Center (music band)
Encyclopedia
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and Russian rock
Russian rock
Russian rock refers to rock music made in Russia or in the Russian language. Rock and roll became known in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and quickly broke free from its western roots. According to many music critics, its "golden age" years were the 1980s , when the Soviet underground rock bands...
in the early years, crossing over to Electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
.
Center was founded by Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov is a Russian/American artist, musician, multimedia and experimental artist, short film director. He is probably best known for his music band Center, which was formed in Soviet Union and is based in Los Angeles, USA since 1990. Shumov created music in such genres as new wave,...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the late 1970s. The first band name was "777". In the early 1980s Center became popular in the Soviet music underground. The band released over 25 albums, created music for films and TV, appeared in the TV shows, and performed in Europe and America. Center is documented in numerous publications and books.
In the 1990s the band leader Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov is a Russian/American artist, musician, multimedia and experimental artist, short film director. He is probably best known for his music band Center, which was formed in Soviet Union and is based in Los Angeles, USA since 1990. Shumov created music in such genres as new wave,...
moved from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, USA where he continued his music and art work.
An album "Plastikozamenitel'" ("Plastic substitute") from the year 2000 is the first release of Center that features the new concept of so-called Centroborators. Centroborators are the artists from various locations, who contribute to the albums of Center, transferring their digital recordings to Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov is a Russian/American artist, musician, multimedia and experimental artist, short film director. He is probably best known for his music band Center, which was formed in Soviet Union and is based in Los Angeles, USA since 1990. Shumov created music in such genres as new wave,...
's studio using internet. Several albums after "Plastikozamenitel" were created using the Centroborators concept.
Numerous albums by Center and Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov
Vasily Shumov is a Russian/American artist, musician, multimedia and experimental artist, short film director. He is probably best known for his music band Center, which was formed in Soviet Union and is based in Los Angeles, USA since 1990. Shumov created music in such genres as new wave,...
are available on CDs and as MP3 files for free download from the band's official web site.
Since the mid 2000s the band recommenced activities in Russia.