Komu Vnyz
Кому Вниз
Komu Vnyz performing in 2007
Komu Vnyz performing in 2007
Background information
OriginKyiv, Ukraine
GenresGothic rock
Years active1988–present
LabelsUkrainian Gothic Portal
MembersAndriy Sereda
Volodyslav Maliuhin
Yevhen Razin
Oleksandr Sereda
Past membersVolodyslav Makarov
Serhiy Stepanenko
Websitehttp://www.komuvnyz.com

Komu Vnyz (Ukrainian: Кому Вниз, [koˈmu wʊ̯nɪz]) is a Ukrainian rock band founded in 1988. Komu Vnyz's music is a blend of gothic and industrial styles, combined with the lyrics of ancient Ukrainian legends.

The band name is a perestroika-era derogatory pun on the word "Communism". It is literally translated as "Who needs to go down".[1]

History

Komu Vnyz got its start in the year 1988. Unknown young actor Andriy Sereda and educator Volodyslav Makarov worked together in the same theater. Sereda and Makarov joined with three more artists (Serhiy Stepanenko, Yevhen Razin, Volodyslav Maliuhin) to make Komu Vnyz. They wound up at their first festival Chervona Ruta completely by chance. It was too late to submit the sample recording to the panel of judges for the tryout, but Taras Petrynenko, after listening to their work, insisted that they participated in the event. They received second place.

After releasing their first album "Padaya Vverkh" ("Falling Up"), Komu Vnyz and the rest of the Chervona Ruta winners toured in Canada, Poland, and many Ukrainian cities.

From 1996 onward, Komu Vnyz came out from the precipice of financial difficulties. Playbills started to appear on railings and fences in Kyiv for their 1997 concert, in Kastus, named for one of their albums.

In 2000 the band played at Ivan Franko theater, performing a concert dedicated to the memory of 300 young students killed during the Battle of Kruty. They also headlined at the first Ukrainian gothic festival, "Dity Nochi" ("Children of the Night"), organized by Ukrainian Gothic Portal, and started to work with UGP. In 2002 the band played at the European gothic festival, Wave Gotik Treffen.[2]

In 2003, Makarov left the band. He died in January 2016. As of 2019, the band still continues their activity. Premier Minister of Ukraine, Oleksiy Honcharuk, has even visited "Veterans Strong Party" war-veteran charity concert where the band performed along with others.[3]

Serhiy Stepanenko died on 18 November 2022, at the age of 58.[4] In 2023, he was replaced by Sereda's son Oleksandr, the first new member of the band since its formation.

Discography

Albums

  • 1989 - Padaya vverkh (Падая вверх)
  • 1990 - Komu vnyz (Кому вниз)
  • 1996 - In kastus

EPs

  • 2007 - Ab ovo usque ad mala
  • 2014 - 4
  • 2016 - IDEM 2345

Live albums

  • 1999 - In kastus in vivo
  • 2018 - Live at FEST!republic Lviv
  • 2018 - Live at the Lviv Opera House

Compilations

  • 2003 - "Komu Vnyz. Rock legends of Ukraine" ("Best of" collection)
  • 2006 - "Komu Vnyz. MP3 collection"
  • 2009 - "Komu Vnyz. Reformatsiya: 25 punktiv" ("Best of" collection)
  • 2011 - "Ya Vernuvsia Domiv" (Tribute to Braty Hadiukiny)

References

  1. ↑ "2008. Інтерв’ю з КОМУ ВНИЗ для журналу Sacratum" ("2008. An interview of Komy Vnyz for the underground magazine Sacratum"), Komuvnyz.com
  2. ↑ "~ Official Website Wave-Gotik-Treffen Leipzig ~". Wave-gotik-treffen.de. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  3. ↑ Бега, Вікторія. "Прем'єр відвідав концерт, де виступили "Кому вниз" і "Сокира Перуна"". Hronadske.ua.
  4. ↑ "Помер засновник легендарного рок-гурту «Кому Вниз» Сергій Степаненко". Glavcom.ua. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
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