Origin Perm Role Musical Artist Name DJ Smash | Website djsmash.ru Years active 1996–present Albums My Time | |
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Birth name Andrey Leonidovich Shirman Born May 23, 1982 (age 41)
Perm, Russia ( 1982-05-23 ) Labels Sowa Music, Velvet Music Similar People DJ Antoine, Vera Brezhneva, Alexandra Burke, Gosha Kutsenko, Ron Carroll Profiles | ||
Andrey Leonidovich Shirman (Russian: Андрей Леонидович Ширман; born 23 May 1982), better known by his stage name Smash, is the most successful Russian DJ in house music and electronic music.
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Biography
He was born in 1982 in Perm, Russia. The love for high-quality music was instilled to the future star by his parents. Andrey’s father is a jazz musician. His mother is a music professor, honored cultural worker, AN member. When he was 6 years old, Andrey already began taking piano classes at a music school.
Shirman's success in the music field was obvious almost straight away. He began composing music when he became 8 years old, and when he was 14 years old, he had released his first album "Get Funky", sold by over 500 copies. The tape somehow appeared at the "Apocalypsis" night club and since then Andrey became a permanent DJ-performer of the night club and got known as Smash. The artist states that the very scenic nickname was chosen for a certain reason: “smash” is his favorite type of blow in tennis.
Aged 16, Shirman composed his first track to be broadcast on the radio "Between the Earth and the Sky", which made him realize his life would be based around dance music.
In 2000, Shirman started working at the Depo studio as a sound arranger and music show producer. He spent 4 years there acquiring the necessary knowledge and experience in sound engineering.
In 2003, DJ Smash began to play at legendary club “Shambala”, where his talent was noticed by one of Moscow’s nightclub life founders – Alexey Gorobiy. In 2004, Andrey became a resident of trendy “Zima Project”.
The years of 2004–2005 become legendary in Moscow club culture, because at that time DJ Smash creates principally new nightclub format, introducing a new trend – “retro house”. The Yuri Antonov's “I Remember” remix became the culmination point. SMASH managed to transform and change an existing format of the club music. Before his appearances in contemporary night clubs, Russian tracks of musicians and DJs hadn’t that sound
In 2006 at the age of 23, Smash enjoyed the most prestigious musical award Russia Night Life Award, having become its youngest holder in its history. The same year Smash released his first hit to reach number 1 - "Moscow Never Sleeps", which gives him a boost into a popular artist.
In 2008, DJ Smash released his first full-grown album “IDDQD”, which gains platinum status. It included the already played all over the country tracks “The Best Songs”, “I’m a Wave” (Volna), “Airplane”.
In 2008 at MTV Russian Music Awards, DJ Smash received two awards, winning in prestigious nominations “Debut of the Year” and “Best Dance Album”.
In 2009 DJ Smash received the most prestigious Russian award – the “Golden Gramophone” (GRAMMY Analogue), and becomes the official participant and nominee at the “Song of the Year” festival in December 2009 where he was presented by the legendary Alla Pugacheva.
From 2010, DJ Smash began to conquer European music field: he becomes the resident of such clubs, as "Movida" (London) and "Vip Room" (St. Tropez). Apart from that, a release of English version of “Moscow Never Sleeps” is made, which was recorded in cooperation with the Italian DJ - Alex Gaudino.
In 2011 a new album “23” is released, which included the tracks: “Ptica”, “Without the Words”, “From Russia With Love”.
Year 2012 brings a whirlwind of events to the creative live of Andrey Shirman: he opens a restaurant in the heart of Moscow, under the name of Boom Boom Room, forms his own music band "Smash Live", releases a number of singles: “Rendez-Vous”, “Moscow” (featuring “Vintage” band), and also “Long Distance Love” – a duo with Vera Brezhneva, a sex-symbol of Russian show business. Moreover, Andrey signs a contract with one of the most authoritative producer labels - Velvet Music, and the first joint creation is an album, about to be released under the name of “New World”. It’s a well-known fact, that talented person is talented at everything: Andrey participated in the filming of New Year’s fairytale “12 months” and wrote the title song for it.
In 2013, Smash released his new album "The New World" featuring top Russian artists. The album got platinum status sales in Russia on CDs and in the ITunes. In July 2013, Smash played as a headliner in the biggest electro music festival in France - Electro Beach Festival. In the same time he publish his single "Stop The Time" that quickly got around 10 million Internet views and got in the top of many Russian radio stations. In June 2013, Andrey got MUZ TV award and this turned to become the owner of all awards of the Russian Federation’s music and show business.
Shirman starts the 2014 with the powerful shows in Paris (Club 79) and New York (Provocateur) and worked on the release of the new album that came out in April 2014. In 2014 he released his latest album called Star Tracks reaching no 9 on the Russian iTunes album charts including single "The Renegades" featuring UK singer/songwriter Tara McDonald.
Nowadays Smash is the most successful and highest-paid Russian DJ. Parallel with the musical career, Andrey Shirman is the co-owner of the club and restaurant network, which comprises 12 objects in Moscow and Sochi.