The long-expected release of Citadel Records is the fifth album of Moscow Grooves Institute. This is their first disk since 2002. In all Boris Nazarov and Arkady Marto wrote 17 tracks but the album consist only 15 and another residuary tracks will be published on Citadel compilations and west-version of the album.

The release of the album in Russia and Europe is planned on the end of March. Taking into account the wishes of the west partners expressed after MIDEM 2006 where the demo-material was performed for the first time MGI decided to distinguish Russian and European releases. That’s why disks will be published with small differences in track-lists.

The new sounding of MGI is harder now because Groove Institute used live instruments to show riches and variety of a new sound. But one of the main features of the fifth disk is that on the last stage of the album’s preparing Arkady Marto improvised with rhodes-piano and it was imposed on the finished sound.

Also in the new album took part Olga Noel beautified with her vocals few compositions. Participant of the German band N.O.H.A. American MC Chevy who’s rap diversified an electrical sound of MGI and old friend of the project Daria Rodcher known for the MGI’s concert activity from 2000 to 2003.

MGI began to collect the material for the new album in 2003 but as a whole this song should be known to the band lovers especially those who watched closely project’s concerts for last three years. So 8 of 17 tracks are publishing for the first time but they were performed on the concerts of Moscow Grooves Institute and another six tracks were recorded with session musicians (Oleg Ivanov the saxophonist, Evgeny Sherbakov the drummer and Petr Mikov the guitarist) after successful mini-tour in Europe in September 2005. And last three tracks are remixes on earlier published compositions that approached to concert sounding.

The mixing was made on MGI’s own studio by Sophia N. Kruglikova who’s working for 8 years with the band. The mastering of the new album of MGI “Les Etoiles sont plus proches avec les yeux fermes” was made by Tim Young at Metropolis studio in London - one of the best companies whose clients are Madonna, U2, Massive Attack and other world-famous musicians. And this is second time of collaboration with Metropolis, earlier ULA, MGI, MGI feat. Olga Noel were published on vinyl.

Traditionally made by Denis Barkovsky design is minimal but the sense of the band’s creative work exposes in the image of hand. Firstly it’s fifth anniversary. Secondly these sketchy daggers like stars and this calls up with the album’s name “Les etoiles sont plus proches avec les yeux fermees avec les yeux fermes” – “ Stars seem closer with closed eyes”. And dashed line that means that everything important is inside.

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