Interview with the new vocalist of the aria. Interview with the new vocalist of the aria. Some new material is already being written.

The Aria group, represented by Vitaly Dubinin and Mikhail Zhitnyakov, spoke in an interview with Chastnik about the new album “Curse of the Seas”, their attitude towards censorship and what it was like to perform on the same stage with DeepPurple and Nazareth.

— Yours new album called “Curse of the Seas” - this is the third album recorded with vocalist Mikhail Zhitnyakov. Surely, after the release of the previous ones, you had thoughts about what worked and what could be improved... What can you say about the new disc - have you fully realized what was planned?

Vitaly: We usually don’t have such problems as to sit and analyze a finished album. After all, we take our business seriously. Once a record is made, it's done - there's no turning back. All “unrealized” ideas go to the next record.

Mikhail: We are absolutely not ashamed of the quality, level and content of what happened. Let the critics sort out the nuances.

— Are there many ideas and songs left outside the album?

Vitaly: Often in interviews with Western musicians you have to read, they say, we wrote eighty songs for the album, and selected ten from them... This is not entirely clear to me. For example, we prepared eleven songs and implemented all of them. Each of the participants in “Aria” has their own ideas that remain unrealized, but that’s a completely different story.

— How and under what conditions do song ideas come to you? Is it more often inspiration or the result of painstaking work?

Vitaly: It depends. It happens that yes, you need to compose. For example, we are going to record a record, okay, but what should we make it from? You won’t sit and wait stupidly - oh, it dawned on me! You sit down and start composing... You play the guitar for an hour, then another - and suddenly some interesting riff is born - and I write it down on my phone right away so as not to forget. And just like that. Step by step, a song is born...

- Music can be compared to sea ​​elements, and if so, is your music a storm, a hurricane, a storm?

Mikhail: All together. And even more…

Vitaly: I would compare it to a stormy river.

- Your new album turned out to be quite experimental - some of the material is quite unusual for “Aria” - what is the reason for such an update?

Mikhail: We don’t agree with you. Everything in the new album is quite orthodox, characteristic and typical of “Aria”. Further, I believe, we will move in the same direction. Life will show.

— The title song of the record is called “Race for Glory” — was there a place and time for something like that in your life and biography?

Vitaly: It depends what you mean by that. Yes, to some extent, any artist craves success, popularity, financial well-being... But I don’t think this can be critically assessed as a “race for fame.” In our group, all the participants are quite sane people. Therefore, this song is not about us. We don't chase fame.

— At one time, your songs had quite strong social themes. Nowadays, do you think that a musician needs to express in songs his attitude to what is happening around him, or are you more interested in immersing yourself in “pure art”?

Vitaly: Rock music has always been a fairly personal platform for revealing one’s inner world. Probably, it was precisely this disclosure of the inner world and our feelings that has always been our priority. As for social protests, we can state a fact, express our attitude, for example in an interview, but give guidance for action in songs... I’m not sure that this will be correct. In my opinion, it is a thankless task to teach.

— Well, for example, how do you evaluate the State Duma’s projects regarding censorship? Is there any confidence that your songs will pass this very censorship?

Mikhail: We believe that the State Duma should be censored first, and then take on everyone else.

Vitaly: To be honest, I don’t really care about censorship. And in Soviet years I didn’t care, and especially not now. Didn’t we listen to songs in those days that the official authorities in the USSR forbade us to listen to? Well, yes, maybe they were not released on records, banned performers were not allowed to earn money with their work, but both “Resurrection” and “DDT” were truly folk artists whom everyone listened to. Manuscripts, as Bulgakov’s hero said, do not burn. It’s the same with songs – it’s impossible to ban them. And now all this is generally comical - because all censorship in today’s situation, alas, will boil down to the fact that, God forbid, someone says something against the state. I believe that linguistic censorship may be partly justified, but certainly not ideological.

— If you had a time machine, which era would you prefer to go to?

Mikhail: Do you know of an era where beer was free? I would drive in such an era (laughs).

Vitaly: It would be interesting, knowing the results of the matches, to go back a little in this very time machine and bet money on the winners. A sort of association with the film “Back to the Future”.

— The creativity of “Aria” is a whirlwind, escaping from stadium concert stages, but at the same time living comfortably in small halls. What is more important for you - a spectacular show from a performance or conveying meaning to the listener?

Vitaly: These are slightly different things. Big hall is a great energy, and we perceive it as a holiday that should happen every day. There is a special charm in small halls: when you see the audience, you feel the reaction to what you are doing directly, even if there are few of them here, they love our music just as much and give us the same pleasure.

Mikhail: I would not contrast a spectacular show with meaning; ideally, this should be combined. As for the hall, we don’t care what kind of hall we work in, the main thing is to make our own music and enjoy it.

— Your new record was mixed by the famous American producer RoyZ — how was it working with him?

Vitaly: - We like the way this person approaches business. Of course, we dreamed of collaborating with him and the work was very easy and relaxed. Mutual understanding, it seems to me, was complete. We are not disappointed

— I read somewhere that you had the opportunity to perform on the same stage with DeepPurple and Nazareth? Is this true and what impression did they make on you? Let's put it this way - what do you think is their fundamental difference from Russian musicians?

Vitaly: This is absolutely true. They are very nice, friendly and easy to talk to people. Their main difference from most Russian musicians is that, being world-class stars, they do not show off. This is conducive to them. I want to be the same.

Many years ago - around 1995, the girl Natasha studied diligently in the third grade primary school, every day I went to the music room and listened only to pop and classical music. At school and on the street, every day she met older guys who wore long hair, dressed in leather and metal and behaved as if they were somehow different from others... Most often, these guys’ clothes had a proud inscription: “Aria” . Natasha knew that Aria was a rock band, but she had never heard their music. It was something not at all close to her and incomprehensible.
A few years later, when school was already just a memory, and the girl Natasha was already listening to the Beatles and Ozzy Ozbourne, she heard about Aria again (it should be noted that she was then firmly convinced that rock music did not exist in Russia). At that time, advertising announcements were running all over the media, in which there was an intriguing announcement about the performance of the Aria group in an unprecedented lineup as part of the “Invasion” festival. Natasha did not go to the festival, but she still watched the TV broadcast - in the “background”. And suddenly... something strange sounded from the speakers. Beautiful music, not like what she expected to hear on “Invasion”. Natasha raised her eyes, looked at the screen and saw exactly what they were talking about in the announcements. It was the group Aria. It was "Paradise Lost" accompanied by a symphony orchestra. And then Natasha believed that there was still rock music in Russia.

Since then, again, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. I now began to perceive many things differently, many things have changed in my life. Changes also occurred in the composition of Aria, but this had almost no effect on my attitude towards the group. I have special feelings for Aria - for me it’s a connection of times, it’s almost like first love...
Of course, when I was offered to do an interview with the musicians of the Aria group Vitaly Dubinin and Sergei Popov, I was incredibly happy - and it’s okay that the questions had to be written in “ accelerated mode" I had any number of questions for these musicians.
Formally, this interview was timed to coincide with the release of Aria’s new single entitled “Alien” on the CD-Maximum label, but, of course, it was not possible to talk only about this. And this is what happened...

Hello! First question: how did you end up on the CD-Maximum label?
V.D.: Yura Bogdanov is an old acquaintance of Volodya Kholstinin and Dima Kalinin, our sound engineer. They bought a lot of music on CD-Maximum, because previously the label released mainly foreign music. We received an offer of cooperation from him - this was two years ago, but we said that our album was still only a project. And now the idea has come to life.

What happened to Moroz Records? About them in Lately Can not hear anything…
V.D.: Moroz Records works, releases records, releases some of our collections, but the conditions that CD-Maximum offered us are much better than those offered at Moroz Records.

By the way, regarding the conditions: very often we hear from our musicians that they are not satisfied with the working conditions of the label, and specifically in our country. They say that the scheme that exists in the West is unacceptable for our country...
V.D.: Yes.

Why?
V.D.: But because we have developed piracy. That is, there musicians can receive some kind of, let’s say, advance (very decent) after concluding a contract, before the release of the album. After the record is released, they receive royalties for each copy sold. In the West, all this is under control. There is also, of course, piracy, but if a group has sold a million records, then from the quantity sold they will receive a certain percentage for each record, but with us, we will release a record, and in a week the pirates will have it, or even sooner. That’s why we work like this: we give away the master copy, we say that it costs so much, but we don’t care how many copies they sell. So this scheme doesn't work. Unfortunately…

In connection with the talk about the “decline of the CD era” - do you see any way out of this situation? Maybe switch to some other systems...
V.D.: Maybe this will happen, but there is absolutely no desire to be pioneers... It is not clear how all this will work. It seems to me that carriers are really “dying.” Cassettes are dead, now they say CDs are dead... But if piracy had been defeated, then... it would have been good for everyone (laughs). Otherwise, the CD will die, but piracy will remain.

Let's talk about the single "Alien". You always insist that this is a single; I read your interactive, it says that this is not a mini-album, but a single.
V.D.: I believe that a mini-album is some kind of work with at least 3-4 new songs, 20-25 minutes new music. It's called a mini-album. In our case, this is a single. In general, CD-Maximum called it that, not us (laughs).

There were rumors that the version of “Will and Reason” that was released on the “Alien” single was supposed to be released separately. Why didn't this work out?
V.D.: There was nothing to release. We wanted to make a video...
S.P.: For the twentieth anniversary...
V.D.: It was not possible to film the video for the simple reason that it was impossible to gather all these people together. We wanted to make either a concert video or a studio recording...
But there wasn't enough material, so there was no point in releasing it as a separate song, and we were waiting for the moment to put it somewhere.

Personally, I got the impression that the single “Alien” is...all the songs that had nowhere to be published, they decided to combine and release them all together.
V.D.: On the one hand, yes. On the other hand, the single “Alien” was primarily made for the sake of a specific song “Alien”, as a seed before the new album. We simply “slept” the time - we were supposed to release the album in February, but in May, it seems, there was no need... But we still didn’t have time, so we said that we would still work on it.
S.P.: However, we have already started touring with this program, and of course it would be good if the song was released on media.
V.D.: As for the rest of the songs, “Will and Reason” was in one of the “Invasion” collections, but I wanted it not to be in any collection, but in the “Aryan” one. We also played the animated video somewhere - only on O2, it seems, so we wanted it all not to be lost. It’s not like we collected all the garbage...

I didn’t mean that... (everyone laughs)
V.D.: As for the acoustic version of “Vysoko Vysoko”, we think that this is very unusual for Aria. Firstly, we have never used a piano, and this live performance, where the audience sings so well, turned out very well. That's why we released it as a preview before the live album celebrating our twentieth anniversary.

Regarding the animated video, you said that it was not accepted into rotation because it was “not the format.” How was this motivated in some specific way? I don’t get the feeling of being “unformatted”...
V.D.: We wore it on MTV... where else can we wear it - they don’t really like us on MUZ-TV...

Why don't they like it very much?
V.D.: Because we refused to perform at the awards show last year. And at MTV they specifically told us: “We are not interested in black and white animated videos.” On the other hand, it was probably right that they didn’t take him - he wouldn’t have looked at all there...
S.P.: Although if, say, Peter Gabriel had a black and white clip, maybe they would have taken it... (everyone laughs)

The idea for the lyrics of the song “Alien” belongs, as I understand it, to Vladimir Kholstinin?
V.D.: The fact that Volodya actively worked on the text is one hundred percent, but unfortunately, I cannot say who the idea itself belonged to. Either Volodya suggested the idea, or Rita, and Volodya grabbed it and said that this was exactly what he wanted.

You talked about the “mood song” - indeed, the mood and atmosphere are conveyed simply superbly, but... what is it about, that is, who is he - a stranger? Is there any subtext there?
V.D.: I asked Rita, and... Such questions arise from time to time. I also read the Internet, someone sees some hidden meaning there. Alien, from the mountains - this again means “aliens from the south”, illegal immigrants...
S.P.: Well, whoever hurts something...
V.D.: That's what he thinks about. By the way, Rita Pushkina told me this today. She said, “I wanted to convey precisely the state of fear of something unknown.”
S.P.: It’s good, of course, that everyone sees something different.

But all these thoughts... Don’t you think that you are in some way provoking them yourself? For example, Vladimir Kholstinin makes statements that provoke similar thoughts...
V.D.: Well, Volodya does not hide his convictions. But it is unlikely that we are provoking it. I don't think this song is specifically about aliens from the south or from the mountains. I don’t know what the provocation is there... It’s not good to transfer your political views to creativity.

But initially rock music was politicized, just remember the work of the Beatles, Bob Dylan... Now, do you think this is not relevant?
V.D.: It’s not like the Beatles - well, they had some songs. Bob Dylan yes, in to a greater extent scolded the existing system.
S.P.: Yes, there were all sorts of hippie things, anti-social...
V.D.: In this, too, there is, to some extent, a pose. There are some groups that specifically target this. Although…
S.P.: Well, as they say, the mainstream eats up all the alternative in general, all the protest. As soon as it’s about money - everywhere, both in the West and here... You protest, send everyone to hell, I don’t know what... you undress on stage, send the president... But as soon as your T-shirts, albums are sold, you receive royalties - that’s it, you are already hooked on show business, and everyone was eaten like that, hundreds of performers.

Does Aria consider herself part of show business?
V.D.: But we don’t have show business in the civilized sense. On the one hand, yes, he does, because we make money from this. To the extent that it is present in our country, of course, we are part of show business.

Do you separate show business “from the rock music side” and “from the pop music side”? This is again a reference to your words about the “Pugachevism” (see the group’s interview on the website www.aria.ru).
S.P.: There is hardly any need to separate here, because the schemes are the same - promotion, recording an album. Roughly speaking, you can't ride new program before the album is released, this is stupid... The public should hear the songs that were released on media, so the laws are the same everywhere.
V.D.: They talked about Pugacheva in a different context - that this is a kind of swamp that sucks everyone in...
S.P.: Everyone has their own thoughts on this, but for me this is a kind of starting point of vulgarity. I’m not against pop music, but there are different types of pop music, and what is pop music? It’s just another genre of music...
V.D.: No, pop music means “bad music”.

Yes.
S.P.: I just generalized - “rock” and “not rock”. For me this is the starting point of vulgarity in light music, so to speak. The message itself, the manner, the repertoire – everything. From her come these invisible lines in the faces of all these Kirkorovs and others, and everyone who moves in this world knows that they are dancing to the tune of this circle. Although everyone can argue here, of course... But if we look, for example, at the same Filya... I think it is a shame for our country to have such a “hero”. This is a tavern, a variety show...
V.D.: This is a business issue. If there is demand, it means there will be such a demand. In this sense, we are not show business, we do not do what the public needs. We do everything sincerely. They say: “you play the same thing”... We have been playing for a long time, we are older people (laughs). How we succeed is how we play...
S.P.: Yes, just in the same interview I said that this question is not for us, but for you - for the media, because the “feedback” machine is starting up, and people in the provinces do not have as much information as in Moscow. They look at the box - they showed it in the box, they wrote in the yellow press that someone there is gay or not gay, who sleeps there, who doesn’t sleep... And they will buy a ticket just to see - who is it there? Oh, they said this about him, here he is... Of course, this is also a question of general culture... I think it’s just a shame that these people humiliate themselves when they go to phonogram concerts. But here everything clings to each other, it’s impossible to take it and separate it like that...

But this is more likely the public, not the press... After all, any person, in principle - it seems to me - hears what is good and what is bad.
S.P.: That's what I say - this is feedback, it is impossible to find a starting point here. And musicians make money, and you (journalists) make money. After all, ratings and formats were not invented by us, but by you. Radio stations also want to make money, and again this rating, format - everything clings to one another... Radio stations take what... Sometimes you talk to someone - he listens to this kind of music, and this one... and puts it on the air... Well, so necessary.

Let's return to the single "Alien". You spoke in not the most flattering terms about Russian rock... Then how did such a prominent representative of “Russian rock” as Yuri Shevchuk end up among the invited performers?
S.P.: I don’t remember that I spoke incorrectly about Russian rock... I said that there is no such format as “Russian rock”. I believe that rock is an international format, so to speak. That is, there are certain canons, and a group calling itself a rock band should be appropriate at any abstract rock festival, for example, in America. That's all.
V.D.: As for Shevchuk, we had nothing specifically against him, and as for the definition of “Russian rock,” this always causes some kind of controversy.
S.P.: Well, yes, India is a huge country with a huge population. So there must be Indian rock? There are rock bands there too. Or Chinese... It hurts the ears, doesn’t it? So is “Russian rock”. This is a somewhat artificial definition, it seems to me. And if some group is incomprehensible on a global scale, this is already a problem for the group, this does not mean that Russian rock is so special.
V.D.: As for how such performers were selected... We know, for example, Kostya Kinchev, Volodya knows Agatha Christie well. When we decided on these performers, then we thought - well, maybe Shevchuk, because Shevchuk has wonderful vocal abilities, and he sings just like “rock”. Not in the “Russian-rock” way, but for real. And Butusov - it was Sokolov (Yuri Sokolov, producer of Aria - author's note) who proposed, but we had nothing against it. We didn’t set out to record the song so that it would be sung by absolute rockers - Master, for example... We wanted to somehow expand the scope.

Was this a one-time project, or is such cooperation possible in the future?
V.D.: The project was, of course, a one-time thing, but if someone - our vocalist, for example - is offered to sing somewhere, then, of course, he will sing. Or if we ourselves come up with something like that, our guitarists will be invited somewhere. But as for plans like “oh, we’ll do such a song now”... In principle, anything can happen. But we are not planning anything specifically. How it goes.

Is it true that you invited Valery Kipelov to take part in the recording?
V.D.: Yes.

And they contacted him not personally, but by sending official letter…
V.D.: Yes. Not personally - because it was impossible to reach Valera, even when he was still in the Aria group. Either my son or someone else answers the phone... Valera didn’t come. By the way, we didn’t send a letter at first. He communicates well with Rita Pushkina, and so do we. I personally told Rita: “Call Valera, tell him that we offer him to participate.” He told her: “I will not participate there.” Then we sent an official letter - just to make sure. We received the same answer - that Kipelov was busy. That is, it’s not that we stopped communicating completely. After the breakup of Aria, Valera and I communicated - 2 weeks after August 31, he and I were resolving some issues regarding the name, he was aware of everything. Then we mixed the album “In Search of a New Victim” - it was released after the breakup - and in the song “Vampire” there was a marriage... Valera came and sang this verse. We had a normal conversation with him. So, no antagonism, it’s all made up.

You said about the new album that “there may be some fluctuations in style.” How strong are the fluctuations?
V.D.: These are not fluctuations, these are, let’s say, some new elements. Maybe someone won’t even hear them, they will say that it’s all the same thing. But for me, some of the riffs that Sergei brought, for example, for his song are unusual. We haven't played riffs like this before. But in general…
S.P.: When it is written with one sound and sung by one vocalist, then all this is leveled out, and still everything turns out in one style.
V.D.: Even the song “Alien,” although Volodya wrote it, is also not particularly characteristic of Aria, although they say that it is similar to “Sky” (“Sky Will Find You” - author’s note) or “Battle.” There are few such songs. But there will be no radical stylistic experiments; in this regard, it will still be a traditional album.

There is now a trend in Aria that there are fewer and fewer joint songs, and everyone makes their own compositions...
V.D.: Well, it's very simple. When we were young, we, perhaps, were not fully formed as... “songwriters” - composers - that’s too strong a word... One was better at instrumental parts, another at vocal themes, and over time, each felt the strength to write a whole song . However, the arrangements are collaborative. That is, it happens, of course, that an arrangement is brought in, and it turns out to be very successful. But mostly we all work on the arrangements together.

That is, melody and harmony are brought in, and the rest is worked out together?
V.D.: No not always…
S.P.: Even a concept is sometimes brought up, but then, for example, during the playing process it turns out that it doesn’t sound good at this tempo or in this key, or to this melodic line better play another riff...

Is there a moment of improvisation – specifically solo improvisation – in your solo parts?
S.P.: Almost no longer...

Why?
V.D.: It seems to me that this is a kind of tradition, not just “Aryan”, but of this style in general. This has been the custom for a long time, since the 80s... In the 70s, yes, hard rockers loved to stretch out songs and turn them into suites. Then there was its own aesthetics and style. But in heavy metal there should still be maximum consistency with the recording.
S.P.: Yes. I do, however, have modified parts that I didn’t originally play. And I try to play my solos note for note.

I was once in the city of Sochi, and accidentally went to an Aria concert. I heard the entire sound check. You played instrumental versions there, without vocals, and since then I have been tormented by the question: why do so few instrumental compositions appear on Aria’s albums?
V.D.: I do not know why…
S.P.: I had this thought.
V.D.: I can say for myself that I don’t feel like such a cool instrumentalist to write some such monumental work.
S.P.: Maybe this is something historically not typical for metal bands. Although…

It sounded very good...
V.D.: Well, what the hell is it? It’s quite possible. There won't be any of those on this album, but we'll see.

Question about the concert at Luzhniki - will this material be released on DVD?
V.D.: It's recorded. We plan to release it, but we are afraid to say anything about the timing. We will release it, but we don’t know when. In general, we have a lot of unrealized material - there is, for example, a concert at the Green Theater with the Classical Aria project, but if we release it, we need to seriously work on both the sound and the video. And when?

Is the sound engineer who works with you at concerts your sound engineer, or does each hall have its own?
S.P.: Yes, ours. We have a very good sound engineer - Kirill Karataev.
V.D.: Yes, yours. What is it? Bad sound?

Not that it’s bad... But you yourself talked about the grinding sound - indeed, this is typical for heavy metal, for any band. The bass and drums are very loud, the sound is deafening, nothing is clear, nothing can be understood... Is this a heavy metal tradition?
S.P.: Well, firstly, this is one of the effects of this style - physiological, let’s say...

I guess I'm just a "wrong" listener - I'm trying to understand the lyrics, the vocal line...
V.D.: Well, in this kind of music, when the guitars are overloaded, the bass is not very strong, but it is also overloaded, and the drums must sound very loud... It is very difficult to achieve an ideal sound here. In addition, we perform concerts not on our own equipment.
S.P.: As a rule, we only have our own back line, and the portals, naturally, are local, so they always sound differently, and sometimes not very well.

Tour – “Alien” - was it a tour in support of the single? This is quite strange...
S.P.: Yes, it turned out that we kind of ran ahead of the locomotive due to the delay in the album release. It’s stupid to travel on your 20th birthday...

That is, a tour in support of the album.
S.P.: Yes, sure.

The answer to one of the questions on your website states that you agree to participate in festivals if your conditions are met. What are these conditions?
V.D.: Yes, there are no special conditions. If it’s an interesting festival, then we agree, but in principle we work at festivals with little reluctance. By the way, recently there was a festival in Myachkovo... We were invited and told that we would go on stage at 21:00. As a result, we went on stage at 23:30, when there were no more people. We were supposed to play eight songs, but we were told to play three.
S.P.: And on the third, the police came and told us to cut everything down...
V.D.: We couldn't even get the sound right. So, the main conditions are that we be given time to rebuild, and that the regulations are followed. If according to plan we stood at 21:00, then it should have been so. Otherwise, something was delayed, then Alice had to catch the train, so they were let through in front of us. As a result, we found ourselves in a completely incomprehensible situation, and it was generally unclear why we came there.

Is there any performance from Aria that you remember more than others - in a positive, or, conversely, in a negative sense?
V.D.: There were a lot good performances... We played very well in Berlin.
S.P.: The New Year's concert was interesting...
V D.: Big festivals... I can’t remember now. It's difficult to single out something. I remember my solo Moscow concerts – “Living Fire”, the twentieth anniversary.
S.P.: There are always very successful concerts in St. Petersburg.
V.D.: Yes there was a lot good concerts- there is something to remember. But to be the absolute best... I don’t know.

In 1997 there was such a project - “Accident”. You always presented it as a joke, but I, for example, listen to this album with pleasure. Are there any plans to release anything else like this?
V.D.: Something like that... Was I singing there?

Yes.
V.D.: Well, there are no plans for me to sing in this form. But we are seriously thinking about acoustics and want to make a concert program where we would play only acoustic instruments. We even thought that we could use the techniques that were in the Accident, maybe even transfer some songs from there and play them in the same arrangement. Again, I won’t say anything about the timing... There are thoughts and plans, but it is unknown when all this will come to life.

Now I'm not just talking about acoustic sound. Although you say that you are only a “metal” bassist, the sound on that album is almost jazzy...
V.D.: The parts there were not very technically complex, although, of course, there was a departure from the “Aryan” canons. We all have a certain musical background; we can play in some other styles. I can probably play something jazzy, if there are not super technical parts, not very sophisticated harmony or time signatures... In a pseudo-jazz manner.

This is what I'm leading to. When a group has one style direction, then the musicians probably have some ideas that do not fit into this direction. Have you ever thought about creating some kind of side project and implementing there those ideas that are not being implemented in Aria?
V.D.: Well, this is probably to Sergei, he is our guitarist...
S.P.: Polystylist.
V.D.: Yes, polystylist. I can say about myself that I didn’t have any such thoughts – just, it seems, after the Accident. I tried to sing there, and I think that’s enough for now. And from a compositional point of view... 90 percent of what comes to my mind is realized in the Aria. If there is enough material that is not suitable for Aria, then maybe it’s worth thinking about. But not yet. It even happens that a song can lie there for a long time, and then you look at it in a new way - it seems to be appropriate in the Aria. And Sergey...
S.P.: Well, there are plans, but they are... vague.

About the lyrics: you always say that the release of albums is delayed precisely because of the lyrics. Have you ever tried to write something yourself?
V.D.: Sergey tried it.
S.P.: We even recorded it, but then we decided to work with Rita.
V.D.: It’s just that the bar was initially set quite high. We should have started earlier. Now to take and write the text... Firstly, I’m not sure what I’ll write - I’m sure that I won’t write - but if I try, and suddenly it works, it will still be much worse than Pushkin does.
S.P.: They say that it seems easier to write lyrics, it’s not poetry. On the one hand, this is true, but on the other hand, they have their own laws, some purely technical issues. In addition, there must still be some peculiarity, there must be some kind of mystery in this text. And we can just mechanically rhyme some words, but it will all be... so-so.
V.D.: Still, I am getting better at it, and in writing texts too. Here it’s the same as in music – I wrote the first song, and then the second one will go easier.

Why didn't you start earlier?
V.D.: But because we worked very well with Rita. She was a very productive poet. We couldn’t do it ourselves, but Rita offered her services - she was already a famous songwriter at that time, she worked with Autograph and with other groups. However, we can’t say that we did it like that: here’s your music, write what you want. They always work with the author on both the theme and the structure of the verses.
S.P.: In addition, for Rita, and for any poet in general, the words to the song begin to live their own life, which sometimes you don’t even know about. Sometimes, due to the musical line, some syllables somehow stick to each other in a different way, and new words appear and sound differently. Sometimes a word is not sung, and that’s it. It seems like you’re reading an ordinary word, but you start singing and it doesn’t go down. So there are such pitfalls here that only a professional can figure it out.

You've said that you don't like concept albums. What is this connected with? It seems to me that Aria’s entire work is one concept, from beginning to end.
V.D.: By and large, probably, but... what I call a concept album...

“The Wall”…
V.D.: Well, let's assume. Or, let’s even take - although I haven’t heard of it - “The Elvish Manuscript”. This is entirely a concept album. I don’t want to push myself into such a framework. Either one person should write it - as, by the way, it was with “The Wall” - Waters is there ( Roger Waters) wrote almost the entire album. The same thing, I think, in Epidemic - one person also wrote. After all, although we do not have collective creativity, there are many authors in the group, and to reduce it all to one concept - this, it seems to me, narrows the scope. Or maybe it’s even more difficult to do... In any case, it’s enough that the songs have one general concept - both musical and textual, but nothing more.
S.P.: The main thing is that the song should not clearly stand out in terms of lyrics or music. You can’t suddenly start playing hip-hop or reggae, or some thematically completely alien material, some kind of “buttercup-flowers”... I’m exaggerating, of course, but in principle, this is so.

Did you want to somehow complicate the arrangements? Maybe we should return to the “Classical Aria” project?
V.D.: Such thoughts arise from time to time, and not only for us. People say we need to revive this project. But all this is very difficult. Creating arrangements is one thing, but doing it all on stage... this is only possible, again, in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is very difficult to take it somewhere. We tried, then we took this “Classical Aria” to Nizhny Novgorod, and somewhere else - there were five or six cities there. But it was always in a truncated version, because the orchestra changed everywhere. Different orchestras, staging... the design of the stage must be such that an orchestra can be accommodated there. All this is very difficult to achieve. And about the arrangements - we... again here are big words... we’ve probably already established ourselves as musicians, and we probably wouldn’t want to change anything drastically. You always want something new, but for some reason...
S.P.: It turns out the same thing. (laughs)
V.D.: It turns out like one long song. So...

What about the lyrics? Didn’t you want to try to write a text based on some momentary impression? As some musicians say: woke up in the morning... inspiration...
S.P.: But you need to be able to do this... Thoughts come to mind, but in a prosaic form: “but the topic is good, I could write a song on this topic.” The maximum you can do is remember it and then offer it to the poet. And to take it like this and... “I remember wonderful moment..." write immediately...
V.D.: In principle, many songs were made “under the impression” - after watching a movie or reading a book...

Didn’t you do anything after watching the news?
V.D. and S.P.: No, this is not for us (laugh).
V.D.: No, to be absolutely “on the topic of the day”... We don’t have such songs, in my opinion. There is always some scope for imagination, and each person can perceive this depending on... the degree of his depravity.

Do you think such a thing as “metal culture” exists?
V.D.: What do you put into it?

Well, let’s put it this way, the metal crowd... These are fans, admirers, people for whom heavy metal is a lifestyle.
V.D.: Of course there are some. I don't really keep track of it, but in the '80s when this all started, there were a lot of people for whom heavy metal was a way of life. Yes, we were like that ourselves - we didn’t take off our leather jackets, in my opinion, even in bed.
S.P.: Yes Yes…
V.D.: I can say something else - it’s very difficult to call people who listen to Aria fans of heavy metal, they only love Aria.

No not always…
V.D.: Well, not all, but a lot of fans. They don’t know any other, especially Western, bands, and they never listen to them. They only like Aria. This is some kind of specific “clan” of people, I don’t know how it was formed. However, I'm pretty sure that many "Aryan" fans aren't metalheads, so to speak.
S.P.: Now, it seems to me, this metal movement is not as pronounced as in the 90s.
V.D.: Or we've gotten older, we don't follow...
S.P.: If so, visually, you meet more different “style” people both at concerts and just on the street... Of course, a person who is all in leather, in chains, in a leather jacket already looks like such a small dinosaur.

Yes. I have one question, maybe not entirely on topic, but who else should I ask if not you. I recently read a book by Vladimir Marochkin about the formation of rock culture in Russia, and I got the impression that it was real romance, now there is no such thing... Then rock and roll was really a way of life, but now it is... somehow “extinct” " Is this true, or is it just me?
S.P.: It seems to me that this was written by a person for whom there was romance then, he was young then... For those who are now 17-20 years old, there is romance for them even now.
V.D.: When it began - somewhere in the early 80s, at the beginning of Perestroika, it was a romantic time, a time of some kind of hope. Now the world...
S.P.: Pragmatic.
V.D.: Yes, the world of profit...
S.P.: "Chistogana"...
V.D.: Yes, and then the material component of this matter was, I don’t even know where it was. The main thing is to have enough money for a guitar.
S.P.: This component was practically at zero level. Initially we just wanted to play guitars.
V.D.: There was enthusiasm, I just wanted to play this kind of music on good equipment - which was very rare. And now - please, everything is available, go buy it... it would be worth it.
S.P.: From this point of view, yes, that time was more romantic, but still it seems to me that young people now have their own concept of romance.
V.D.: For us then, of course, there was more romance than now. But we don’t know how twenty-year-olds see today...

Well, I look at that time almost as an unattainable ideal... Have you heard about the revival of the rock laboratory?
V.D.: No, we haven't heard.
S.P.: I don't know, I somehow missed this issue.
V.D.: Unfortunately, Aria had no contact with the rock laboratory and did not participate in any of their concerts. We were somehow lucky right away; we began to work as a professional philharmonic group. It was strategically correct, and we were lucky that they hired us right away and allowed us to play the music that we played from the stage. And for new people who did not know how to break through, the rock laboratory was simply an outlet - it also helped organize concerts, and then many groups from the rock laboratory became professional and also worked at the Philharmonic. But this did not affect us. If it is revived, it will probably be in some new capacity. Then it was a kind of alternative to everything that was then on the scene. And now... I don’t know, this is an educational institution, or what?

No, as far as I know, they are trying to revive that system - they accept groups there, organize concerts...
S.P.: Well, that's great.
V.D.: This is great, of course, but it turns out, again, to be some kind of production center, of which there are quite a few now. But even if this happens, and they gather rock bands and promote them, that’s wonderful.

Rock and roll, rock music and “metal” music – do you differentiate between these concepts?
V.D.: Not really…
S.P.: Rock and roll in the narrow sense is musical style, and if we consider rock and roll as a way of life, then, of course, all this is included there. We all play rock and roll.
V.D.: Although stylistically they are not the same thing.

Does heavy metal also fit into this second framework (i.e. “rock and roll as a way of life” - author’s note)?
S.P.: Yes, sure. A person can even be a rock and roller at heart without being a rock musician.

So, rock and roll as a lifestyle is alive?
S.P.: Yes, but it’s different for everyone, it’s not just “sex, drugs and rock’n’roll”...

Inna Zhelannaya once said that our domestic bands cannot break through to the West because they still believe that rock and roll as a lifestyle is alive.
V.D.: No, no, that's not why they can't get through. Of course, we have more romance and this unrealized... energy.
S.P.: Well, yes, you definitely need to get drunk...
V.D.: Our musicians are indeed probably more susceptible to this. I know many Western musicians to whom you say: “Well, let’s go now - beer, rock and roll...” But they don’t, everything is very quiet... But that’s not why they don’t make it through. We do not have an institution for promoting groups on the world stage.
S.P.: Again, we will now return to the beginning of the conversation that there is no market, which means there is no incentive. And young guys, when they take up this, if they think - which is also wrong - about making money, then they immediately begin to make a choice: what to play, where, how... Moreover, we do not have a school like in the West - a school blues, rock and roll. Even in Europe in the 70s and 80s, teams played in any bar good tools, on good equipment - they played rock classics, which we didn’t have back then. This music began to sound several generations earlier and was absorbed from childhood.
V.D.: And then, we don’t have real producers, producers with a capital “P.” We don’t have producers, but distributors who take pop music and declare themselves producers. He has a certain amount of money - he pushed his artist to radio stations, and that’s it. But to create a product, to have a good sound producer, we don’t have those.

That's noticeable…
S.P.: Well, in popular music you can still find someone there...
V.D.: I mean rock music.
S.P.: Yes, in rock music people don't understand sound. We somehow ended up in one city, I won’t say which one... we listened to several groups... Basically, they sound very bad. It seems like they are on some kind of desert island and remained in the 70s, although they are all twenty years old. They don't seem to know what's going on in the world, there's no information. They play very old music; good or bad is another question. But stylistically no interesting ideas. IN musically Nirvana, for example, are not super musicians, but it was a breakthrough. This revelation, this breakdown...

No…
S.P.: For some reason, no, and I don’t understand why. I listened to several records of very heavy music, such as doom, death, with screaming... Even this is played poorly. They copy the appearance, it seems to them that “everything is fast there”... But this “quick” does not work out together, it is unconvincing. They don’t see, as they say, the essence of things - this is seemingly chaotic music, but it’s played in such a way that be healthy! But they copy only external signs, this noise, screaming...
V.D.: Growling...
S.P.: Growling and screaming, with the standard set of all these fucks and things like that. They depict the external surroundings of this music, but still do not convey the inner essence.

I absolutely agree with you. Well now - last question: the number of questions about where and how to learn to play does not decrease with the number of answers to them, so could you tell me again where and how to learn to play, and where to start?
V.D.: Well, we had a completely different situation. When we started playing, we did not have the opportunity to either purchase a video school or go to any concert. Our only teacher was the tape recorder. But even if you hear something and start filming, there were still a lot of techniques that were incomprehensible. Let’s say, even tightening a guitar - until you see how someone does it... Sometimes they just found out by chance. Older musicians showed something like this, and it was already, let’s say, a revelation. Now the situation is completely different: firstly, all the instruments are available, there are some cheap models even from leading companies, all this can be purchased... There are a lot of video schools, and just a TV where they show concerts. You can write this down, see how he moves around the fretboard... And where to start... First, you need to understand whether you have any ear for music, turn to someone, ask: “Do you think I have a chance to learn to play the guitar”? I think any person who understands music can tell whether a bear is stepping on your ear or not.
S.P.: As the Chinese proverb says, “a journey of ten thousand miles begins with one step.” It doesn’t matter where to start: you can shoot what you like stylistically. Heavy metal, Beatles - it doesn’t matter what it will be... Take the first song, shoot it - and immediately a lot of questions will appear... There are friends who know the notes, they will tell you: this is a major, this is a minor, this is a seventh chord... Ah, seventh chords , and where to find them? You type on the Internet - there are only a few of them... And that’s it, and then - one after another, and you move on, something is already missing... Then, there are video schools...
V.D.: Yes, now the main thing is that there is a desire. In principle, this gives results.
S.P.: Now there are 18-20 year old guys who are playing, so just full speed ahead! Maybe they don’t have any baggage in theoretical terms, but purely technically, they already know how to take this information - something that we didn’t have, that we’ve been getting to for years.

Do you think it's a problem that we don't have educational institutions that specialize in teaching rock music? There is something jazzy, but rock...
S.P.: Well, that’s exactly it – something. I don’t know how it is now, but when I was studying, even jazz was so archaic... all twenty guitarists played Joe Pass.

And so it is now...
S.P.: Yes? But even jazz is not just Joe Pass. For example, I’m not interested in listening to him, although I understand that he is a super musician. There are other people in jazz - Pat Metheny, for example... I don’t see this polystylistics.
V.D.: I can also say that at that time, everyone went to jazz schools - in Moskvorechye, Gnesinka - basically, it seems to me, not to learn to play, but to get a “credential” of education, which gave them the opportunity to work.
S.P.: I went to Tsaritsyno because when I worked at the Philharmonic, my salary was increased with this diploma.
V.D.: Well, yes. Are there any institutions now that will really teach you something and help you become a professional? I don’t know.
S.P.: I was told that there is some kind of Red Chemist... In general, a Teacher must be not only a good musician, but also a philosopher, he must convey some kind of life wisdom, some kind of energy. Not only musically, but also in life. Then he will release a real person into the world. Of course, this is... practically impossible. Someone would be very lucky to meet such a person.

This phrase became the final chord of my interview with the musicians of the Aria group. I walked the whole way home with a joyful smile, and passers-by looked at me in surprise. And I thought that someday I would definitely talk to these guys again. wonderful people– I have questions for them!

The new studio album of the group Aria will be released in September this year on the label
CD-Maximum.

Group website: www. aria.ru
Photographs by Slayn (www.livephoto.ru) were used in the interview.
We would like to thank the CD-Maximum label for their help in organizing the interview.

“Aria” just recently turned 15 years old. Therefore, it would probably be appropriate to first talk about the group in general. By the way, how does it feel to be the grandfathers of a domestic “heavy”? "Aria" on this moment- practically the only team from the many “heavy” groups that emerged in the mid-to-late 80s that remains in favor with the public, regularly releasing records, etc.

I don’t even know... We don’t feel like “grandfathers”. There is a common saying that a person is only as old as he feels. So we feel like we did 15 years ago, as if we had just started. It turns out to be a kind of time machine, or something... As for our individual prosperity, we don’t feel much satisfaction about this - we want there to be competition and specialized charts for heavy music. Otherwise, for the mass listener, it turns out that we don’t seem to have heavy bands anymore, although this, of course, is not the case.

-And how did it happen that from “Singing Hearts” grew... well, that’s what grew? Was it a “revolution from below” or did Vekshtein (Viktor Vekshtein - artistic director of the VIA “Singing Hearts”, later director of “Aria”, until 1989 - GS’s note) dream all his life of being a director for leathery-riveted guys?

In fact, this is not entirely true: none of us worked at the Singing Hearts VIA. Just at "Singing Hearts" in 1982-85. (VIA itself existed until 1989 - GS note) there was a rather difficult period - the composition often changed and so on. By the way, during this period of time many now famous people passed through the team, for example Nikolai Noskov. And, apparently, Victor Vekshtein was already thinking about creating a new or at least an alternative project. There were quite a few people vying for this place... I think that Alik Granovsky (the first bassist of “Aria” - GS) and I were simply lucky that we were able to somehow convince Wekshtein that “Aria” is what he needs now and he invited us to his Mosconcert. In those days, in order to work more or less freely on a professional basis, it was a necessary condition - to officially work in some philharmonic organization

-Tell me, what do you think - the time spent under the "roof" of the Soviet concert organization, was it well spent? As far as I know, this is a good vocational school...

Yes, about school - that’s true, I had to play, on average, thirty concerts a month (!!! - GS), usually 2 concerts a day. A trip for, say, a week, in general, was not considered a tour - just a hack job. Here are 2-3 weeks, a month - this is already a tour. Such a work schedule was an absolutely necessary condition for existence, since the musician’s salary at that time in the Mosconcert was 11 rubles per performance and, in order not only to feed the family, but also to be able to buy a new instrument or something from the apparatus, change strings, etc. etc., it was necessary to work off at least 20 concerts a month. Well, in the sense of a professional school, it was an excellent practice. After all, I had to play not only a lot, but also in different cities, on completely different venues, with different quality of sound... As a result, people begin to navigate any stage, so to speak, “with their eyes closed”; sometimes they had to coordinate their playing only visually, according to the way a drummer’s arm or leg moves... So one and a half thousand concerts played under the auspices of the Mosconcert cannot be called in vain.

-It would be interesting to know how the creative process itself usually proceeds - who is the generator of ideas in the group, how compositions are arranged - by someone individually or by the whole team?

There is no specific system, sometimes a song can be written individually, sometimes by two people, and sometimes by the whole team. The same applies to arrangements: sometimes it’s the author of the idea who makes the entire arrangement, and sometimes the whole team (or part of it) fights.

Best of the day

- This is probably a somewhat incorrect question - but oh well... It’s no secret that anyone creative person, whether a musician, artist or sculptor, is inherent (in comparison with ordinary, “average” people) with a fairly strongly developed egocentrism. When working in a group, do you sometimes have to hide your pride somewhere away in order to achieve a good collective result? And is it worth doing this if you are one hundred percent sure that you are right, and the rest of the team members do not support you?

It's definitely worth it. If there are creative people in the group, then they will all generate ideas. Therefore, in order for everyone to work towards a common goal, it is absolutely necessary to learn how to work with them (as well as for them with you). If in controversial situations everyone stands their ground “to the last”, then this will most likely eventually simply lead to the disintegration of the group. There are, however, other options - when a team is formed around a clear leader, but this is not about us, “Aria” is still a “classical” group, where all participants have equal rights and self-worth. But is it worth standing your ground if you are one hundred percent sure that you are right... There have been such cases, and you had to regret it later... It is difficult to answer this question. It seems that for the sake of business you need to stand your ground, but for a normal situation in the team it is better to find a compromise. No, this is a swamp... it’s like thinking about the meaning of life. I guess I still haven’t found the answers to these questions myself.

-Now let’s get closer to guitar matters. I noticed (and I'm probably not the only one) that lately you haven't been using instruments with a Floyd Rose tremolo system. Why?

Indeed, for several years I enjoyed using the Floyd Rose, then again switched to a regular Strat machine. There are probably several reasons. Firstly, Fender finally began using a tremolo on its instruments, which is mounted on two stop screws, rather than six, as on vintage models. That is, their modern “machine” works almost the same as the Floyd Rose. Secondly, because this tremolo weighs much less than a Floyd Rose, the guitar is less out of tune. For example, if you tune a guitar with a Floyd, leaning forward and down a little (which often happens when you tune using a tuner), then when you finish tuning and return to your normal position, you may find that the tuning has moved. Floyd Rose has large mass and in in this case it simply raises the strings slightly relative to the plane of the soundboard during tuning. When the position of the body changes, everything seems to fall into place, but it turns out that the tuning of the guitar is no longer the same. Thirdly, the Floyd Rose is perhaps the most “subtle” of the existing instruments for working with tremolo, and not everyone and does not always need all the possibilities that it gives the guitarist. After thinking about it and conducting some analysis and comparison of the pros and cons in relation to my playing style, I finally decided to abandon this type of “rocking chair”. But the most important thing is the problem of replacing strings. To be honest, I was a little tired of fiddling around with biting off the strings, and I also constantly had to carry 2 sets of keys for the machine with me (the second one is in reserve if the first one gets lost, which is not at all uncommon). And the process of changing strings on a Floyd takes quite a long time. If, say, a string breaks at a concert, then on an instrument with a strat tremolo it is quite possible to change it in half a verse. With Floyd Rose, this number does not work and you need to immediately take another guitar.

-What kind of guitars do you currently have in service and why exactly these and not others?

The two main instruments that I almost always have are a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson Les Paul. Although it was not without mental tossing: there were periods when I abandoned one instrument in favor of another, then vice versa... but, in the end, I decided to save up money so that I could always have both at hand. Other than that, I currently have a Hamer Standard, a Martin acoustic (which is what I usually use to record acoustic parts in the studio), and a recently custom Russtone guitar, which is a board guitar but with a Schaller piezo pickup, inspired by a Gibson Chet Atkins. I use the latter instrument at concerts as an acoustic guitar, since it can be technically difficult with a full-size Martin drednought on stage: the large soundboard of an acoustic guitar is very prone to “wind up” for any reason. As for the Hamer Standard, the exployer-type shape is for me I always liked it, and besides, it has, in my opinion, certain advantages - less interference for right hand, especially when the guitar is hanging low. So at concerts I use this instrument more and more often. Actually, owning a Hamer instrument has always been my dream. The fact is that I have been a long-time fan of Judas Priest, and especially their guitarist Glenn Tipton, since the early 80s. In my eyes, Tipton compared favorably with many guitarists of that time and, in particular, with his instrument, and this was precisely the Hamer. I even made several attempts to find in stores at least a copy made in Korea or Japan, but to no avail. It turned out later that nothing would have come of this idea - for people like Tipton, Hamer makes instruments in an exclusive version, respecting the desire of great musicians to have truly original, “their own” instruments. The only person who, in the almost thirty-year history of the company, agreed to clone his model was Steve Stevens. However, in 1998 I managed to meet Hamer manager Greg Orred at an exhibition in Moscow, and he then personally selected the instrument for me. So, about six months after we met, my old dream finally came true.

-By the way, how do you feel about craftsmen’s tools in general? As far as I know, our people, if the question arises about choosing between Ibanez JS and a custom tool, in most cases the choice will be in favor of the first, and the attitude towards the master tool is quite definite - “homemade”...

I think that these are still echoes of Soviet times: then, for the vast majority of musicians, neither American nor Japanese instruments were available - it was extremely difficult to get them, and they cost so much that very few could afford such an instrument. And not everyone wanted to buy a “Ural” or at least some kind of “Muzima” or “Eterna”... Accordingly, the craftsmen who were approached to make a custom-made instrument were also put into quite strict limits - they couldn’t make very expensive, but good. And such compromises are always fraught... Plus, it was almost impossible to get high-quality components - sensors, fittings, which also did not contribute to improving the quality of work. Now, thank God, the situation has changed, although it is still possible to run into “homemade” work. It’s just that if you’ve already decided to order a master’s instrument for yourself, you need to understand guitars at least a little yourself - then the result will be decent. For example, I am not at all ashamed to play an instrument that was made for me at Russtone - I have previously played both an American Gibson Chet Atkins and a Korean one, and I can say that Russtone suits me quite well in terms of quality. Yes, I also had other craftsman’s tools. For example, the entire album “Playing with Fire” was recorded on a guitar made by Alexander Patievich from Lvov.

-What about sensors? Do you prefer to have different pickups on different instruments, or are you committed to one (or more or less similar) set?

I have tried many different pickups in my life and, in the end, came to very specific sets: if it is a humbucker instrument (like a Les Paul), then this is a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge position and a DiMarzio PAF in the neck position. If we are talking about a single-coil, strat-shaped guitar, then I use the DiMarzio Fast Track series, usually Fast Track 2 as a bridge pickup and Fast Track 1 as a neck pickup. Although sometimes I use other models, for example Pro Track. True, there are exceptions: sometimes, in order to, say, record a specific part or composition, I have to install completely different pickups than the ones I usually play on. You just feel that the sound here should be a little different, so you start experimenting, looking for a more suitable sound.

-About sound reinforcement: do you always have the same set-up of effects, amplifiers, speakers - at a concert and when working in the studio, or does this set vary depending on the circumstances?

Yes, usually the same. This is a Marshall Dual Reverb tube combo amp that I usually drive with an Ibanez Tube Screamer. True, lately I’ve been using Overdrive Three Mode, which Enver Chokhaev made for me. I liked this device so much that I recorded the new record that we are now preparing for release exclusively with its help, and I have been using it at concerts for several months now. I had never heard anything like the sound before. By the way, Enver also made active electronics for that Russtone guitar, which we already talked about. Before the "swing" there is a Jim Dunlop Cry Baby "wah", and after - a Behringer Guitar Denoizer - a rack-mount device. Why such a device? Simply because small noise canceling pedals like BOSS greatly affect the sound not in better side, even in the bypass state. Behringer works with sound much more intelligently and allows you to work much more subtly with noise reduction parameters, introducing virtually no changes to the sound. By the way, I also like Cry Baby because in the state when the effect itself is turned off, the signal passes directly, the “wah” has no influence on it. Another important detail is a good, expensive cable, since the sound depends very much on the quality of the switching. Finally, a TC Electronic G-Force processor is connected between the preamplifier in the combo and its power amplifier. Although it also has various overloads, I don’t use them (well, except when I’m working at home, “in the kitchen”), still preferring “honest” tube signal distortion. So the main use of G-Force for me is as a modulation effects processor and, I must say, in this incarnation this device is one of the best in the world at the moment.

-Thank you, Vladimir, for a fascinating conversation. I congratulate your team and you personally on the group’s 15th anniversary and wish you creative success in your difficult musical life.

The KM.RU portal took the first exclusive interview with Mikhail Zhitnyakov

For three months, the group "" managed to keep fans in the dark about the identity of their new vocalist. And now the “X-hour” has come, we meet - this is Mikhail Zhitnyakov! The KM.RU Music correspondent managed to interview him for the very first time in his new role.

KM.RU: Tell us about your first contacts with the work of “Aria”

— I live (and have always lived) in one village in the nearest Moscow region. At one time, the local cultural center had a vocal-instrumental ensemble group. I became a member of it when I was 14 years old. Since it was originally a children's ensemble, the repertoire was mainly pop. Over time, changes took place in the team, and the age of the participants increased noticeably. So, to one of the rehearsals, one of the musicians brought a cassette of the group “Aria” “2000 and one night”. Everyone really liked the recording, and we began rehearsing two compositions - “ Lost heaven" and "Rose Street". Of course, at first everything worked out quite primitively, but everyone was really hooked and wanted to work in this direction. While performing at one of the regional rock festivals, I met the musicians of the group “Kurazh” (later “Grand-Kurazh”), where after some time I was invited as a vocalist. The most interesting thing is that the first composition at the audition for this group was the song “Shard of Ice” by “Aria”. Later, with “Courage” we did several more “Aryan” things, occasionally playing them at concerts.

KM.RU: How did you meet the musicians of “Aria”?

— About three years ago, through friends, I managed to meet Margarita Pushkina, who, as you know, is the main author of the lyrics of the Aria group. She was just looking for a vocalist for a song in her project “Dynasty of Initiates.” I was offered the composition “Overturned” (“In the Sky”), which I sang with great enthusiasm. As far as I know, Margarita Anatolyevna was pleased with the result of my performance. After some time, we met Vitaly Dubinin, with whom Margarita Anatolyevna apparently shared her impressions. He even once came to our concert at the Moscow club “Plan B”, where we gave him our CD. At this point, our communication switched to online correspondence. The acquaintance with the rest of the “Aryans” happened after the invitation to the group.

KM.RU: Why did you decide to record such an unobvious track as “Volcano” for the “Aria” tribute?

“In 2010, we were invited to take part in the tribute “Aria” 25 years old,” for which we chose the unreleased song “Volcano.” We had several options, but for some reason everyone immediately decided to take this particular thing. Firstly, the song was not recorded in the studio, thus providing fans of “Aria” with an exclusive opportunity to hear “Vulcan” in the studio version. The second reason, but no less important, I wanted to pay tribute to the author of this song, Viktor Yakovlevich Vekshtein, a man who did a lot for Aria and thanks to whom the whole country recognized the group. We changed the arrangement a little, made it a little more modern and, probably, heavier. I hope the listeners liked our version of “Vulcan”.

KM.RU: You do not have any special vocal education. How did you learn to sing and who did you look up to?

— I really didn’t finish any musical educational institution, but I always gravitated towards music. Moreover, at first I dreamed of learning to play the guitar and quickly mastered the instrument to accompany myself. Later, I wanted more and more to become a vocalist. My reference points were constantly updated as I grew older and as I listened to music. The first vocalist who made an unforgettable impression on me was Valery Kipelov, thanks to whom I began to listen to heavy music in general. The first rock concert I attended was a joint performance of “Aria” with Udo Dirkschneider in Moscow. I am very glad that the Germans also performed there, because, in addition to my favorite band, I saw and understood that such hard music as U.D.O.’s can be so euphonious and of high quality. Later, when I began to listen to rock music more, I discovered many good vocalists, such as K. Meine, D. Coverdale, J. Lande and others, but Valery Kipelov’s voice sat so firmly in my head that even when I performed completely different music, they often told me: “Something somehow looks like Kipelov!” I was terribly flattered by this, I had the feeling that I was moving in the right direction.

However, the lack of musical education has always limited me somewhat. The fact is that as part of the concert program with “Gran-Courage” there were quite long sets up to two hours long. Here it was necessary to think about the resource of the voice. Therefore, I have always listened with great enthusiasm to the advice of those authoritative people who met along my creative path.

KM.RU: Who, for example?

— One of the first people who began to advise me on something was Dmitry Borisenkov (“Black Obelisk”), who took an active part in the recording of our album and the recording of “Overturnedness.” Since the collaboration with Margarita Pushkina was not a one-time thing, another single “Marjoram Flower” followed, which I was also asked to sing. During the recording, he acted as producer and sound engineer for everyone famous Sergei Terentyev. He also gave me a lot of necessary information, which I tried to use. The whole thing ended with the desire to take possession correct technique vocals haunted me, and I took courses with a fairly well-known music teacher, Ekaterina Belobrova. She trained quite serious vocalists - such as Maxim Samosvat (ex-“Epidemic”), Daria Stavrovich (“SLOT”), Evgeniy Egorov (took Maxim’s place in “Epidemic”), etc. Her school has already produced certain results, but I think that now I am still in the learning stage. The work is not finished yet, if possible, I continue to study with Ekaterina Yuryevna.

KM.RU: What did Vitaly Dubinin give you in this regard?

— After I received an offer to work in the Aria group, I immediately talked about my lack of any musical education, but was completely open to it. The fact is that at one time, while communicating with one authoritative person in music, I learned that you need to be careful when choosing a vocal teacher, because many of them can simply stamp some kind of typical voice that sounds in them head, but do not take into account vocal individuality. You are driven into a certain framework and made one of many. It was this warning that to a great extent held me back all these years. But after a conversation with Vitaly Dubinin, who himself, as you know, has a vocal education, I definitely decided to go to a teacher. After talking with the teacher, I realized that there was still a lot of work ahead. There are many such nuances that I had not paid any attention to before. Work continues. I hope that sooner or later this will lead to some absolute result. Also, during the recording of the album, Vitaly showed himself to be an excellent vocal producer with a good vision of the material, who knows how to find the right words and explain where and how to sing. I really liked the result, I hope the listeners do too.

KM.RU: Did any friction or difficulties arise during the recording of the “Aria” album?

“I can immediately say that it was very difficult.” I am very grateful to all the team members who created a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. But, given the high professional level of the group, the requirements for recording vocals were extremely stringent. Even having some studio experience, I discovered quite a lot of nuances, which all the musicians without exception helped me understand - and, first of all, Vitaly Dubinin. Each time, from song to song, we understood each other faster. I think that I managed to do what Vitaly wanted to hear. I hope that we will be able to demonstrate a certain level.

KM.RU: You spoke in detail about your attitude towards Kipelov. How close are you to the work of “Aria” from the period of Arthur Berkut?

— Arthur Berkut is, of course, a talented professional vocalist with a very bright, recognizable timbre. We have only a few such vocalists! I really like his work, which is associated, first of all, with the Autograph group. His voice was in perfect harmony with the music that sounded in this group! The "Arias" album "Baptism by Fire" clearly demonstrated that Arthur can change his performance style to suit the band's material. Songs like "Colosseum" or "Executioner" are definitely hits. Another thing is that if I compare “Aria” and “Autograph” for me, then it was in “Autograph” that Berkut was 100% in his element. His professionalism is beyond question. He had a hard time back in 2002, since for many “Aria” was identified primarily with Valery Kipelov, who has a slightly different performance style and tessitura (I’m not talking about their vocal ranges, because Arthur also sang quite high in “Autograph” "). Taking this into account, it seems to me that the songs from Kipelov’s period turned out to be not the most convenient for Berkut to perform. Although I attended the “Aria” concerts with Arthur’s vocals and left them quite impressed. Arthur did a great job.

KM.RU: Plus, in “Aria” Arthur Berkut showed himself as an extraordinary and interesting showman. How ready are you to put on a great show at the band's performances?

— In addition to vocal abilities, Arthur, of course, has the talents of an extraordinary frontman. He knows how to attract and hold the attention of the audience. Knowing this, I understand very well that what is facing me is very difficult task. In any case, the vocalist goes a little ahead and is the face of the group. So I still have to big job. There is still a little time left before the tour, and we will certainly work on this at the next rehearsals. I hope I will be able to create my own image, since both Arthur and Valery are unique in their own way. Trying to copy them would be a very wrong idea. Although, for now, I will still pay special attention to the vocals. For me, a vocalist is, first of all, the person who sings, and only then is a performer, actor, etc.

Mikhail Zhitnyakov

KM.RU: Were you tormented by doubts when you received an offer to become the vocalist of “Aria”? How did you feel about it?

- I was shocked! In addition, I knew nothing about the relationships in the group and how events developed there. “Aria” has always been something unattainable for me. To get close to such a distance to understand what kind of people they were was simply unreal for me. When the invitation arrived, I was taken aback and, frankly speaking, was not prepared for such a turn and could not answer right away. Naturally, I thought for a while. Plus, I understood that working in the Aria group would completely change my life. After all, at that time music was something like a hobby for me. The “Grand Courage” group was a favorite pastime for all of us, which did not bring in significant income. I understood that in the future I would have to resolve issues with my main job, which now brings in a fairly stable income, and, by and large, suits me. Of course, there were torments. But he agreed because he understood that such an offer might only happen once in a lifetime. At the same time, my doubts were also connected with the fact that I was afraid not to justify the trust the musicians placed in me. Still, “Aria” is a group with great history and traditions. Everyone knows that three generations of people come to her concerts. All this weighed heavily on me. All the “Aryans” and, in particular, Vitaly Dubinin, helped me a lot in making the final decision.

KM.RU: So the age difference doesn’t really have an impact?

— Literally after my first conversation with the guys, I found myself in an atmosphere that immediately made me forget about this difference.

KM.RU: So you have excellent relationships with all the band members?

- Absolutely! They all made the most positive impression on me and are very helpful and supportive. It is very pleasant to work in such a friendly environment. At the same time, I understand that I have found myself in a professional team, where there is no place for certain things that I could have afforded before.

KM.RU: But are you ready for a situation where fans will inevitably compare you with Berkut, and often not in your favor? After all, unlike Arthur, you initially do not have such experience.

- Yes, indeed, when Arthur started in Aria, he simply could not be envied. Valery Kipelov once set such a high bar that repeating it or reaching a level at least close to this is quite a serious task.

KM.RU: And you will be compared to two at once!

- Yes. Both Valery and Arthur had strong charisma, so from the first day when I received the offer, I thought about this, among other things. Over time, I realized that if I constantly work on myself, and look less at what is happening around me, then I can achieve such a level that I am assessed as an individual person. I understand that comparisons still cannot be avoided. If we talk about readiness for them, this can only be fully understood when the album is released and the first opinions begin to flow. I still hope that I managed to show a certain level when recording the album. And what it is like is still up to the listeners to decide.

KM.RU: What to do with the danger of getting sick " star fever»?

“If I had gotten into a group of this level completely from the sandbox, then, probably, the degree of danger would have been high. Every musician, to one degree or another, experiences creative growth and receives some recognition. At first a handful of people listen to you, then this circle gradually expands. One way or another, this is a copper pipe test. I can say that the people around me still consider my behavior to be quite restrained and do not see me as arrogant. On the other hand, every person in the creative profession probably has such a trait as vanity.

KM.RU: Or, at least, ambition...

- Yes! These feelings, to a certain extent, are the engines of progress. If you want to please people and want your business to bear fruit, you have to work on yourself. So, of course, I have a dose of healthy vanity. Whether it will develop into “star fever”, I don’t know. I consider myself to be somewhat sophisticated and think I can handle symptoms like these.

KM.RU: You can withstand attacks from fans and suppress unreasonable ambitions. But how to keep yourself in good shape during grueling tours, when lack of sleep and overwork are simply inevitable?

- There is also such a shadow of doubt. I think all skills come with time. I think that the rehearsals that are yet to come will test me not only for the correctness of execution, but also, so to speak, for strength. Probably, everything ultimately depends on the training that I now need to undergo. It is not the gods who burn the pots - everything is achieved through labor. I intend to spend the remaining time before the tour to benefit myself and the group. I hope this will bear some fruit.

KM.RU: How did your colleagues in the group “Grand Courage” perceive your decision?

— The first person who found out that I would become the vocalist of “Aria” was the leader of the group “Gran-Courage”, guitarist Mikhail Bugaev. The fact is that at the time when I received the offer, the group had recorded almost all the instrumental parts for their new album, and all this was done under my voice. Leaving the guys at this stage without a vocalist would not be very nice. I asked Mikhail Bugaev if he wanted to change the vocalist. To this he answered me: “I don’t see anyone in the group except you, so we will wait until you can take part in the recording of the album.” My decision was made by the guys in two ways: on the one hand, joy for a comrade who was able to get into such an authoritative group, on the other, some sadness associated with the uncertainty in the development of our group. I think that the group “Grand Courage” will do well. Today, the guys and I remain great friends and musical like-minded people. We have the recording of our third album ahead, which we have been rehearsing throughout 2010. I think that people will definitely see us again at joint concerts.

KM.RU: How did your loved ones react to your new status?

— Many of my close people are far from musical activity. Therefore, here everything was measured according to the principle “so as not to lose.” My wife and I talked about this topic, and I am very glad that my arguments convinced her. Without her support it would have been very difficult to make the decision. Of course she's like real woman, is very worried about the fact that I have a long tour ahead of me and, as a result, I will be absent for a long time. But we are already quite old people and trust each other.

KM.RU: How did you manage to withstand the barrage of questions throughout the summer like: is it true that you became the vocalist of “Aria”?

“I had to be a diplomat.” I actively use the Internet, and all the hype, first of all, unfolded there. I have accounts on social networks, so I couldn’t find anything better than to post announcements there: “I do not comment on rumors about my possible move to Aria.” But this aroused additional interest. Even those people who might not have thought that it could be me, inevitably thought about it. In fact, this was not written by chance. Before I posted this status, I was actually bombarded with questions that were asked point-blank. I lied as best I could, because you can’t lie to your friends. I tried to avoid direct answers and asked counter questions like: “Guys, are you all in agreement there?” This had a deterrent effect on many, but I breathed a sigh of relief because I didn’t have to openly say “no.” But there were also those who turned out to be persistent in their questions. I think they will eventually understand that, after all, it was not my secret. Also, announcing your new status would be rude to Arthur. The Aria group deliberately did not announce a new vocalist ahead of time; I believe that this was the right and ethical thing to do. But "Aria" is so much the subject of everyone's attention that people went to great lengths. I have simply never seen such heated discussions on Internet portals. IN free time I'm of course interested to see what people write. Of course, I did not expect that there would be such a stir about the name of the vocalist. People, by some logical conclusions, actually brought me to the number of main contenders. When the name is announced, for many it will no longer be a revelation (laughs).

KM.RU: Vitaly Dubinin said that you brought about 20 “Aria” songs to the rehearsal, which you are ready to perform. Are there any compositions that you either don’t like or are technically difficult for you?

“When I brought this bunch of songs, the guys immediately began to restrain my ardor, saying that I didn’t come to the group for one day, and I would still have time to try to sing everything. In fact, taking into account my preferences, we compiled a program for the concert tour. Naturally, I physically didn’t manage to try all the songs, because I had a lot of other worries. Probably yes, there are some songs that I listened to less than others. But there are also favorite songs that I had to perform before. Considering that at the moment we are just starting rehearsals, I am not ready to say now whether there are any songs that I cannot sing. The main thing is that the group’s desire to play certain songs coincides with the public’s desire to listen to these songs.

KM.RU: What are your favorite “Aria” albums? For example, I, being an ardent fan of the group, always highlighted “Blood for Blood”.

“I also consider “Blood for Blood” one of the best. But I highlight not so much my favorite albums as my favorite songs. Of all the “Aria” records, “Generator of Evil” stands out quite seriously for me. First of all, I like it for its sound. It is somewhat different from what the group did before - the sound is more modern in my opinion. As for my favorite songs, I can certainly name things from the albums “Blood for Blood”, “Playing with Fire”, “Hero of Asphalt”. There were no passable songs in the latter; all tracks can be considered in demand and actively used in all the band’s tours. I also like songs from albums recorded with Artur Berkut.

Based on materials: www.km.ru

For ARIA The past twelve months have been eventful. Anniversary concerts, work in the studio, a change of vocalist and, finally, the release of the long-awaited “Phoenix” - what a reason to chat with the band! And so on a fine September evening we stopped by the studio "Aria Records", where Maxim Udalov silently worked his magic on the studio computer, Vladimir Kholstinin was finishing the last solo for the album, occasionally looking up from the guitar to insert his weighty word, and Vitaly Dubinin brought us up to date with the latest affairs.

Vitaly, how do you evaluate the past concerts for the 25th anniversary of the group?

Vitaly Dubinin: Personally, I rate them very well, because we managed to play with those people with whom we have long wanted to do this. The concerts were held in a good festival format, in large cities such as St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, and not just in Moscow, as is usually the case. Perhaps other participants in the concerts didn’t like something, I heard such reviews that everything was tailored to ARIA: both the stage and the backdrop. But it had to be so - after all, it’s a birthday ARIA!

What is your relationship like now with your former colleagues who left the group quite painfully at one time?

Vitaly Dubinin: We communicated absolutely normally, including with those with whom I myself thought that I would never talk to. But we met, talked, and realized that there was nothing left to divide. Everything is absolutely normal people. When you disagree with musicians, you begin not only to invent, but to add some everyday grievances to creative differences. And over the years this is all forgotten. And you understand that there were once these musical differences, and, thank God, they are gone now. And you are no longer offended at these people. It would probably be worse if we continued to cooperate. Therefore, I communicated with everyone else with enthusiasm. It was very easy for me and I didn’t have to do any routine curtsies.

By the way, at the 25th anniversary it was noticeable that you liked playing with Kipelov again.

Vitaly Dubinin: Well, yes, it was probably noticeable. But we didn't try to show that, look, we're playing with Berkut so-so, but now Kipelov will come out, and we’ll give it as we please! After all, we rarely play with him for the last nine years: on the 25th anniversary there was only the third performance in a long period. And of course it was nice to play old songs with the vocalist who recorded them. Valera came out, and I immediately remembered the old times, I remembered how good it was then. But I can’t say that I was very comfortable, because I was unaccustomed to the sound that should be on stage: Valera does not use in-airs and blasts the power of his monitors with such force that I did not hear anything except his voice . And he sings old songs now - this is not a pushover - he is quite free with the rhythmic part of the songs. And sometimes Valera was so drawn out that I was simply afraid to fly out somewhere. So it was actually difficult.

So you say: “sing old songs.” Was there an idea to record some new thing with Kipelov?

Vitaly Dubinin: When we did this “Aria-fest”, we thought that it would be nice to make a song for the 25th anniversary where Berkut and Kipelov sing a duet. We even wrote such a thing, and Pushkin came up with the text. But Valera simply flatly refused, citing the fact that “the fans won’t understand me: my new album hasn’t come out yet, but I’m recording here with ARIA". I believe that this is in no way connected, but, nevertheless, Valera did not express such a desire. We did not make any more offers to him.

By the way, what is further fate this thing?

Vitaly Dubinin: The song itself is so cheerful and major in mood. But with the text written for the 25th anniversary, the essence of which boils down to the fact that “despite all the bad things, despite the fact that we are many years old, we are still together, we are still moving forward and doing our job - one there, others here,” she stood out from the rest of the row. So, we recorded the instrumental and discarded the lyrics. Rita wrote a new text, but we put that aside for now. Let him wait for the next album.

According to the results anniversary concerts no official release was made, but the so-called "People's DVD" appeared online. What do you think of him?

Vitaly Dubinin: We can only thank the fans for this. It feels like people approached the matter with love. The only thing that, of course, disappoints about this is the lack of normal sound, since it was not recorded from the remote control. And, of course, there is not enough material for it to be complete. But overall – very, very good. About 10 years ago, it was unimaginable that fans would be able to make such a feat, a fan-made DVD. But there was no official video, because the St. Petersburg 5th channel, which initially decided to film the concert, last moment, literally in a week, we were screwed, and we did not have the opportunity to find and hire a film crew in a short period of time. We wanted the best, but it turned out as always.

What do you think of the recently released tribute?

Vitaly Dubinin: I was touched that so many groups rushed to perform our songs with such enthusiasm.

When did ARIA start working on the new album?

Vitaly Dubinin: We worked in two sittings. First, even before the anniversary concerts, we recorded the first half of the instrumental, including the song that we wanted to record with Kipelov. After some time - in January-February - the second part was recorded. So we recorded drums, bass and rhythm guitars: there were no solos or vocals yet. And all this without stopping touring. By May, we had already recorded everything regarding the instrumental.

Horses are not changed at the crossing. But, nevertheless, ARIA replaced the frontman during the recording of the album. How did the band come to the idea of ​​changing the vocalist?

Vladimir KHOLSTININ : WITH Arthur we have reached a bit of a dead end. The album didn't work out. We were not satisfied with the result, and we tried to find a way out of the situation. It is very easy to release an album that will be worse than the previous one, both in execution and in concept. And we have to maintain the bar that we ourselves have raised, and try to do better. And repeating the same techniques gets boring very quickly.

But you spent 9 years together with Berkut, and everyone was happy with everything. Even people have stopped en masse rhyming “boh” and “loch”...

Vitaly Dubinin: Recording "Baptism by Fire", Arthur He said: “Guys, explain how it’s necessary, I’ll try.” And it turned out very well, he even did it in "Baptism by Fire" more than I personally expected from him. And in "Armageddon" There have already been moments like this: “I don’t understand what you want from me!” And the question of singing as the group needed was no longer a question for him. So we thought that if we released "Phoenix" with him, nothing good will come of it. And recording an album with another singer will give us a chance. I'm not belittling vocal merits at all. Arthur and his musicality, but we were no longer together. Maybe he just didn't like working in ARIA. In recent years, he has been trying to perform with others...

Have you been with Berkut Have you recorded any things for the new album?

Vitaly Dubinin: Yes, the recordings remain, but they are rough. We definitely have five songs with Berkut: two of mine, two Kholstininsky and priestly. Two or three songs were sung in their entirety. If we put them on the album, there would be clean versions. And so - they were left for history.

ARIA is traditionally liked to be compared with IRON MAIDEN: there a person knows how to fly a plane, here he can; the vocalist with whom all the epoch-making albums were recorded left there; he left here; there the replacement lasted two albums, and here; that one went on a free voyage, and this one left. And suddenly there is a break in the pattern: "Bailey" left and "Dickinson" didn't come back...

Vladimir Kholstinin:(laughs) It happens often. And nothing. What should we do now – retire, perhaps?! (laughs) By the way, there were such proposals. It's funny for us to listen to them. Last two years ARIA lives with the new album. There are wonderful songs that should have seen the light of day! And now what, everything is in the basket?! Of course not! So we found a new vocalist.

By the way, your former colleague released an album in the spring "Live in spite of". If he had stayed in ARIA, would his material fit into what the group is doing now?

Vitaly Dubinin: Maybe. What Valery brings, then acquires the developments and ideas of other musicians, and the output is what happens. If he had brought the same songs to ARIA They probably would have sounded different. But I don’t think that he has moved far from our style, that his style is globally different from the “Aryan”. Personally, I don't hear any major differences. But it seems to me that now his arrangements have become less melodic, there are more dissonances. And the basis of the songs would be quite suitable. And the lyrics... I know that lately he wants all his songs to reflect his inner self. This is appropriate in a self-named group. But when the group is like ARIA, there is no need to limit yourself to the range of topics.

Now, nine years later, would you be able to work with him, given his solo experience, and given your experience working with other vocalists?

Vitaly Dubinin: To say that, you have to try. It seems to me that we could. In the same way we worked before. When everyone has a say. But maybe we would start rehearsing and playing concerts, and I would say: “Uuuuuuu... Why did we do all this?!”

How did you find Mikhail Zhitnyakov?

Vitaly Dubinin: Rita Pushkina offered to listen Mikhail. The main thing for us was to understand whether it would be suitable in terms of tessitura, range and manner. Michael came and sang some old Aryan songs to our backing tracks. Then we gave him fish for two or three new songs and told him to come back in a few days. Misha came, sang, and we decided to record an album. That's it, no castings.

That is, you did not consider any other candidates other than Mikhail?

Vitaly Dubinin: No.

U Zhitnyakova I don’t have much touring experience: infrequent concerts in Moscow and other cities don’t count. Will he be able to withstand ARIA's busy touring schedule?

Vitaly Dubinin: So do Kipelova before ARIA I didn’t have much stage experience. He worked in LEISYA, SONG and there he appeared as a number: he sang several songs. And four or five songs is not a solo concert. And so the man got from the ship to the ball, in ARIA: at first they acted as a department, and then solo concerts, two a day. So I think with Mikhail everything will be OK. If a singer works in the studio for 3 hours, and after that everything is fine with his voice, then everything will be fine in the future. No one is immune from the fact that something can happen to a vocalist, but judging by how Michael sings, I don’t think there will be any problems. In any case, there is no turning back.

How do you think the public will perceive ARIA with another frontman? The last change of vocalist was received with hostility by a fair portion of the fans...

Vitaly Dubinin: It was so. But this time, I think that this will not happen again, because with Mikhail both new and old songs will sound more “Aryan”.

But they can start comparing ARIA and JUDAS PRIEST. Thankfully, Mikhail I have a lot of experience performing “Aryan” covers, like “Ripper,” who sang in the Pristovo cover band.

Vitaly Dubinin: In this sense, probably yes, although I am not a great connoisseur of creativity Ripper Owens. (laughs)

Let's get back to the new album. It was planned to be long, as many as 13 songs. Why did only 10 remain in the end?

Vitaly Dubinin: Indeed, we recorded 13 songs for this album. But one of them was Berkut- that means there are already 12 left. Another song that was supposed to be a duet with Kipelov, was postponed. 11 left...

Vladimir Kholstinin: The idea came up to make 11 tracks and release them on the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year. But then we decided that waiting until November was self-indulgence. (laughs) And since one of my songs had no completed lyrics, we postponed that too. So there are 10 songs left on the album. But in terms of sound it will be one of our longest albums – by an hour.

Vitaly Dubinin: If we had remained with the same composition, with Berkut, then it would be possible to release "Phoenix" both in November, and another five months later, having completed the songs and filled the disk to capacity. I really don’t see such a step makes a lot of sense. Therefore, we recorded 13 songs with the expectation that some songs would not be included in the album. And, then, we couldn’t delay the release of the disc any longer. Going on tour with a new vocalist and an old program is bad. And if you don’t go on tour at all in the fall, it’s even worse. Therefore, we set ourselves strict limits - the album should be finished in September.

Vitaly Dubinin: It happened. I didn’t strive for this at all. Initially there were 4 of my songs, 4 of Kholstinin’s, two of Pop’s – everything seemed to be as usual. But as time went on, we wrote with Rita a few more songs, because there were some ideas. This time Pushkin I worked very quickly and productively, so I had enough ready-made things. In the end, all 6 were included on the album.

Is there too much “black” on the album: "Black Square", "Black Legend"?

Vitaly Dubinin: (laughs) What happened, happened... In general, the album came out very melodic and lyrical. This applies to both music and poetry. In my opinion, ARIA There has never been an album like this before.

Vladimir Kholstinin: Our style, of course, has not changed, but new aspects have appeared in the music and arrangements. So you will hear transformed ARIA.

Of the ten songs, four were written based on famous books. What caused this bias towards literary primary sources?

Vitaly Dubinin: Topics for "Stories of a Murderer" And "Balance of Power" suggested Rita. I really liked the idea. As she says, the ideas came to her after listening to music. I can’t answer why this kind of music and not another...

Who drew the cover this time?

Vitaly Dubinin: Well, who can draw like that? (smiles) All the same Leo Hao.

Why exactly does Soyuz release an album?

Vitaly Dubinin: There were several companies ready to take on the publication "Phoenix". Soyuz offered the best conditions in terms of release time, distribution and finance. Although the main thing for us is not money. You could stupidly print the copies yourself, and then sell them at autograph sessions and concerts. But this is a bad option for fans - it reduces the possibility of purchasing the disc. That's why we contact labels, because we ourselves don't have the distribution network that a large company has. And Soyuz has a lot of branches in other regions, and the disc will be available to our listeners everywhere.

Will there be some kind of deluxe edition? After all, unfortunately, the time has passed when people bought a disc solely because of the music...

Vitaly Dubinin: "Soyuz" wants to release the disc on vinyl. Perhaps there will be a gift edition.

Isn't there a normal re-release of all the old material in sight?

Vitaly Dubinin: Representatives of different companies come to us: “Let’s release a box? You’ve never had a box.” Let's! But keep in mind that with rights it is not very simple for us: in ARIA played a large number of people, the albums were released on different labels, and in order to tie it all together, you need to spend a lot of time negotiating with people on what conditions they will release. And then what is the box - it's a limited edition. Well, they will make 1000 of them - that’s not scrap money for the label. And there's a lot of fuss.

This time ARIA simply posted “Fightings Without Rules” online. And if you did happen to precede the release of the album with a single, what song would be on it?

Vladimir Kholstinin: If we proceed from the criteria that the single should be as clear and democratic as possible, then I would choose "High Beam". This song most suits the single format: it is short and quite simple to understand.

Vitaly Dubinin: We didn’t just put it online, but gave the song to Nashe Radio, which it chose. They asked for a fast song, and their choice fell on "Fights...". Although I would certainly like to hear "Black square", but because of the text they were afraid to take it. After all, the owner of “Our Radio” is a member of the Federation Council! (laughs)

Why not a ballad?

Vitaly Dubinin: "Requiem" doesn't sound like a ballad. This is rather a mourning song, which, if shown on the radio, would be a year after the album’s release. And now I want to show something else. And “Our Radio” told us: “We are expecting an action movie from you!”

There haven't been any books about ARIA for a long time. Any suggestions to write more? And then “The Legend of the Dinosaur” was published in the era before last.

Vitaly Dubinin: We are periodically asked to write, but the media crisis has moved us similar literature in Internet. Rita she could write about us, but in recent years she has been very busy with her projects, she has nothing to do with it. Lyokha Glebov, who worked with us for a long time, could write, even wanted to make a film about us, but now he is busy with something completely different. Some characters showed us their opuses, but after reading the first chapters, we said that this would not be published in any form. But there were no serious proposals.

ARIA goes on tour in October. How will the new concert program be structured?

Vladimir Kholstinin: There will be five or six new things. In recent years we have played fewer songs from the last album. When came out "Armageddon", we played a program compiled with an emphasis on songs from it. But traveling around the country over and over again, we gradually removed some of them from the set list, making the program from best songs from all albums. And now a new album has been released, and the emphasis will be on "Phoenix".

Will the practice of New Year's concerts stop now?

Vitaly Dubinin: (laughs) I guess it's yes. We have lost such an eccentric artist! We are not boring people either, but for these New Year’s concerts we need a vocalist of a very specific type. And, it seems, we have already used all the famous jokes. In general, time needs to pass. Besides, this year such a New Year's concert would be inappropriate - we now need to promote the new album! So, come to our concerts!