Aquarium

Russia, 1972–now

Leningrad band founded in 1972 by Boris Grebenshchikov, one of the cornerstones of Russian rock. Absorbing the Beatles, Dylan, glam and reggae into Russian-language song, their 1980s recordings — 'Rock-n-Roll Is Dead', 'This City' — made them a defining voice of the Soviet underground.

MusicRoots documents 5 artists who influenced Aquarium and 0 artists Aquarium influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Aquarium?

• Sergey Kuryokhin — Kuryokhin played keyboards on Aquarium's records through the early 1980s, pulling the band toward the avant-garde until his ideas outgrew the role.
• Boris Grebenshchikov — Aquarium is Boris Grebenshchikov's band: he founded it in 1972, leads it and writes its songs, so the group's whole sensibility flows from him.
• T. Rex — Aquarium's glam phase drew on Marc Bolan — Grebenshchikov wrote songs in the style of the T. Rex leader.
• Bob Marley — Reggae ran deep in Aquarium — during the recording of the 'Blue Album' the band was in a period of fascination with reggae, the sound Bob Marley globalised.
• Brian Eno — Brian Eno's art-rock and ambient textures are among the influences Grebenshchikov brought into Aquarium.