Maneuvering between grandiose retro motifs and a surprising sincerity, Michelle Gurevich’s songs are tragicomic, melody-driven, sentimental and suspended in shadowy glamour. Having released 3 albums under the moniker of Chinawoman, she now continues as Michelle Gurevich with her 4th and latest release – New Decadence.  Produced in the same manner as her previous releases, she combines dark realism with humour in smoky and intimate ballads delivered with cutting and fatalistic lyrics. 

Her story began when her bedroom-produced debut album Party Girl, by some fateful unknown hand was delivered to the land of her forefathers, and soon made its way blaring from the yachts of Russian billionaires and as the ringtones of mothers all over the Ukraine. Moving from Toronto to Berlin was a turning point and life-determining transition from chamber concerts to regular sold-outs at large venues of Istanbul, Bucharest, Tbilisi, Belgrade, Athens, Vilnius and Moscow.

The daughter of a Kirov ballerina and an engineer from Leningrad, Michelle grew up listening to her parents’ collection of Soviet and 70’s European records. Her music has drawn comparisons to Nico and Leonard Cohen, Soviet era singing stars such as early Alla Pugacheva, with a voice akin to Tanita Tikaram. While her concerts include more live aspects and a line-up of musicians, her albums have all been recorded in the same bedroom manner, maintaining an intimacy and singleness of expression.

“Resistance to the charming magic of Chinawoman is in vain… she doesn’t resemble anyone living and is so remote from the world that one desires to believe recklessly: she exists”.
— Felix Sandalov, writer for Billboard Magazine

“The beauty of Chinawoman’s music is that it is kindered not only with Leonard Cohen and Nico, but also with Edyta Piecha: this music is obviously composed by someone who as a child used to listen to LPs by Melodiya Record Company, and according to the track Russian Ballerina, the traditions of Leningrad rock club there are much stronger than the practices of the Canadian Constellation Label”. —  Afisha.

“From the first note unceremoniously grabs the soul — that same melancholy that always finds resonance in the Russian heart — and never lets go”.
— Andrei Buharin (4 stars) Rolling Stone

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