elochnye igrushki

EU (or Elochnye Igrushki to give them their full name) are Ilya Baramiya and Alexander Zaitdev, both of whom are Russian. Heavily influenced by UK labels Warp, Rephlex and Ninja Tune, they formed EU in late 1997. Their debut UK release was the "Wienn/Srez" 7" on Pause_2; it became an NME Single of the Week and was critically acclaimed across the board. Having previously released the "EU_Soft" CD on Russia's Art-Tek label, the "Reframing" album for Pause_2 was their first full-length release outside Russia. Released to critical acclaim and broadcaster by John Peel on Radio 1, it let the band to work more on the other projects. They started working with different labels such as Delikatessen (Germany), Isonauta (France), N5MD and Merk (USA), Earworm, Neo Ouija, Vertical Form and Peacefrog (UK). For London-based Lo recordings they have produced two compilations of Russian electronica artists “Ru.Electronic” (2001) and “Ru.Electronic Two” (2003) to introduce new Russian electronica movement to the whole world. In 2003 the duo has released their latest full-length for Pause_2 “Warm Math” (re-issued in Russia in 2006 on Snegiri label) and under Christmas Baubles moniker “Christmas Baubles And Their Strange Sounds” album for Lo and toured the UK playing shows in Glasgow, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge, London and Birmingham. Took part on festivals: Spring Chill (London), Seats’n’beats (Antwerp), Club Transmediale (Berlin), Microscopic session (Dresden).Last album released by Snegiri label in 2006 in Russia and presents most of the collaborations with poets, singers, rapers they’ve been involved in withil last 2 years. Album get a received a lot of attention from Russian musical press and called “one of the best Russian-lingual album of the year” by Afisha magazine.