Exit Project


EXIT project is an instrumental, nu jazz, world, IDM, electronic music, art rock, experimental music, and jazz fusion band from Russia. The band created its own unique style which was labeled as art-fusion. Of all the variety of music ever released under EXIT project logo one thing is always common: a subtle mixture of live instruments and electronics. The band is being represented by IKON internationally.

The Concept

Music aiming people, not the showbiz In terms of management and music distribution EXIT project was aims to promote innovative ways for music distribution and promotion in media, culture and economics. The motto of the project is – "The way out exists" – implies on the one hand, the way out for creative musician, bounded by the limits imposed on music content by commercially driven show business; on the other – the search for alternative way for music distribution. According to Valery Mifodovsky, manager of EXIT project, the goal of management of the project is "popularization and implementation of the concept of innovative music distribution in commercial and non-commercial purposes".

The style

Art-Fusion. The musicians of EXIT project say that they "use all means of expression in music at hand to bring the music in". Virtually every other album is somehow different. Music of EXIT project comprises the elements of Instrumental Music, Nu-Jazz, Chill-out, Downtempo, IDM, Electronic Music, art rock, Experimental Music, and Jazz fusion Musical critic and publisher Vladimir Impaler named this unique blend and stylistic approach as Art-fusion.

Licensing

Music of EXIT project is issued under Creative Commons CC-BY-ND, which allows anyone to use it for any purposes with requirement to credit and cite the author with default prohibition to make any derivative works out of it without the consent of the author. The music is subject for copying, broadcasting and sending/spreading among fans. Licensing and live concerts are perceived as the main source of revenue for an artist.

Innovations in music publishing formats

EXIT project are innovators in music publishing formats. In October 2012 the band's release LiveSplashes became the first in the world music album to be published in 3plet format. Before that in 2008, EXIT project presented their third album as a multimedia playcast – a synthesis of music, visual art and poetry: thus the music is perceived straight from the screen/speakers as a part of a holistic mix of multimedia art comprising sound + image + word. Thus internet is used as a full-scale environment for publishing music, not a mere vehicle to deliver audio files for the listener to download.
Before the debut in 3plet format there was a similar effort: a release for iPhone – Appbum – a new format of publishing music, a smart combination of iPhone application and music album. The release is available for free. The author of the idea for such appbum release is band's manager Valery Mifodovsky.

Current Live Show program

In spring 2010 the band started working on a new live program – Color Splashes – which is a mix of contemporary Nu Jazz and Electronic music. As some critics as well as musicians themselves admit, this is brightest and most colorful live show the band has ever produced. The on-stage line-up consists of Oleg Smirnov, Vladimir 'BIG' Glushko, Maria Logofet, Anastasia Boguslavskaya, Oleg Mariakhin, Jon Kukaryamba and band's live sound man – Nikita Filippov. The band is now performing shows in clubs and at festivals. The touring line-up however is usually reduced to 4–5 musicians on stage.
The concert debut of this program was released in 2012 as a 4-track concert EP "LiveSplashes" on a CD and in a 3plet format. The release received numerous acknowledgements and reviews around Russia and the USA.
The current touring band consists of 5 musicians on stage and a live sound engineer. The current live show program, as well as reviews, videos and music etc. is available at band's official website.
The band released the studio version of "COLOR SPLASHES" in late 2014. The release was presented at a big solo performance in Moscow Central House of Artists 19 September 2014.

History

EXIT project was formed in 2001 as an open experimental music community of musicians. "Open" means that any thoughtful and contented musician could join in and contribute. The point was from the start to create a non-commercial music project. The first lineup was: RO-mix, Michael. Soon Michael parted, but in a year the band grew in size, when Oleg Smirnov, Vladimir "Big" Glushko, Michael "Kotovsky" Finagin, Anton Kochurkin joined the project. The band released the first studio album of EXIT Project – "Live Electricity" under caring pursuit of the band's manager Valery "MIF" Mifodovsky.
The first album of the project Live Electricity, was released in 2002 by the label CD Land Records. Several songs from the album entered different compilations. All the sale proceeds from the album were directed to the WWF program. The album received highly positive reviews from the critics, and the band was identified to have its own unique style by the top music critic and journalist Artemy Troitsky.
In 2004 having played some local-scale shows and recorded a demo-release for live show program "Quintet "Michael "Kotovsky" Finagin and Anton Kochurkin left the band. The "Quintet" was fully live band contrasting predominately electronic first album Live Electricity. The remaining lineup, literally a trio of RO-mix, Oleg Smirnov and Vladimir "BIG" Glushko developed further the material and rearranged it to fully include electronic instruments into live gigs. The trio appeared in several remarkable festivals in Russia and Ukraine in 2006 anв was highly noted by the critics as well as publicity.
Meanwhile, the second album of the band, Hack The World, which was mostly a studio work. "Hack the World" was predominantly Electronic music, and was released in 2005 by the declaration FREE!MUSIC 2.1, which allows anyone download and use the music freely. Some of its tracks were used in an audio-story Karandash i samodelkin v Egipte, by Moscow-based art project called Audio-Theater. The album became a success, and the musical journals Salon Audio Video and Avtozvuk released the album in a 50,000 copies edition as an add-on to the journal issue. Songs from the album were also used for the audio-show Space Mowgli based on a story by Strugatsky brothers and in Peoples book based on Yevgeniy Grishkovts's Rivers. However, the album was totally a studio work and the tracks have never been performed live.
After the success of Hack The World the band started an active touring career in various venues as well as Russian and Ukrainian jazz, alternative and rock festivals, including InProg, Space of Joy, Pustye Holmi, etc. It was in these days when the unique style of the band was named by the critics as art-fusion.
All of a sudden, "Ro-mix" left the touring band, but kept on his studio musical work, both – on his own and together with Oleg Smirnov. At the same time
Vladimir "Big" Glushko and Oleg Smirnov kept the on-stage unit on the move with amazing new members joining in – percussionist and showman Jon Kukaryamba, bass guitarist Timur Pirogov, jazz vocalist Katerina "Kotya" Zinich, keyboardist Gregory Sandomirsky, Alexander "Aliss" Alekhin – proceeded to contribute to the bands powerful performance. The line-up played many full-scale solo concerts and together with acknowledged Russian iconic avant-garde saxophone player Sergey Letov performed at the Russia's most prestigious theatre and performing arts festival "Golden Mask". This concert was released on a CD three years later as EXIT project "Live at Golden Mask" by Russia's top record label Soyuz Records. On 22 October 2007, the band together with Sergey Letov were the first to perform at the TV show "Brat Jivyom" on the major Russian TV channel O2TV. The official DVD released by the O2TV channel followed this remarkable performance. The following year this line-up of performers broke up, having naturally completed its agenda.
Meanwhile, in 2007 Ro-mix and producer Oleg Smirnov with some other sidemen recorded EXIT project's third studio album Mystery Journey of Girl with her Death. Being primarily a studio work, the sound of the album was a more distortion oriented and included more traditional music elements and song-line compositions. The album had a vast success both in Russia and beyond.
In 2008 the new – parallel – line-up was formed consisting of Oleg Smirnov, "Ro-mix" and world music and jazz virtuoso Kirill Parenchuk playing soprano sax and Indian percussion instrument tabla. This sub-project was called "Shanti Place", and was a balanced mix of live electronics and Indian-like instrumental influences. The musicians performed together for about a year at festivals and venues. The band announced the intentions to proceed with the release. The album was released later in 2010 with the name – Shanti Place.
The same year the drummer Vladimir "BIG" Glushko formed his own free-improvisation oriented project called "personal EXIT" engaging various international artists into his spontaneous improvisational performances.
In 2009 Oleg Smirnov contributed guitar recording and production expertise to the Marc Almond album Orpheus in Exile.
In 2010 the band released the amazing concert album featuring collaboration with avant-guard saxophonist Sergey Letov – "Live at Golden Mask" recorded live in 2007. The tracks were played live for years, but have never been released before. The CD was released by Russian major label Soyuz Records.
In 2012 The concert debut of live program was released in 2012 as a 5-track concert EP "LiveSplashes" on a CD and became the first music album to be released in a 3plet format. The release received numerous acknowledgements and reviews around Russia and the USA. The CD was released by Russian major label "Soyuz Records".
Later in 2012 the band's producer, bandleader and bassist Oleg Smirnov released a studio multimedia project in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Kirill Parnchuk. The multi-media album "Son Cherished Most" is a unity of music, visual arts and text citations as well as a 10-minute documentary film revealing the concept and the process of creation.
The band released a new studio album Color Splashes in early 2015. The release was presented at a big solo performance in Moscow Central House of Artists 19 September 2014.

Present members

Studio albums

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LIST OF FESTIVALS:
Island of Light
In Prog
Space of Joy,
Golden Mask Club
Noumen Art
Long Arms 5
Ethnolife ;
Wild Mint ;
Pustye Holmi
Kazantip
Ethno Planeta
Archstoyanie
Russian-German Festival "On Rozhdenstvensky Side"
WaFest
Troitza: All Live
JetLag
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THE LIST OF SOME PRINT MUSIC MAGAZINES WHERE YOU CAN FIND REVIEWS OF THE EXIT PROJECT ALBUMS:
Billboard
InRock
Play
Salon Audio&Video
AutoZvuk
Fuzz

Trivia