Tarakany!
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | Chetyre Tarakana ("The 4 Cockroaches") |
| Founded | 1991 in Moscow, Russia |
| Headquarters | Moscow , Russia |
| Products | Punk rock music, studio albums, live albums |
Tarakany!—initially known as Chetyre Tarakana ("The 4 Cockroaches")—was a punk rock ensemble originating from Moscow, Russia, active between 1991 and 2022. Throughout their career, they produced 14 studio records, five live albums, along with numerous splits and compilation releases. Their touring schedule spanned extensively across Russia, the CIS countries, Europe, Japan, Israel, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.
The band is distinguished by their creation of original compositions in both Russian and English languages.
Formation and Early Phase (as Chetyre Tarakana, 1991–1997)
Established in Moscow in 1991, just months prior to the Soviet Union's collapse, the founding members included:
- Yuri Lenin — vocals and guitar
- Dmitry Vorobyov — guitar
- Dmitry Spirin — bass guitar
- Denis Rubanov — drums
All were teenagers and mostly schoolmates at the time. Their initial demo titled Crazy Boys was circulated informally in 1991 but never officially released. Alongside contemporaries such as PoGo, Va-Bank, Naïve, and Distemper, they played a pivotal role in developing Moscow’s underground punk movement despite minimal promotional or distribution channels.
In 1992, with new vocalist Denis Petukhov onboard, they independently launched their first album Duty Free Songs, featuring tracks in both English and Russian. Drawing inspiration from bands like the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and The Clash, this release concentrated on street punk motifs involving love, intoxication, drugs, and youth lifestyle. The album was distributed solely via cassette format.
...the sound is dense—occasionally metallic ("Time Has Passed"), sometimes conventional ("Home Sweet Home"); piano elements are enjoyable. Nearly half the songs are in English... Some pieces have a monotonous feel ("Chetyre Tarakana"), others are more melodic ("Krysa"). FUZZ No. 6 (45), June 1997
In 1993, the group went on hiatus for about eighteen months due to Dmitry ‘Sid’ Spirin’s incarceration on drug charges. They resumed activity in 1995 with the all-English album Best Before, featuring Spirin as lead singer. Influenced by Ramones, Buzzcocks, and Generation X, this record explored themes of personal principles and social alienation. The track "Farewell Majority" received airtime on Moscow’s Radio Maximum; meanwhile, the video for "Don't Come" was featured on music television shows. This period marked their first exposure in major American punk fanzines and an interview with Maximum Rocknroll.
FeeLee Records Era
From 1995 to 1997, Chetyre Tarakana gained prominence within Moscow and St. Petersburg's club scenes, culminating in their debut release under FeeLee Records in 1997: Ukral? Vypil?! V Tyurmu!!!. This album fused classic Ramones-style punk with early influences reminiscent of Green Day and Lookout! Records.
... this album is dedicated to those stubborn doubters convinced that rock'n'roll and punk are dead. It delivers traditional energy, power, enjoyment, flavor, and atmosphere. Every track is excellent. ОМ, February 1998
Following this release, the band adopted the name Tarakany!, which they have used since. Two songs from this album—"Durnaya Bashka" and "Nepogoda"—received heavy rotation on Radio Maximum, broadening their audience and securing invitations to major rock festivals alongside groups such as Toy Dolls, Stranglers, the Exploited, and Rage Against the Machine.
In late 1998, Tarakany! issued Posadki Net, an album containing sixteen Russian-language songs plus a rendition of Depeche Mode’s "Personal Jesus," featured on Russia’s inaugural Depeche Mode tribute compilation. Three videos from this album were broadcast by the newly established MTV Russia, with "Punk-Rock Pesnya" and "Poezd V Storonu Arbatskoy" topping charts on Nashe Radio.
Their upbeat punk rock rivals that of Green Day, NOFX, and other Californian bands... Drawing from Ramones roots, Tarakany! have crafted an authentic punk sound enriched with measured doses of reggae and ska similar to what Rancid does abroad. Frontman Sid possesses a powerful voice beautifully shaded by classic American pop influences. ОМ, Andrey Bukharin
In 1999 came their first live recording Eto Zhizn: Ofitsialny Bootleg. Early in 2000 they embarked on their initial European tour supporting Monsters. Their following album Popcorm (My Nauchili Mir Sosat') became one of Russia’s pioneering pop-punk releases. Tracks like "365 Dney" and "Mnogo Telok I Piva" entered the Russian rock radio Top-10; notably "365 Dney" enjoyed extensive airplay on MTV Russia.
…With each album, the band increasingly embraces Californian punk styles akin to Green Day or Rancid... Their sound is more captivating as they blend happy-punk foundations with ska, reggae, and country elements... His remarkable Sinatran vocals are finely tuned.
Afisha, March 2000
On March 18, 2000 at Moscow's Beat Bitva festival, Tarakany! experienced violent assaults by neo-Nazi skinheads resulting in injuries to two members.
In early 2001—celebrating a decade since formation—FeeLee Records reissued Tarakany!'s previous albums alongside a first "Best Of" compilation. Later that year saw collaboration with Japanese group SOBUT for a split album entitled Realny Punk?/Punk This Town, released domestically.
Spring 2002 introduced their sixth studio work Strakh I Nenavist'’, featuring the hit single "Ya Smotryu Na Nikh," which remained charted for sixteen weeks on top rock lists and ranked fifty-fifth among Nashe Radio’s top Russian rock hits in 2013. The band supported this release with an extensive Russian tour followed by shows in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya alongside SOBUT, Assfort, and Samurai Attack. Old Blood Records issued the album in Japan as well.
This record represented a stylistic shift toward fast-paced melodic Californian punk rock with lyrics addressing themes such as domination, brainwashing, societal problems, and individual identity while maintaining their trademark humor.
... This new album could easily be released by Epitaph…. Tarakany! deliver an outstanding positively commercial punk sound... In brief: everything here will resonate strongly... Muzykalnaya Gazeta
Finally Russia presents its own punk!... Mid-tempo melodic punk with deep vocal delivery... The production quality rivals that of Ryan Greene or Mark Trombino. Socially conscious without being overly political... In America they would fit right into Epitaph or Fat labels. www.PunkInternational.com
Also in 2002 appeared Luchshee, Vrag Khoroshego, a best-of compilation featuring re-recorded older tracks plus one previously unreleased song. Early 2003 marked their twelfth anniversary with a concert at Moscow’s DKG (Gorbunov Palace of Culture) performing forty-five songs before an audience exceeding 2,500.
In early 2003 Tarakany! collaborated with Ramones drummer Marky Ramone, forming Marky Ramone & The Pinhead Army.
AiB Records Period
At the end of 2003 Tarakany! unveiled their first studio album under their own label AiB Records. Ulitsa Svobody attracted over 2,500 attendees at its launch event held at Gorbunova Palace (DKG) in Moscow; this concert was recorded for CD release and featured on their 2004 DVD A My Uzhe Rubim!. The album contains energetic songs advocating freedom, choice rights, equality while opposing intolerance, nationalism, and apathy.
… Ulitsa Svobody is sharp-edged, forceful, fervent yet straightforward. For listeners ready to challenge reality and themselves alike. This release invigorates both intellect and emotion with potent anger—a solid block of intense fuzz-driven rock numbers. Rockmusic.ru
Two music videos originated from this album: "Granitsy Ghetto" ("The Ghetto Limits"), directed by actor Vladimir Epifantsev, and "Hymn Democraticheskoy Molodyohi Mira" ("The Hymn of Democratic Youth of the World"), showcasing footage from their Japan tour. Both clips aired on Russia's A-1 Channel—the country’s first federal alternative music television station.
The following year saw release of LP Rakety Iz Rossii, considered an ideological continuation of Ulitsa Svobody. The single "Tishina Eto Smert" ("Silence is Death") propelled them back into Russia’s top three charts; its video was broadcast on MTV Russia as well as A-1 Channel. ZCM Records issued European editions of these albums titled Freedom Street and Rockets from Russia, incorporating English and German versions alongside original Russian tracks.
In 2004 Tarakany! co-organized—also headlining—the largest Russian punk festival ever held: "High School of Punk," which gathered some 6,000 attendees at Luzhniki Stadium. The Western headliner was legendary group Misfits.
During winter 2005 Tarakany! joined Marky Ramone for a European Ramones Night tour through Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic Austria and Netherlands. That year also marked their debut performance in Finland at Ilosaarirock Festival sharing stage with MC5, Skatalites Agnostic Front Backyard Babies among others.
Late 2005 featured a split release with Japan's SOBUT members reunited under Screams of Presidents moniker. Early 2006 brought another split album alongside Russian ska veterans Distemper; released across Europe via An'na Nadel Records it contained six original songs covered by each band plus a joint Sham 69 cover “If The Kids are United.”
The studio album released in 2006 titled Vlasteliny Vselennoy signaled a transition toward punk'n'roll style. Four tracks received radio airplay: "Kto-To Iz Nas Dvoikh," "10 Millionov," "Pozvol Mne Pobyt' Odnomu," and "Vlasteliny Vselennoy."
The band is progressing toward “adult oriented rock” characterized by less frivolity combined with increased lyricism. Rolling Stone Magazine
To commemorate their fifteenth anniversary in 2007 Tarakany! performed two sold-out shows at Moscow’s Club Tochka (each drawing about 1,500 fans). These performances were recorded for double CD+DVD package titled Krepkie Zuby I Ostrye Kogti. That year also saw launch of ‘’Unplugged Unlimited’’, expanding live arrangements with additional backing vocals plus wind instruments while rearranging songs into bossa nova latina surf rhumba styles; culminating in an eponymous album release.
Around this time they appeared twice on episodes of Russia’s adaptation of Married... with Children.
Mid-2008 witnessed Tarakany! opening for Sex Pistols’ sole Moscow show. Six months later they released EP Skolko Deneg U Boga? (“How Much Money's God Got?”), whose title track stirred controversy provoking threats from religious extremists.
From 2009 Onwards
November 2009 brought out the album Boy Do Dyr. Several tracks were incorporated by Cannes-awarded director Valeriya Gai Germanika into her series Shkola (School), who also directed the video for “To Chto Ne Ubivaet Tebya” (“Reign of Failure”), which achieved significant acclaim.
... The band produced a mature honest self-ironic record blending social commentary romance and rock’n’roll elements. Styles range from hardcore-punk (“Vykhod V Gorod”) to surf-rock (“Almazy I Istrebiteli”) plus poignant punk ballads (“To Chto Ne Ubivaet Tebya”).
Rolling Stone
Between 2010–2012 multiple EPs followed including “V Den', Kogda Ya Sdalsya,” featuring collaboration with Sergei Mikhalok from Lyapis Trubetskoy & Brutto. The song “Sobachye Serdtse” (“Heart of a Dog”) advocated humane treatment toward homeless individuals highlighted within its music video.
Mid-2010 during Tornado festival performance in Miass armed assailants attacked attendees firing weapons toward stage; incident received widespread media attention culminating in lengthy court proceedings.
Spring 2011 marked two decades since formation celebrated via concert at Arena Moscow drawing approximately 3,500 fans followed by European tour alongside Tagada Jones plus appearances supporting Oi Polloi Street Dogs Mahones at Zikenstock Festival.
After publicly endorsing Belarusian political prisoners via open letter in late-2011 Tarakany! faced banishment from Belarusian venues resulting in canceled tours until clandestine return staged in 2014 followed by official performance.
At controversial Kubana Open-Air Festival during summer-2012—the event later prohibited—the band voiced support for Pussy Riot during set but was abruptly cut off by organizers; simultaneously releasing online compilation titled ‘’Release!’’ backing Pussy Riot cause.
In 2013 FeeLee Records issued double album ‘’MaximumHappy’’ featuring guest appearances from Chris Barker (Anti-Flag), Yotam Ben-Horin (Useless ID), Rodrigo González (Die Ärzte), Frank Turner among others. The single “Pyat’ Slov” featuring Lousine Gevorkian (Louna) topped Nashe Radio rock chart for twenty weeks earning title Russia's No.1 song for that year; another track “Samiy Schastlivy Chelovek Na Zemle” including Anacondaz also reached number one position. Videos for these singles each surpassed one million views on YouTube; video for “Plokhie Tantsory” featuring Rodrigo González was removed within ten hours due to profanity complaints but still amassed over one hundred thousand views. Follow-up ‘’MaximumHappy Live’’ presented live renditions of all tracks.
Early-2014 Los Angeles-based Punk Outlaw Records released first American album ‘’Russian Democrazy’’ compiling six new English-language songs plus prior English material.
Their sound evokes classic punk acts like Pennywise combined with politically charged messages reminiscent of Anti-Flag… standout songs include “Smile (Because It Irritates Them)” “Anesthesia.” Lyrics reflect fears resonating both inside Russia abroad overall making this release a strong addition to any punk collection. Dyingscene.com , rating: four out of five stars
In 2015 controversy arose at Nashestvie Festival—Russia's largest rock festival—due to its increasing militarization; performing anti-war songs advocating peace resulted in alienation from organizers as well as conservative audiences.
Early-2016 commemorated twenty-five years through four concerts at Moscow’s Glavclub/Yotaspace venues attracting nearly eight thousand attendees plus two shows at St Petersburg’s Avrora gathering around four thousand fans followed by extensive tour exceeding forty dates across Russia Belarus regions. In early-2017 Soyuz Music issued ‘’Larger than… Live!’’, a triple package comprising two audio CDs plus DVD recorded during Moscow concerts featuring collaborations with Siberian Meat Grinder Distemper Louna Lumen among others.
November-2016 saw release of ‘’Sila Odnogo (The Power of One)’’ via Soyuz Music label; plans were made for first worldwide distribution scheduled for spring-2018 through American label A-F Records presenting English-language edition titled ‘’The Power of One’’.
September-2017 involved creative project ‘’Much Ado About Nothing’’ during which band wrote recorded released one song daily over eleven consecutive days isolated within rural house setting; resulting material formed December-2017 album ‘’A Lot of Noise from Nothing: The Album’’ including guest contributions from Russian groups Pornofilmi Teni Svobodi Plan Lomonosov SMEX Animal Jazz Israel-based Useless ID among others.
Coinciding with global release during spring-2018 came split record issued jointly with Israeli outfit Useless ID entitled ‘’Among Other Zeros and Ones’’.
Additional Musical Endeavors of Band Members
Ex-members of Tarakany! have explored a range of other musical ventures:
- Yuri Lenin (vocals, guitar): Lady's Man, Mechanical Poet, Cathouse
- Denis Petukhov (vocals, keyboards): Naive, Masha I Medvedi, Butch, WK?, t.A.T.u.
- Vladimir Rodionov (guitar): Ulyi, Shashki, Priklyucheniya Electronikov, Amudarya
- Denis Rubanov (drums): Tushka, Ruban
- Konstantin Dementyev (drums): Berrimor, Chervona Rutta, Mad Band
- Alexander Golant (guitar): Naive, TRI-15
- Alexey Solovyov (bass): TRI-15, 1.5 kg Otlichnogo Pyure, Teni Svobody
- Sergey Batrakov (drums): Stas Mikhaylov
- Denis Khromykh (guitar): Plan Lomonosova
- Andrey Shmorgun (bass): Plan Lomonosova
- Nikolay Stravinskiy (guitar): Selfieman
Current lineup members also participate in various side projects:
- Dmitry 'Sid' Spirin: Priklyucheniya Electronikov (1999–2004), Lazy Bitches (2007–2009), Zuname (2005–2008), Rakety Iz Rossii (2011–present)
- Sergey Prokofyev: Priklyucheniya Electronikov (1999–present), TRI-15 (2002–2005)
- Alexander Pronin: Agitators (2006–present)
- Dmitry Kezhvatov: Priklyucheniya Electronikov (2004–2006), Spifire (2006–2013), SMG (2015–2016), Teni Svobody (2006), Optimystica Orchestra
Social and Charitable Engagements
Tarakany! has demonstrated strong commitment to animal welfare and social activism by collaborating with organizations such as the WWF and Golos Za Pravo Zhivotnykh through video messages and awareness campaigns. Their interviews and lyrics frequently advocate for vegetarianism.
Since 1996, the group has been involved in Uchites Plavat, an alternative rock initiative opposing drugs, fascism, and racism, which includes participation in related festivals and radio broadcasts.
In 1998, they took part in an anti-drug tour targeting schools in Moscow aimed at educating students on the risks associated with drug use.
The band initiated the Tipa Punki I Vsyo Takoe audio series and accompanying festivals in 1999 to promote up-and-coming punk and hardcore bands. This project produced six editions that played a key role in discovering fresh talent.
Beginning in 2000, Tarakany! has worked alongside the Russian foundation Net Alkogolizmu I Narkomanii (NAN), performing at events focused on HIV/AIDS awareness.
In 2005, they held a benefit show to support punk artists who had suffered attacks from neo-Nazi groups.
Their ongoing partnership with the AdVita foundation supports individuals battling cancer. Additionally, they perform for the B.E.L.A. Deti-Babochiki charity aiding children with epidermolysis bullosa—a cause also linked to the Scientific Research Center of Pediatric Oncology’s Nastien'ka program.
In 2012, the band organized Sobachye Serdtse, a charity rock fair benefiting Moscow’s homeless population. They also contributed to a concert promoting blood donation as part of the My Odnoy Krovi initiative.
In 2017, Tarakany! supported Producty V Glubinku, a campaign providing food to marginalized groups, and took part in Kislorod—a crowdfunding effort facilitated by Planeta.ru assisting patients with cystic fibrosis.