LLC "publishing house" intellectual property. Valery Kipelov: "I check the songs on my granddaughters"

“There were rumors that people were being recruited into sects at our concerts.” Valery Kipelov about criticism, football and " scumbag patriotism»

A good reason to feel old: the classic composition of the Aria group ceased to exist 16 years ago, and a year later the Kipelov group appeared. Today, the musicians will play an anniversary concert at the Sports Palace, and the day before, Valery Kipelov spoke with Onliner.by about the bans on performances in Belarus, “smeared patriotism”, criticism of the last album and soul relationship with football.

“I am surprised at the ignorance of people”

- How are you?

Yes, good. Everything is very good.

- How did you get there?

We arrived by train from Smolensk. We drove for about five hours - sat, drank tea, talked.

- Don't these journeys tire you?

No, absolutely. There are long ones, when you ride the bus for five or six hours - then yes. And so you lie on the train, talking with friends, drinking tea. Excellent!

You came to Minsk to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Kipelov band. This is an excuse for fans of the good old "Aria" to feel old.

It's hard for me to say. No, it's just an excuse to meet again. It so happened that our anniversary coincided with the release of a new album, and we decided to make a mix program: we will play quite a lot of songs from the new release and, perhaps, greatest hits for 15 years that were made in the Kipelov group. I do not feel old, although I will be 60 years old this year. Fans come to us - both children and grandmothers. In fact, this makes me very happy: we have such completely different age groups at the speeches. This is amazing.

- In general, three albums in 15 years is somehow not enough.

I understand, yes. I often quote Vladimir Ilyich Lenin: “Less is better.” I think we have enough decent work. I know that many people criticize our last album, make some claims to the sound. I myself love objective criticism, but when it's all unfounded... As for the sound, I really don't agree: some like it, some don't. Different approaches.

You once noted that for a Russian person in music, semantic load and melody are important. Claims to "Stars and Crosses" concern, among other things, the absence of bright, memorable melodies.

- Yes, comparable to the hits of "Aria".

I disagree. For example, if we take at least the same song "Kosovo Pole" ... Do Aria have such hits? Is this the scale? Yes, there were wonderful songs, I do not deny it. “Playing with Fire”… There is a slightly different ideology, but there was definitely no such song as “Kosovo Field”. That's for sure. As for the brightness of the melodies, it's hard for me to say. I want to be a critic of "Aryan" albums - these are the last ones. Well, there are no such hits! In general, the trend is this: you take any modern group playing in similar style, and every year it loses its brightness. Take the same Ozzy Osbourne: a well-recorded album, great music. But the best record, in my opinion, was Ozzmosis in 1995. Now there are wonderful songs, but for some reason they do not fall on the ear.

They begin to compare the songs "Prophet" and "Ice Rain". There, the riff is somewhat similar, but the song is about something else, the melody is different, and people manage to compare these two compositions, which have nothing to do with each other. This is what surprises me. That is people who are illiterate. And some comrades begin to find fault with the texts. Even in "Kosovo Pole"... There, one comrade talks about "we will bloom with flowers." But how! Flowers are blooming, but how else can it be? "Flourish" is an Old Slavonic word, and Yesenin used it: "May you be blessed forever, that it has come to prosper and die." I am sometimes surprised at the ignorance of people who take it upon themselves to judge, especially fashion bloggers. I love normal criticism: we ourselves know what worked and what didn't work on this album. But I think that this is not a step back, it is about the same step as the previous album. And the fact that they are few, I think, is not so scary. We thought so much that we can play two or three completely different programs.

- Margarita Pushkina in an interview said this: "Valera is stingy with his own creativity." What do you think she meant?

It's hard for me to say. I once told her, and she even took offense at me: “You need to carry yourself very carefully so as not to spill it.” And Margarita Anatolyevna takes on everything at once. I'm still trying to finish something. I don’t scatter, I don’t like any joint projects, and if I understand that the song is not mine, then I won’t sing it. Pushkina sometimes offers her own lyrics, but we don’t have many cases when songs are written on a ready-made text. Kosovo Pole is one of the few. Not always its lines coincide with our possibilities. She writes poetry, and it doesn't have to be lyrics. I also have a lot of complaints about the same "Occitania" (rock opera by Margarita Pushkina and Sergei Skripnikov. - Approx. Onliner.by), but I'm not talking about it. Thank God she likes it, she bathes in it.

Margarita is interested in the Templars, Carcassons, but this is of little interest to me - I am worried about the motives of life modern man, his experiences. If there were some parallel to the present day, it would be interesting. It's not really mine. Moreover, teams like "Epidemic" were carried away by these sagas, and reality is closer to me. Therefore, Pushkina and I sometimes do not understand each other very well. Although what we did, I think it turned out great.

“Shevchuk deserved to become president of the Invasion more than Shnurov”

I'm not very good to you good news. There is strict censorship in Belarus concert activity. Let's remember those times when "Aria" was not allowed into our country. I understand it was because of the song "Antichrist"?

Not certainly in that way. Then there was actually a rather difficult period: in my opinion, we are talking about 1998. The ideologues took the list and looked at the titles of the songs: in fact, there were “Antichrist”, “In the service of the forces of evil”. There were many, many such songs. It is clear that they look at the title and do not delve into the content, so this scared them a little. This stage passed rather quickly. Although, yes, they called about the song “Antichrist”: there were rumors that supposedly someone was recruiting people at our concerts into satanic sects. It was funny. I even said: “Maybe invite an Orthodox priest to sprinkle the stage? What Satanists, are you crazy? But no matter how much we came to Belarus, we never had any complaints.

- But you stopped singing the song "Antichrist".

I refused it not because it was someone's ban. I just realized that this is not my song. When I sang from own name“My name is Antichrist, my sign is the number 666” ... Then it only dawned on me what I was doing. It is clear that this is heavy metal, a tribute to fashion, mysticism. But when you take on yourself like this ... And then life practice confirmed this, although the "Aryans" deny it. We got into an accident with the Rage group, the stage was on fire in Gorbushka, the conductor in orchestra pit fell. Where to go? The same Pushkin asked this way, that way. I told her: "Rita, I've given up on this once and for all." I don't want to play with it: it's a very serious matter. In addition, this song contradicts my religious beliefs: I am an Orthodox person and disown all this.

- Now the calling card of the Kipelov group is the song "I'm free." Did you understand its potential in 1997?

Of course not. We recorded it, the album came out - someone liked it, someone not very much. Technically, I didn't like this record at all. The material was good, but not all the songs. Sergey Mavrin and I made this project, but the approach was not very serious. They forgot about the song “I am free”: they didn’t perform it in Aria, Mavrin never played it himself. And after some time, when the Kipelov group had already appeared, some material was needed, because the group was more focused on touring. We decided to re-record the song, make the arrangement a little heavier. Since 2003, she began a second life: we gave it to the radio and did not expect such an effect at all. She broke up, there was some kind of bonus. Thanks to this song, we had such an uplift.

- I understand that she feeds you well now.

Yes. By the way, we looked at the version Belarusian group Pawa, and I really liked it. I offered to play “I am free” together at this concert: it would be interesting if they sang in Belarusian, and I sang in Russian. But the guys could not: they are busy, they work. They said: “We would love to, but we can’t.” I hope we can do something else together.

- With the song "I'm free" there was a story associated with Sergei Shnurov.

It was a banal story. They just brought some kind of document - supposedly so that the song from the movie "Boomer" was performed on the radio. There were no problems, I signed some document - nothing more.

- Most of all you were interested in whether there was obscene language there.

Yes, that was the main condition. I listened and said: "Yes, not a bad song, for God's sake." And signed the papers. Then it turned out that this is the soundtrack to the film.

- How do you feel about Shnurov's work in general?

I saw him once, it was at the "Invasion". Great show, very professionally done. But we are in some respects antipodes.

- Last year you participated in the presidential elections of "Invasion" and lost to the same Shnurov. Was it embarrassing?

No, absolutely. In general, this is ridiculous, of course: the president, "Invasion" ... But they decided to play this toy. I then said: “If possible, give my votes to Shevchuk. Let our fans not be offended, but really ... " Yura was 60 years old, he deserves it. Although we differ greatly Political Views, but purely human and comradely, I believe that Shevchuk deserved to be president much more.

- "Invasion" is criticized every year: questions about the line-up, infrastructure, and political motives ...

Regarding the fact that there is some military equipment- I do not see any militarism in this. I came and told about my military service. I look: little boys climb these guns. There is nothing terrible there, there is no militarization. There is military equipment, sometimes pilots appear and fly there. We communicated with them aerobatic team Russian Knights are great guys. It turned out that they have one of their favorite songs - "Breath of Darkness", I was very surprised by this. Some kind of political background… I have never seen it: they came, played for their own pleasure, met with our fans from all over the country. My niece often comes to the Invasion. The only thing is rather high prices for everything, even for water.

“Any surgical intervention somehow affects the state of the voice”

- During the first tour of Germany, you were called Cossacks with guitars. Was it embarrassing?

They were not exactly called Cossacks. Maybe someone else came up with this? No, we were called Soviet Iron Maiden.

- And this comparison did not hurt you?

No, absolutely. If we were called the American "Tender May", that would hurt. And if in some ways we were similar to Iron Maiden, such a wonderful band... And then, I myself knew that some of the comrades in the group were very fond of the work of Iron Maiden, and in general, this band influenced us. Yes, there are many analogies, but it was done with talent. Although I liked other bands more: Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest. Some of the comrades in Aria even wore costumes that looked like Adrian Smith.

- In 2012, you underwent surgery on the ligaments. How serious was it?

It was not painful, but unpleasant. Then I had to be silent for a long time. For the first time in 30 years, we had a concert canceled: we did not perform in Vitebsk. And the first concert after the operation happened in Minsk at the Sports Palace, although I was advised to keep silent for half a year. But you yourself know: man proposes, but God disposes. In Minsk, of course, I was not very fit after such an unpleasant operation. Now someone thinks that it has become better, but I don’t think so: any surgical intervention somehow affects the voice and condition.

- There is such an opinion among the fans: after the operation on the ligaments, Kipelov became not the same.

I dont know. But any operation does not pass without a trace - this is one of the reasons why we have reduced our tour activity. You need to somehow take care of yourself and not force your voice if possible. As for “Aria”, I just began to sing in a slightly different manner.

You love public transport. This somehow does not fit with the image of the person who performed the songs "King of the Road", "Hero of Asphalt" and "Careless Angel".

And there are actors who play drunkards. Vitsin, for example. A wonderful comedian, generally a non-drinker, did yoga, and always played some kind of moonshiners and bastards. It's just a role, nothing more. When you get used to the image that you have to convey, you become a biker, and a driver, and a pilot. This is the ability of a person to reincarnate.

- Have you ever driven a car?

I sat down, but it was not for long. When I went to the country and there was a lot of time. Even something worked. And then somehow suddenly 60 years old, and I don’t really want to be a teapot at that age. In Moscow, it’s easier for me to travel to the rehearsal by metro: I arrive at the place in 40 minutes. If I had driven by car, it would have been an hour and a half or two. And so I am closer to the people, I know how they live, I feel their breath in the subway.

- You said that you understand football, probably even better than music.

Partly yes.

- What have you heard about Belarusian football?

I know that Viktor Goncharenko used to coach BATE. The last Belarusian player I heard about is Gleb, he played for Arsenal. Under the Soviet Union, Dynamo Minsk was a great team. Then somehow there was more information about Belarusian football. And now I only hear about BATE, when the team plays on the international stage. This is strange. It seems that the countries are close in spirit, but there is very little information about each other - this surprises me greatly. As for sports, I know more about biathlon - Domracheva is there.

- What do you think about Goncharenko? Would you like him to train not “horses”, but “meat” ones?

No, I wouldn't. I think everything that happens is for the best. He is a good coach, but Spartak also has a good one. I don't think that Spartak is the leader. They play well, but these sharp crashes and rises ... And then, how they lost to Athletic ... They could actually play better.

There used to be Spartak or the same Minsk Dynamo, but now the players migrate from club to club and do not feel the spirit of the game. It all somehow leveled off. Probably, I am a person of old views on these matters, but I think that the spirit has been lost. All these legionnaires, it seems to me, do not feel this. There are no leaders like Tikhonov and Titov used to be in Spartak.

“With my son after the bath we sing Russian folk songs”

- Your son said that you are playing in the style of "bad patriotism."

Ha ha ha!

What do you think he meant?

It was he who conveyed the words to me, it was not his opinion. I don't agree with this. We don't make music to please anyone. This is our personal opinion, my view of things. If I sing about the Kosovo field, then I do it with skill, with suffering. If we write some songs about besieged Leningrad, then not for someone to say that this is a hymn to Putin's homeland. This is our personal view of things. As for the war, both of my grandfathers died, so there is no need to agitate me. We sing about what really worries us, and not from opportunistic considerations. How is it fashionable now? Staples… No, it's all nonsense.

Take our latest album. There is a wonderful song "Born to Fly" there. We met with a biker boy. He was badly injured in the accident, and his mother brought him in a wheelchair to our concert. He really wanted to be photographed. I don't know what happened, but he got up and left. And at first I wanted to write the song "Born to Fly" about this guy, it was only then that the idea was transformed. We sing lyrics that are close to us.

- You are now easy to find mutual language with own children?

Of course. Moreover, the son in some things is even more radical than I am.

- For example?

Here I am addicted folk art, and he goes even further: he is interested in authenticity. He is a cellist, graduated from the conservatory, but mastered the harmonica and balalaika. When we meet at the dacha, we sing Russian with pleasure after the bath folk songs. I must have influenced him in some way. But in some things he is more radical, and I have to stop him: to explain that you need to be kinder, more objective. He has straight white and black, and I don't always like it.

- Your children have a classic musical education. Can they be called wealthy people?

I would not say. But at least they are self-sufficient. I never spoiled them, but I offer my help. For example, the son needed to buy good tool- it is clear that it would be difficult to do it yourself. I often help my daughters: I have two wonderful granddaughters, I am interested in their life. They are not spoiled and are happy with every little thing that I can bring, even some cheap silver earrings. I really like it, and I see the same attitude towards myself: recently I got sick, and my granddaughters brought me honey and jam. I'm very a good relationship with my family. As well as with the audience on stage. The people feel everything: if you treat them with respect, then it comes to you doubly. It's the same with children.

- Can you imagine that in Belarus a Philharmonic soloist gets $150 full-time?

Hmm… Quite. I can imagine it. I once worked for $50 as a night watchman, it was not so long ago, by the way.

- It was during the heyday of "Aria". How did it happen?

Somehow I survived. I understand that time is different now, money is also completely different. I understand that we probably have something like that, although money is better in Russia. I don't even know how to comment on this. Probably, it is problematic to live on such money. But people consciously make their choice. He same not go in businessmen. You must understand that this is a very difficult path. In the same "Aryan" period, we did not know how to support families during perestroika. All savings were gone, and it was generally not clear how to feed two children. Somehow they got out. The most important thing is that families did not break up and we even tried to record something. This is where a person is tested, how devoted he is to his profession.

- If you turn back time, would you still make your choice in favor of heavy music?

Oh sure. I would still try my hand at classical music. But I don’t know how much I would have had enough there, because this is an even more serious attitude to the matter than here. Although here you always have to be in shape and confirm your skills. Every concert is a test. As with albums: you could stamp them every year, regardless of the music, arrangements, lyrics. But we do not do this: we want the material to be of sufficient quality.

Even before the release of the new album, it was said that he had a clear concept. What is it?

Valery Kipelov: It lies in the very name "Live contrary". The first song, the title one, sets the mood for the whole album, and the final song "On the steep coast", ends with the same words, "to live in spite of". The whole album is imbued with this idea: to live despite the circumstances, this world, the culture that is being imposed...

And how does the Glamor Bird fit into this concept?

Valery Kipelov: A glamorous bird is not specifically some kind of bird, but some kind of person was implied. You know how people say: "Let's see what kind of bird it is!". I will not be specific - they themselves know what they are. We have a lot of them - a wagon and a small cart. This is one of the few songs that we would like to write on social theme. It is a story on behalf of the heroine, who finds herself in this glamorous world, a story about what happens to her. There are lines in the song: "It's so easy to believe in a fairy tale, glossy dope", in which you can see the idea that one must live in spite of all these things, that one must think about the soul more than about the form, external design. I watch a lot of TV, unlike my bandmates, and therefore I see a lot of these programs, which are mainly devoted to the outside. Little is said about the soul, mostly about how a person should look, what he should ride, what he should wear. Here, too, the idea is that one must live in spite of this, a person is not known by this, but by what he has inside and what he leaves behind - this is the most important thing.

Valery Kipelov: I wouldn't say anything has changed. As we were engaged in collective creativity, we are doing it. In the first place is the person who suggested the idea, brought some kind of riff, and my job is to compose a melody, if there was no chorus, make a chorus, sometimes suggest some arrangement moments, some pieces are entirely mine.

And the vocal melodies in the songs are entirely yours?

Valery Kipelov: Not everywhere, but in those songs that are written in collaboration - in almost all. It is more convenient for me to do this, since I am a vocalist, and I build a vocal canvas for myself. The musicians mostly do the harmonies, the arrangements, and I'm doing the melody.

Valery Kipelov: Approximately in the same way as music. It so happened that most of the ideas for the songs were invented by me. It used to be the other way around: Margarita Pushkina she came up with, and even if something was proposed by me, it changed to her all the time. And now Rita I wrote the text, I corrected it, made some adjustments of my own, and in percentage terms we got about 50/50 in most of the songs.

And in those songs where your co-authorship is not indicated, then ...

Valery Kipelov: This means that almost the entire text was adopted. There were some corrections, but we considered them to be very minor: if a certain word was not sung, or it was inconvenient for me to sing it, I changed it to another. No more. initial idea Rita was only in the song "Madness". AT "Breathing last love» it was different: the idea was mine, but the whole embodiment was Pushkina.

Perhaps there were many options?

Valery Kipelov: We always have a lot of lyric options for a song, and they change all the time. For example, it was "Breath of Last Love","Last Breath of Love": that is, it seems that only the words have been swapped, but the meaning has changed a lot. A lot of texts were written. Unfortunately, we did not manage to do everything on this album, and we have a few songs left: there is a melody, there are arrangements, everything has already been recorded, but the text has not happened. And vice versa: there are texts for which we have not composed melodies yet. Therefore, there is such a definite reserve for the future.

The following question follows from this: does the KIPELOV group have songs whose music is written for texts?

Valery Kipelov: No, not yet. It just happened that some of the lyrics were mostly ideas Rita Pushkina- did not find their embodiment on this album, but I liked the lyrics themselves in terms of their idea, concept. Rita often gives unused options to other groups, but I asked not to do this, because I liked the lyrics, and maybe we will try. And now, since the work on the album is over, now there is time, you can try yourself in a new capacity, that is, write music for texts, which we did not allow ourselves before.

left out of the album "Live contrary" will the songs be released as a separate single sometime or will they be included in the next album?

Valery Kipelov: Most likely, it will be a single, because I won’t wait so long until we compose all the songs, until all the lyrics are written, until we record it all, mix it ... Moreover, now the situation on the market of publishing companies is changing very much strongly, and therefore it is more and more difficult to release an album with the help of some company. Perhaps we will make new songs and immediately put them on the Internet, or we will play them only at concerts. And after some time, maybe we will decide that it's time to make a studio version of these songs.

Song "On the Edge" was released two years ago as a single. Was it re-recorded for the new album or just remixed?

Valery Kipelov: There was something overplayed, because the musicians were not very satisfied acoustic guitars. The vocal track is basically the same. The violin parts may have been replayed, but, in general, the same version remained, the only thing was that it was remixed and remastered. That version was made with Hansen in Denmark and the new one in Germany.

What didn't satisfy your cooperation with the Danish studio? After all, several previous releases were mixed by them?

Valery Kipelov: I was quite satisfied, not satisfied with more musicians. Jacob Hansen Worked quickly enough, which I liked, quickly responded. And with the German studio, we were simply offered another option for cooperation. Our friend the drummer Mike Terrana at one time we were offered by various studios, but we ourselves arranged the casting of various studios. In the end, the choice fell on Michael Voss. And more value for money: Michael worked fast enough and we worked online. We couldn't go to him to mix the album there, because we didn't have it completely ready, and that's why we were sitting here in Moscow. He called us, and we talked on Skype, explained what we would like to do, some specific wishes. Therefore, we had a more advanced, or something, work with him.

Are there, in your opinion, studios in Russia that could record, mix, and master an album with high quality?

Valery Kipelov: Maybe there are, but I don't know about them. I know from the experience of other musicians that many did the same as we did: they recorded here and mixed there. ALICE, for example. I wanted, of course, to write there, because they have more experience in how to initially record sound. We already had problems here: we recorded the drums, and when we sent the tracks there, this German, Michael Foss, said that banks are not recorded very well, and there are many problems with cymbals. Therefore, I would like to record there. I think that in the future we will certainly try to do this. And what is it connected with? Firstly, there are specialists, and secondly, the studios themselves. Our studios work in this mode: today they write pop music, tomorrow some populists, then metalheads, then punks - there is no specialization. And in the West, in general, the studios are clearly specialized: there is, for example, Finnvox, which deals with hard music, and many more similar studios. And they have everything there tailored to our music, that is, nothing needs to be invented on the existing sound in order to improve it. And there are clear specialists who understand how to do it. Unfortunately, we don't have any. All this applies not only to sound, but also to design.

How did you meet the artist Felipe Machado Franco who did the album cover?

Valery Kipelov: By chance. He himself went to the site to us and offered his services. I know he did the cover for ICED EARTH, and for some famous teams. Therefore, our director contacted him and offered him cooperation. He said that with pleasure and that he liked our group. Didn't know we had fans in Colombia. He made the cover pretty quickly and exactly what we wanted, in general. There was some novelty in this, and, as it seemed to me, we left the standard stamps that were inherent in our artists. I liked the fact that it is unusual. You can argue about the very essence of this cover, but I liked the color scheme, the idea. He tried to reflect the idea of ​​the whole album in this way - "Live contrary".

This time you involved an orchestra to record the album ...

Valery Kipelov: Yes, we wrote some songs with the orchestra, not all. We recorded several songs with Globalis ... The fact that a single was recorded "On the Edge", it was not an orchestra, it was we who collaborated with the Gorsky Quartet. Now we just realized what it takes more tools, the sound should be thicker, more orchestral.

And at concerts, the orchestra, as usual, will be packed into the port studio, there will be no keyboard player?

Valery Kipelov: Yes. It's no secret that we take with us a port studio that we're packed into: a metronome for the drummer, keyboards because we don't have a keyboardist, orchestral moments. Moreover, in some places I have prescribed backing sounds there. Now, however, we have begun to change this situation, since all the musicians sang in our country, but so far not at the level at which we would like.

Do you think it's worth reproducing the full studio sound of the song at concerts?

Valery Kipelov: Just imagine: if you remove from the song "I am free" all keys, all orchestrations, leaving only live instruments, guitars - she will lose a lot

Of course, because there is the basis - the keys.

Valery Kipelov:

I'm talking about this. Therefore, where we can remove the keys, we sometimes do it. Sometimes we have to play without a click, especially at festivals. It is often difficult to use a port studio there: it happens that the channels are mixed up, or something else. We turn it off, play, but I understand that it sounds poorer. Where the keys are fundamental, we leave, not fundamental - sometimes we refuse them.

you release new album also available as a vinyl record...

Valery Kipelov: She should show up in ten days. An offer came in and I saw no reason to refuse. It's interesting to me, I myself would love to listen to it on vinyl. We even did special mixing and mastering for vinyl.

That is, the sound is as close as possible to analog?

Valery Kipelov: Yes. The sound is not so hard, not flattened it, there is no compression. All the charm of vinyl is heard there.

Will there be a video for any song from the new album or not?

Valery Kipelov: We thought, yes, we even had preliminary negotiations with those people who make clips. There was an offer from their side to shoot a video for the song "Breath of Last Love", which I really don't want to do because it's a very traditional step: making a video for a lyrical ballad. Again, here everything rests on this: where to place it all? Since it is clear that no central channels will take us even close, there are some regional channels left: MusicBox, A-One, maybe, although they say that they also have some problems. If earlier we had options with MTV, MuzTV, now these are completely pop channels, they don’t even have such a heading, their format has changed a lot. You have to figure out if it's worth it. And then - I have a certain disappointment in terms of all the videos in which I have ever taken part: as part of a group ARIA, and later - as part of a group KIPELOV. I can not name a single clip, by and large, which I would like. In my opinion, the best video we ever made was the video for the song "Gimme the heat" groups ARIA, and then it was just a concert version. And this is the only thing that ever inspired me. Everything else ... There were good shots, such as on "I'm here". In fact, we found a chic place, filmed everything, but I didn’t like the video. When I saw the incarnation of him, I realized that he did not fit the song at all. I don't like to shoot in such a way that the video does not reflect the essence of the song at all. I know that there are people who try to shoot a video that has nothing to do with the song at all. I do not like it. That's why I'm dissatisfied with all the clips, so I'm thinking about whether it's worth it. Then again, this is a rather expensive project, if we take this issue seriously. It is clear that he will not fight back: this is, in general, a publicity stunt. And again, the question arises: if you remove it, then where to show it? So I don't see any point. Maybe we'll do it for ourselves. But for this we need to clearly understand: if we want to make the clip that we like, then we must find the right directors who would understand the tasks.

Why did you change the label from CD-Maximum on the Mystery?

Valery Kipelov: This to some extent depended on the previous contract with the Melnitsa concert agency. They just have such a triumvirate now, if you can call it that: the promotional company Melnitsa, the publishing company Mystery and C.A.T. And so, when we signed an agreement on our concert activities with a promotion company, we actually signed an agreement with a publishing company.

That is, you didn’t have any particular dissatisfaction with the previous contract?

Valery Kipelov:

It is clear that there were problems. When you sign a contract, they always appear. And the new treaty was signed two years ago, and now everything has changed quite a lot compared to the time when it was originally signed. Again, the Internet is making a big difference. Musicians invest, record an album, the publishing company releases it all, and then it turns out that the albums immediately appear on the network. Therefore, there are problems with the sale of the album. In the West, they somehow decide everything, although they also have their own difficulties in this regard. Anyone who downloads for free believes that he has the right to do this, but he forgets that musicians also have problems, that they sometimes live off the release of albums. In addition, to record the next albums, you need a fairly large investment. And young teams just can't afford it. We basically do everything ourselves: we don’t have any producers or any people who would move all this financially. On the one hand, this is great: we are completely independent of anyone in this regard. That is, there is no dictate over us about music, lyrics, how we should look. But on the other hand, there are certain problems, financial problems. We can't always do what we would like to. But we are trying.

Photos taken from the Kipelov Fan Zone website

*** ARCHIVE MATERIAL - 2007 *** In the history of rock culture, there were many cases when the reason for the emergence of new bands was the collapse of old bands or the departure of some of their musicians. But there are also cases when, thanks to such decays, compositions were obtained that competed with the prototypes, and sometimes even surpassed them. a prime example such a development of events was the Kipelov group, whose frontman, having left Aria, the main metal band of our country, quickly created his own project, unpretentiously naming it after himself. And for the past five years, the group has been occupying a leading position on the domestic metal scene, delighting fans at concerts with old "Aryan" hits, as well as new compositions from the "Rivers of Time" album. Valery Kipelov - the permanent leader of the team, one of best voices in domestic metal, agreed to answer our questions right on the bus on the way from the hotel to the Ryazan club "Crater", where his concert was soon to begin.

. By the time of its creation, all its authors had several years of work in other online and printed publications. During that period, we prepared and published a large number of materials, but some of them, for various reasons, are currently either not available on the Web or are not fully available. The fifth anniversary of our resource is the best time to look back and bring them to the attention of readers again. What for? First, because some of these conversations have great importance for us personally. And secondly, we know that there is interest in them from the public...)

Where did your way of singing like that come from? Which vocalist was your guide?

In general, there were a lot of vocalists, a lot of landmarks. This is Bruce Dickinson, and Ozzy Osbourne ... I took a little bit from everyone.

"... I am free, like a bird in the sky!" Do you feel freer after leaving Aria?

The song was written before the breakup of the Aria group and is not associated with this in any way. Well, of course, I became more free, but there was also more responsibility. I used to feel like one of the musicians, but now all the responsibility lies with me.

What difficulties did you encounter when creating your project?

The main problem was that in connection with the recruitment of a new line-up, it was necessary to work with new musicians. Aleksey Kharkov (bass) had never played with us before, and we played with Sergey Mavrin, but for a very long time. It was necessary to sing, play, break in new material.

Can you now say that current composition fully functional and optimal? Does it suit you completely?

Yes, I like our composition. It suits me completely.

Did the fans change with the advent of the Kipelov group?

No, they have not changed, if only there were more of them.

Is this a plus for you?

Most likely. Our fans have also gotten older, “those who are over…”, so to speak. And all thanks to the song "I'm free."

What are the advantages of Viktor Smolsky's participation in your project? Was his candidacy chosen by chance?

No, his candidacy was not accidental. Even when I was a member of the Aria group, Rage and I gave joint tours. Then we already knew Viktor Smolsky. During the recording of the Rivers of Time album, we needed a worthy guitarist who could replace Sergey Mavrin (he started his solo project). Smolsky fully met all the criteria. We collaborated with him throughout 2005, he combined work in two groups.

Are you going to work with other guitarists?

No. What for? For now, everything suits me.

Did the River of Time album include all the planned compositions?

No, not all. Some compositions remained with Sergei Mavrin, he uses them in his work. The album included as many songs as needed for a full album.

This year the group is 5 years old. What to expect?

At best, we will record a new album, release a single to support it, and tour the country. If something is not in time, then we will give a big concert in Moscow and we will work on new material.

What has changed for you in these 5 years?

Yes, nothing has actually changed. As I said, there is more responsibility.

How much influence do you give to the lyrics of your songs? Does it matter to you what you sing about?

Yes, we give texts great value. That is why the album "Rivers of Times" was delayed. When I was still in the Aria group, we could easily throw out some material. Now we don’t do that, we bring all our ideas to the end. On the album "Rivers of Times" almost all plans came true.

Is there a desire to do some other activity?

No, never had such a desire. I have been making music professionally for 27 years. It didn't bother me at all, it didn't bother me. I will be making music all my life, ie. the Kipelov project will exist as long as there is enough strength.

How does your family feel about your musical activities?

Over the years, they have been treated differently. There were both praise and criticism. And what do you want? When we're away for a long time, who's gonna like that? But now it’s easier, the children have grown up. They are doing their favorite thing, the granddaughter is six years old. Now we have become completely independent, no one is above us. We don't have such long tours anymore, we can stop touring any time we think it's necessary.

The most successful album in your creative life?

Most successful album? There were not so few of them in the Aria group, each album is good in its own way. On the this moment I can single out two of my works: “Blood for Blood” (always was my favorite album) and, of course, I now like the only album of the Kipels group “Rivers of Times”.

How do you feel about criticism?

I have a normal attitude towards criticism, from which it is possible to draw conclusions useful for creativity. I am very self-critical about my work. Therefore, the coolest critic for me is me.

Do fans recognize you on the street?

Yes, sometimes they do. And sometimes they just get it. I'm against it. There are times when fans come to the area where I live, break on the door after midnight, paint the entrances.

How do you feel about the fact that teenagers create an idol for themselves?

You should not create idols for yourself, which you worship unquestioningly, not noticing their flaws. I didn’t have that, although I had a lot of favorite music. I could easily sit for hours and listen to my favorite song. At that time, many idolized The Beatles, collected their records, photographs. But this has never happened to me. I did not create an idol for myself.

Do you go to rock concerts? Last concert which you visited?

I do, but not often. Last time was a year ago, in February, when Judas Priest came, this is one of my favorite bands.

Which of the Russian vocalists can you single out?

I do not even know. From our heavy direction, from those whom I know and listen to - this is the vocalist of the Epidemia group Maxim Samosvat - he really promising musician. And I also want to mention the vocalist of the Mavrik group Andrey Lefler, he is still young, I think he will succeed if he does not get sick with star disease.

Why do you think there are so few worthy vocalists in Russia?

Because young people think that the baggage they already have is enough, they don't want to study further. And now an alternative direction is very fashionable, where the importance of the vocalist is not the main thing. In our time, the vocalist has always been the most famous person in a group, its importance has never been secondary. Of course, there were also drummers and guitarists, but the vocalist was always the leader.

Since when do you wear long hair?

Back in school, I tried many times to grow my hair out. Then there were very serious times, we were not allowed to do this. When in high school I played in the Leisya Song ensemble, many times there was a desire to grow my hair, but the concept of the team did not allow it.

And the desire to get a haircut like Bruce Dickinson did not arise?

So radical - never. In general, I cut my hair regularly, but in such a way that it is just good and it does not affect the appearance.

In Sergey Lukyanenko's book "Day Watch", the song "I'm free" was called the anthem of the Dark Ones. Do you agree with this?

Yes, I know, Margarita Pushkina read to me. I don't see us as something dark. Our creativity, on the contrary, is aimed at awakening light in the hearts.

How do you like Ryazan? What is associated with Ryazan?

First of all, Ryazan is associated with Sergei Yesenin, because this is his homeland.

And Ryazan fans?

Fans are remembered for their activity. (At this moment, a bus with a group of KIPELOVs drives up to the service entrance of the Crater, and a crowd of fans chant “Ke-pe-lov !!!”, Valery smiles: the activity of the fans has been proven even before the start of the concert).

Official website of the Kipelov group: http://www.kipelov.ru

Interview: Alexander “SUMRAK” Nefedov, Svetlana Kolokolenkova
Photo: Natalia "Snakeheart" Patrashova
March 25, 2007
Initially, the interview was published in the newspaper about rock music "PRO rock", No. 13, 2007
(c) website

What do we know about Vyacheslav Molchanov, besides the fact that for eight years he has been a permanent member of one of the main rock bands in our country? What did he do for a long time creative way from accompanying pop bands to performing on the same stage with such metal monsters as Manowar and Alice Cooper? One of the most promising guitarists, and more recently, vocalists in Russian metal, a musician who opened up to fans from a completely new perspective, has a wide creative potential and is just an interesting conversationalist, Vyacheslav told us about his new brainchild - the Molchanoff project, about a new role for himself vocalist, about how it works with legendary figures, and about creative and not only plans for the near and far future.

Vyacheslav, let's first talk about your solo mini-album "Inception". How long ago did the idea to record a solo album come about?

The first preliminary demos were recorded three years ago together with Oleg Khovrin ( drums). And the idea of ​​recording as a separate album, we hatched for quite a long time. After all, in order to make the final product of proper quality, you need to make a lot of effort and time. Yes, and in terms of funding, it was necessary to seriously invest, because good mixing, mastering and other implementation creative plans require significant financial outlays. In addition, at that time I had a dense tour schedule with the Kipelov group, and I could not fully engage in solo work. But at some point, Oleg called me and urged me to start recording - they say, stop sitting at home, it's time to record this whole thing. There were already about a dozen ready-made compositions at that time. As a result, after the work done, this album turned out.

Are there compositions on the release that were previously offered to the Kipelov group?

Yes, they are. The ballad "Never Too Late / Too Late" was offered to Valery Alexandrovich in the same arrangement as on the recording. But for some reason he didn't approve of it. In the end, it was decided to include this song in my album.

Such musicians as Oleg Khovrin and Alik Granovsky took part in the recording. Why did you choose them?

You played together with Oleg Khovrin in the Sixth Sense project. I love playing with him, he's a very talented drummer. We are also Good friends Besides. But with Alik, everything turned out completely differently: initially, it was planned to record Darryl Jones from Rolling Stones. We had already begun to negotiate, but then we thought that yes, Darryl is a talented bassist, and, of course, he will do a great job of recording all the necessary bass parts. But man is thousands of miles away, and no matter how he works, there will be no necessary creative interaction. And I really like Alik, he is an extreme musician, while he has a lot of roots from the old art-rock. That is, in terms of music, Alik is diverse, and we just needed such a musician who has the necessary knowledge in other genres of music. So I called him. At first, Alik thought seriously, said that this was a very responsible job, and offered to get together to play. In the end, I went to his house, we played almost non-stop all day, sorting out certain "pieces" and just jamming. And then he came to the studio and very quickly recorded everything.

You yourself acted as the vocalist. So it was originally planned, or was there still a search for a vocalist?

The idea to act as a vocalist has been around for a long time. I'll explain why. Very often, when you compose songs, not just a riff or some fragment in a song is born in your head, but the whole component of the composition as a whole, up to the vocal parts. And it is very difficult to explain and somehow show the vocalist the vision of the composition that you have in your head. The vocalist can be strong, but at the same time he will not “feel” the idea that you want to convey to him. So I decided to sing myself. This is my first experience in such an unusual role for me. I regret not doing this earlier. But still ahead, I continue to develop further.

The compositions on the release are recorded in two languages ​​at once. Is this some sort of westward orientation?

Let's just say that this is an orientation towards Russia. ( Laughs.) Initially, the release was planned in English to attract a European audience: we have been talking for a long time with job offers on European festivals. But, unfortunately, English is not very popular in our country, so we decided to make additional versions of the compositions in Russian. Thus killing two birds with one stone.

On the release, in fact, there are only 3 compositions. Isn't it enough?

“Inception” is more of a single than an album. And with this single, we wanted to test the reaction of the listeners, how they will perceive these songs. Perhaps no one needs this project at all, and our work will be wasted, and there will simply be no point in recording a full-fledged album. Agree, because it would be more offensive to record and release a full-fledged release, which would be absolutely unclaimed. That's why we released the single, and we were pleasantly surprised by its demand from the listeners, a large number positive feedback, downloads and sales.

Does the name of the single "Beginning" speak for itself?

Yes, there will be a sequel. Molchanoff is not just mine solo project, this is a full-fledged group with permanent members. Now there are only three of us: me, drummer Oleg Khovrin and bass player Vasily Dronov. Alik Granovsky has his own group Master, to which he seriously devotes himself, so I do not think that he will be torn into two teams. With Vasya Dronov, I once worked in the Valkyrie group, he professional musician. Most likely, a keyboard player will be added to our group in the future, this vacancy is still free.

And how does Valery Kipelov himself relate to your work? Will your project interfere with participation in the Kipelov group?

No, it won't hurt. With Kipelov we now have a small number of concerts, so without any problems I can combine two groups at once. Valery Alexandrovich, on the contrary, worries, gives good advice about our project, is quite positive. To be honest, I liked his reaction to what was happening, I thought it would be somewhat different.

Satisfied with the work done? Have all your ideas been brought to life?

That's when we just recorded the single, they listened to it, and at that moment we were just blissed out. But now the ardor has cooled down a bit. Especially for me in terms of singing - I constantly study with teachers, develop in this direction. And what I hear on the recording, I can no longer listen to.

Does participation in two groups at once allow you to realize your Creative skills? Uncover, so to speak, creative potential?

Kipelov still has a different kind of music, which allows revealing only one side of his creative potential. But if we also take into account the Molchanoff project, then yes, in these two groups I try to open up completely.
By the way, work is underway to revive the group Sixth Sense. We want to record a single, see how the audience reacts, and then start writing a full album. With Alexander Grata we have already made 3 songs. The line-up will also include Oleg Khovrin and Vasily Dronov, that is, almost all the same musicians as in the Molchanoff project. Only the singers are different. In the near future we will take up the recording of the material.

You have repeatedly said that in the near future you wanted to release an extended version of the video school. When will these plans be implemented? In what format will it be published?

Somewhere in six months, I plan to give master classes, on the basis of which a video school will be released. Not just videos, but a full, extended version, released on DVD. But I haven't decided on the format yet.

Let's talk about the Kipel group. The group is almost 12 years old, but during this time only two full-fledged albums were released. Don't you think that such a long delay with new material may negatively affect the attitude towards the band from your own fans?

Think. And I'm very worried about this. We have a lot musical material, we have already completed four compositions, there are certain ideas, but there are no lyrics! This is some kind of karma for us!

That is, all questions to Margarita Anatolyevna?

Everything is complicated here ... Margarita Anatolyevna and Valery Alexandrovich cannot find a common creative language. I perfectly understand Margarita Anatolyevna, she writes a lot. Here we have a ballad written by me four years ago, and no one can write a text on it. They even tried to work with other poets, but to no avail. Pushkina alone wrote several lyrics for this song, but they different reasons didn't fit. And here Valery Alexandrovich can also be understood - it is he who will have to sing these lines, and some words are not very convenient to sing. Margarita Anatolyevna is a poetess, she represents the plot of the song in her own way. And Valery Alexandrovich must convey the mood of the song to the public in his own words, with his voice, he must go through all this so that the text is ideal for him. And here the main thing is to reach the necessary compromise. It is because of the search for this very compromise that we have problems with new songs.

Now many bands have refused to release the album on physical media, preferring Internet versions. Is the Kipelov group going to follow the example of their colleagues?

No, we do not plan to go headlong into the Internet market. Quite the contrary - with the growing interest in vinyl, we try to release each of our releases also on vinyl.

Many fans complain that your concerts in many cities are held in sit-down halls. What is it connected with? Is it really pleasant for a group to perform in front of a sitting room?

In fact, it is very unpleasant for us to work according to this scheme, because sometimes you do not see any reaction from the audience, there is no return. And this is connected, unfortunately, with the organization of concerts. More precisely, this is the condition of the owners of the premises, as they are afraid that during the concerts the fans will break the chairs and make a mess. I personally don't like performing in front of a seated audience - you're bobbing on the stage, doing something, trying to rock the audience, and the audience is sitting and just looking at you.

The Kipelov band has been in the top echelon of the Russian metal scene for a long time, but there is no interest on your part in conquering the western audience. But surely there are offers to perform at international festivals ...

We are constantly receiving offers to participate in major festivals abroad, but Valery Alexandrovich says that after all, our music is designed specifically for the Russian market. And I partly agree with him, because the group has a Russian mentality, and it seems to me that it will not be entirely clear to Europeans.

For a long time, in the circles of the initiates, such a concept as the “Kipelov phenomenon” has been used - with a small amount of material, similar concerts, the same program and a minimum of scenery, the group over and over again collects full houses in all cities of Russia. What do you think, what is it connected with?

This is the charisma of Valery Alexandrovich, he is like a locomotive. Still he cult person, thanks to this alone, people most likely go to our concerts. Because any group with such “progress” and the number of numbered albums in 12 years would have been blown away long ago ... But we really try, we make every effort not to stand still.

Is it easy to work with Valery Kipelov?

Yes, very easy considering my past experience with different artists. He is very soulful person, all members of the group communicate with him on an equal footing. Of course, it does not do without scandals and abuse, but it does not come to fights. ( Laughs.)

In general, the usual workflow!

Exactly. But we, as a family, have long gotten used to each other. We can yell at each other, and in five minutes we can hug and forget everything.

We can't help but ask about the band's new album. Is it too early to talk about any dates, as we understand it?

Yes, it's too early to talk about the timing. Now we have one composition ready with lyrics and 3 songs without lyrics. Again, we cannot predict when the lyrics will be written, but I hope that this will happen in the near future.

Wouldn't you like to try again to write music on a ready-made text, as you already did with the composition "Salieri and His Reflection"?

Following “Salieri”, we tried to write another song in the same way, but somehow it didn’t work ... As a result, the vocal parts were changed in the song, a new “fish” was sung, and the text no longer fit.

What are the plans of the Kipelov group for 2014?

We have canceled almost all solo tours for this year and are working on new material. We need new songs. This is our main plans, we will work!

So what are your personal plans?

Keep making music. Music takes up almost all of my free time. I try to play the guitar for four hours a day and practice vocals for an hour and a half or two. And that's a full time job. Plus I go to the gym, study hard English language by Skype. Therefore, my free time for personal interests is minimized. But still, I want to raise my Molchanoff project and start performing, since there are already offers to perform at summer festivals.

And besides music?

Probably get married and have kids. I think it's time for me. ( Laughs.)

And the last, standard question: your wishes to readers and fans.

Be yourself under any circumstances. And, probably, the most important thing is to be honest with yourself and everyone else.

Official website of the Kipelov group: http://www.kipelov.ru

We would like to thank Gulnara Zaripova for her help in organizing this interview.

Interview: Alexander "SUMRAK" Nefedov, Irina Shershneva.
Photo: Alexander "SUMRAK" Nefedov
March 29, 2014
website

The Aria group is celebrating its 30th anniversary with two big concerts at Stadium Live on November 28 and 29. Valery Kipelov, the vocalist of the classical composition of Aria, also takes part in them, and has been heading the own project. Lenta.ru spoke with Kipelov about the history of the first Russian professional heavy metal band, which included stadiums and night watchmen, ridicule from underground musicians and complaints from production leaders.

"Lenta.ru": "Aria" arose on the basis of the vocal-instrumental ensemble "Singing Hearts". How did it happen that the Soviet VIA took and turned into a heavy metal band in the spirit of the super-popular Iron Maiden at that time?

Valery Kipelov: I came to Singing Hearts from the Leysya Song ensemble, in which I worked for five years together with Nikolai Rastorguev. But in 1985, a special commission appeared, which checked the ensembles, repertoire and ideology, and many VIA did not pass this commission. They were sent for a rehearsal period - that is, they had to retake, prepare new repertoire.
Then it was mandatory to perform 80% of the songs of the Union of Composers and 20% of young authors, as they were called. We made Tukhmanov's "Day without a Shot", "Hymn of Democratic Youth", "If only the boys of the whole earth", but "Leysya, song" did not pass the commission, they "tightened up" on us. For various reasons, and for ideological ones too. A rather difficult period began, no one believed that vocal and instrumental ensembles would be allowed to work somehow.
And then Viktor Vekshtein called me (producer and leader of Singing Hearts, who tragically died in 1990 - approx. "Tapes.ru"). They have already been screened, and Vekshtein decided to make a separate project based on the Singing Hearts. He invited Nikolai Noskov, bassist Alik Granovsky was also there then. But Noskov left, and I came, and soon the guitarist Vladimir Kholstinin. At first we played what was left of Noskov, I dragged some songs “Flow, song”. Somehow the song "Torero" was born. They tried to look for poets, many refused. Alexander Elin and Rita Pushkina agreed to write for us.

Photo: Alexander Polyakov / RIA Novosti

And you decided to play heavy music?

I've always loved Black Sabbath Led Zeppelin was aware of all these events. Nikolai Rastorguev and I even tried to bring in some elements of rock and roll in “Leisya, song”. So there has always been a love for rock music, and even more so such conditions - we passed the screening, there were no brakes. And we persuaded Vekshtein, I don't know how, to try to record an album.
Formally, we were part of the Singing Hearts. We went on tour, played not understand what. In the first part they played some incomprehensible repertoire, and in the second part they were accompanied by Antonina Zhmakova, a singer and Vekshtein's wife. We devoted the whole summer of 1985 to recording our first album, which was called Megalomania. Vekshtein listened, he liked the songs. He said that yes, it would be difficult to break through, because it was still a difficult period, but Gorbachev was already in power, and it became easier with ideology. Vekshtein was an experienced man, he knew which strings to press, which cabinets to enter, and somewhere in October, in my opinion, the album was released.
Vekshtein really wanted to name the group "Volcano" and even composed a song with that name. At his insistence, we recorded it. It was such a compromise. Then this song was tactfully cut off and the tape was given to distribution without it. And the album went under the name "Aria".

Who suggested the name?

Most likely, it was Holstinin's idea. I really wanted something short. musical title, perhaps reminiscent of something Iron Maiden. Beautiful, musical, capacious, convenient to chant. Moreover, Holstinin had an Aria Pro-II guitar. The album flew around the whole country literally in an instant, and then Vekshtein found out that the group was not called "Volcano", as he dreamed, but "Aria". There was a showdown, and somehow we convinced him that the "Volcano" resembles a vacuum cleaner brand. In addition, there was a movie about a border dog named Vulcan.

Is it correct to call "Aria" the first Soviet heavy metal band?

Although we all loved rock music in our hearts, but before that it was not possible to perform it on a professional stage. Some bands may have started playing heavy metal in the USSR before us, but we were the first to do it on the professional stage.
We worked from the Mosconcert. This caused ridicule from musicians from the underground. They all considered themselves real, they are all from the underground, in rock laboratories, and we officially, therefore, work at the Mosconcert. But I believe that it was our merit - we staked out this matter at the official level.

Regarding the relationship with the underground: Kinchev once said in an interview that "Alisa" was very friendly with "Aria".

There was no enmity between the musicians. Basically, this was done by the environment, journalists, in particular, Artemy Troitsky. It hurts, I remember he didn't like us. He believed that heavy metal is the music of people suffering from an inferiority complex, so they huddle in big piles to yell, chant. Then Troitsky said that Kirkorov was probably a more worthy person in rock than me. Troitsky believed that the progressives were Butusov with the Nautilus Pompilius. They, therefore, were fighters with the system, but we, as it were, were not. But we have never laid claim to these laurels, we have never been fighters against the communists, the Bolsheviks, never. We were minding our own business, music, and fighting was not our prerogative.

Photo: Alexey Kudenko / Kommersant

And how did the first listeners react to heavy metal? I remember, for example, that in 1987, at metal concerts in Moscow, the audience was forbidden to get up from their seats, and those who got up and, say, waved their arms, were taken out of the hall by the police.

At first, there were different situations, because we played half the concert as “Singing Hearts”, and half as “Aria”. The name "Aria" was officially approved only in 1986, so it happened that people came to the VIA "Singing Hearts", but received something else and were indignant. There were production leaders who wrote angry letters. They liked Zhmakova, because it was still a Soviet stage, but we had all sorts of complaints, to the point that we were threatened with dispersal. In the end, in 1986, already somewhere in the fall, the name was officially approved, the artistic council met for a long time. Sasha Gradsky helped us a lot in this regard, he convinced us that this music also has a right to exist. They objected to us, they said that the songs were too aggressive. Weckstein argued that this was "our answer to Chamberlain", our answer to Western influence. By that time, we had the songs “Will and Reason”, “Get Up, Overcome Fear”.
By the end of 1986, we had already recorded two albums (the second album was called “Who are you with?”), And for various reasons, contradictions arose within the group - both with Vekshtein and between the musicians. Unfortunately, this composition ordered to live for a long time. From the first composition, Volodya Kholstinin and I remained, and in 1987 it was already another “Aria”. Zhmakova became, as it were, completely separate - Vekshtein recruited musicians for her and she also decided to play heavy music called "Octopus".

There was such a sinusoid in the history of Aria: great popularity in the perestroika years, then another rise in the early 2000s, and between these peaks there was a time when almost no one heard about the group.

Yes, yes. The first surge was after the release of the second album. Then heavy metal came into fashion, and only the lazy did not play such music. Even Pugacheva, in my opinion, put on iron bracelets. Rotaru also began to use elements of hard rock. It was very fashionable, and then the fashion began to slowly pass. In 1987 we recorded a very successful album, one of the best - "Asphalt Hero". And probably, already in 1989, the popularity of heavy music began to fall, other priorities appeared: affectionate, small, big - everything related to pop music. There were mostly plywood workers there, they didn’t have to worry about sound, everything was simple for them.
Smart people invested in them, it was hard to compete with them, but we tried. And here is the lowest point of the sinusoid - it was about 1992-1994, it was the bottom. We hardly worked, because we were offered to work on "wood" (I mean the equipment, the hall), but we tried to do some concerts. During this period, Dubinin and I worked as watchmen at the same base where we rehearsed.
It was very difficult, because almost all families, children, I had two children. Many musicians broke down and some left for Belgium, Germany, America, thinking to find themselves there. We did not experience such illusions, because we soberly assessed our capabilities, and knew that such musicians, such groups in the West are like uncut dogs. We bent our line, tried to hold on, survive.
Probably, since 1995, the rise began. We recorded a successful album "Night is shorter than day", and the rise lasted until 2002. We broke up with "Aria" at the very peak of popularity. We had everything in in perfect order: touring, finances, everything was great, you can’t say anything. Usually this happens when it's bad, and we broke up when it was good. Perhaps this is what distinguishes us from other teams. The climb really turned out, but they didn’t pass the test copper pipes.

What was your first group "Peasant Children" like?

The guys played at the dances and there was a very strange repertoire. Well, what is played at the dance. Actually there is very talented musicians were, there was a wonderful guitarist and songwriter Dmitry Korzyuk, now deceased. It was more like the Soviet stage, although we performed cover versions of Creedence, The Beatles at dances, at weddings. That is, the Soviet stage and plus more cover versions, let's say so. Nazareth, Love Hurts often sang.

What do you think of the new wave of heavy music that emerged in the 2000s?

It's hard for me to judge this, I'm not very good at it. More question, probably, to the musicians of the Kipelov group. They are younger, they listen to these commands. At one time, I didn’t really like Metallica, I liked Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne more - these were my main three classical heavy metal bands. Before that I was very fond of Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, at one time simply adored the Creedence Clearwater Revival group. This is what I was raised on.
Of all the bands that have come out since classic heavy metal, I like Muse the most. My whole family is turned to this group, we go to concerts. I like certain System of a Down songs, but I still prefer classic heavy metal. Although I don't really listen to this music in my life. I listen to Cossack songs, my favorite singer Evgenia Smolyaninova, folk songs, good Soviet pop music. As a child, I listened to a lot opera singers, Lemeshev, Kozlovsky, loved folk singer Lidia Ruslanova and still listen to her. Therefore, my addictions have a very strange batch.

It is quite logical, because it is also all melodic and beautiful.

Yes, I love the classics. I often go to concerts. Here is the "Helikon-Opera", now they have new theater, will go. My brother-in-law works there and former vocalist group "Master" Misha Seryshev too. I enjoyed watching the production of "Boris Godunov" in their chamber hall.

Many fans of Kipelov, Aria, are close to fantasy aesthetics. Now many films and series are being made in this aesthetic. See this?

I didn't get into Game of Thrones. What immediately hooked me was The Lord of the Rings, one of my favorite movies. I watch it with my granddaughters, I have two of them. The oldest is 14, the youngest is six. With children, too, they are already adults: my daughter is 35, my son is 26, he graduates from the conservatory in the cello class.
It seems to me that The Lord of the Rings is the most successful film in this genre. All the rest - "The Chronicles of Narnia", "Harry Potter" - somehow I was not very impressed, but I liked this one. Maybe the music, maybe the actors, maybe the plot. In the texts of the Kipelov group, the heroism is still more personal, more earthly, or something. I'm not very interested in singing Icelandic sagas or something like that. Although I find there something that can be taken and adapted to the present, I am happy to do this.