Customer Reviews

Blood Type (Gruppa Krovi)

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I encountered Kino via MTV Russia, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the (former Soviet) Kyrgyz Republic. The video for a single Victor Tsoi had recorded for a film soundtrack aired one afternoon, and though I couldn't understand a word of it the song bore a strong resemblance to the post-punk stuff that I love so much. I asked around a little, and found out this Tsoi guy had been in a band called Kino. Suggestions from people I met and what little information I could find on the internet pointed me to this album, "Gruppa Krovi." The literal translation is "group of blood," but the title actually means "Blood Type." A Russian friend later explained to me that it's a reference to tattoos received by Russian POWs in German camps: captured soldiers had their blood types tatooed on their forearms. By implication, POWs were walking bloodbanks. This is the material Tsoi draws from to comment on the state of existence in the Soviet Union. The refrain on the title song runs something like this: "Blood Type/Say a prayer for me," and Tsoi never makes any direct statements in protest of anything; he simply laments a bleak, grey present and an inevitable black future. Powerful, harrowing stuff in any language.

If only this music was available back in the late 70's and early 80's when I was trying to learn Russian.

If you are trying to learn Russian this will be an interesting suplement to the dry text book activities.

The lead vocalis's (Victor Tsoi) has an unusual voice that I can only compare the vocals heard in the Doors.

The subject matter is often anti war.

A Russian friend compaired Victor Tsoi to John Lennon.

Enjoy!

My native language is English but found Kino when I was studying Russian, and am so glad. The lyrics are beautiful and moving, and the songs grow on you. They are often melancholy, but Kino's energy won't let you wallow.

So glad other English speakers are listening to these guys - they are truly giants of alternative rock and I wish they were still around.

i appreciated to be able to listen to this awesome band after all this time. eastern european punk and rock music used to mean something and kino personified this.