Alexander Petrunin: biography and obituary. “It was like an explosion! Friends and colleagues remember Alexander “Mewark” Petrunin and his complex, simple music

Denis Boyarinov

Friends and colleagues remember Alexander “Mewark” Petrunin and his complex, simple music

The story of Alexander Petrunin, known under the nickname Mewark, is unfortunately typical of Russian music, it is about a lame fate and unrecognized talent. On December 30, 2012, one of the brightest Russian electronic musicians of the 2000s, known even to a wide audience (from Dolphin’s album “Zvezda”, screensavers for TV programs on the Rossiya channel and the Noize MC song “Kantemirovskaya”), suddenly passed away without having time to release his third album, and without having time to do a lot of things.

On February 7, the 16 Ton club will host a concert in memory of Mewark, which will bring together friends and colleagues of the musician. COLTA.RU wrote to some of them with a request to remember Alexander Petrunin and his music.

Questions

1. When and under what circumstances did you meet Alexander Petrunin? What impression did he make on you when you first met?

Katya ANTISHANTI, video artist

1. He came to visit me. I worked for Art-Tek Records and was friends with musicians - Lazyfish, Android, Roma Solar X, and here is Sasha Lazyfish brought Sasha Myvarka. It was like champagne! It was like an explosion! He laughed very contagiously, and he had the most beautiful music I had ever heard before. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He was a very unusual person. You know, smart people are not gloomy. Sasha was smart.

2. I can imagine it. I copied his music to my girls, and the girls copied it to their friends. If I took his track for some kind of editing, everyone always asked: what kind of music is this, how do I know it? His music was like a childhood lullaby - vaguely familiar; Everyone always liked her. What got in the way? As always: Russian laxity, lack of composure, inability to distribute your album on the Internet. Without a good manager, how can a talented person be his own agent?

3. His music is very simple (at first glance). This characterizes every talented thing: a pure idea, simplicity of thought, which then turns into layers of understanding. His music was like behind glass. Without any admixture of desire to please or affectionate motives. Pure thought, simple beauty. I love many of his tracks. But most of all I love this one - I don’t know what it’s called:

Sasha made a bet with someone that he would play anything, because it doesn’t matter what the music is made on, what’s important is what’s in it. He broke the bottle and played the rose from the bottle on the guitar. This is the simplest and most beautiful melody I know.

4. I saw him at the festival Plums- He gave his concert there. We met, there were many friends around him! I was so happy, then they all jumped on stage together. I worked there myself and didn’t talk much. He looked very happy, I don’t remember what he said, but I realized that he was doing well. He laughed and smiled very beautifully. He was always like a fountain: they say that talented people are those whom God kissed, so he looked as if he was covered in such kisses.

Andrey OID, electronic musician

1. It seems like 2002. Sasha Lazyfish said that an unreal dude has appeared who writes very interesting music and creates instruments himself in Reaktor. We met, it seems, at home Lazyfish“or in “Tons”, where in those days we hung out almost every day.

Sasha did not at all give the impression of a closed and difficult person, at least to me - I somehow immediately felt his sincere affection, and we became very friendly. I began to visit him in Novo-Peredelkino, he often visited us. I remember him as very cheerful, he constantly joked and fooled around, and at the same time he wrote very deep and serious music.

2. I don’t know what could happen in the future - the time of cassettes is already somewhere far in the past, and it is unknown what Vysotsky would write if he lived among us now...

Sasha rarely went anywhere from home, did not particularly favor the Internet and did not promote his music in any way, but he was heard all over the world. He was very versatile, he not only wrote thoughtful experimental electronics. Thanks to him, in my opinion, Dolphin’s most poignant album appeared; he wrote the news title for the Rossiya TV channel - just imagine what it’s like when the whole country listens to your music in the evenings? And you don’t need any cassettes anymore)

3. His music has a completely new depth to it. He found his dimension, his frequency. His sound stood out incredibly from our electronic crowd. This is a rare case when a person who was so good with a computer that he could create his own instruments in a software environment that is far from simple even for an advanced user, at the same time wrote such lively music... it gives me goosebumps, you know? I was also shocked that all his compositions sound absolutely complete and, despite all their complexity, are extremely laconic. Every second lives and pulsates in them.

4. I called him in late spring. He asked how he was and told him about “KETU”. I really wanted us to work together on this project. He sent me his new notes, they promised to see each other, to come visit each other.

When I told Ilya (Lagutenko) about this Ed.), he also became inspired and sang one of KETA’s songs “Why” on his iPhone along with the composition Mewark"A « It" s Rain on Sun» - it turned out to be a kind of tribute:

Grigory ZORIN, director of Noize MC

1. We met in 2003-2004 at the company office Universal Music, where he came as the author of music in Dolphin’s “Star”. We met and became friends immediately. Why? God knows, somehow it turned out that way. It was just fun and interesting to be with him, his perception of music, and life in general, was on some completely different level. He was aware of the sound in the literal sense of the word and could clearly explain this miracle in two seconds in words understandable to everyone.

2. Vysotsky is a People’s Artist, and Mewark- an innovator, an experimenter, a composer of the future, one might say. This, of course, makes recognition difficult, especially if your home audience lives three chords away.

3. The meaning of the sound attracted me and its unearthly lightness.

Sasha lived outside of his time. But I am sure that his music will be listened to for a very long time. Time discards all the husks, and only the present remains.

4. As usual, he first disappeared for six months, and then called as if nothing had happened: “Grishanchik!!! I'll come now - I'll bring a new music guy, it's just a bomb!! You'll rock!!!" - and didn’t come. He always did this, and I always knew that then he would just come without calling.

On your VKontakte page you posted an obituary for Alexander, which ends with a strong phrase:“Cursed be all those who deceived him, taking advantage of his helplessness.”What are you talking about? Who are these people?

In my opinion, first of all, these are the VGTRK television company and the Russian Authors' Society. In any normal country, a composer who made so much music on television would be a millionaire, and would not live with his parents in one small apartment in a panel high-rise building outside the Moscow Ring Road. ALL people in this country listened to Sasha’s music, do you understand?? Actually everything!!! One topic in the Vesti program is worth something. In America, you wrote one half-song, and your grandchildren live on royalties, but he only had music on the air of the Rossiya TV channel for 40 minutes a day for three years in a row.

Alexander LAZYFISH, musician

1. When one of my dreams came true and Yura Murash published an album in 2000 "Lazyfish - Vortex/Please-126" on Art-Tek Records, my first impulse was to give away all the discs to all my friends. At that time I was in close contact with the guys from the Spiral group. Having received the disc, Roma Divan offered to give the disc to Dolphin - “he has a studio across the street from your house, let’s go.” We went to the “base”, Roma introduced me to Andrey, I gave the disk. They immediately “checked it out.” Dolphin says: let me introduce you to a guy, he also makes electronics. Well, come on, of course.

Sanya impressed me as an extremely curious and open person, and most importantly, with a great sense of music, sound and harmony in general. We listened to each other’s music, exchanged samples, and somehow it just happened that many sounds fit each other, as if it was intended that way. I also began to fill Sanya with my homemade instruments, which I still construct in Native InstrumentsReaktor. The work - or rather, the process - went on its own, at the speed it needed, without any conditions, effort and without paying attention to anything. Just myself.

The result of our joint activities was the album "Lazyfish/Mewark", released in 2003 on a German label K2O (Kanzleramt), and name Mewark, which stuck to Sana in the process.

2. If Mewark"and move it to the era of Vysotsky, then that’s exactly what would have happened. In the 2000s, they also rewrote discs, but it’s not the same thrill as if you rewrote a cassette with rare music, in stereo, from a chrome cassette, and even not chewed.

He broke the bottle and played the rose from the bottle on the guitar. This is the simplest and most beautiful melody I know.

3. I can’t listen to his music as a listener, so I can’t say that his music and sound attracted me. I know how, on what instruments, in what particular way this or that sound or layer is made. And I always liked his musical and sound approaches, mood and composition in general. Tracks and solo albums Mewark"and before release they always listened to it together, many times. If “Reactor” synths and effects were used, they were also brought to mind.

Say that Mewark ahead of his time, I can’t, it was all on time, for Sanya - for sure. I wouldn’t single out the album either, the music is not easy, but you have to pay attention to everything.

4. Exchanged tracks via ICQ three years ago. Sanya, as usual, was interested in everything: how it was done, what it was done with, let’s do something. Actually, I was interested in the same thing. Although, as far as I had heard by that time, Sanya was no longer interested in anything at that time.

Pavel KAMAKIN, art director of the “16 tons” club

1. It’s quite strange for me to hear that Sanya was a difficult, uncommunicative person. For me personally, there is nothing harder than empty people and superficial communication. We got along right away, and I really liked him in some ways, but in some ways I really irritated him at first - he only talked about his work, and at that time I had not heard his music, and it seemed to me that he was unreasonably fixated on his person. Then I quite quickly figured out what was going on, and the irritation immediately went away - he could not think about anything except the creative ideas bursting through him. And the result was magnificent. There are almost no such people anymore. Very little.

We met at the presentation of his art-tech record in “Tons” or a little earlier than me Lazyfish introduced... Sometime in 2002.

2. Yes, it could. The remaining questions are quite complex. Addressing the problem of society's attention to the artist/creator in different periods and times. In the place where we live, the attitude towards creativity and art has always rushed from one extreme to another. Either the whole country unreasonably deified the “creative personality”, then suddenly we debunked the myth so much that we ourselves went nuts. Creativity and art are just creativity and art, but a person cannot live without them. Like without water and air. We do not sing praises and do not curse the water supply system. We are simply grateful to him. It’s the same with artists.

We will not soon regain the ability to adequately judge the role of art in our lives. It happened that way. This is one of the main diseases of Russian society. And no one is treating him. They just speculate on the disease to a greater or lesser extent, that’s all.

3. Melody and harmony! He was not ahead of anything - he was just a REAL composer! He didn't copy anyone - he didn't need to. It is obvious. If you feel music, listen to any track and you will understand everything. His tracks will emerge in 100 years, and in different parts of the world - if humanity is destined to survive that long.

4. He asked me to release his record, which he is about to finish. I tried to explain to him that if I released it, it would be wrong, that I don’t know how to release records, that I’m just a promoter...

Anna TITOVETS, video artist and curator of the audiovisual festival Plums Fest

1. We were putting together a program for the festival Plums Fest 2011, and while thinking about the Russian participants, the idea was born to invite Mewark"a. His music - powerful, extraordinary, electronic and at the same time acoustic, sometimes danceable and at the same time melodic - fit perfectly into the program philosophy Plums, and although we knew that it could be a difficult task to persuade Sasha to perform live, we decided to try, since we really wanted him to be heard “live”. Andrei Oyd helped us build the initial “bridges”; then, when I called on the phone given to me, referring to Andrei, in the very first telephone conversation we talked for quite a long time on sometimes abstract, semi-philosophical topics. But it was clear that this was necessary in order to create some trust in us and our festival, and personally, these conversations were generally interesting to me. I wouldn’t say that Sasha was uncommunicative or even more “heavy”. Rather, his manner of thinking and communication does not fit into the standard framework; you just need to tune the “wave”. I must say that until the very last day of the festival we could not be one hundred percent sure whether Sasha would come to the performance or not and what the live format would be, since during the communication before the festival Sasha changed the “concept” several times. We, however, were ready to give complete freedom to the musician, since we really really wanted him to perform.

Mewark's performance at Plums Fest 2011

2. In my opinion, in modern conditions, in principle, such a phenomenon as the Vysotsky phenomenon can no longer arise. This could only happen in that era and in those specific conditions of the information and socio-cultural field, and for this kind of popularity there would have to be a poetic component, words.

But what is the project Mewark had every chance to become recognizable and popular not only in Russia, but also abroad - that’s absolutely certain. What prevented this is difficult to say. Maybe it’s the notorious lack of competent PR, maybe it’s Sasha’s independence and his characteristics as a person. Don't know. I can only speculate about all this, since I only knew Sasha very, very briefly. This often happens, unfortunately, that truly advanced creativity remains unrecognized.

3. In music Mewark"but there is a very subtle combination of simple and complex. A seemingly simple melody turns out to be a complex matrix and ultimately develops into a multi-level story, novel or poem. Behind each track you can feel the struggle of thought, which is proven, among other things, by the specific names of its kind of encoding that Sasha assigned to his tracks. Also a feature of the music Mewark“And for me there is a 100% balance in the combination of electronics and acoustics.

4. The last time we talked to him was a couple of months after the festival (around July 2011) - he came to my work with friends to pick up a disc with a video of his performance. Sasha gave me a flower. It was touching and somehow real. After that, he called me a couple of times, told me that he was preparing new material, and, as far as I remember, he was looking for either a PR person or someone else, I’m afraid to lie, since it was a long time ago.

On February 7, the 16 Ton club will host a concert in memory of Mewark; Lazyfish, Moorush and Andrei are participatingOid

"Where I go is spring." This line is written on the tombstone of musician Alexander Petrunin. He wrote the best songs for Dolphin, including “Spring,” which the whole country knows. Only the country doesn’t know who Alexander Petrunin is. His nickname Mewark doesn't mean anything to anyone. This is the story of a man who died in poverty 4 years ago. This is the most tragic fate in modern Russian music.

Telegram channel Russian Shuffle published the story of a man whose music is known throughout the country.

Watch Dolphin’s next performance at “Evening Urgant”, performing the song “Silver”. A good singer, he sings well, but nowhere is it written who the author of the music is.

It was a miracle that I found this story myself. We must say thank you to Dolphin - for 13 years in a row he has behaved like a partisan and tries once again not to remember the person who provided him with greatest hits. No one knows that the author of the song “Tell her that I will return / Tell her that I will stay” died in poverty, and almost all of his relatives died with him.

And why all? Because Mewark took popularity quite simply.

For me, as a music author, or, if you will, an audio designer, popularity is like popularity with Vysotsky - when people gathered in their kitchens and copied each other’s cassettes. This is popularity for me. I would like to be popular among the people.

Popularity among the people did not help Petrunin. He did not take into account that people are divided into two types - the first create brilliant music, and the second sell their faces and get money for it.

"Star"

I believe that Dolphin’s best album is “Star”. It, unlike the others, contains pain and blood, ringing guitars and a cosmic epic about the human soul.

Before “Star”, Dolphin released the same “Fabrics” and “Fins”. It was clear that the musician, after a cheerful start, was slipping into a creative crisis. This is how Alexander Petrunin remembers that period.

We knew Dolphin long before recording the album - we met and hung out. We have many mutual friends with him. When Dolphin said that he was at a creative impasse (even before we started recording this album), I offered him the samurai option - we are working with him. All sound, all music is my territory, and all lyrics and voice are his. And we started recording - we wrote at the rehearsal base, at my house, almost constantly.

Dolphin, Mewark and Nike Borzov

We wrote for three months, throughout the summer of 2003. The album “Star” was supposed to be the most hysterical and bright. On the verge of frenzy. The dolphin suddenly abandoned his signature monotonous grumbling and began to sing.

"We will meet, no doubt"

What is "Spring"? These are four lines written by the poet Andrei Lysikov, aka Dolphin.

And a symphony written by Alexander Petrunin, aka Mewark.

This is the music for the opening ceremony of the Olympics in the City of Childhood.

All my plastic crocodiles, big-eared dogs with button eyes, and a wooden Pinocchio with a broken arm come out into the giant stadium under it.

I look at them and cry. Because I can't go back. Wrinkles appear on my face.

This is one of the best songs of modern Russia.

Alexander Petrunin wrote all the music on the “Star” album and received a one-time payment of 5 thousand dollars for it. He was a goofball and a creative person and didn’t really watch what he signed. He didn't have a manager. With the money he earned, he went on vacation to Thailand, came home, bought, say, more equipment and it was all over.

Meanwhile, the album solemnly entered the charts, the songs “Silver” and “Romance” sounded from every iron, but this success no longer affected the composer’s material well-being.

Only Dolphin reaped the benefits.

VGTRK

Alexander Petrunin worked for some time as a full-time sound engineer at VGTRK and wrote dozens of themes for television programs. His music was heard by millions of Russians every day.

Screensaver for the program "Vesti Plus"

There is something in common with “Spring”, right? Or perhaps “Spring” is similar to an extended screensaver for the “Vesti” program. Not the point.

The main thing is that the handwriting is audible.

When Petrunin quit, his music with screensavers continued to be played throughout the country. The musician tried to sue VGTRK so that he would be paid royalties. Petrunin was sent to hell on the grounds that he again signed something unnecessary (or did not sign).

In recent years he has lived very modestly.

Family

All the beloved women of Alexander Petrunin died.

He lived with his common-law wife Anna for about 10 years. Their son is now 15.

Then Alexander met his muse - Oxenia. The young people wanted to make music together. There were even some productions where she sang and he played, but Oxenia died suddenly in January 2012. Relatives do not want to clarify the details of the tragedy. Some say she suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, others say she took a lot of pills.

Alexander Petrunin's page. In the photo - he and Oxenia.

Alexander was deeply depressed all year and drank. On December 8, 2012, he celebrated his 33rd birthday. Three weeks later the musician passed away. Relatives say “heart”, but we understand everything.

Another six months later, after a serious illness, Anna died. Son Stas was left an orphan.

Father and son.

What is the moral of this story?

If the whole country knows your music, it’s not a fact that you won’t die under the fence, forgotten and destitute by everyone.

Telegram channel Russian Shuffle published the story of a man whose music is known throughout the country.

Watch Dolphin’s next performance at “Evening Urgant”, performing the song “Silver”. A good singer, he sings well, but nowhere is it written who the author of the music is.

And why all? Because Mewark took popularity quite simply.

"Star"

I believe that Dolphin’s best album is “Star”. It, unlike the others, contains pain and blood, ringing guitars and a cosmic epic about the human soul.

Dolphin, Mewark and Nike Borzov

"We will meet, no doubt"

What is "Spring"? These are four lines written by the poet Andrei Lysikov, aka Dolphin.

And a symphony written by Alexander Petrunin, aka Mewark.

This is the music for the opening ceremony of the Olympics in the City of Childhood.

All my plastic crocodiles, big-eared dogs with button eyes, and a wooden Pinocchio with a broken arm come out into the giant stadium under it.

I look at them and cry. Because I can't go back. Wrinkles appear on my face.

This is one of the best songs of modern Russia.

Meanwhile, the album solemnly entered the charts, the songs “Silver” and “Romance” sounded from every iron, but this success no longer affected the composer’s material well-being.

Only Dolphin reaped the benefits.

VGTRK

Alexander Petrunin worked for some time as a full-time sound engineer at VGTRK and wrote dozens of themes for television programs. His music was heard by millions of Russians every day.

Screensaver for the program "Vesti Plus"

There is something in common with “Spring”, right? Or perhaps “Spring” is similar to an extended screensaver for the “Vesti” program. Not the point.

The main thing is that the handwriting is audible.

In recent years he has lived very modestly.

Family

All the beloved women of Alexander Petrunin died.

He lived with his common-law wife Anna for about 10 years. Their son is now 15.

Alexander Petrunin's page. In the photo - he and Oxenia.

Another six months later, after a serious illness, Anna died. Son Stas was left an orphan.

Father and son.

What is the moral of this story?

If the whole country knows your music, it’s not a fact that you won’t die under the fence, forgotten and destitute by everyone.

Biography Alexandra Petrunina (Mewark). When born and died musician, memorable places and dates. Cause of death. Quotes, Photo and video.

Years of life

born December 8, 1980, died December 30, 2012

Epitaph

"Spark of light, fireworks
It flared up and faded away.
Burned to the ground by a bright fire,
Someone managed to say: “Star!”
From the song "Star" by Dolphin

Biography of Alexander Petrunin

Biography of Alexander Petrunin - a short and tragic story of a talented musician. Sasha Petrunin, aka Mewark, has always been a mysterious figure - he was in the shadows, did not appear at popular parties and for some time was better known abroad than in Russia. He was young, talented and wrote good music. In order to achieve wild popularity, all he needed was a good manager and a little more life.

Mine Petrunin created his first musical project at the age of 16. Later, his whole life was connected with music - Sasha worked as a sound designer at MTV, wrote musical intros for the RTR channel, and did joint projects with popular artists. In the last years before his death, Petrunin sued RAO and VGTRK for royalties for his music, but, alas, to no avail. One day, the musician Dolphin admitted to Petrunin that he was having a creative crisis. And then Mewark offered him his help, saying that the lyrics and voice are from you, and all the music and sound are from me. Exited album "Star" became one of the best in Dolphin's work. Petrunin also collaborated with the singer Noise MC, for example, wrote the music for his track “Kantemirovskaya”. After the death of Alexander Petrunin, Noize MC released the song “Chewing Gum,” which was also written to the music of Mewark.

Cause of death

Petrunin passed away suddenly. His sister says the cause of Petrunin’s death was a heart attack.. It is known that almost a year before Mewark’s death, his last love, Oxenia Seroukhova, died. Sasha also left behind a son, Stanislav, whose mother also died. Sasha passed away on New Year’s Eve, Petrunin’s funeral took place on January 2, 2013, Petrunin’s grave is located at the Lublin Cemetery. After the musician passed away, a charitable foundation in memory of Petrunin was created, which helps gifted children.

Alexander Petrunin with his son Stanislav, who was left an orphan after the death of his father

Life line

December 8, 1980 Date of birth of Alexander Viktorovich Petrunin.
1996 Creation of the group Phobia Logic.
March 20, 2001 Birth of son Stanislav.
2003 Release of the album Organization Is.
2004 The release of Dolphin's album "Star", in which Petrunin acted as a composer and producer.
2006 Release of the album Little One.
January 27, 2012 Death of Oxenia, Petrunin's beloved girlfriend.
December 30, 2012 Date of death of Petrunin.
January 2, 2013 Petrunin's funeral.

Memorable places

1. Moscow, where Alexander Petrunin was born.
2. MTV-Russia, where Petrunin worked as a sound designer.
3. RTR TV channel, for which Petrunin wrote music.
4. Club “16 Tons”, where Petrunin performed.
5. Lublin cemetery, where Petrunin is buried.

Episodes of life

Shortly before his death, Petrunin had a dream that Oxenia, who died in January 2012, came to him. She seemed to take his hand and lay down next to him, smiling. A few days later, Sasha passed away from a heart attack.

Alexander Petrunin with Oxenia, his last love

Covenant

“Where I go is spring...”
Epitaph on Petrunin’s grave (quote from the song “Spring” by Dolphin, for which Petrunin wrote the music)

“The more you want to achieve a better result, the more you pay for this result. It's the same as physics and its laws - everything is the same in music. I would like many to be aware of this. And before doing anything, they asked themselves - why, why are they doing this?

Video for the track Mewark (Alexandra Petrunina) Starlight

Condolences

“He came to visit me. I worked for Art-Tek Records and was friends with musicians - Lazyfish, Android, Roma Solar X, and then Sasha Lazyfish brought Sasha Myuvark. It was like champagne! It was like an explosion! He laughed very contagiously, and he had the most beautiful music I had ever heard before. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He was a very unusual person. You know, smart people are not gloomy. Sasha was smart."
Katya Antishanti, video artist

“Sasha lived outside of his time. But I am sure that his music will be listened to for a very long time. Time discards all the husks, and only the present remains.”
Grigory Zorin, director of Noize MC