Roulette (band)
Encyclopedia
Roulette or "Рулетка" (Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

 title) – Russian Roulette (UK and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese title) is a emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...

/hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

 band from Kazan, Russia. Roulette is currently the most popular and notorious rock band in Russia and Eastern Europe. The band has released four top selling albums in their nine-year career, including The Red Album featuring the #1 single “Hear My Voice”. Their single, the power ball
Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...

ed “Natasha”, reached #2 on the Top 5 in Russia.

The band is best known in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 for their singer Nikolay (Nikki) Minkov who has not spoken to the press or the rest of the band since their formation in 1999. His silence is reportedly the result of an incident that is part of the mysterious singer’s past and rumored to be buried in his dark and cryptic lyrics – most of which are sung in Russian with English titles.
The band has also received some criticism from the press and government in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...

 for their blatant acceptance of corporate sponsorship. They are the only band in history to be sponsored by every cellular company in Russia and Europe.
The band is gaining popularity in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and launching the “Red Flag” tour in the Spring of 2008 http://www.weareroulette.com.

History

In 1999 guitarist and singer Nikolay (Nikki) Minkov, bassist Alexy Belov, bassist, guitarist Jan Ianenkov, American guitarist Kyle Kyle and drummer Sascha Alexander came together to form Roulette. Since Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...

 had lifted censorship in the late eighties, many of underground rock bands flourished, including glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...

 band Gorky Park
Gorky Park
Gorky Park may refer to:* Amusement parks in the USSR named after Maxim Gorky; in particular:** Gorky Park ** Gorky Park ** Gorky Park ** Gorky Park...

, allowing Western style rock and fashion to influence youth and receive more widespread popularity.

The band released a self-titled debut album in 1999, featuring a stylized Hammer & Sickle on the cover. The band gained a reputation quickly of being stand-offish with the press and fans which only served to fuel the band's popularity. Their following releases have sold five million copies in Russia. The Red Album has been #1 on the charts since its release in September 2007.

Roulette headlined one of Europe’s largest festival on New Year's Eve 2007 – the performance was considered a landmark in the band’s career and footage is featured in the video for “Hear my Voice”. The band’s success continued into 2008 as the band received the Scandinavian Music Award as the best international act.

Roulette is gaining popularity in North America as their songs are included in many network television shows and commercials for mobile carriers and vodka companies. In addition the band has voiced mild confusion in the press over not being asked to play the 2008 Rogers Picnic
Rogers Picnic
The Rogers Picnic is a one day, annual summer music festival held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The inaugural Rogers Picnic, created by Rogers Wireless, was on July 29, 2007 and was held at the outdoor venue, Toronto's Historic Fort York....

, an outdoor festival in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

on July 20, 2008

Lineup

• Nikolai (Nikki) Minkov – Vocals and Guitar

• Alexy Belov - Bass

• Jan Ianenkov – Guitar

• Kyle Kyle – Guitar

• Sascha Alexander – Drums

Discography

Roulette, Russian (1999)

1. Above & Beyond

2. Concrete Cover-Up

3. Black Box

4. Surrender

5. So Long Comrade

6. Sinister Soldier

7. X

8. Silence Remains

9. Locked Door

Blood Red (2001)

1. River Of Red

2. Immortal Secret

3. Darkened Words

4. Rouge

5. Shrapnel

6. A Sickle Through My Heart

7. Hammering It Home

8. White Red & Blue

9. Silence Calling

10. Hell’s Cradle

11. City Skyline

Live in Red Square (2003)

1. Last Words

2. Stained Memories

3. S.O.S. to Russia

4. Paint The Town Red

5. Bullet For My Love

6. Three Little Words To Hear Me Speak

7. In Shade

8. Lotus Blossom

The Silent Majority (2005)

1. Burning Brothers

2. Hungry Hearts, Empty Souls

3. Sour Candy

4. Flames For My Father

5. Five Finger Discount

6. AK

7. Communist Cravings

8. Goodbye Gorbachev

9. Simple Solution

10. Count Down To Corruption

11. The Hellmouth

12. Vicious Cyle

The Red Album (2007)

1. Silent Solitude

2. Release The Beast, Release My Voice

3. Regret

4. Hear My Voice

5. The Coldest Shoulder

6. 47 Is My Favourite Number

7. Frozen Lips

8. Steal Eyes

9. The Darkest Day

10. Saving Grace

11. Phoenix Rising

External links


1. Roulette "Hear My Voice" Official Video


2. Roulette's Official Site


3. Roulette's Official Myspace Page
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