Onlee

Onlee, the DJ name of Boris Romanov, is one of the quieter long-term fixtures of Moscow's underground. He worked as a DJ, record shop owner, promoter and label head, and the Propaganda night Origin is the project most closely tied to his name. He also played the RTS.FM studio and Shanti sessions in 2008 and 2009.

Early Life and Path Into Music

The biography on Discogs is a promotional text, and it should be read as the artist's own account. It says Romanov opened one of the first record stores in Moscow with a wide electronic music range in the early 1990s, and that he debuted as a DJ in 1997. It lists later appearances in Frankfurt's Robert Johnson, Berlin's Watergate, Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, Porto, Lausanne and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. We have not been able to verify these venues independently.

Origin at Propaganda

According to the same profile, Onlee held a weekly DJ residency at Propaganda's Saturday night, named Origin, for seven years. Discogs lists a run of Propaganda mixes that follow the night and the club's anniversaries: Propaganda. Origin. One Year, Propaganda. Origin. 3 Years (with Kammerton), Origin 4, and Propaganda. 9, 11 and 13 Years. A 2012 release simply called Propaganda is credited to the Propaganda Music label. Sergey a.m. and Sergey Sanches also appear in Discogs as makers of Propaganda mixes.

Subelektronika and Shanti

Onlee's best-documented series is Subelektronika, a run of mixes tied to the Moscow club Shanti. Discogs lists Subelektronika 2 Years (2006), Shanti. 3 Years (2007), Subelektronika 4 Years (2008) and Subelektronika 5 Years (2009), mostly on the Shanti label. Four of his 2009 sets in the RTS.FM archive carry the Shanti venue name, and Shanti also issued Cat In The Rain, a 2006 mix by Sergey Sanches.

Lichen Records

According to the Discogs label entry, Romanov founded Lichen Records in 2006 as a digital label for Russian and international producers. The artists it names include Chizh, Touane, Kammerton, Tigerskin, John Tejada, Mike Shannon and Téa Wavesword. The same artist profile says that in 2015 he was teaming up with Téa Wavesword in the studio and that their debut EP, Disturbed Butterflies, was due out on Lichen Records that spring. That profile was written around 2015, and it says he had recently moved to Prague, so his current base is not confirmed here.

Sound and Style

There is little in the way of interviews to quote, so the sound has to be read from the catalogue and the labels he picked. Lichen's roster, with John Tejada and Mike Shannon among its names, points to tech-leaning house and techno.

RTS.FM Connection

Onlee appears in 13 videos in the RTS.FM archive, from March 2008 to August 2009, split between RTS.FM studio sets and sessions recorded at Shanti. Two are embedded below.

FAQ

How old is Onlee?

His birth date and year have not been published, so no age can be given. His profile says he debuted as a DJ in 1997.

Where is Onlee from?

He is a Moscow DJ, according to his Discogs profile, which places his early record store and Propaganda residency in the city. His birthplace has not been published, and the same profile says he later moved to Prague.

What genre does Onlee play?

House and techno, going by the roster of his label. He has not published a genre description we could verify.

What is Onlee's real name?

Boris Romanov, according to Discogs.

What is Lichen Records?

A digital label he founded in 2006, which released Chizh, Tigerskin, John Tejada, Mike Shannon and Téa Wavesword, according to Discogs.

What was Origin?

The Saturday night at Propaganda in Moscow where, according to his Discogs profile, Onlee held a weekly residency for seven years.

Has Onlee played at RTS.FM?

Yes. The RTS.FM archive has 13 videos with his name in the title, dated from March 2008 to August 2009.

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