MD - Whos Novel 23 and where do you come from ?
N23 - My name is Roman, and I'm 27 year old. I was born in the small town
called Fryazino no far from Moscow. At present I live in Moscow - the
capital of Russia.
MD - Which reasons whose brought you to make music ?
N23 - The main reason of it is own self-expression, when a man wants to
splash out emotions about different sides of his life to some form of
art. Music is the most comprehensible form of art for me, and many of
my emotions find place in it.
MD - What are musical styles and artists who influenced, inspired you in your artist work ?
N23 - When I was studying at school, I just wanted to find a music, which I
liked to listen to. It wasn't easy, as my fellow pupil preferred to
listen Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. That music did not touch me deeply.
I had interest in Disco and Break Dance, that i could hear at school
discotheques. I was really impressed by electronic music in 1987, when
I heard Depeche Mode. There were electro and industrial, darkness and
gladness in music, and of course just effective guys. DM have taught
me to listen music, I've understood that senses and feelings can be
reproduced by music.
Listening DM for long time, I thought that it isn't possible to
reproduced feelings without words. But at the middle of 1990s I heard
music by Cosmic Baby and Orbital, Aphex Twin and Autechre, Bochum Welt
and Mu-Ziq, Cylob and D'Arcangelo. I've realized that everything can
be reproduced by melody alone. At present many of new names like
Gimmik, Plod, Mat 101, Arovane, Boulderdash, Phonem are my favorite
artists.
But IDM/ELM/Braindance aren't unique music that are pleasant to my
ears. I also listen many music of different styles like Industrial /
Noise / EBM, Gothic / Synth Pop, Ambient, Neo Classic... and many
other old names who work in these styles, and of course Depeche Mode :)
MD - Why do you use these old Russian synth vintages ? Have they a special sound with regard to the old classic synthes as Juno 106, Arp Odyssey or Memory Moog ?
N23 - I use old Russian synths because they just fell into my hands. These
equipments are easily available here in Russia. All modern
synthesizers by leader producers are available too of course, but I
still haven't got enough money to buy some of them. On the other hand
I like use minimum equipments with maximum ability, and Russian synths
vintages let out interest sounds from time to time. When making music
becomes an experiment - it's amazing.
Many Russian synthesizers of 80s have been made as copies of old
classic machines by Roland, Korg, Arp, Moog, etc. For example:
Electoronica EM-25 in my collection is like Roland Juno 106, Rythm-2
is like Korg MS-10, Opus is like Memory Moog, etc. But these Russian
sythts haven't got sounds as his prototypes really. Also many Russian
synths have been made for imitating real acoustic instruments as
pianos, violins, trumpets. But these devices to cope with a task very
bad, and musicians use them rarely. Hour of triumph of these equipment
arrived later, when electronic musicians began to use them in their
experiments. However such experiments took place much earlier, in
Soviet Union. And the first steps in the construction of synthesizers
was in 1950-60 years. Quite enough to remember the biggest synthesizer
in the Universe called ANS and music by Eduard Artemiev for films
"Stalker", "Solyaris" and other films by Andrey Tarkovsky. And the
very first step in the electronic sound took place in Russia even much
earlier in 1920-30 years, when the legendary Russian engineer Lev
Termen made his device called Termenvox.
I think that Russian synthesizers are peculiar phenomenon, and as
Russian musician I'm glad to use them. They are our history.
MD - On any of your productions like " Melodies of Childhood for Advanced Imagination " LP, we feel a touch of
naivety and childish innocence, is it this emotion that you want to let show through ?
N23 - Yes, I just wanted to reproduce scraps of melodies that we all had
heard in childhood. May be a listener have never heard such melodies
in his own childhood, but if this music reminds him about childish
days, it means I've achieved the desired effect. So it seems to me
that I am still in my childhood somehow. But may be I'll become an
adult one day and write much serious music. :)
MD - How do you imagine listener reaction when he listen to your tracks ?
N23 - His reaction seems to me to be very various. Somebody can listen to my
music joyfully, although there are some people who find my music to be
suicidal. Both of these reactions cause my smile, the good one at the
first case, and the sad at the second case. Somebody can listen my
music in a bedroom, falling into a reverie with closed eyes on bed or
looking through the window. But some people could just push a "stop"
button of his player with the words: "It is too tedious ...". It's normally reaction too. People are different.
MD - Are there feelings which you wish to make share ?
N23 - I think all feelings put to the music are already shared with these
people who able to feel them. And main feeling that I put in my music
is wish to life and to create.
MD - How could you describe your music ?
N23 - An electronic music with a slightly sad melodies for home listening.
MD - What are visual universes which inspire you when you create your tracks (science-fiction films, cartoons,
children video games) ?
N23 - I don't play video games... And don't watch TV set because I work at TV. Therefore I find other visual objects that inspire
me. For example it can be pictures of nature: forests, fields, rivers, lakes, etc ; various images of real or imaginary
girls; and of course scenes from our life.
MD - What do you do for TV ?
N23 - I'm working as system administrator of computer network in the TV
company. But I'm not fan of computers, they are just instruments for me. And computer networks are just communication
facilities for human activity & intercourse. Internet is very helpful for us, isn't it ?
MD - You like to work melodies is there a reason to ?
N23 - Yes. Time goes by, music creation technologies are changing, rhythms
get more and more sophisticated, the sound fashion changes too, but
only melodies stay the same forever.
MD - And compose tracks only based on rhythmic ?
N23 - Not only. I've got several unreleased ambient tracks without any
rhythms. Furthermore I played some tracks based on speech with melody
patterns, without rhythms too.
MD - What are public feedback when you play in live-performance ?
N23 - The feedback has been specified by place of performance and listeners
that have come to particular action. If it's a danceable club, than
people try to dance. If it's a concert room or a gallery room, than
people just listen to and watch video if it's present. Anyway, if they
come with the perception of why they are here, the action usually
comes off satisfactorily with applauses and warms words after the
performance. Otherwise, feedback are imperceptible when audience
consists of accidental people.
MD - You already performed somewhere else that in Russia ?
N23 - I've not yet. There is time for everything.
MD - In few words for you what are the major differences between your various productions?
N23 - I don't know. For example they have different duration.
MD - Which are your future projects for the end of this year ?
N23 - I planned a new album & EP by the end of this year. I haven't plans about live tours yet, but may be anything will be
happen.
MD - How do you perceive the electronic scene in your country (labels, clubs, artists) ?
N23 - Electronic scene in Russia is present undoubtedly, but its activity
isn't very noticeable. The situation is especially strange with the
experimental electronic scene. Artists combine small units based on
music styles. And unfortunately an experimental electronic music are
played rarely in clubs here, and the crowd on this actions is
outstanding event. A stupid dance pop music prevails in the clubs, and
it's logically that experimental music listeners don't visit these
clubs.
Several small electronic labels function here in Russia. Their
releases circulations are quite small, about 300-500 copies. All
labels have a problems with distribution, because Russian shops
unwillingly sale this production. This music is absolutely
non-profit-making, and doesn't bring them many money. Distribution to
other countries has problems too, for the most part, with post &
custom, that have Russian features.
MD - Which are the links that youŒve have with the rest of the world ?
N23 - Most of my world over links are realized via Internet and regular
mail. I keep in touch with labels, distributors, musicians and fans.
MD - What do you do when you go out : you go to the parties, bars, night clubs) ?
N23 - No... I don't like bars, Russian night clubs and the most part of parties there. When I have free time, I ride to family
country-house, and go to forest or go to fishing or something else. I like where there are silence and a few people. But
unfortunately I haven't got enough free time, and such weekends are rarely for me.
MD - What is your prefered films ? Book, Cartoon ?
N23 - I watch various films: historical, fantastical, life story about human truck, children fairy tales. I watch many films that
advised me by my friends. I like such sci-fi films as "Bladerunner", "Matrix", "The 13th floor" of course. I also find time
for reading books. I do it on the way from home to job and back, mainly. At present time I prefer
reading fantastic novels by Russian writers, especially their recently works, that are full of humor, philosophy, ideas
(not sci-fi as a rule), and beauty of Russian language. By the way, in childhood my favorite writers was Jules Verne and
Alexander Dumas.
Also I like cartoons from my childhood. Russian animated cartoon
editors had made many beautiful cartoons. My favorite is "The secret
of the third planet". This is a brilliant long play cartoon movie
about spaceships captains, space pirates, strange animals of other
planets and beautiful young girl Alisa who rescue planets from space
pirates. The soundtrack for this movie has been made by assisting of
Russian synthesizers. Really, the cartoon is worth to be a worship!
MD - Any comments or suggestions to finish ?
N23 - Thanks for the interview with good questions.
