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Victor Smolski
Biography
Victor Smolski, the son of Professor Dmitry Smolski, one of
the leaders of the Russian composers of the present time, was born on 01.02.1969
in Minsk (Belarus). He was 6 years old when he began studying the piano and
cello, the guitar followed and at the age of 11 years he was professional already.
He played together with the Belarussian rock band "Pesniary" when
he was 14 years old. "Pesniary" sold about 10 million(!) records,
being a band, which can be compared with the German band "Scorpions".
For your information: It all took place before Glasnost and
Perestroika. But stadium concerts were also known in Russia at that time, however,
the band was called "Pesniary" and the guy on the guitar was just
14 years old. Smolski: "For about 9 months we were touring throughout the
country".
Smolski awarded diplomas on playing rock and jazz guitar as
well as on composing and arranging music. In his early days of life Victor studied
everything possible for a musician.
1988 Victor Smolski founded the band "Inspector"
and they came to Germany for concerts for the first time. During a concert Frank
Bornemann (Eloy) was very interested in the band and offered a contract to "Inspector".
Due to some visa problems a tour became complicated, but even than "Inspector"
played lot's of shows in Germany. In 1993 they released their CD "RUSSIAN
PRAYER" (ARIS / ARIOLA).
1993 Victor Smolski deceided to stay in Germany. He worked
as a studio musician and produced his EP "Destiny" in 1996.
In 1995 Victor Smolski joined the progmetal band "MIND
ODYSSEY" being successful soon. Europe tours with "Vicious Rumors"
and "Savatage" were played and their video was regularly shown on
MTV and VIVA. On the successful "MIND ODYSSEY" album "Nailed
To The Shade" and "Signs" most of the songs were composed by
Victor Smolski. He played all the guitar, sitar and keyboard tracks. In arrangement
of both CD's Victor worked together with the "Symphonic Orchestra Belarus".
In cooperation with Ingo "Charly" Czajkowski "Nailed To The Shade"
and "Signs", as well as "Ghosts" and "Welcome To The
Other Side" of "RAGE" were produced in VPS Studios / Hamm.
Victor Smolski is also working as a producer. For the Label
B. MIND RECORDS he discovered and produced bands like GB ARTS or DELIRIOUS,
for international musicians like the American vocalist DC Cooper (SILENT FORCE)
Victor worked as a producer. Also for labels like BMG, GUN Records, Drakkar
/ Classic and Ariola Victor worked for.
His father Dmitry is convinced of his son's work. Together
they composed symphonies for electric guitar and classical orchestra, which
they presented live during an European tour in 1999. In June 1999 Victor Smolski
became new guitarist of RAGE, presenting their new line up on the "Wacken
Open Air" 1999 for the first time. An Europe tour and a Russian tour followed.
In the beginning of 2000 Victor Smolski composed and produced
his first solo CD, which was recorded in co-operation with the Belarussian Orchestra
and his colleagues from RAGE. This Symphonie, a perfect mixture of classic and
metal, entitelt "The Heretic" deals with the time of burning witches.
On this CD you cannot only find inspired guitarsolos like the 7 minutes long
"Hex of the Six Strings" but also historical deliveries, which were
narrated in three languages by Victor, Peavy and Mike. "The Heretic"
was released on 19th of June 2000. Noticed by the international press parts
of this exceptional "Metal meets Classic" album "The Heretic"
were presented live during a few concerts together with the Belarussian Orchestra
in the same year.
From August up to November 2000 the "RAGE" album
"Welcome To The Other Side" was recorded in the VPS Studios in Hamm.
Half of the songs were composed by Victor, who was also responsible for the
production.
Due to his many-sided engagement, renowned companies like "Yamaha",
"Siggi Guitars", "Peavey", "Thomastik-Infeld"
and "Cordial" became attentive to Victor Smolski and sundry contracts
were signed. On the "Winter NAMM Show", the largest music fair in
America, the "Music Expo" in Dubai and on lot's of other international
music fairs, Victor showed his ability as a solist and also represented the
companies, mentioned before.
His greatest success Victor Smolski registered in 2001, as
the song "Straight To Hell", composed by Victor for the RAGE Album
"Welcome To The Other Side" was used for the soundtrack of the most
successful German movie production called "Der Schuh des Manitu".
About 15 million spectators saw this movie up to now! In 2004 the same song
was again used for another movie of Michael Bully Herbig called "Traumschiff
Surprise". "Straight To Hell" was released on both soundtrack
CD's of the movies and on the "Best Of - All G.U.N. Years" CD, which
contains a cross-section through the last 6 CD's of the band RAGE.
In 2002 RAGE combined their long-term experience to produce
their next album called "Unity". "Unity", a first-rate metal
firework, is an impressive document of the high technical level, Victor Smolski
(guitars, keyboards) and his two colleagues have achieved, while embedding their
virtuoso instrumental abilities cleverly into a homogeneous corset of songs.
A video clip to the song "Down", produced by director Yankovsky in
Belarus capital Minsk, was shown at musicchannels like VIVA regulary. On concert
journeys through Europe and Japan RAGE again gave a proof of being one of the
best Metalbands.
The RAGE album "Soundchaser", released in October
2003 sounds more compact and is even more diverse than its predecessor. Beside
hard-as-nails metal staples and another strong semi-ballad they continue up
their orchestral past with "Secret In A Weird World". A guest appearance
by Andi Deris (Helloween) on "Falling From Grace" lending particular
appeal to this song. Beside lot's of concerts on festivals all around the world
RAGE was touring for months together with Helloween at the end of 2003.
In January 2004, on the occasion of the 20 years band jubilee
of RAGE, the band played some concerts, presenting a accoustic set and a extensive
"Best Of" program to their fans, which was recorded for producing
the first Live CD and a DVD of RAGE. On 15th of November 2004 the recorded show
from Bochum will be released in 3 different configurations at the market. Beside
the double DVD there will be a double Live CD and a Limited Edition Box. On
one DVD you'll see the complete concert out of the Zeche, on the other DVD there
is a 50 minutes long history movie. You can expect more then 5 hours running
time totally!!!
In November 2004 Victor Smolski's new solo CD "Majesty
& Passion" was released by "Drakkar Classic" on the market.
Victor has arranged songs of the "Old Master" Johan Sebastian Bach
into some harder versions. Together with his band colleagues from RAGE, Peavy
Wagner and Mike Terrana, lot's of notable international musicians and the Inspector
Symphony Orchestra they have recorded these songs. Twice, songs of this album
were presented live. First at the "International Bach Festival" in
Leipzig and also at the "Rock Meets Renaissance" festival at "Schloss
Beck" in Bottrop, organized by Uli Jon Roth.
In the beginning of 2005 RAGE got the permission to use a scene
out of the most successful German movie production "Der Schuh des Manitu",
so Matthias Knézy-Bohm produced a brilliant video clip to the RAGE song "Straight
To Hell", composed by Victor Smolski. "Straight To Hell" was
used for the soundtrack of "Der Schuh des Manitu" as well as for the
second Bully Herbig movie "Traumschiff Surprise". Together with the
most successful Russian band Kipelov (ex Aria) Victor Smolski has recorded the
CD "Peku BpemeH" as a guest musician, and played lot's of concerts
together with Kipelov in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Israel. Beside that, a
video clip full of action was produced to the new Kipelov CD by Direktor Yankovsky
(Irreal Pictures). In August 2005 Victor Smolski presented the Symphonie Nr.
9 for orchestra and electric guitar together with the Symphonic Orchestra "Young
Belarus" at the concert house at the Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin, which was
composed by Victor and his father Dmitry Smolski. Since October, RAGE is in
the VPS music studio again, to record their new CD "Speak Of The Dead",
which will be released by Nuclear Blast in March 2006.
Discography:
1993 - Inspector - "Russian Prayer"
1996 - Victor Smolski - "Destiny"
1998 - Mind Odyssey - "Nailed To The Shade"
1999 - Mind Odyssey - "Signs"
1999 - Rage - "Ghosts"
2000 - Victor Smolski - "The Heretic"
2001 - Rage - "Welcome To The Other Side"
2001 - Der Schuh des Manitu (Movie) - "Soundtrack"
2002 - Rage - "Unity"
2003 - Rage - "Soundchaser"
2004 - Siggi Braun Fine Young Guitars - "Perfect Passion"
2004 - Traumschiff Surprise (Movie) - "Soundtrack"
2004 - Rage - "From The Cradle To The Stage" - DVD
2004 - Victor Smolski - "Majesty & Passion"
2005 - Kipelov - "Peku BpemeH"
2006 - Rage - "Speak Of The Dead"
Producer and guestmusician for:
Lacrimosa, Mike Terrana, Der Bote, Vindex, Black Hole, Silent
Force, Perzonal War, GB Arts, Seventh Avenue, Delirious, Avanitas, The Stokes,
Point Whitmark...
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More info here:
victorsmolski@music-and-web.de
www.victorsmolski.de
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