– In February, your production center “National Musical Corporation” (NMC) turned 17 years old. How would you briefly describe his contribution to the development of pop culture in Russia?
– The most valuable thing in music today is not titles and awards, but the love of people and the presence of a hit. In general, a song can only be called a hit after at least 10 years. And for 17 years of the production center’s existence, we still have 20 such hits in rotation and in human heads – and that’s a lot. This is more than just the prizes on the shelves. The songs “Watch” that people sing at a wedding, “She’s not yours”, which is always ordered at karaoke, or “Loneliness-Bitch”, which drunken women sing in a low voice – this is precisely the triumph of the production. centre.
Which record label singers are you most proud of?
– Among the artists, I am most proud of Stas Piekha and above all of our joint longevity. We will always cooperate with him and always be popular. This artist has an audience that will die with him.
– Which musicians do you collaborate with more actively at the moment?
– First of all, these are Guzel Khasanova, IVAN, Lisa Ginzburg, ANSE. I really want them to be popular artists in great demand because they’re really talented, hardworking and dedicated to their music and their audience, their ideas. Working with them is a pleasure. It is important that old projects do not feel left out: Nikolai Noskov is healthy, because we have a lot of demos we want to share, Piekha is happy and continues to collect all the buildings on tours.
– On the NMK website, the singer Slava is still listed among the artists, although you stopped the collaboration. Is this outdated information?
Yes, this is outdated information. De jure Slava is not our singer. But actually, it can never be someone else’s. I can proudly say that our production center created it. And maybe the time will come when he will need our help again someday. After all, victory, even with Victory, does not last long and will return to us.
– You negotiated with Spartak, who wanted to buy the club’s anthem from you in 2021. How did this story end?
— Amortized on mutually acceptable terms.
What happened to the Don’t Tell Mom boy band? Their last activity on social networks was already at the end of 2021.
– This is a plane that unfortunately never took off. I really hoped for a breakthrough of this group, because the guys were all without exception talented. But fate decided that they were not destined to be together. The group is a union of like-minded people! If the participants in the first year of its existence do not find a common language, then even if there is a hit, the group is doomed to defeat. I concluded that it’s best not to try to fix a broken glass.
– In an interview, Dani Milokhin’s brother Ilya said about the group: “Cute guys, cool costumes, a great stage, great voices, and I’m the one who drove these guys” …
— We must have made some mistakes in casting. I always want to believe in the best. There is a line in my song “Da-di-dam”: “I believe in miracles.” It seemed to me that a drug addict could easily quit drugs, an alcoholic could quit drinking. But in reality there is no miracle.
– From time to time, details of your breakup with singer Dmitry Koldun shine in the news. For example, in September 2022, the artist admitted that he “lacks creativity” during the collaboration. Does it hurt you to hear such words from him?
– It’s a pity, because he may be a cult singer. What a pity. By the way, nice guy. We do not communicate now, we do not have time for this. There are no intersections, but I’ve always been proud that the winner of my sixth “Factory” was a Mage.
– Why do you think that the departure of producers from their wards, as a rule, is accompanied by scandals?
I think it’s a matter of decency. Until recently, I said in all interviews that this did not happen to me. Here we are agreed [Настасьи] samburskaya Most importantly, I still cannot answer the question of why he did this. Everything went straight for him. Why did he go to the first place of the “Chanson” radio and refuse to work? Why are you suing me to get rid of me? I’ve always said that you’ve passed me by. But in the end, it hit me. A close friend betrayed me. And Slava took it and left when the money started. Only sometimes years of service pay off.
Why does a modern artist need a producer in general, if he can independently and quite successfully promote his content on social networks?
– One needs a computer and internet to be popular. But I have already said that this is equivalent to creating a car in a garage: maybe someone can do it, but it is still made somewhere in the factory. I mean, in music.
The producer does not cancel the popularity of the singer. It doesn’t make it somehow bad or underdeveloped, as many are beginning to think. On the contrary, it brings more self-confidence, helps the singer’s longevity. Even according to the Russian proverb “One head is good, but two heads are better.” The producer is not some idiot who calls himself that to drag girls to the couch as they think in show business. If the producer is also a musician, it can become a very important unit in the artist’s life. Even eminent Western artists did not shy away from it.
– In 2022, you returned to the production of the Tutsi group. Do you see the potential to return to its former glory?
– The Tootsie group was fascinated. Unlike many other projects, she entered the show business market with the first song. The composition “The most, the most” immediately entered the top ten and became very popular in the country. This is cool! After that, the girls did everything to ruin the group: they cursed, changed, broke up and got married. They did everything but rally around an idea called Tootsie. So, looking at it, I decided to separate them from each other. And as practice shows, girls want to be together again. This is a very pleasant moment for me. If they want, then I’m always there. Tootsie is always on my mind and in my heart. I hope they are a little older now. After all, beautiful women who sing well and learn to communicate with each other in a completely different way – not like zero.
– Previously, the Russian scene was international. Now this system has partially collapsed. Do you think the Russian scene suffered a lot? What is happening to him now?
I don’t like the politicization of music. It is sad to hear that the concerts of Russian artists have been canceled due to the political situation. But neither Russian music nor Russian ballet can be canceled. On the other hand, some free niches appeared, where new names immediately came. I don’t want to guess anything. Russians also live abroad and listen to Russian music. Friends from other countries remained the same friends and partners. You just have to work without thinking about political factors, do what you want, only then it will resonate with your audience. When it’s sincere and organic. And time will put everything in its place.
– If we talk about modern local pop music, what do you think are the recent trends?
– In the past, the songs were more musical and light. Now a lot of rap has emerged, almost the same type musically. And most importantly, music is no longer music, its words and attitude are sometimes unreadable.
— What does it take to be an artist who can hold the audience’s attention for many years? For example, Alexander Kireev at that time was the silver medalist of the “Factory” – your ward, but still disappeared from sight.
— It’s not enough to just post a hit, you need to be in sight, create high-profile newsletters. Flying into the charts and trends isn’t as difficult as staying in it. And here it is important to understand what path you are ready to go, what you are ready for the sake of victory.
– By the way, about great artists – Nikolai Noskov is now on tour. Can you tell us how his recovery went along with it?
“The recovery is going well. There are special recovery programs that Nikolai Ivanovich goes through. Without creativity, without concerts, he can not live. An artist with a capital letter A has a star code that will not go anywhere, whatever his situation. He sings and enjoys it.
– There is an opinion that Russian pop music will now be less centralized and more developed in the regions. Do you agree with this statement?
– Now we are talking about a kind of coal mining, which we decided to transfer from music to Kuzbass and explore the deposits near Syktyvkar. In general, music has lived and continues to live in the souls of people, wherever they are geographically. Of course, there have always been centers of attraction for musicians. Rock club in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. Moscow is the stronghold of Russian pop music. But I think today there are so many opportunities to put one’s creativity online from any corner of the country that those boundaries have been erased.
– What do you think was the most favorable period for the development of artists in the history of the Russian pop industry, so to speak?
– It seems to me that this is the emergence of the Star Factory project in the early 2000s. After all, it’s not just a music project, it’s also a television project. Then the major federal channels turned to music, and not just news, movies, and programming. For example, the channel “Russia” created the project “People’s Artist”, Channel One – “Star Factory”. Then came “Voice” and other projects. And all those who are serious artists from the point of view of adults today mostly came from the “Factory”. These are Polina Gagarina, Stas Piekha, Timati, Zara, Irina Dubtsova and others. These are people who have already become enlighteners and mastodons. And they can judge themselves as they were once judged.
– You have worked with artists performing at Eurovision more than once, and in an interview with Alena Zhigalova you admitted that this is a song contest for you. Do you still think so? Did you watch last year’s competition and are you planning to watch it? (interview took place before Eurovision 2023. – about “socialbites.ca”)?
– Originally, Eurovision was conceived as a song contest. In principle, it remains so because the song still wins. But today, I’m talking about the last 15-20 years, Eurovision has become more than just a show. This is a true celebration of European music. And unfortunately, it has gained a politicized history in recent years. This is what I like less. It was a beautiful musical feast and it is a pity that politics interfered with this project. After all, it should be treated like a good week’s marathon: people start watching on Tuesday, Thursday, preparing for Saturday. And it’s a May Saturday mood… When you realize that everyone in Germany is sitting at wooden tables with a glass of beer and watching the race until the last second, when the Finns who are already drunk with vodka are cheering. himself and the Italians are sitting in front of the TV with a glass of red wine. All this at once! It was a great family vacation and nothing more. There was no need to get involved in politics.