Volunteer were formed in 1971 in the Ukrainian city of Odessa by Auto technician Martin Andrevian, Animal psychiatrist Krzysztof Shadenkin and performance artist Genaddi Romanov. Their early experiments with Guitar noise and primitive electronics found a less than sympathetic response in their home country, but following an appearance at the OAZI sound gallery in Moscow, they were invited to perform on a popular Soviet TV Music show.
Their devastating rendition of the Soviet national anthem featuring dogs,chainsaws, feedback and Romanov's naked form smeared with shaving cream caused uproar across the Communist world. However the strain was to be too much for Romanov, who committed suicide early in 1977.
The rise of Punk across the Eastern Bloc found more ears opening to Volunteer's barrage of sound, they successfully toured from the DDR to Yugoslavia and caused a riot at their performance in Sofia, Bulgaria after turning water cannons on the audience.
Trips to West Germany and Belgium saw their first western records released. They also recorded a selection of their material in a lounge crooner style for Soviet state record label, Melodiya.
Their work through the 1980's saw them single-handedly pioneer Acid House behind the iron curtain, organising several warehouse parties, most triumphantly their 'Five Pill Plan' all nighter in East Berlin, coinciding with the opening of the Berlin Wall.
Eventually parting company when the USSR disintegrated in 1991, Shadenkin continued with his research into animal behaviour. Andrevian relocated to Stretford, Manchester where he reinterprated the work of the likes of Morrissey and Mark E Smith with his balaika.
Recently, Shadenkin has relocated to London, and Volunteer resurfaced on the Projector Records compilation 'Know Your Monkey'. They have recruited Chris Shade and Martin Andrews to assist them with their now slightly more restrained live shows and plan to release new material in 2005.
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