A
WORD FROM THE GIRLS:
I, Julia
Volkova, and I, Elena Katina,
admit, that being under
drinking age, we have been
persuaded to take part in
the girl-band called Tattoo
by band’s future producer
Ivan Shapovalov.
As far
as we know, before this
band was made, Ivan Shapovalov
never had anything to do
with music business. He
used to make TV commercials
and do all kinds of advertising
activities.
We (Elena
and Julia) used to sing
together in a kids-band
called “Neposedi”,
and I, Julia Volkova, was
asked to leave the band
for “misbehaving and
molesting other band members”.
We (Elena
and Julia) met again during
audition at MOSFILM studios,
when Ivan Shapovalov was
looking for girls for his
new band. He’s chosen
us and we were happy because
he promised to make us huge
stars.
He made us to sign contracts
with him, and according
to these contracts we didn’t
have any rights to even
speak. We just had to do
whatever he was telling
us to. For example, for
“Ya Soshla S Uma”
video shoot, I, Lena Katina,
had to lose almost 10 kilos,
and I, Julia Volkova, had
to cut my hair really short
and dye it black. And for
the next video shoot Shapovalov
made us both shave our eyebrows!
However,
we admit, that for us to
sign a contract with I.Shapovalov
was an act of free will.
We always wanted to sing
together, and now our dream
came true. During a past
year we became so close,
then now feel something
more than just friendship
towards each other.
Agree
with all said above
Julia
Volkova Lena Katina
A
WORD FROM THE RECORD COMPANY
On May
16th, 2001, Universal Music
Russia signed a band, that
critics, music journalists
and record companies call
the most outrageous and
scandalous thing to ever
happen to Russian show-biz.
Who are
Tattoo? Julia and Lena,
2 girls, one is 15 and the
other one is 16 years old.
Both of them got into this
project by accident, and
instantly became national
heroes.
November
2000. Tattoo, an unknown
act, brought their first-ever
video to MTV Russia. Despite
(or, maybe, thanks to) its
controversial character,
MTV were brave enough to
put it on air, and…
Tattoo took Russia by storm.
“Ya
Soshla S Uma (I’ve
Lost My Mind)”, their
first self-released single,
is a song describing turmoil
in a girl’s soul.
She is in love with another
girl, she does not understand
what is going on, she is
both scared and happy, and
everyone around her refuses
to even try to understand
her.
Although
there is a number of acts
trying to reflect loneliness
and angst of a teenage soul,
Tattoo sing and perform
with such sincerity that
immediately compels kids.
Ya Soshla
S Uma has had an incredibly
long shelf-life for a debut
single. The video was in
MTV Russia’s Top 10
playlist for 2 months, for
3 months was in Top 5 most
requested videos chart,
and is still on air.
The audience
was first shocked to see
two girls kissing in the
video, and after they came
to their senses, everyone
realized there is much more
than lesbian appeal behind
this track. It’s the
lyrics, the music, and,
most importantly, the message
the girls deliver.
This track
did to the act what usually
is achieved by staying at
the scene for years. Tattoo
have very established fan
base, and are well-known
by everyone else. Everything
they do immediately creates
media buzz.
While
kids were going crazy about
Julia and Lena, the Tattoo
girls, Universal Music Russia
were negotiating a record
deal with their manager.
We felt that such act as
Tattoo has enormous potential
not only for the local market,
but for the world.
The second
video, released simultaneously
with the album, is called
“Nas Ne Dogoniat”
(“They’re Not
Gonna Get Us”), and
it’s proving Tattoo
is not a one-hit wonder.
After one week of hot rotation
on MTV Russia it went straight
to #1 in MTV “Russian
Top 10” (weekly chart
show with only Russian videos
competing with each other)
and #7 in MTV Top 20 (leaving
behind Jennifer Lopez, Eminem
and Backstreet Boys!!!).
Single is receiving major
success at radios as well,
A listed on 1st National
Radio “Russian Radio”
(Russian music only) and
7 other national radios.
An autograph
signing, organized on the
day of the album release,
brought more than 3 000
kids to one of Moscow’s
entertainment centers and
even caused some concern
among police officers around
the area. Girls spent 3
full hours giving autographs
and were so tired at the
end, that apologized and
left, leaving a huge crowd
screaming their names, behind.
Universal
Music Russia proudly presents
– TATTOO and their
debut album “200 Po
Vstrechnoi” (200 Miles
An Hour In A Wrong Lane).