Meet Dmitry “Les” Lesov—because “Les” means “Forest” in Russian, and apparently, that’s the exact amount of mystery he wanted in his nickname. As a founding member of Half Past Four, Les is the guy who’s been holding down the low end since before we figured out how many time signatures were too many (answer: there’s no such thing).
Les doesn’t just play bass. He engineers basslines—intricate, melodic patterns that slither, bounce, and occasionally throw a surprise party for your eardrums. His grooves are so complex that we suspect they have their own tax returns.
But why stop there? Les also plays the Chapman Stick, an instrument that looks like a bass and a guitar got into a heated argument and decided to merge out of spite. It has more strings than your average conspiracy theory, and somehow Les makes it sound like the most natural thing in the world.
Oh, and he sings, because of course he does. Both lead and backing vocals. Because why be just a bassist when you can be the full rhythm section and a choir?
Les is a relentless riff machine, constantly dropping new ideas like they’re on clearance. His creativity fuels the band’s evolution, ensuring that no song is safe from sudden bursts of “What if we made this weirder?”
Here’s to Les—the bass wizard, Stick sorcerer, melody architect, and the only person who can make 14/8 sound like a casual stroll