Anti-Flag’s Chris #2 wants you to listen to Russian punk act Tarakany!
While everyone has a sense of pride for their own country, not everyone wants their leader or their government to solely define it. Russian punk act Tarakany! are certainly no exception to this, as defined in A-F Records’ new mini-documentary, From Russia With Punk.
A-F Records released the band’s The Power Of One full-length in June last year, and now they’re broadcasting their message on a wider scale. The documentary highlights the band’s early ’90s beginnings through to now. It delves into their political activism that has resulted in show protests, getting blacklisted from performing in Belarus and a festival performance halting after vocally supporting fellow activists Pussy Riot.
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Anti-Flag bassist Chris #2 is so passionate about this collaborative project that he wanted to share its impact with us in his own words. Check it out below.
Tarakany! are Russian legends. You don’t need that part of the story from me though. Watch this documentary series and see what I’m talking about.
My interactions with Tarakany! began the first time Anti-Flag played in Russia. Every interview I did, every person I met, they all wanted to know what I thought about the Russian punk scene, and I didn’t have the answer. I asked them to educate me; they all resounded in a chorus of TARAKANY!
Tarakany!’s commitment to the punk scene in Russia is inspiring, and as I’ve gone from loving them for their music to loving them as people, I know that others outside of Russia will do the same once given the opportunity to.
Releasing The Power Of One via A-F Records is part of that process. We just want to take every opportunity we can to share this incredibly brave and powerful band. This is a passion project. It’s not about selling records or how many streams. Anything we can do to amplify the energy of Tarakany! we’re gonna do.
They’re a great band, they’re great people, but most of all, they have maintained what it means to be committed to punk rock and its ethics of empathy and optimism in the face of some of the most insane circumstances, and that should forever be applauded.
The Power Of One is available now, and you can check out the three-part From Russia With Punk below.
