ABOUT GROUP

The LABYRINTH group was formed in autumn 1969 by students of Moscow University (physical faculty) in a place “B”- zone of Moscow University Skyscraper , six floor, Interclub, where the first meeting and repetitions took place.

First cast of the group: Mike Mochalov – vocals, lead guitar, Nick Cherepov – vocals, bass guitar, Sasha Voronov – keyboards, vocals, Slava Ushakov – drums, vocals, Antanas Norvaishas – sound operator, carrier.

Repertoire was standard for that time – songs of The BEATLES, Deep Purple, Grand Funk, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Led Zeppelin, and non-standard – Italian songs with Sasha Voronov’s vocals.

The group was performing on students’ parties, marriages, and foreign people meetings in some Moscow Institutes’ Interclubs and other places.

Totally were 87 concerts with first cast. So long, members were finishing studying and playing in the group too.

Michael Mochalov now works in military research, Nickolay Cherepov is a high offical in Moscow Resource Department, Alexander Voronov – sound-video equipment manager, Vjacheslav Ushakov is working with building projects and he is the one who still plays in different groups, mostly in 5-th cast of The LABYRINTH called LABYRINTH III.

In 1975 all members of “LABYRINTH” first cast had graduated from Moscow University and the group was dismissed.

Alexander Voronov in 70-s-80-s was playing in groups TIME MACHINE and others, at the beginning of 80-es he formed group VICTORIA , he worked at NIKFI, INT, IVTAN. Died 8.02.2015.

Vjacheslav Ushakov went to work in Moscow Physical-Technical Institute where he has reanimated with his students the group “LABYRINTH-2” (another name MEDIANTA) which some time performed on local parties and concerts.

“LABYRINTH-2” existed till Victory Day 1992; last concert was on a place near the BAIKONOOR cinema.

In 1998 Vjacheslav Ushakov reanimated “LABYRINTH” under the name “LABYRINTH-3&5”. The reason was Internet contacts with American musicians, united in small INDI record company “BumpNgrind Records” which President Ms. Cookie Holley and her husband have make a proposal to produce new songs of “LABYRINTH” and made promotion in Internet.

Vjacheslav Ushakov and Victor Suslov had listened about 150 records of different musicians and had created the group “LABYRINTH-3&5” consisted of nine authors-performers (this was the 4-th cast of “LABYRINTH”):

Vjacheslav Ushakov – musical director / guitar, vocals, drums;

Victor Suslov – technical director / guitar, vocals, harp;

Stas Bartenev – guitar, vocals, keyboards;

Vlad Muromtsev – guitar, vocals, maracas;

Lilya Muromtseva – back-vocals, block-flute;

Oleg Litskevich – vocal, guitar;

Pavel Freichko - vocal, guitar;

Vasily Galkin – violine;

Sergey Kashin – vocal, guitar.

In 2000 “LABYRINTH-3&5” released a double album “Deepest Grief with Alive Computer” which contains the results of these musicians’ 10 years work. Some of the new songs have been wrote in tandem with American blues men. The songs are performed in English and Russian, but one song is compilation of different languages. Singers work in different styles – from ballades to the blues and hard rock-n-roll.

This Album had a great success: our songs were heard in many countries - from USA to Australia, good reviews were in big books and sites everywhere but Russia - here we hear that our music is out of “format” (it’s not pop-rock, which in Russia is called rock-n-roll- sorry, but it’s an old pain in the neck).

This time life’s problems urged the musicians to go make their own business, and since summer 2004 the group named “LABYRINTH III” performs in cast of three men:

Vjacheslav Ushakov – musical director, drums, vocals.

Victor Suslov VKONTAKTE: http://vk.com/vicsuslov,

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victor.suslov.5 – technical director, vocals, guitar, bass guitar, harp.

From the end of 60-ies he’s singing and playing songs of The BEATLES, The ROLLING STONES and other old groups, the same time he’s inventing and making guitar and music equipment. In 70-ies he’s realized technical support and sound producing of MISTERIA BUFF group. Since 1980 he’s sound engineer and producer of a such great groups of that times as Alexander Gradsky’s SCOMOROKHI , LEISIA PESNIA, Nick Levinovsky’s ALLEGRO, ARIA and others.

Igor Krasnov – bass guitar, guitar, vocals. Playing guitar since middle 70-ies, he is a follower of Ritchie Blackmore, Santana. He performed in many second grade rock-groups, since last years he plays as session guitarist, including ARIA tribute CD, CD “Ozverin” of AZЪ punk-group.

December 24, 2020 Vjacheslav Ushakov died under the wheels of taxi.

LABYRINTH III members are writing songs in Russian and English, playing old forgotten English-American hits and translating them into Russian for better understanding their meaning and beauty .

Real concert at R-CLUB in October 2004 was recorded on DVD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orx8WMNHqtE

More information on youtube channels:

Labyrinth III

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSdLKjEIyQ58uWMwelOq-OA

Victor Suslov

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIamMSvQh0RnIr0eg1-k_NQ?

New project WOODOOFUSION with V. Suslov, N. Kalita, and others look on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5XWdqNWEYWro9JKtotr8Q