Drum Ecstasy: Biography

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Drum Ecstasy is a separate offshoot of the art group Byelorusskiy Klimat. Founded in 1993, it consists now of Philippe Tchmyr on bass guitar and three drummers. They have played in Minsk, Kaunas, Copenhagen, Berlin, Tbilisi, and Eindhoven. Drum Ecstasy play at hardcore and techno clubs, as well as under bridges with open fires burning and pre-recorded synthesiser backing. Guests include Oleg Olovnikov, cello soloist from the Belarusian State Philharmonic, and brass musicians. Drum Ecstasy are prepared to cooperate with session guests of any kind. Drum Ecstasy�s performance piece 'Oh Empire!', a nine-minute flag dance to the trance beat of the drummers, opened the Liebschaft and White Festival in 1995, Belarusian Written Language and Printing Day, and several Belarusian town holidays (Novogrudok, Turov, and Mir). These shows were commissioned by the Belarusian Ministry of Culture. Drum Ecstasy were acknowledged as the best show in Belarus in 96 (by votes of club directors).

Drum Ecstasy are active in youth movement, namely, in the NGYO New Faces. All the autumn 97 the band performed in schoolgirls' uniform dresses under the slogan "Nobody in jungle but girls". That was an action of support for transvestites.

LINEUP

Philipp Tchmyr - 1968. Music education: doublebass. He has been playing concerts since 1986 within several solo projects. Apart from music he is working for an advertisement company as the executive producer of a series of public performances titled "Below the Line". In 1996, Philippe Tchmyr won a prize in the «Give Way!» alternative music contest organized by the Belarusian Soros Foundation.

Alexandre Kravtsov - 1972. Music education: drums. He has played in the Belarusian youth brass band, the heavy metal group Septic Shiza, and the band FTTF. He is working as a lighting engineer.

Andrey 'Graf' Tchugunov - 1973, drums. He also plays guitar in HDDNName and has played in Vacuum and Tornado. He has a solo electronic project called vacuumable.

Alexandre Goroh - 1979, drums, a student of the Belorussian Academy of Music. He has played in the band Znitch, and is now employed by the Belorussian State Symphonic Orchestra.