Gulag Tunes

Gulag Tunes was a conceptual art-rock project which reinterprets the folkloric music of the gulags by combining traditional Russian minor-key melodies with roots rock.

The themes that form the core of Gulag Tune’s instrumental compositions are all based on traditional prison music (or similar songs) banned during the Soviet era for being too brutal,cruelly romantic or otherwise distasteful to the regime.

Prison songs (known as blatniak) in Russia enjoy great popularity similar to one of country music in the U.S. There are many music labels and radio stations that indulge in this kind of music. Why is music and lifestyle associated with criminals still so popular here now? Is it because melody harmonies stem from Russian folk songs? Or is it because of total criminalization of life in Russia?

"We are trying to play traditional jailhouse songs in surf manner to make this wicked trashy style known worldwide and give this stuff a new, free life."