Fotomoto

Fotomoto were a Ukrainian electro-pop group formed in 1999 consisting of Olya Volodina (vocals), Sergey Sergeyev (Instruments) and Anton Singurov (Instruments). An extra member Alexander Ivanov later joined the band in 2002 on midi and drum programming. Fotomoto started as a bedroom instrumental project in the Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye and originally consisted of Sergey and Anton. Olya Volodina came later introducing some French female vocal and lyrics, then Ivanov joined the band. The group only released one album (Suranov, A?) in 2003 on the Russian label Snegiri and one single in 2002, which they shared with Workhouse called the Hershel Whiskey 43 on the Jonathan Whiskey label. Since then, there has been little information on the current members of the band and whether they are still together.

Links To Peel
Mike Earley, brother of Rich Eardley who later joined the band Melys, sent Peel a CD demo of the group in late 2000, which he was distributing for the Snegiri label in the UK. Peel played the demo track Je Suis Fotomoto on his 14 December 2000 show, which he enjoyed and would continue playing the band's demos and later released material throughout the years despite the group virtually being unknown in their own country. After some years in trying to get the band to do a session for his show, the group finally in 2004 saved every Kopeck they'd earned to endure a 70-hour bus journey from the Ukraine across Europe to to the UK to record their Peel session. Peel mentioned on his 24 June 2004 show that he just missed meeting the group when they performed their session. However he thanked them for the gift of a bottle of wine, which he received from them - "Tonight it's going to prove fabulously useful."

Couple of months before his death, Peel commented on the group's unique sound mentioning:


 * "It was just the unexpectedness of it that appealed to me. Most music I get from eastern Europe tends to be rather grim metal stuff, not awfully good, and when you see the bands live - of course this is a gross generalisation - there's always a kind of cabaret approach. There's always someone in the band dressed as a clown or a monk, and the vocals are always terribly theatrical."

In an article by Matthew Collin in The Guardian published on January 23rd 2005 about Fotomoto, the group's singer Olga Volodina mentioned about the death of Peel in 2004:


 * "But not long after their session was broadcast, Peel was dead. His passing was particularly felt among bands who hadn't yet (or might never) become successful, and who still relied on the veteran DJ as their only outlet to the world. For who would play such records now? Fotomoto were among them, and they were devastated by his death. They had admired him so much that they had even used a sample of his voice on one of their early tracks. To them, Peel wasn't a rock'n'roll institution, admired but rarely listened to - he was a vital force for good, and a man who exemplified all that was best about Britain. 'We are grieving,' Volodina emailed me to say. 'It is a heavy loss.'"

Sessions
1. Recorded: 2004-06-16. Broadcast: 21 July 2004
 * Edmund / La Planet De Gopak / Le Sport La Musique / Kes Buits De Georgiennes

Other Shows Played
2000 2001
 * 14 December 2000: Je Suis Fotomoto (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 04 January 2001: Medeo (CD - Fotomoto) White label

2002
 * 10 January 2001: Krivbass (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 24 January 2001: Krivbass (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 14 March 2001: Une Planete De Gopak (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 21 March 2001: Ma Faute A Moi (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 22 March 2001 (Radio Eins): Le Coquillage (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 05 April 2001: Le Passage (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 24 May 2001: Une Planete De Gopak / Coquilage (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 08 August 2001: Bailer (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 23 August 2001: Deep Ze (CD - Fotomoto) White label
 * 19 December 2001: Morozko 333 (demo) – officially released on the YolkaYolka compilation
 * 03 January 2002: Edmund


 * 06 August 2002: Le Sport, La Musique (shared 7" with Workhouse - Hershel Whiskey 43) Jonathan Whiskey


 * 20 August 2002: Le Sport, La Musique (shared 7" with Workhouse - Hershel Whiskey 43) Jonathan Whiskey

2003
 * 22 August 2002 (Radio Mafia): Le Sport, La Musique (shared 7" with Workhouse - Hershel Whiskey 43) Jonathan Whiskey
 * 11 November 2003: Fotomoto: Dolya (LP - Suranov, A?) Лёгкие


 * 25 November 2003: L'amour Africain (LP: Suranov, A?) Лёгкие

2004
 * 11 December 2003 (Radio Eins): Goran Phillips (album - Suranov, A?) Лёгкие
 * 20 January 2004: Hydrocomfort (Album: Suranov, A?) Лёгкие

Others
 * 04 March 2004: Uran Defense (Album: Suranov, A?) Лёгкие
 * August 2002 (Peel's Record Box): Le Sport, La Musique (shared 7" with Workhouse - Hershel Whiskey 43) Jonathan Whiskey