The Volume
Denis Kolokol, Alexander Chikmakov
www.kolokol.kiev.ua/thevolume.html
Participant in
SoundLAB VI – sonic art project environments
soundPOOL – a challenge for imagination
SIP – SoundLAB Interview
Denis Kolokol
Born 22/10/1978 in Zaporozhye, Ukraine. Formal education: Technical (Software in Finance and Management), Zaporozhian State University. Currently lives in Kiev UA and Kraków, PL.
Since 2004 a member and main ideologist of the creative group [antiparty gang] that devoted its efforts to the development of contemporary media arts in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Since 2006 organizes and curates the international festival for experimental media art REPLICA (www.replicafest.org) in Almaty KZ. He was responsible for development of the festival content, selection of the artists, connections with them, coordination, promotion, and relations with press. The festival lasted for 2 years and included performances, series of work-shops, lectures, and studio recordings.
In 2004 started a web-zine www.indie.org.ua with the main focus on contemporary music of left-field areas and avant garde. In 2007 became the main editor and author of the ukrainian paper-zine on experimental media arts Gurkit (www.gurkit.org).
Started to make his own electronic music in the beginning of 2006. Since the end of 2006 he has been collaborating acoustic guitarist Alexander Chikmakov. The main idea of the duo is to erase borders between electronic and acoustic instruments. Since 2008 the duo of Kolokol and Chikmakov is known under the name The Volume, and its main focus shifted from free improvisation to interactive tools and algorhythmic composition.
In December 2007 obtained the grant Gaude Polonia (of Narodowe Centrum Kultury, Poland) and then completed the half a year course in the Electroacoustic Music Studio (SME) of the Academy of Music in Kraków, Poland. Kolokol was studying composition, intermedia tools, mastering, DSP / processing and software for composition, theory of the computer music and the history of electro-acoustic music.
Participated in festivals: REPLICA (2006, 2007, Almaty KZ), Intermedium 2008, Intermedium 2008#2 (2008, Kraków PL), Unsound (2008, Minsk BY).
Alexander Chikmakov
Born 23/02/1973 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Graduated from Polytechnic Institute in 1995 (as an engineer in geophysics), and entered the musical college to learn classic guitar. After the 1st grade left the college and started self-education in music in the several directions (such as classic guitar, jazz harmony, improvisation).
Works as a teacher in a musical school since 2001. Author of some original guitar arrangements for educational purposes.
Since 2000 plays live as a member of many chamber ensembles in Almaty. In alliance with the group [antiparty gang] took part in both sessions of the REPLICA festival (2006, 2007) as well as in other projects of the group. Since 2006 takes part of the electro-acoustic duo with Denis Kolokol.
Other activities: a participant of the group “Ornament” (folk, retro jazz, tango nuevo); originator and director of the group “Sambuka” (afro beat, cubano, latina rock); art-manager and participant of the group Afterband (kraut-rock, new music).