''Waste Management'' is the third and final
English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
(sixth overall) studio album by Russian recording group
t.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u. (russian: Тату, ) were a Russian music duo that consisted of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova. The singers were part of children's music group Neposedy before being managed by producer and director Ivan Shapovalov and signing with R ...
released in Russia on 15 December 2009, by their own independent record label
T.A. Music. Unlike their previous English studio album, it is the group's first studio album not released by
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
due to their departure from the label in 2006. The album was no longer handled by their primary producers and songwriters, which included
Martin Kierszenbaum
Martin Kierszenbaum, also known by his pseudonym Cherry Cherry Boom Boom, is an American music personality. As a songwriter and producer he worked with Lady Gaga, Sting, Madonna, Mylène Farmer, Keane, Tokio Hotel, Far East Movement, Robyn, Fei ...
and
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
. Instead, it was produced by producers including
Billy Steinberg
William Endfield Steinberg (born February 26, 1950) is an American songwriter. He achieved his greatest success in the 1980s with songwriting partner Tom Kelly; together they wrote or co-wrote the No. 1 hits " Like a Virgin" by Madonna (1984), ...
, Josh Alexander,
Sergio Galoyan
Sergey Galoyan (russian: Сергей Галоян, born 25 December 1981) is an ASCAP/ PRS Award–winning songwriter/producer and DJ, born in Moscow. He is more commonly known as Sergio Galoyan and is of Armenian descent.
One of the creators o ...
and Boris Renski, who served as their executive producer.
Unlike their previous studio albums, ''Waste Management'' is exclusively seated in the
electronic dance music genres, including musical influences from
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
,
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
and
Eurodance
Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
. Upon its release, the album debuted with generally favorable reviews from music critics, who felt the production and musical composition suited the group well and considered it as one of their best releases. The album did not do well commercially, only managing to chart in Mexico and Russia, becoming the group's least successful album to date.
The studio album generated three singles: "Snowfalls", "White Robe" and "Sparks", none of which managed to generate much interest nor appear in any music charts around the world. This was the group's last studio album before they split up in March 2011. ''
Waste Management Remixes
''Waste Management'' is the third and final English language (sixth overall) studio album by Russian recording group t.A.T.u. released in Russia on 15 December 2009, by their own independent record label T.A. Music. Unlike their previous English ...
'' was released not long after.
The album has been made available to music streaming platforms in 2021.
Background and development
When the group announced the release of the lead single of their studio album, ''
Весёлые Улыбки'', they stated that the album would be entitled ''Upravleniye Otbrosami'', which translates to "waste management". However, a press release had officially stated that it would be entitled ''Весёлые Улыбки'' instead, as it reflected sarcastic comments about the state of the Russian music business made by Volkova and Katina in an interview with Moscow's Time Out Magazine. Because of the name change, the album was postponed, but was eventually released in October 2008.
In March 2009, the group began production of the studio album. On their
Myspace account, the group stated that t.A.T.u would no longer be a "full-time project" as they wanted to focus on their solo careers. Around April 2009, the group revealed their single "Snowfalls", stating that the studio album was still in production.
According to one of the press releases from the group's website, they said that the album's title ''Waste Management'' was related to "Happy Smiles", explaining "this album was all about 'Unhappily Unsmiling' in its very essence. To be more precise, it was
aste Management.
[Waste Management Press Release](_blank)
PDF File Only. Member Lena Katina said on her part that it was inspired by
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
, saying "You should listen to this version of our LP non-stop at least once to feel what we tried to create. We call this version "pinkfloydish" among us".
She further explained "
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
was not the only band who did it this way, but we can say it was them who inspired us.
aste Managementhas got all songs bound together by short instrumental interludes composed by our author Evgeniy Matveitsev. This version of the LP is one continuous music trip".
The group stated that they decided to do this after they visited the "concept of continuity" in their music videos "220" and "Snowfalls", which were fused together.
In the press release, member
Julia Volkova
Yulia Olegovna Volkova (russian: Юлия Олеговна Волкова; born 20 February 1985), better known by the alternative spelling of Julia, is a Russian singer best known for being a member of the Russian girl group t.A.T.u., along ...
revealed:
Composition
The musical composition is different from the group's other studio albums. According to
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, the album is influenced by
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
music. It is also influenced by
electronic dance music and features styles of
downtempo
Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...
,
synthpop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
and
tech-house
Tech house is a subgenre of house music that combines stylistic features of Techno music, techno with house. The term ''tech house'' developed as a shorthand record store name for a category of electronic dance music that combined musical aspect ...
.
All of ''Waste Managements tracks were re-recorded in English, except "Martian Eyes". English lyrics, translated from Russian by Leonid Aleksandrovsky, go far beyond the original Russian lyrics of the album.
Release
''Waste Management'' was first released in Australia, then in the United States, Japan, France, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Mexico on December 1, 2009 by TA Music. The album was later released in Russia on
Compact Disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
on January 1, 2010 and later released in South America. On September 19, 2011 it was released in
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
(see track listing below).
''Waste Management'' was also released as a one-track version called the ''Transcendent'' version. This version is one continuous track running (on the digital release) slightly over an hour. Interludes are placed between each track to make the album sound continuous. The bonus tracks are also included, but without any interludes between them.
Lena Katina
Elena Sergeevna Katina (russian: link=no, Елена Сергеевна Катина; born 4 October 1984), better known as Lena Katina, is a Russian musician who gained fame as one half of the pop/electronica duo t.A.T.u. She started her care ...
calls this version "one continuous music trip" and says
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
was the main influence in the creation of this version.
The CD format of the ''Transcendent'' version was available on the tatu.ru website.
Critical reception
Mark Fleming from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, saying "The provocative and controversial pop duo
.A.T.u.deliver a set of sleek electronic dance music
..vocalists Lena Katina and Julia Volkova take their edgy musical stories to the dancefloor".
Chart performance
On January 29, 2010, ''Billboard'' reported that ''Waste Management'' had sold an estimated 1,000 copies ever since its release in the United States. The album failed to chart on the US
''Billboard'' 200, becoming the duo's first studio album to do so.
Worldwide, ''Waste Management'' charted poorly, leading it to become the group's least successful album to date. It charted within the top ten in Russia and Mexico; its highest position was on the
Top 100 Mexico
Top 100 México is a record chart which accounts for sixty percent of the albums sold in Mexico. The chart has the support of major record distributors in Mexico and is issued by the Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms, A. ...
chart, where it debuted at twenty-four, in order to eventually peak at number three on the chart.
Singles
* "Snowfalls", the English version of the song "Снегопады", was released as the digital-only lead single from "Waste Management" on July 13, 2009. The Russian version also served as the fourth single of ''
Весёлые Улыбки''. The music video premiered on MTV Baltic and the official t. A.T.u YouTube channel, MySpace and iLike on July 13, 2009.
The video is the same as the one for "
Снегопады", dubbed with the English lyrics. The song charted at 54 in Brazil.
* The second single of the album, "
White Robe
''Vesyolye Ulybki'' (Cyrillic: ''Весёлые Улыбки''; translation: ''Happy Smiles'') is t.A.T.u.'s third and final Russian studio album, released on 21 October 2008. The album's working title was ''Upravleniye Otbrosami'' (Cyrillic: '' ...
", was released on November 10, 2009. The song is the English version of "Белый плащик". The song uses the same music video as the original version, but features the group lip-syncing the English lyrics instead. It didn't chart in any important music charts.
* The third single, "
Sparks
Sparks may refer to:
Places
*Sparks, Georgia
* Sparks, Kansas
*Sparks, Kentucky
*Sparks, Maryland
* Sparks, Nebraska
*Sparks, Nevada
*Sparks, Oklahoma
*Sparks, Texas
* Sparks, Bell County, Texas
* Sparks, West Virginia
Books
* ''Sparks'' (Raffi ...
", premiered on MTV Brasil on April 13, 2010. The song is the English version of "220". "Sparks" peaked at no. 1 on MTV Latin America charts and the video clip weekly charts of MTV BRAZIL.
Track listing
;Standard version
#"White Robe"
(V. Kilar, L. Alexandrovski, M. Maxakova, T.A. Music) – 3:16
#"You and I"
(E. Buller, A. Kubiszewski) – 3:16
#"
Sparks
Sparks may refer to:
Places
*Sparks, Georgia
* Sparks, Kansas
*Sparks, Kentucky
*Sparks, Maryland
* Sparks, Nebraska
*Sparks, Nevada
*Sparks, Oklahoma
*Sparks, Texas
* Sparks, Bell County, Texas
* Sparks, West Virginia
Books
* ''Sparks'' (Raffi ...
"
(V. Polienko, L. Alexandrovski) – 3:09
#"
Snowfalls
Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
"
(Slowman, L. Alexandrovski, K. Salem, T.A. Music) – 3:15
#"Marsianskie Glaza" (Марсианские Глаза) (Martian Eyes)
(S. Galoyan, T.A. Music) – 3:10
#"Little People"
(Slowman, L. Alexandrovski, T.A. Music) – 3:28
#"Waste Management"
(E. Matveidzev) – 1:45
#"Running Blind"
(J. Schramm, L. Reinatz, C. Behrens, S. Martin, R. Schwenger, L. Dissing) – 3:39
#"Fly on the Wall"
(J. Alexander, B. Steinberg) – 3:59
#"Time of the Moon"
(V. Kilar, L. Alexandrovski, T.A. Music) – 3:24
#"Don't Regret"
(V. Kilar, L. Alexandrovski, T.A. Music) – 3:09
Bonus tracks:
#
"Beliy Plaschik (White Robe)" (Fly_Dream Remix) – 5:32
#"Running Blind" (Transformer Remix) – 3:53
#"Don't Regret" (Sniper Remix) – 4:58
;Transcendent version
#"White Robe" (V. Kilar, L. Alexandrovski, M. Maxakova, T.A. Music) – 3:09
#"You and I" (E. Buller, A. Kubiszewski) – 4:27
#"Sparks
Sparks may refer to:
Places
*Sparks, Georgia
* Sparks, Kansas
*Sparks, Kentucky
*Sparks, Maryland
* Sparks, Nebraska
*Sparks, Nevada
*Sparks, Oklahoma
*Sparks, Texas
* Sparks, Bell County, Texas
* Sparks, West Virginia
Books
* ''Sparks'' (Raffi ...
" (V. Polienko, L. Alexandrovski) – 3:30
#"Snowfalls" (Slowman, L. Alexandrovski, K. Salem, T.A. Music) – 4:12
#"Marsianskie Glaza" (Марсианские Глаза) (Martian Eyes)" (S. Galoyan, T.A. Music) – 4:10
#"Little People" (Slowman, L. Alexandrovski, T.A. Music) – 4:19
#"Waste Management" (E. Matveidzev) – 2:49
#"Running Blind" (J. Schramm, L. Reinatz, C. Behrens, S. Martin, R. Schwenger, L. Dissing) – 4:41
#"Fly on the Wall" (J. Alexander, B. Steinberg) – 5:09
#"Time of the Moon" (V. Kilar, L. Alexandrovski, T.A. Music) – 4:36
#"Don't Regret" (V. Kilar, L. Alexandrovski, T.A. Music) – 4:26
#"Clock-Work" – 0:11
Bonus tracks:
#"Beliy Plaschik (White Robe)" (Fly_Dream Remix) – 5:32
# "Running Blind" (Transformer Remix) – 3:51
# "Don't Regret" (Sniper Remix) – 4:57
Most of the tracks are longer than the standard version due to the interludes added to tracks 2–11. The album includes a 24-page booklet. The Russian release of ''Waste Management'' is the same as the Latin American one; credits in the booklet are translated into Russian.
The album liner notes contain incorrect lyrics for the second verse on "Time of the Moon". The printed lyrics are from a Lena Katina-only demo version that was never released.
Charts
Release history
See also
* ''Vesyolye Ulybki'' / ''Happy Smiles''
* ''Dangerous and Moving
''Dangerous and Moving'' is the second English-language album by Russian musical group t.A.T.u. and the English-language equivalent of the album Lyudi Invalidy. The album was first released on 5 October 2005 in Japan then on 10 October in the UK, ...
''
References
{{Authority control
T.A.T.u. albums
2009 albums
Albums produced by Billy Steinberg