80s Russian Rock Group Kino

Seeing as though we just got our asses handed to us by Russia at this summit, this is the perfect time to talk about the 80s Russian Rock Group Kino.

Kino was a band that was led by a man of Russian Korean ancestry by the name of Viktor Tsoi. I am no expert on the man or the band, but I understand from my friends that this group was extremely popular and influential. I found out that Tsoi died in a car accident back in 1990.

I became aware of him as an artist in the late 90s or even early 2000, I don’t recall exactly when. Anyway, that should illustrate how influential and good he was that an American man came to know of him nearly a decade after he died. Not only did I learn about his band, but I actually really liked his music from the first moment I heard one of his songs!

When he died, people even killed themselves! He had a huge loyal following! Here is what a reporter is quoted as saying about Viktor Tsoi:

Tsoi means more to the young people of our nation than any politician, celebrity or writer. This is because Tsoi never lied and never sold out. He was and remains himself. It’s impossible not to believe him… Tsoi is the only rocker who has no difference between his image and his real life, he lived the way he sang… Tsoi is the last hero of rock!

I’ve had friends of mine translate some parts of his songs and his message is heavy poetry. Even though I could never fully understand what he is saying, you can still feel the power in his music. To this day in the year 2018, I still listen to his band Kino. I can mouth (though probably using wrong words) most of his songs. I think I have 3 of his albums and you can let the songs play back to back and everyone is great song.

I’m not a fan of our politics with Russia, though to be totally honest, who the fuck knows what is really going on? Maybe I should be a fan? I don’t know. However, I am and will forever be a fan of Viktor Tsoi and the music he made with Kino!

Below is the first song I heard, and one of my favorite songs by Kino. Initially, one of my former coworkers jokingly said that this song sounded so damn depressing that you can spin cats by the tail and throw them. To emphasize his point, this knucklehead remixed the song and added cat sound effects to it. He then called it “The cat killing song.”

My Russian friend was not happy about that at all and became really angry with this guy. However, without that cruel joke to catch my attention, I may have never discovered this amazing group. So their fight was to my benefit. Anyway, have a listen, this one has subtitles.