Starting out in the band Malchishnik in the early '90s, Russian singer/songwriter Dolphin oscillated between a sombre underground sound and publicity stunts high on shock value. His 1997 solo EP, Out of Focus, allowed him to synthesise his enigmatic identity, drip-feeding poetry, rap, trip hop, post-punk, dusky electronic sounds and guitar-driven noise into arty albums such as 2004's Star. Samples, drum machines and bursts of rapcore eventually gave way to increasingly philosophical lyrical jousting, immersing listeners in a hazy atmosphere of yearning.