ballade "На небі - Na nebi" which is released today.

Hurry now and watch it for yourself!

© AleXa - Okean of Emotions - 2015

Okean Elzy: 'Обійми - Obiymy' - English translation

Are you looking for an English translation of the song 'Обійми - Obiymy' by Okean Elzy? Here it is! :)

© OkeanofEmotions / AleXa - 2014

Hug me

Обійми

At the first light of the day,
This war will end.
There, lost,
I'll reach rock bottom...

Chorus
Hug me, hold me, embrace me
So tenderly and don't let me go!
Hug me, hold me, embrace me ;
Your spring will starts its flowering...

And now my soul
Has laid down its arms ;
Is it true that it still
Wants to feel the contact
Of warming tears?

Chorus (x2)

Songwriter: Svyatoslav Vakarchuk

Translation: AleXa / Okean of Emotions

   Обійми (Obiymy) / Album: Земля (Zemlia) - © 2013
 

Any comment on how to improve this translation is welcome!

For French translation, click here

'Обійми - Obiymy' - Okean Elzy - Official video
Feb. 2013

This video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh, who already created videos for many artists such as Soundgarden, Muse, Pet Shop Boys, Enigma, Sting, Elton John, Placebo, A-Ha, etc.

About this project, Howard Greenhalgh explained: "It was a real shock to me when I've been asked to create a video for an Ukrainian rock-band! I said, "Are you kidding? With Ukrainians?" And then, after I have listened to one of their songs, I changed my mind. This is my first experience with Ukrainian musicians and have to say that I like their works." :)

Filming took place in London, in an historic mansion of the 18th century: it began at 9 am and was completed at 11 pm as expected. Each sequence of the film has been captured at least 5 times!

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk: Skryabin cover "Мовчати", in memory of Andriy "Kuzma" Kuzmenko...

On February 02, Andriy "Kuzma" Kuzmenko, the frontman of the Ukrainian rock band "Skryabin",  died in a car crash. To honor his memory, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk sang a cover of "Мовчати - Movchaty"... 

 

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Andriy "Kuzma" Kuzmenko
Photogr. Unkn.

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk was one of the very first to comment on the news via Twitter and this information was rapidly shared on social networks. Emotions have been running fairly high in the country...

On the evening, thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets in several cities and to honor the memory of the artist.

Lviv - 02 February 2014
Photo: © Afisha Lviv

Lviv - 02 February 2014
Photogr. Unkn.

In an interview he gave to "Вголос" radio, Svyatoslav explained that, at first, he couldn't believe the news... it was a bitter reality to him.

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk -"Вголос" radio

 
Svyatoslav met Kuzma for the first time in the middle of the 90's because they had the same producer. But they only had frequent contacts in 2003-2004: They celebrated the New Year together... Over time, and even if they had very different personnalities, they became close friends. The two artists shared common values...

To honor the memory of his friend, Svyatoslav sang a cover of "Мовчати - Movchaty" / "To keep silent"... This song is, according to Vakarchuk, one of the most beautiful Ukrainian songs. 

If Kuzma will forever remain silent, his music will eternally live in the Ukrainians' hearts!

 Sources: Okean Elzy Official Fan-Club

Okean Elzy: "Demo 94/95" (album)

Are you ready for a fantastic trip through Okean Elzy songs? The first stop will take us back in 1994...

Okean Elzy - The early years
Photogr. Unkn.

The "Demo 94/95" album has never been released... But I must say a few words about it because it contains Okean Elzy's first recordings!

Recording date: December 1994
"Release" date: Spring 1995
Recording place: Lviv, studio "Ин Гал Вокс"
Sound engineer: Edik Grigoriev

Okean Elzy - The early years
Photogr. Unkn.

On 14 January 1995, the new Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy played its first concert in the Opera Square, in Lviv. A few days after this event, the band members recorded some samples of their songs at Edik & Seriogi Grigoriev's studio in Lviv.

Okean Elzy - The early years
Photogr. Unkn.

This audio tape, entitled "94/95", was not for sale: these samples of the band's music were supposed to help promote them to potential sponsors/producers and to radios. But some copies of this audio tape have also been given to a few friends and acquaintances!

Okean Elzy - The early years
Photogr. Unkn.

However, even if it has never been released, "Demo 94/95" is  considered to be the first Okean Elzy official recordings!

Okean Elzy - The early years
Photogr. Unkn.

It should be noticed that some of these songs have been included in others Okean Elzy albums: "Там, де нас нема / Tam, de nas nema" & "Будинок зі Скла / Budynok zi skla"...  But that's another story! 

Okean Elzy - The early years
Photogr. Unkn.

"Demo 94/95" contains 14 songs:

1. Голос твій – Holos tviy
2. Кам`яний ліс – Kamianiy lis
3. Mikey Maus - Mickey Mouse
4. Сумна Лялька – Sumna Lialka
5. Вона пидишла до вікна – Vona pidichla do vikna
6. Як ти – Iak ti
7. Золоте вікно – Zolote vikno
8. Кам`яний ліс (вторая версия) – Kamianiy lis (vtoraja versiia)
9. Long time ago
10. Місто в ночі –Misto v notchi
11. Одіноке дітя – Odinoke ditia
12. В очах твоїх – V otchah tvoih
13. Я бачу дощ – Ia batchu dochtch
14. Зачекай – Zatchekaj 

Of course, videos and audio files of these songs are very rare... but here are those I found. Enjoy!

В очах твоїх – V otchah tvoih

Long time ago

 Sources: Okean Elzy Official Fan-Club

Okean of Emotions: A few words about my readers!

As already said in an older post, I find interesting to know where readers of this blog are from and which are the most popular posts...

The reason for this is simple: I want to provide you with information that fits your needs! :)

Where are you, dear reader? 

Here is the top ten countries for December & January:

I have to say that I am not that much surprised about these statistics: 

• Large Ukrainian communities can be found around the world, mainly in North America - USA & Canada. Hopefully, you now can share some information in English with family and friends who do not speak Ukrainian... :))

• Most of Okean Elzy's fans are Ukrainians, Russians & Belarussians. If you can easily find some information on the web about our favorite rock band (in Ukrainian or Russian languages), I suppose that you are also interested in seeing how some of them are transmitted by a Westerner to Westerners. :) I hope you enjoy it.

• Some European fans contacted me last year to get some information in English about Okean Elzy. I hope that you find here what you are looking for.

Besides this, some of the visitors are from the most unexpected places of the world... and I like it! India, Turkey, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia… 

Okean Elzy must be known worldwide! It seems that we are on the right track...

Wherever you are, whatever is the reason of your visit here...   

Thank you very much, all of you! 

A blog is nothing without a reader... :)

What are the most popular posts?

•  Okean Elzy Lviv concert, 24 August 2014: I know that you like watching videos and seeing pictures of past concerts. :) And I must admit that this show in Lviv was amazing. I remember that I watched it live on the web and it moved me deeply. This was a great event!

• Okean of Emotions: Why a French fan decided to create a blog devoted to Okean Elzy... Of course, my interest for Slavic languages/cultures/countries is something that sounds strange for most of people in the West... and for my Ukrainians friends too! "How the hell could you be interested in this - especially in learning Ukrainian language - if it is not necessary? What's the use?!..." I am now used to answer: "And what is the use of Love?! Do you need any "reason" to love someone or something?"... Yes, this is an old love story I have with Ukraine. And that's all!

• Okean Elzy - the albums. I am pleased to inform you that I will post soon some information about the first O.E. album, "Demo 94/95"... an album that has never been released! :) I hope you'll enjoy it.

Make yourself heard!

As already said, this blog would be nothing without a reader... So, if you want to:

• share with other fans some documents, videos, links...
• send me comments, remarks, suggestions...
• ask specific questions...

Feel free to contact me at the following email address:

okeanofemotions@orange.fr

I would be pleased to communicate with You!
AleXa