Lastfm API and Russian language?

"ws.audioscrobbler.com/2.0/?method=artist.getinfo&artist=". urlencode($artist). "&api_key=". $key"
$artist should be in утф8.
Infuriates them that the register of Russian letters is important, can't do utf8_general_ci chtoli...

and how is encoded by the parameter in the query?
\r
\rso it worked I have worked