Diskoteka Avariya may look like my A-Level Geography teacher and two boss-eyed day labourers but they sail perilously close to genius on their latest album Chetvero Parnei. Incredibly, it's their first for five years (they presumably spent the interim thinking of words that rhyme with "davai"). Even though it's a little patchy in places and a couple of the best songs (Pesenka Razboinikov and Stradaniya) have been available for two years, it probably sets the standard the rest of the Russian pop world will be trying to match in 2006. With no pretentions about class, decency or musical ability, their wilfully stupid, enormously energetic Junior-Senior-meets-The Beastie-Boys pop is absolutely huge in Russia and Ukraine.



One of the album's highlights, Malinki, features a guest contribution from Zhanna Friske, former lead singer of Blestyashchie and currently one of Russia's most (only) internationally recognised actresses following her role in Timur Bekmambetov's Night / Day / Final Watch trilogy, described rather unfairly as Russia's answer to The Matrix.


Diskoteka Avariya - Opa

Diskoteka Avariya & Zhanna Friske - Malinki