Terra Incognita is Latin for An unknown land. The career of the band on the whole resembles the search of enthusiastic experimenters in the sphere of the unknown.

“They play intricate instrumental art-rock (they are sometimes defined as neoclassic and even gothic metal) – one would think that it’s not a festival format. Bu it’s not about style, it’s about furious and fervent groove of the duet of the two violinists - Ksenia Prokopieva and Ann Shvetsova. They create such a whirlpool of music, such a tornado and hurricane, that there's no way to avoid being carried away”. Ekaterina Borisova, FUZZ, 2008.
“Instrumental violin rock is on one hand too soft to compare it to, say Apocalyptica, and on the other hand the compositions are too short and unexpanded to place it to prog rock genre alongside David Cross or Jean-Luc Ponty. Besides, phenomena like Terra Incognita are rare on our scene. Which, certainly, does not give anyone right to overestimate the music itself”. Viktor Mamontov, INROCK 2008

Terra Incognita are: Ann Shvetsova (violin), Nikolay Konovalov (drums), Julia Popovitch (keyboard), Ksenia Prokopieva (violin), Sergey Golubev (bass). The name “Terra Incognita” was what is called “handed down” to the musicians. The original band formed in Barnaul in 1997 as a typical mediocre rock-band: two guitars (rhythm and solo), bass and drums. In 2001 Barnaul fans could appreciate the new cast of Terra Incognita – female with violins instead of guitars. It must be noted that Terra Incognita did not change in one moment. There were two “Terras” for some time: the male one and the female one.

The experimental project emerged thanks to the encounter of T.I. guitarist Julia Popovitch (Julia presently plays keyboards, writes music) and the leader of student organization “shadow theater” Ksenia Prokopieva (now she plays violin, writes music, sings and promotes the group), the two appeared to be like-minded. The student club where Terra Incognita rehearsed became a gathering point for a number of musicians. It was the place of meetings and partings. During the band’s existence it was backed up by many musicians, there was even a choir and a violin quartet. The band naturally has always had problems with Rehearsal Facility, line-up, pursuits, persecutions, beer, rock and roll and other stuff.

Some, trying to pigeon hole Terra Incognita, claim it is violin thrash drive, fiery violin rock. Others define the band’s style as neoclassic or gothic metal without guitars. The musicians themselves do not adhere to certain genre restrictions.

Terra Incognita had gigs in many major Russian cities: Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Tumen, Petrozavodsk, Tomsk, Ekaterinburg. The band took part in gothic concerts, “Metal Jams” and rockfests, for instance, “Vozduch-2006” (Republic of Karelia), “Ohota” (Saint Petersburg, “Bomba-Piter”), “Rock-Line” (Perm). Terra Incognita’s musicians played in concert with major performers: ##### (5diez), EST, Pilot, Korol I Shut, Tequilajazzz and others. The band’s music was airplayed on such radio stations as “Nashe radio” (Arkhangelsk, Karelia, Perm), “Serebryany Dozhd” (Silver Rain) (Barnaul), “Bowed Radio” (New York). One can read about the band in prominent Russian rock magazines “FUZZ” and “In Rock” or even in Mexican “High Rock Magazine”. In summer 2008 the first band’s video was filmed for “Land of no Return”, and the fall of the same year saw the filming of the video for “Intro”. Later the composition “Land of no Return” entered the compilation album “Young Siberian Rock - 3”.

The first samizdat album “Avtogudronator” was recorded in 2004. It had little circulation at the time. In 2007, the band’s second album “Land of no Return” was recorded in Omsk. Further work on the tracks took place in the USA; album artwork was prepared in England. The participants of the process were divided by the vast ocean, differences in mentality, and the language barrier, but all the difficulties have fallen behind. “Land of no Return” is really an international project, which proves that music knows no borders!