Ukr-AccountУкраїнцям за кордоном

The magazine (edited) version:
Eugen,
— How do you see the development of music? Will it be in more electronic elements or folk ones?
- Real elements of music are melody and rhytm, they both are great … i personally prefer analog roots sounding things, or when rhytm gets melodic and melody gets rhytmical, like for example in samba …
— Are you planning (or perhaps working already) to work with Ukrainian bands?
- Collaborations tend to be spontaneous, so i dont really plan them. usually after a several good nights of drinking with someone it falls in a place.
— Who are you _currently working with in US? (DJs, performers)
- We just finished a new record with Rick Rubin, perhaps he needs no introduction to rock music lovers, but our new plan is to curate our own festival, where eclectic, but very passion driven bands and dj can collaborate …
— What do you think are the key success factors of you band?
- Im glad you ask me this, because when i happen to read anything about our success in russian or ukr press it tends to be a terribly misinformed bullshit, where somehow impact of our “majestic PR” is sighted as driving force. I hate to bum you out but noone ever though that gogol b was some kind of sensation here in the west. it was always a very hard working rock n roll band that gained its following and recognition by unrelenting grass roots touring and consistant quality of work, records, writing etc … even 10 years ago we were already playing to thousands of people in many towns. its just been growing all thise time, untill even Russians heard about it! West is unforgiving in thise sence, you cant really buy consistency of your success … bullshit doesnt fly … people know whats up with music, if somting doesnt rock, you wont convince them that it does …
— Why do you think Gypsy punk became popular? And especially in America, with the totally different musical culture?
- There is no such a thing as gypsy punk, its just a phraze that my gypsy friends made up to call music i was writing … so i called our 3-d album Gypsy Punks … other bands tried to use it to its advantage as well later on … but true reasons for popularity i just explained in previous quetion …
— Do you agree with the fact the jazz music in America is the same as folk music in Slavic countries?
- I have no idea what you mean, there is huge folk tradition in america, and i dont mean country music, i mean bluegrass, appalachian ballads and so on … folk is folk, jazz is jazz
— Why did you move to the USA?
- I saw Sonic youth play in 89 in Kiev and became obsessed with NY, inventually i made my way down there …
— How happened that you decided to create a band?
- I was musician since very early age, even back here in Kiev i was already in the band … it called Uksusnick, we even were in some hit parades, … not that it meant a god damn thing or anything …
— Was it easy to find band members that have the same spirit as you?
- I can tell people who can be in GB from a mile away … its a fairly rare bread of people, but not uncommon … they key element is stamina, both psychological and physical, and unrelenting passion for music,,, with clear understanding that everything else in life is very very secondary … basicly you have to be a fucking maniac … even the crew members that make our show possible with sound and lights and loading are the same way, thats our way …
— What are you currently working on? (both of your careers)
- I ve been getting more and more into idea of directing a film, it will be down in brasil, perhaps in a while, movies take long time to put togeather … there is also constant request to write an autobiography, but i really dont think its time yet … but certain pressure of these requests does resolt into writing parts of it …
but id say my most intence passion right now is exploring music of brasil where i ve been living, its an ncredible country with incredible culture and people … it really gave me a whole new wind for Dj-ing too …
— What is your favorite band, singer, composer (not necessary contemporary)
- Johny Cash, Visotsky, Victor Tzoi, Manu chao, Cartola, Sasha Kolpakov … the usual good guys, you know, … people who are able to create timeless music that speaks to the whole world …
— Do you admire someone (politicians. whoever)
- No i dont admire any politicians … and i think word admiring more makes me think of wemen, and other things that give unending inspiration to our lives … to evolution …
— Who is your teacher (in music)
- Do you have a musical family (do your parents sing or play any instruments)
i mostly learned everything from my father, he really was like a juke-box who just could go for hours entertaining the crowd or a partys here in Kiev with songs and god knows what else, just like singing song after song in english, russian, ukrainian, what not … that was the jam! so thats my main school for sure, later on i also got into punk rock and that was a major inspiration, and also school of gypsy music is very important, … basicly i liked things that had certain method to them … because if something is just cathartic and purely energy driven without a method, it will sooner or later burn out … and method implies a lot of homework … you gotta be a ninja at what you do … whatever it is, you gotta create your own karate. a method that allows you to be spontaneous and free.
— Do you write music for films?
- Yeah, Everything is illuminated, Wrist cutters, may be there was more …
— On your opinion, what's wrong with Ukraine?
- Listen, im coming to have a good time and hopefully give people a buzz they can live off for next couple month … not with a lecture.
— Are you happy in your life and in what you are doing?
- What im doing is living my day to its maximum potential, my idea of its potential, not gonernments idea or anybodys elses idea … and that what makes me happy … i did not invent thise method, its an good old anciant warrior recepy … im only passing the message along … just passing it along to the next one …
The end.