IC3PEAK Whispers and Screams po-Russki (in Russian) of Cultural Downfalls in Russia Today

By Aleksandra Drozzina

Abstract:

IC3PEAK, a Russian experimental electronic duo, position themselves as an “audiovisual terror” project. Since their third studio record, Sladkaya Zhizn’ (“Sweet Life”) (2017), they have started singing almost exclusively in Russian. The vocalist, Nastya, explains: “There was a desire for dialogue with my own generation that happened, and in my native language—it erases distance” (2017). This decision reflects rising nationalism in Russia since 2012 (Biasioli 2020) and runs parallel to anti-Putinism in Russian rap (Ewell 2017). In 2018 the band’s activity caught the eye of the authorities, and concerts were constantly disrupted by law enforcement, resulting in lingering paranoia and social anxiety for the band.

This article demonstrates how IC3PEAK communicates their despair from trauma caused by living conditions in Russia today through close examination of their songs’ texts, formal structures, and accompanying videos. IC3PEAK’s music references ongoing Russian socio-political issues—critiquing Putin’s eternal regime in “Death No More,” suppression of individual and democratic rights in “Marching,” domestic violence in “Boo-Hoo”—all three accompanied by grim videos that are immensely popular worldwide. Nastya draws on a wide range of vocal techniques, from whispers and chastushka-like recitations to yells in verses, while displaying Russian pevuchest’ (“melodiousness”) in bridges and choruses. Altogether these elements present an emotional personal outcry.

“I’m from a scary Russian fairytale!” shouts Nastya Krestlina from IC3PEAK (pronounced “I speak”) on their 2018 record Skazka (“Fairytale”). IC3PEAK are a Russian electronic duo from Moscow; they are one of a handful of Russian bands who are daring to comment on current socio-political issues in their home country.¹ IC3PEAK’s vocalist, Nastya (b. 1995), and producer, Nikolai (Kolya) Kostylev (b. 1995), have been collaborating since 2013. From the band’s inception, Nastya takes charge of writing all song texts and melodies, while Kolya produces accompanying beats and layers the multiple song components. The two collaborate closely, aiming to create a final product that equally presents their creative visions. This article addresses IC3PEAK’s last two studio albums, Skazka (“Fairytale”) that came out in 2018, and Do Svidaniya (“Goodbye”; with a tagline, “It’s going to get darker”) released in 2020. Skazka was their second album, which was almost entirely in Russian, marking a decisive change in the pair’s approach regarding the band’s message and their audience. By focusing on three songs from these two albums: “Death No More,” “Marching,” and “Boo-Hoo”–deconstructing the songs’ texts, formal structure, and the accompanying videos–I show how IC3PEAK communicates feelings of despair from trauma caused by living conditions in Russia today, as they protest the current political regime.

I show how IC3PEAK communicates feelings of despair from trauma caused by living conditions in Russia today, as they protest the current political regime

IC3PEAK’s early output was inspired by “witch house” of the late 2000s and early 2010s–an electronic subgenre dark in its sound and visual aesthetic. Artists like Crystal Castles (from Toronto, Canada) and Salem (from Traverse City, Michigan) performing in this style were at the peak of their popularity in Canada, the United States, and Europe.² IC3PEAK capitalized on this electronic trend in Russia: their performance at “W17CHØU7” (“Witchout”) in Moscow was only their second performance, but they found themselves playing to an audience of 600. In 2014, they chose to sign on with international labels like STYLSS in the United States and Stellar Kinematics in France. Currently, they are not with any label and no longer feel the need for it. They are able to support themselves through Spotify earnings and touring. IC3PEAK’s first concerts were predominantly in Europe: they built their fan following in cities like Paris, Bordeaux, and Riga. In 2016 they expanded into Brazil, and they did their first world tour in the United States and Mexico. Nastya shares in later interviews that all of this international travelling played into their decision to switch from singing in English to Russian. She mentions that she and Kolya were inspired by the cultural melting pot that they encountered in the United States; there they were consistently being asked about their Russian background, and that made them realize that the interest in Russian culture, including customs and language, is present abroad.

Example 1 is a still shot from IC3PEAK’s very first video “Ether” from 2014.³

Example 1: Video “Ether.” Nastya is seen struggling to stay afloat.

A person swimming in water

Description automatically generated with medium confidence

From this point on, the duo position themselves as an “audiovisual terror” project: Nastya explores screaming and vocal delivery in her higher register, and there is a consistent lack of clear lyrics. Fittingly, the text in this song is a repeated phrase of “I can’t hear.” The accompanying video visual is a continuous blurred take of Nastya drowning and struggling just beneath the surface of murky water. Nastya shares that at this time she was interested in communicating in a universal language of shouting that would be understood widely. Aside from shouting, Nastya and Kolya also viewed English as a universal language, since they are both fluent in it; both studied to become translators (from English and Swedish to Russian) at the Russian State University for the Humanities (RGGU).

The band admits that at the time, singing in English provided a certain degree of safety as well, since their target audience were those who speak English. Using English allowed the band to spotlight topics that are provocative in Russia, such as the band’s support for LGBTQ rights, as seen in their early video “Go With the Flow.”⁴ Nevertheless, Nastya explains, “There was a desire for dialogue with my own generation that happened, and in my native language—it erases distance.”⁵ As the band members grew older, they gained more confidence to express their socio-political views in Russian while living in Russia. Prior to this time period, Russian bands like Pompeya, Tesla Boy and On-the-Go were big in the Russian indi scene, and they sang in English. Marco Biasioli writes that these bands were part of the “Anglophone Wave,” representatives of Moscow’s cosmopolitans, adding to the soundtrack of Moscow’s transformation in the twenty-first century.⁶ Pussy Riot were one of the first to counter the Anglophone wave and instead highlight the realities in Russia, and IC3PEAK speak of their admiration for Pussy Riot’s 2012 performance and further activist efforts (see Example 2).⁷

Example 2: Pussy Riot’s 2012 church performance

A picture containing altar

Description automatically generated

Philip Ewell’s research points out a dissident voice in rap, heard in artists like Noize MC and Vasya Oblomov who cry out for freedom in Putin’s Russia.⁸ For instance, rapper Husky (Dmitry Kuznetsov) was arrested and jailed for 12 days in Krasnodar in 2018 after he mounted a car to perform for fans after his show was unexpectedly cancelled. And just recently, singer Noize MC (Ivan Alekseev) was prevented from performing after he openly expressed his support for Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader.⁹

In 2018 IC3PEAK’s activity caught the eye of Russian authorities. Over the course of two weeks, the band’s concerts were cancelled or delayed for multiple made-up reasons (see Example 3), and musicians and others involved were threatened, interrogated, and searched.

Example 3: The censoring treatment of the band in Voronezh in 2018¹⁰

The band quickly hired a lawyer to accompany them on their travels after such harassment escalated. In the short film by Moscow-based journalist Andrey Loshak, we see that the cause for the concert disruption in Voronezh is cited as an apparent food poisoning by a customer at the concert venue the day before the actual concert.¹¹ As this somewhat comical sequence of events unfolds, the local authorities try to include the band members and their manager in the customer complaint. The truly bizarre chain of events reaches its climax at 16:50–18:47, when the tour’s manager is dragged away from the entrance near the stage and is subsequently questioned and almost detained. At this very moment Nastya is singing the band’s hit “Death No More” together with the audience. Soon after, when the band is forced to cut their concert short as they check on the safety of their manager, they come outside and sing this song a capella in the freezing cold. This tour came to be known as IC3PEAK’s mentotur (police-tour).

Nastya and Kolya admit that they were experiencing feelings of paranoia following this tour: they would not tell anyone where they lived—even their friends—and they checked their phones constantly. Nastya was dealing with new feelings of anxiety and experienced trouble falling asleep for over a year. Most recently, the two were living outside of Moscow in an undisclosed location, but they are thankful that the band’s international popularity prevents more extreme interventions into their creative activity and private lives.¹²

Of course, simply singing in Russian was not enough to cause such open persecution of the band. IC3PEAK began to address the current political climate in their songs in 2017, following Putin’s announcement in an interview that he would be running for his third re-election in 2018. Nastya watched the interview and immediately wrote the chorus of “Death No More” as a personal response to this stagnant state of affairs. Overall, the band critiques the governmental disinterest in gender equality reforms, education reforms, increasing number of political prisoners–often including artists and musicians—various censorship attempts, living conditions in places that are not major cities where there continues to be lack of proper education, lack of infrastructures, and the list goes on.

The video for the song “Death No More” premiered in October 2018, two months before the “police-tour.” The video currently has over 90 million views on YouTube.¹³ Example 4 shows the main locations where the video was filmed: in front of the Russian White House (Dmitry Medvedev was the Prime Minister in 2018), Lubyanka building (headquarters of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB)), Red Square, and VDNKh (All-Russian Exhibition Centre).

Example 4: “Death No More” video backdrops

The images in Example 4 also note when in the song these buildings and areas are used as backdrops: at first each location accompanies a single section of the song, but beginning with Verse 2 they alternate. Filming in some areas is prohibited, so the band had to work fast with a minimal number of props. The musicians share, “You get used to tricks when living in Russia: our entire life here is a circus, a never-ending carousel.”¹⁴ In the video, the band members portray vampire-like authority figures. At one point in the video, the undead characters are sinking while wearing their gold chains (a reference to the wildly corrupt 1990s in Russia), yet they reappear in the next scene unharmed on the carousel. After all, the dead don’t die.

Example 5: “Death No More” Song Text¹⁵

|0:00| Chorus (repeated):
Я заливаю глаза керосином
Пусть все горит, пусть все горит
На меня смотрит вся Россия
Пусть все горит, пусть все горит

|0:27| Verse 1:
Я теперь готова ко всему на свете
Я отсидела свой срок в интернете
Выхожу на улицу гладить кота
А его переезжает тачка мента
Я иду по городу в черном худи
Тут обычно холодно, злые люди
Впереди меня ничего не ждет
Но я жду тебя, ты меня найдешь

|0:48| Bridge:
В золотых цепях я утопаю в болоте
Кровь моя чище чистых наркотиков
Вместе с другими тебя скрутят на площади
А я скручу в своей новой жилплощади

|1:09| Chorus (same as before):
Я заливаю глаза керосином….

|1:30| Verse 1 (same as before):

|1:52| Bridge (repeated):

|2:35| Outro (repeated four times):
Смерти больше нет

Chorus (repeated):
I fill my eyes with kerosene
Let it all burn, let it all burn
All of Russia is watching me
Let it all burn, let it all burn

Verse 1:
Now I’m prepared for anything at all
I did my time online
I’m going out in the street to pet a cat
But the cop car runs him over
I’m walking through the city wearing a black hoodie
Usually it’s cold here, people are angry
Nothing awaits me ahead
But I’m waiting for you, one day you’ll find me

Bridge:
With gold chains on my neck, I’m sinking in this swamp
My blood is purer than the purest drugs
You and the others will be arrested at the square
While I’ll be rolling joints in my new place

Chorus (same as before):
I fill my eyes with kerosene….

Verse 1 (same as before):

Bridge (repeated):

Outro (repeated four times):
There is no more death

Example 6 outlines the formal structure of “Death No More;” this structure is recalled in the songs “March” and “Boo-Hoo,” and is frequently used in the last two albums.

Example 6: “Death No More” formal structure; numbering reflects repeated sections

Chorus: Whispered the first time, whispers layered with yells in the repeat
Verse 1: Whispered
Bridge: Pevuchiy (melodious) with a clap-along
Chorus: Yelled the first time, yells layered with whispers in the repeat (reversed from Chorus 1)
Verse 1: The words are the same; delivered in schtitalochka (nursery rhyme) manner, now pitched with phrases being echoed in whispers
Bridge: Pevuchiy (melodious) with a clap-along
Outro: Analogous to bridge in vocal delivery

Following the video premiere, the rapid rise in YouTube video viewings, and increased international popularity of the band, Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov spoke against the cancellation of the band’s concerts at the end of 2018, but also critiqued the video and pointed out apparent lack of proper morals in young people.¹⁶Mikalkov is head of the Russian Cinematographer’s Union and his opinion holds considerable weight in the world of Russian film and media. He is also actively involved in Russian politics and is a public supporter of Putin. Mikhalkov largely dismissed IC3PEAK’s personal outcry and the outcries of their Russian fans who share the same concerns.

The song “March”came out in February 2020: the budget for this video jumped to over $13000 USD, compared to “Death No More” video’s $3000 USD budget, and it currently has over 32 million YouTube views.¹⁷ This song also critiques the Putin regime, but here the band goes a step further by using distorted imagery of Soviet pioneers in the video, seen in Example 7.

Example 7: Video “Marching.” Nastya and Kolya are seen in the front row.

These pioneers, with menacing faces, are forced to abandon their education for military service (one year of service is required for Russian men between the ages 18 to 27). The lyrics are particularly agonizing in the chorus-climax section 3B, when Nastya almost wails: “The air is feeling heavier with every year / I don’t want to kill people / No invitation, they enter my home / New proclamation and newly passed law” (see Example 8 for the full text). At this point in the video (1:20), Nastya plays a widow, who lost her husband to war, and now her son, groomed to walk the same path, revolts against those in power instead.

Example 8: “March” Song Text¹⁸

|0:00|Intro:
Ля, ля-ля-ля, ля, ля….

|0:18|Verse 1:
Твое лицо совершенно такое же
А это здание есть в каждом городе
Вместо гирлянды колючая проволока
А за заборами нет горизонта
Окна забиты, я в двух капюшонах
Кто там на улице помимо холода?
Танк припаркованный прям за воротами
Он не стреляет, стоит тут для понта

|0:45|Chorus:
Я будто чужая в своей родной семье
Но я не боюсь и я не вру себе
Мое тело в шрамах, а ладонь в грязи
Я ищу свой дом и корни как и ты

Я будто чужая в своей родной семье
Но я не боюсь и я не вру себе
Мое сердце в сколах, а в глазах тоска
Не вернусь обратно больше никогда

|1:21|Chorus-Climax:
Воздух вокруг с каждым годом душней
Я не хочу убивать людей
Без приглашения заходят в мой дом
Новое слово и новый закон

|1:40|Intro (same as before):

|2:06|Verse 2 (same as before):

Intro:
Lya, lya-lya-lya, lya, lya….

Verse 1:
Your face is exactly the same
And this same building is in every city
Instead of garlands, there is barbed wires
And there is no horizon beyond the fences
The windows are clogged, and I’m in two hoodies
Who is it out there besides the cold?
A tank, parked right outside the gates
It’s not shooting, just standing here for show

Chorus:
I’m like a stranger in my own family
But I’m not afraid and I don’t lie to myself
My body is in scars, and my palm is in dirt
I’m searching for my home and my roots, just like you

I’m like a stranger in my own family
But I’m not afraid and I don’t lie to myself
My heart is chipped, and there’s a yearning in my eyes
I will never go back

Chorus-Climax:
The air around is feeling heavier with every year
I don’t want to kill people
They come into my house without invitation
A new word and a new law

Intro (same as before):

Verse 2 (same as before):

Example 9 outlines the formal structure that is similar to the structure in “Death No More.” Again, Nastya relies on whispers, yells, and their combination in her vocal delivery of verses, while the chorus, which is reserved for the song’s climax, is sung in a melodious manner. Due to its simple aabb rhyme scheme and memorable melody, the chorus invites the audience to sing along. This same tactic is used in the chorus in “Death No More,” which is frequently chanted at anti-Putin rallies today.¹⁹

Example 9: “March” formal structure; numbering reflects repeated sections

1. Intro: Child-like “lya-lya-lya,” recalls Soviet pioneer songs
2. Verse 1: Whispered, with layered yells on each second line
3A. Chorus: aabb rhyme scheme; pevuchiy (melodious), last line sung with increased anguish
3B. Chorus-Climax: aabb rhyme scheme
1. Intro: Combined with underlying beats to mirror bombing seen at this point in the video
2. Verse 1: Yelled throughout with layered whispers; whisper only on the last line

The video for the song “Boo-Hoo” cost approximately $13000 USD and has over 37 million YouTube views.²⁰ This song is IC3PEAK’s commentary on domestic violence and its prevalence in Russia. Nastya describes:“It’s about how the family works and how it can traumatize… all… family members. It’s about domestic violence, and how we ourselves currently create the society we live in and that we need to change it. To change it we need to first change ourselves.”²¹ Example 10 provides the full text.

Example 10: “Boo-Hoo” Song Text²²

|0:00|Intro:
Плак-плак, плак-плак
Плак-плак, плак-плак

|0:12|Verse 1:
Я тебе писала и ждала тебя в ночи (плак-плак)
Ты не отвечаешь больше на мои звонки (плак-плак)
Каждый вечер оставляю под подушкой зуб (плак-плак)
Умоляю небеса назад тебя вернуть (плак-плак)
Я была хорошей, а плохой я не была (плак-плак)
Я всю жизнь, как паинька, по правилам жила (плак-плак)
Надоело плакать, надоело мне страдать (плак-плак)
Всё равно не выйдет свою смерть предугадать (плак-плак)

|0:37|Bridge:
Ла-ла-ла-ла-ла-а-а-а
Ла-ла-ла-ла-ла-а-а-а
Ла-ла-ла-ла-ла-а-а-а
Ла-ла-ла-ла-ла-а-а-а

|0:49|Chorus (repeated):
Мама говорила мне: “Слушайся мужа”
Я непослушная, делаю хуже
Делаю не так, как наказывал папа
Вместо звезды я хватаю гранату

|1:13|Chorus-Climax-Outro + Bridge:
Я хотела бы тебя, как тогда, обнять
Но для этого придётся тело раскопать
Твои кости ледяные где-то там на дне
Прорастут цветы в этой оплаканной земле

|1:37|Intro (same as before):

|1:49|Verse 2:
Растекаются по всей стене твои мозги (плак-плак)
Очень разозлилась на тебя, ты уж прости (плак-плак)
Сотый раз во сне я наблюдаю твой конец (плак-плак)
И не так уж страшно, в самом деле, умереть (плак-плак)
Я была хорошей, а плохой я не была (плак-плак)
Я всю жизнь, как паинька, по правилам жила (плак-плак)
Надоело плакать, надоело мне страдать (плак-плак)
Всё равно не выйдет свою смерть предугадать (плак-плак)

|2:13|Chorus (repeated):

|2:38|Bridge:

|2:50|Chorus-Climax-Outro + Bridge:

Intro:
Boo-hoo, boo-hoo
Boo-hoo, boo-hoo

Verse 1:
I wrote to you and waited for you at night (boo-hoo)
You don’t answer my calls anymore (boohoo)
Every evening I put a tooth under my pillow (boo-hoo)
And I’m begging to the heavens to bring you back (boo-hoo)
I’ve always been good, and I’ve never been bad (boo-hoo)
I followed the rules like a good girl all my life (boo-hoo)
I’m sick of crying, sick of all of the pain (boo-hoo)
I’ll never be able to predict my death anyway (boo-hoo)

Bridge:
La, la, la, la, la, a a a
La, la, la, la, la, a a a
La, la, la, la, la, a a a
La, la, la, la, la, a a a

Chorus (repeated):
My mother always said to me, “Listen to your husband”
I’m so naughty, spoiling everything
Doing contrary to my father’s lessons
I don’t shoot for the stars, I grab grenades

Chorus-Climax-Outro + Bridge:
I would like to hug you like I did before
But for that, I’d have to dig your body out
Your ice-cold bones are somewhere at the bottom
Flowers will grow out on the mourned earth

Intro (same as before):

Verse 2:
Your brains spread out all over the door (boo-hoo)
You really pissed me off, you have to forgive me (boo-hoo)
I’m watching your end in my dream for the hundredth time (boo-hoo)
Actually, it’s not really scary to die (boo-hoo)
I’ve always been good, and I’ve never been bad (boo-hoo)
I followed the rules like a good girl all my life (boo-hoo)
I’m sick of crying, sick of all of the pain (boo-hoo)
I’ll never be able to predict my death anyway (boohoo)

Chorus (repeated):

Bridge:

Chorus-Climax-Outro + Bridge:

Example 11 provides the formal structure for “Boo-Hoo.”

Example 11: “Boo-Hoo” formal structure; numbering reflects repeated sections

1. Intro: “Boo-hoo”
2. Verse 1: Whispered, with layered melodies and yells that echo the text, aabbccdd rhyme scheme
3. Bridge: Pevuchiy (melodious), sung on a neutral syllable “la,” resembles improvisatory Russian folk singing
4A. Chorus: Melodious, accompanied by a harpsichord
4B. Chorus-Climax-Outro + Bridge: Melodious, tempo slowed down, aabb rhyme scheme
1. Intro: Same as before
2. Verse 2: Whispered, with layered melodies and yells that echo the text, aabbccdd rhyme scheme
4A. Chorus: Same as before
3. Bridge: Same as before
4B. Chorus-Climax-Outro + Bridge

In comparison to the formal structures in “Death No More” and “March,” “Boo-Hoo” contains more variety in terms of section repeats and their order; in the second half of the song, chorus section 4A is not immediately followed by chorus-climax section 4B, but is briefly interrupted by the bridge section. Moreover, section 4B is combined with the bridge creating a multi-layered texture that was not present in the two songs previously discussed. In the accompanying video, the band additionally relies on Russian folk imagery, such as braids peeking out of ushankas (Russian fur hats) and roundelays in the wilderness, seen in Example 12.

Example 12: Video “Boo-Hoo”

These elements can be seen at the point of the chorus-climax-outro, at 1:13–1:48, when the female protagonist is both celebrating and mourning her partner’s death. Dressed in all black, she walks in front of ten children also dressed in black, as they trail behind her and carry the dead body of the abusive partner through the Russian forest toward his burial plot.

Alena Popova, lawyer and the creator of a women’s mutual aid network, Project W, co-authored the bill with Mary Davtyan and Aleksei Parshin, on domestic violence prevention that has been in development in Russia since 2016. While there are laws against domestic abuse in 143 countries, in Russia, Popova’s bill has been rejected multiple times. Domestic beatings were decriminalized in Russia at the beginning of 2017. As a result, the Russian police will ignore domestic violence reports unless the woman is physically assaulted with a knife. Here are just a few statistics from Russia at the time of this writing:²³

More than 16 million women suffer from domestic violence in a year.
38% of women in Russia were exposed to verbal domestic violence throughout life.
20% of women were exposed to physical abuse throughout life.
Only 10% of victims appeal to the police.

Moreover, in February 2017 physical abuse became punishable by a fine rather than time in prison. As such, violence against a spouse or children that results in bruising or bleeding but not broken bones is punishable by 15 days in prison or a fine of $400 USD if there are no repeat offences in a year. Previously, these offences carried a maximum jail sentence of two years.²⁴ Fewer cases are being reported to the police across the board, and the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation considerably. Nastya of IC3PEAK highlights that the only available option for the victim is to respond with violence against the attacker, but this is not safe, and external intervention is urgently needed. Such a victim’s violent response against their abuser is presented in the video “Boo-Hoo,” IC3PEAK’s song on a highly sensitive topic.

IC3PEAK reject the feelings of deep homelessness they currently experience in their home country of Russia by forcing themselves to speak out about the issues facing Russian citizens in their music, interviews, and on social media

IC3PEAK reject the feelings of deep hopelessness they currently experience in their home country of Russia by forcing themselves to speak out about the issues facing Russian citizens in their music, interviews, and on social media. They urge their Russian listeners not to run away from feelings of fear of repercussions for speaking out, to join in the conversation, and to not be afraid to actively participate in rallies addressing socio-political matters that directly affect them. Nastya and Kolya reject the outdated Soviet ways when politics were not to be discussed in public, but only around the kitchen table with those you trust completely. Instead, they speak publicly and unequivocally. Their videos continue to be available on YouTube, largely thanks to their dedicated international following that was built early on. The band is also extremely fortunate to have financial independence and freedom that allows them to continue to express their artistic vision, personal beliefs, and poignant social commentary.

About the Author:

Aleksandra (Sasha) Drozzina, from Ventspils, Latvia, is Lecturer in Music Theory and coordinator of the music theory area at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Aleksandra received her Ph.D. degree in Music Theory from Louisiana State University. Her dissertation, entitled “Schnittke, Gubaidulina, and Pärt: Religion and Spirituality during the Late Thaw and Early Perestroika,” contextualizes selected works within the 1970s and 1980s in the Soviet Union, and discusses the unique religious and spiritual nuances and compositional techniques within each piece. Aleksandra has presented her research at various conferences, including the Canadian University Music Society Annual Conference, the Society for Music Theory Annual Meeting, as well as guest talks. Aleksandra’s current research interests include Russian popular music, and intersections of politics and music.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6tDdjOmsCY.

_____. 2020. “Marsh (Marching).” YouTube video, 2:25, February 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqohApD6Ng8.

_____.  2018. “Smerti Bol’she Net (Death No More).” YouTube video, 2:57, October 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBG3Gdt5OGs.

_____. 2018. “Ether.” YouTube video, 3:57, July 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxgZbkiWOYM.

Loshak, Andrey. “Let It All Burn.” YouTube video, 26:51, May 3, 2020. 
	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arL4iw3td2s.

Naylor, Tony. “Crystal Castles: An Astonishing Debut from the Canadian Digital Noseniks.”
New Musical Express. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-crystal-castles-9659-317067.

Mir vokrug nas (The World Around Us). “Smerti bolshe net ic3peak: pochemu klip zapreshen, a 
koncerty gruppy sorvany (Death no more ic3peak: why the video is banned, and the band’s concerts are cancelled). YouTube video, 6:40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVysBbSQVM0.

Sherburne, Philip. “25 Genres That (Briefly) Defined the Last 25 Years.” Pitchfork. Accessed 
September 29, 2021. https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/microgenres-25th-anniversary/.


Spring, Marianna. “Decriminalisation of Domestic Violence in Russia Leads to Fall in Reported 
Cases.” The Guardian. Accessed September 1, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/16/decriminalisation-of-domestic-violence-in-russia-leads-to-fall-in-reported-cases.

Discography

IC3PEAK. 2020. Do Svidaniya (“Good Bye”). 

_____. 2018. Skazka (“Fairytale”). 

_____. 2017. Sladkaya Zhizn’ (“Sweet Life”).

1
Another Russian experimental group, Shortparis (formed in 2012), is also known for anti-authoritarian song texts, jarring videos, and active participation in protests against the current political regime. Though, unlike Shortparis, IC3PEAK never performed on Channel One’s late-night talk show Vecherniy Urgant (“Evening Urgant”).
2
On Crystal Castle’s debut album, see Tony Naylor, “Crystal Castles: An Astonishing Debut from the Canadian Digital Noiseniks.” New Musical Express, https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-crystal-castles-9659-317067. On the witch house genre, see Philip Sherburne, “25 Genres That (Briefly) Defined the Last 25 Years.” Pitchfork, https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/microgenres-25th-anniversary/.
3
IC3PEAK, “Ether,” YouTube video, 3:57, July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxgZbkiWOYM.
4
“Go With the Flow” was filmed in Brazil. While touring in Brazil, Nastya and Kolya were introduced to the Brazilian LGBTQ community and were inspired by their freer rights than in Russia.
5
Yuri Dud, “IC3PEAK – music and modern art / вДудь,” YouTube video, 1:33:11, June 30, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ReakCrKX0. English subtitles are available.
6
Marco Biasioli, “Russophone or Anglophone? The Politics of Identity in Contemporary Russian Indie Music,” Europe-Asia Studies (July 2020): 5, https://doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2020.1779665.
7
For more on Pussy Riot’s activity, see G Douglas Barrett, “After Sound: Toward a Critical Music” (New York: Bloomsbury, 2016), 63–95.
8
Refer to Philip Ewell, “Chapter 3: Russian Rap in the Era of Vladimir Putin,” in Hip Hop at Europe’s Edge, eds. Milosz Miszczynski and Adriana Helbig, 45–62 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2017).
9
Noize MC (@noizemc) expressed his support for Navalny’s return to Russia on his public Instagram account; see the artist’s post on January 20, 2021, as well as later ones.
10
See Andrey Loshak, “Let It All Burn,” YouTube video, 26:51, May 3, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arL4iw3td2s. English subtitles are available.
11
Ibid.
12
See Yuri Dud, “IC3PEAK – music and modern art / вДудь,” YouTube video, 1:33:11, June 30, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ReakCrKX0.
13
IC3PEAK, “Smerti Bol’she Net (Death No More),” YouTube video, 2:57, October 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBG3Gdt5OGs.
14
Yuri Dud, “IC3PEAK – music and modern art / вДудь,” YouTube video, 1:33:11, June 30, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ReakCrKX0.
15
Time markings reflect the ones in the YouTube video.
16
See Mir vokrug nas (The World Around Us), “Smerti bolshe net ic3peak: pochemu klip zapreshen, a koncerty gruppy sorvany (Death no more ic3peak: why the video is banned, and the band’s concerts are cancelled), YouTube video, 6:40, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVysBbSQVM0. English subtitles are available.
17
IC3PEAK, “Marsh (Marching),” YouTube video, 2:25, February 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqohApD6Ng8.
18
Time markings reflect those in the YouTube video.
19
Nastya (@ndless), as well as other users, posted multiple instances of “Death No More” being chanted at protests in Europe and in Russia upon Navalny’s return to Moscow in early 2021 in their Instagram stories; these included recitations of the chorus, sometimes the entire song, sung by Russian citizens jailed for showing support and gathering for public demonstrations.
20
IC3PEAK, “Plak-Plak (Boo-Hoo),” YouTube video, 3:20, April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6tDdjOmsCY.
21
Yuri Dud, “IC3PEAK – music and modern art / вДудь,” YouTube video, 1:33:11, June 30, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ReakCrKX0.
22
Time markings reflect those in the YouTube video.
23
“2017. We demand to adopt the domestic violence law.” http://domesticviolence.ru.
24
See Marianna Spring, “Decriminalisation of Domestic Violence in Russia Leads to Fall in Reported Cases.” The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/16/decriminalisation-of-domestic-violence-in-russia-leads-to-fall-in-reported-cases.