Рада и Терновник is a dark Russian folk rock band, created by Rada Anchevskaya in 1991.
Official site - http://rada.rinet.ru/
"Rada & Ternovnik" means Rada and the Blackthorn.
"Rada & Ternovnik" is one of the most successful dark folk / psychedelic / world music bands in Russia, most famous for chanteuse Rada's phenomenal voice. At present the group had done powerful upgrade with a new music concept. This concept combines environmental vision and powerful shamanic rock. New style based on fusion of string section’s stormy sound (guitar, bass guitar, electric cello) and drums with mystical shamanic acoustics – shamans’ timbrels (frame drums), drone drums, gongs and Tibetan bowls. Group defines this style as folk metal postindustrial.
Environmental mission of this program named UKOK - is to attract attention to conservation of Ukok Plateau. Ukok plateau is a unique place in the Altai Mountains, Russia. «Ukok Quiet Zone» National Park is the object of UNESCO World heritage. And this is a sacred land for indigenous people of Altai. Now this land is in danger of extinction because of the plan to construct China export gas pipeline. Greenpeace Russia together with WWF Russia and Save Ukok Coalition support environmental mission of the music band and continue their work to save plateau Ukok.
"Rada & Ternovnik" appeared in early 1990-ies as one of Russian darkest indie bands. They played pioneering acoustic psychodelic music extremely depressive in lyrics and outlook. Rada actively jammed with other highlights of then burgeoning Russian indie scene, such as Kaliningrad's mystic reggae legend "Komitet Okhrany Tepla"("Warmth Guarding Committee").
In 1991-92 Rada i Ternovnik produced their first CD "Graphics", muddled, weird, depressive, but extremely powerful, something truly unique. In mid-1990-ies "Rada & Ternovnik" mutated to a rock fourpiece, making even darker music highlighting virtuoso vocal technique of Rada, who was compared often with Diamanda Galas and Elisabeth Frazer. The CD "Sounds of Sorrow" and numerous live cassete-only releases were recorded during this period. Listeners very often experience specific shamanic influence of her voice, reporting weird bodily feelings, sudden disappearance of gravitation, and many other unusual things.
In 1998, "Rada & Ternovnik" made the first Russian trip-hop record - "My love, my sorrow", still very dark, but melodic, agressive and danceable at spots. "My love, my sorrow" was released by Russian goth/indie label Ur-Realist jointly with the French dark wave label Prikosnovenie, also the home to XVII Vie, Jack or Jive and Raksha Manchan. Since then all albums of Rada were released by Ur-Realist in Russia and by Prikosnovenie in France.
2000 - At the same time Rada uses perfect opera technique, having spent seven years on studies and polishing the technique with opera pedagogue. In the same year Rada began to attend folklore seminars of Dmitry Fokin (Dmitry Pokrovsky's ensemble participant, he had sung there for fifteen years & collected a unique expeditionary material). To her astonishment, Rada finds out that her voice in traditions of the Italian opera school harmoniously supplies specific folk singing.
2001 - In the new century, "Rada & Ternovnik" incorporated acoustic strings (cello, double bass, viola), bassoon; their music became lighter, with medieval, folkish and classical influences apparent. Now "Rada & Ternovnik" perform as a neoclassical ensemble, with cello and basoon duo playing the leading role. The latest releases of "Rada & Ternovnik" all reflect this neoclassical tendency to some degree; of these, the most powerful is "Salamandra" (2002).
2003-2004 Since "Salamandra's" release, "Rada & Ternovnik" acquired a harder, darker edge to their sound; the cello and the basoon are out, replaced by harsh, almost industrial rhythm-section. The group was appearing in a flurry of festivals and live performances. Of these, the most memorable were the concert of Moscow underground gothic and industrial artists in honour of sad passing of Jhon Balance of Coil and Threshold House (2004). The same year Rada & Ternovnik were featured artists of Inferno Radio Festival in Saint Peterburg, along with Cold Meat Industry's Arcana (Sweden).
2005 - "Rada & Ternovnik" were called "founders of Russian dark movement". Their album "Marriage" blends the trademark dark and sorrowful vocals of Rada with authentic folklore music of a Russian ethnic collective "Yasnyj Den" ("The Bright Day") into a rich tapestry of unique post-rock sound. In December of 2005, the musical producer Nazim Nadirov recommended "Marriage" as the best ethno recording of 2005 for participation in WMCE (World Music Charts European ).
December 2005 - INCANTATIONS. INCANTANTIONS continues and develops the tradition of the rithual authentic music that started with MARRIAGE. Now the band does not just turn to Slavonic folklore -- the abundance of ethnical instruments (Tibetan ritual trumpet, Australian didgeridoo,South Indian kanjira, Russian wind instruments) is not a goal in itself. Rather, it is a necessary condition to make it possible to show the ancient roots of the band in all its diversity and variety. The disc INCANTATIONS" is published both in Russia and Ukraine. The best songs of "Rada & Ternovnik" were published in February 2006 by the leading Russian Hi Fi magazin Stereo-Video, available in 35 000 copies in Russia and 6 000 copies in Ukraine.
Rada i Ternovnik remain one of the leading players on Russian indie scene; one of the darkest, fascinating, tuneful, and certainly the most unique.
The live sound of the group is a blend of vast electronic landscapes with psychodelic guitar solos and heavy bass drone. The group has made a special set of original video recordings to accompany the performance. The video is built from the interplay of disparately beautiful images - the Tibetian and Inca ritual masks, Indian sculptures and ancient Slavic inscriptions and the video recording of a sunset at Sinai Peninsula. At "Rada & Ternovnik"'s concerts the listeners mark strong emotional influence of music. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.