Formed in St.Petersburg in 2012. Irrational, spastic dance groove borderlines somewhere between dark electro, post-punk, experimental noise and acoustic chanson, combined with theatrical performances. The songs are in Russian, French and English.
Post-pop / pop-noir / avant-pop / experimental!!!
Shortparis are well on their way to deserved international acclaim and already being heralded as "the best Russian live act". Hailing from St. Petersburg and led by charismatic frontman Nikolay Komiagin, the band continues to build a reputation for its jaw-dropping ritualistic performances and dark, electronic soundscapes, as "irrational, spastic dance grooves" converge with "post-punk, experimental noise and acoustic chanson" to form a musical aesthetic that is one of a kind.
Performing in Russian, French and English, Shortparis are nothing short of a revelation as they aim to provide a fitting soundtrack to their everyday lives, a sound that mirrors St. Petersburg as it was and is. "You know, I constantly dream of coming across bands like Shortparis yet so rarely do," writes John Doran of The Quietus. "Ambitious, bombastic, incredibly pretentious, erotic, thrilling, impossible to pin down, vaguely deviant, fun to dance to and full of revolutionary potential. Sure, if you listen hard enough you can hear them laughing but you would be a fool to make the mistake of presuming that they’re joking."
ARTE TRACKS short film about Shortparis.
Shortparis appears in the movie of Kirill Serebrennikov "Leto" (Cannes Film Festival 2018) about the Soviet Russian underground music scene in the 80es, with the cover of David Bowie's "All the young Dudes".
Their provocative video Strashno/ Scary reached about 9 mln viewers and took the 3rd place at Berlin Music Video Award for the best director.
"The most powerful and best live Russian band" The Village Moscow (29.05.2018)
"Top five sets on the Pop-Kultur Berlin festival. ..how shockingly good they were. ..Not only was it one of the most powerful performances I saw at Pop-Kultur but possibly the best thing I've seen all year. Mixmag Magazine.
"Your live set blew me away" Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC Radio 6 Music
"Shortparis are one of those bands that in the wrong hands would be an absolute building-collapse disaster but, gripped tightly by their own sense of self, they are an utterly captivating creation. They’re a sort of living, breathing non-stop erotic cabaret."
"They’re a sort of living, breathing non-stop erotic cabaret. " The Quietus.
"The latest brilliant band to emerge from the East. They are 2018. They are the now." John Robb,
Louderthanwar.
".. our jaws drop .... one of the most powerful sets I have seen in year. Blimey." Richard Foster, The Quietus
"one of the most memorable performances of the Pop-Kultur festival" Consiquence of Sound
"Ambitious, bombastic, incredibly pretentious, erotic, thrilling, impossible to pin down, vaguely deviant, fun to dance to and full of revolutionary potential". John Doran, founder of The Quietus “
There is no more stunning musical phenomenon this year originating from St.Petersburg than Shortparis” Sobaka.Ru
"The biggest discovery of Spring Break festival" Interia, 2018
“... Shortparis are known for their frequent usage of common pop rhythms, which was one of the reasons why their unique sound found a wider appeal than that of many other experimental artists. … For people who cannot understand Russian, Shortparis leave an experience (that I am quite envious of) of pure sonic beauty of language over some of the most inventive instrumentals in contemporary music. “ Beats Per Minute 2021
… Certainly, Shortparis became a part of the ever-revolving carnival of human capital that the old touring era represented. But onstage they were unique, able to balance a form of almost feudal arrogance and a reckless form of vulnerability; total attitude made flesh. Until we see them again
we have to content ourselves with probably their best work to date, Яблонный сад (Apple Orchard). ..Still, Яблонный сад is their most “classical” record; if not as savage as their earlier works, it’s undoubtedly a magnificent and stately collection of songs. This is a special band.
Greatness awaits. Richar Foster The Quietus
