Leonid Soybelman

His work, especially with Ne Zhdali, is well known in Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union. Originally from Moldavia, he grew up in Tallinn, USSR (now Estonia), where he founded in the late 1980s the band Ne Zhdali together with his classmate Ilya Komarov. Later Soybelman moved to Berlin, Germany and Komarov to Zürich, Switzerland. In the 1990s they reunited with Ne Zhdali in Western Europe, continuing touring and producing new albums. Their album Hijacking was produced by John Zorn at his label Tzadik Records in the "Radical Jewish Culture" series. Soybelman composed the music for the Czech film Something like happiness (Czech: Štěstí) 2005, portraying the melancholy lives of four friends who grew up together in the same block of flats in a former industrial town in northern Bohemia. The somewhat bleak backdrop of the film fits snugly with Soybelman's sombre and heartfelt music.

• Name — Leonid Soybelman • Born — 20 July 1966 • Origin — Bălți, Moldavian SSR, USSR • Instrument — Guitar, vocals • Genre — Experimental music, alternative rock, free jazz, electronic music, • Occupation — Musician, composer • Years Active — 1986 – present • Label — NoMansLand, Tzadik • Associated Acts — Ne Zhdali, Kletka Red, Poza