Hi-Fi is one of the most recognizable pop projects of the post-Soviet music scene. The group was created in the summer of 1998 by producers Erik Chanturia and Pavel Yesenin, who had already spent several years working together on musical and television projects in Novosibirsk and later in Moscow. They developed the concept, visual aesthetics, and musical identity of the band — the very sound that became iconic after the very first music videos.
Formation and the first lineup
Originally, Hi-Fi consisted of:
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Dmitry Fomin — frontman
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Oksana Oleshko — vocalist
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Timofey Pronkhin — dancer, choreographer, backing vocals
Fun fact:
During the casting process, the members didn’t know each other at all, and the project creators worried whether their personalities would match. But it was exactly this lineup that made Hi-Fi one of the trendiest groups of the late 1990s.
On August 2, 1998, the band filmed their debut music video “Ne dano” (“Not Meant To Be”), and on August 23 they made their first public appearance on a TV show. Work on the debut album began almost immediately.
Breakthrough: 1999 — “First Contact”
In early 1999, the album “First Contact” was released and instantly became a hit. Singles like “Besprizornik,” “Ne dano,” “Pro leto,” and “My ne angely” made Hi-Fi leaders of radio charts.
The music video for “Besprizornik” stayed in the charts for almost an entire year — becoming one of the defining video hits of its era.
After this success, the second album “ReProduction” followed, solidifying the group’s status as a true pop phenomenon.
2000–2002: commercial peak
Hi-Fi’s touring schedule became one of the busiest in Russia. The group was rarely in Moscow, performing non-stop. At the end of 2000, they released the video “Glupye lyudi” (“Foolish People”), where the members appeared as angels — an image that would later become iconic.
2001 brought the third album “Remember This”, where the sound became even more dance-oriented.
Then came the remix compilation “D&J Remixes”.
In spring 2002, the song “Srednyaya shkola” (“Middle School”) was released — it became a true anthem of graduation parties. Later that year, the music video “Ya lyublyu” (“I Love”) premiered — the last video recorded by the original Hi-Fi lineup.
The period concluded with a “Best of” collection and a complete video anthology.
Lineup changes and new waves of popularity
2003–2006
Oksana Oleshko left the band and was replaced in 2003 by Tanya Tereshina. This lineup produced the mega-hit “Beda” (“Trouble”) in 2004 — its music video became one of the most heavily rotated on TV.
In 2006, Tereshina left the group, and her position was taken by Katya Lee — a jazz department student discovered during a tour in St. Petersburg. She carefully adapted her vocal manner to Hi-Fi’s signature sound.
2008–2010
To celebrate their 10-year anniversary, the album “Best №1” was released — recorded in Sweden with high-quality remasters of their biggest hits.
In 2009, Kirill Kolgushkin joined the group, adding new male energy and refreshing the live program.
In 2010, a new vocalist entered the lineup — Olesya Tayunkina, who quickly integrated into the band.
Style and identity
Hi-Fi became one of the first Russian pop projects to:
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use a futuristic, almost sci-fi visual aesthetic,
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create a pseudo-cybernetic image for the performers,
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stand out with clean, electronic arrangements,
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build songs around the formula “male + female vocals + dance performance.”
Producers intentionally leaned into the idea of an “ideal techno-crew,” which became Hi-Fi’s hallmark.
Rare facts about Hi-Fi
- Legend has it that some of Dmitry Fomin’s early vocal tracks were doubled by studio singers to achieve the “crystal-smooth” sound the producers wanted.
- Tanya Tereshina recalled that the “Beda” music video was filmed in extreme conditions — she almost lost her voice due to sudden temperature changes on set.
- An alternate, rarely seen version of the “Srednyaya shkola” video existed but was never officially released.
- Pavel Yesenin personally supervised the editing of most music videos and even took part in designing the stage sets.
- The group has performed at more than 2,000 concerts, making Hi-Fi one of the most extensively touring Russian pop acts of the 2000s.
Complete Hi-Fi Discography
Studio and official albums
1. First Contact (1999)
— “Ne dano”
— “Besprizornik”
— “Pro leto”
— “A my lyubili”
— “Chyorny voron”
2. ReProduction (1999)
— “Glupye lyudi”
— “Beda”
— “Sedmoy lepestok”
3. Remember This (2001)
— “Zapominay”
— “Srednyaya shkola”
— “Ona”
4. D&J Remixes (2001)
— dance versions of major hits
5. I Love (2002)
— compilation + music videos
6. Best №1 (2008)
— updated hits + remasters
Key Music Videos
- “Ne dano”
- “Besprizornik”
- “Glupye lyudi”
- “Beda”
- “Srednyaya shkola”
- “Ya lyublyu”
- “Pro leto”
- “Sedmoy lepestok”
- “My ne angely”
Conclusion
Today, Hi-Fi remains an important part of Russian pop history — a group that set the standard for music video production, dance-pop aesthetics, and the visual language of the 2000s. Their songs still play at parties, in radio rotations, and in nostalgic playlists. And the members continue to work in music and entertainment, preserving Hi-Fi’s legacy while launching new creative projects.
