Alyans (which, from the Russian, translates to “Alliance”) started out as a New Wave, synth-pop band from Moscow, Russia that played and recorded in the musical underground from 1981 to 1984 in the Soviet Union. In 1984 the Soviet Union began to persecute underground rock bands who they believed were too closely influenced by the style and music of the West, arresting and imprisoning very prominent musicians from the underground movement. As a way to avoid this same fate, Alyans was forced to disband for two years until the campaign against rock musicians faded out. When the members reformed the group in 1986, they gained popularity for their soft, lyrical style. Alyans began to redefine what “rock” connoted with their flamboyant, hypnotic, and often quasi-sexual performances. However, soon after regaining popularity, the members began to clash with one another over “creative differences” and the band began to move away from its original sound that had made it so popular.
On the eve of the bands’ dissolution in 1990, the band had become interested in traditional Slavic music and recruited Inna Zhelannaya as a lead singer. Zhelannaya gained popularity and, while the Alyans band broke up soon after her induction, Zhelannaya went on to achieve quite a bit of recognition in the World Music scene for her “progressive renditions” of Russian folklore songs.
In their prime and described as the “romantics” of New Wave Soviet rock music, Alyans was considered the “quintessence of the Soviet Union” by some critics. With their “heartrendingly melancholic” vocals that evoked such somber emotions from the audience, the band lived and played on the fringes of what it meant to be “flamboyant.” Although the sound was soft and melodic, the band’s appearance was the complete opposite. To witness this band was to witness the dichotomy of the Soviet Union: it appears to be one thing, but it truly is something completely different.
Альянс – На Заре (1987)
Lyrics:
«На заре»
Ровный бег моей судьбы,
Ночь, печаль и блеск души,
Лунный свет и майский дождь в небесах.
Долгий век моей звезды,
Сонный блеск земной росы,
Громкий смех и райский мёд в небесах.
На заре голоса зовут меня.
На заре голоса зовут меня.
Солнца свет и сердца звук,
Робкий взгляд и сила рук,
Звёздный час моей мечты в небесах.
На заре голоса зовут меня.
На заре голоса зовут меня.
На заре голоса зовут меня.
На заре голоса зовут меня.
На заре.
Lyrics:
Гонит отчуждённый взгляд
Вечно рядом снова нет тепла
След моих обид исчезает прочь от меня
Море радости и слёз
Душит мой покой раздумий
Разрушает мысли одиночества
Ветер сил моих как хрусталь
День Освобождения
Когда-нибудь
Прийдёт ко мне
И взойдёт на Верфи Звезда
День Освобождения
Когда-нибудь
Прийдёт ко мне
И взойдёт на Верфи Звезда
День Освобождения
Когда-нибудь
Прийдёт ко мне
И взойдёт на Верфи Звезда