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“Producer of the issue”

5 èþíÿ 2005
For this time the “producer of the issue” of ‘MUSICEXPERT” is the person, which role in Russian show-busyness can hardly be overestimated. This person has rich musical past, saturate present, and, no doubt, interesting future. Last year the main child of Kim Breitburg was the global TV project on the channel “Russia” “Public Artist”, which had many fans among Russian TV viewers. And the artists, guided by Kim Breitburg in tandem with Eugeniy Fridliand, earned the love of the nation. All that became the worthy reason for MUSICEXPERT to ask the producer about the meeting and to answer some interesting questions.

-Tell, what did you do in last 2004 year?
-Regarding the time and amount of work the biggest and the only project of 2004 for me was, of course, the “Public Artist”. It was about 120(!) arrangements for several months, dense, saturate schedule, nerves stress. Every week was the new composition, rehearsals, filming and concerts… Speaking about the current work, there was a lot too. Last year we recorded the sole album of Alexey Goman – the winner of the first “Public Artist”, practically finished the album of the band “A Sortie” – finalists of the project too, finally the second mix of “Public Artist” 2003 songs was released. About 20 songs were wrotten for Chumakov and Panajotov. Beside the activity connected to the TV project, the work was done over the preparation and carrying out of the anniversary concert of Boris Moiseev. In the end of the year the song “Leningrad-Petersburg” appeared for the duet Gurchenko-Moiseev. I wrote the music, and the lyrics were written by Eugeniy Muraviev, and it seams to me the song brought significant success to the artists. It is interesting to notice, that Ludmila Markovna is the sinning actress, and Boris Moiseev is the singing dancer. There is some similarity in them. Concerning their serious attitude to the profession. I, in my turn, made all possible to organize that duet, and, most likely, I was right. Of course, I occupied with “Premier Ministr” too. They had two great concerts in SCCH “Russia”, which demanded lots of efforts. To that I managed to write some good songs, including those which were performed in the New Year project “New songs about the same”. Valeriy Leontiev sang “Gulchatay”, Diana Gurtzkaya sang “Night is the night”. Thus, the year was as difficult, as fruitful it was.
-Thank you for such a developed answer. I’m sure the you heard the next question form many people, but I wish to ask it personally, to dodge the reference to others sources. I’m interested in your opinion about the principal difference between “Star Factory” and “Public Artist”?
-Speaking professionally, they are of different genres. For the start, “Start Factory” is the reality show. Some amount of music and “real life observation”. “Factory” is the TV show, longed in time, and of TV series type. Several artists graduate from that show, the duets and the whole groups with already popular artists are popular there. “Public Artist” is, first of all, the vocal competition, where the whole system of selection is shown for the viewers. Till the voting there is no reference with “Factory”, on my opinion. The specifics of the shows are different. Finally, there is no coverage of the household and participants relationship problems in “Public Artist”. The participant live at home and not in the studio, so there are lots of difference between those shows.
-Still, in the end, both “Factory” and “Public Artist” “throw” several singers to the market. Because of that situation some producers and performers express some disappointing. They speak about clear monopolization, the market is overfilled. Comment those opinions please.
-I’d like to say, that, in general, “Public Artist” is less in that case. Firstly, we don’t stand corporative. So to say, the “First” channel actively cooperate with Russian Radio, Muz-TV, MTV and that is not a secret. Speaking about the “Russia” channel, it put off any wardship from both finalists and other participants right after the end of the competition. Of course, it helps in something, invites to gala-concerts, shootings, but there is no contract job with them. I’ll add that there are much few artists and releases, than the “Factory”, which we “launched”.
-As far as I know, the “Avtoradio” supports you, and you say that there were no media alliances?
-Yes, “Avtoradio” executes the informational support of the project, but still there is no strict agreements between it and “Russia” channel. In any case, the amount of “Public Artist” performers rotations doesn’t stand any comparison with the support of the “Russian Radio”, which it provide according to the agreement with “Factory”. The point is, that “Russia” channel has not long-term contracts with the singers, therefore there is no point in using other resources. I and Eugeniy Fridliand occupy the winners after the end of the project. Returning to the question of such projects in general, I think it is the positive phenomenon. Because there are talented singers on both “Factory” and “Public Artist”, why should it be bad if their song get in rotations on TV and radio? The quality of the music was improved too. Comparing to the 5-years-old music on Russian Radio to the nowadays music, the difference is huge. And I like it. As a professional I can say that the attention to the lyrics and arrangements was greatly improved.
-Doesn’t it look strange to you: how can somebody pay enough attention to the lyrics and arrangements at such “hit-conveyer”?
-Yes, show busyness was and stays the conveyer, nowadays it just became more systematic and considered.
-Do you know anything about the “entrance tickets” for such shows? Because the half of the participants is known in advance. And many of them are the kids of famous parents. Or some rich people, in the end.
-The point is, that the guys can’t come from nowhere. Yes, somebody was a model earlier, somebody had some demos, the others hang around somewhere. Somebody was seen somewhere. But the producers point of view is quite understandable too, because they have to look forward, and, first of all, they see those, who has some finance background.
-I think guys on “Public Artist” are more easy?
Yes, it is true, there is no deception. It is the children of common parents, who often give the last money to send their children to Moscow.
-Say, are they any tricks in the technology of participants selection?
-There is no secret technology. However, I can say: some deviations are possible at the lavel of editors – on the very first stage of the selection. Sometimes, the person got too excited, he couldn’t hold him self or he decided to sing the song editors didn’t know. There can be some unfair, on my opinion, moments, when the editors don’t let the talent and abilities of the person for the jury. On the other side, it is impossible to watch all 10 thousand of candidates at a time. Speaking about those who manage to face the jury, then we evenly estimate them, discuss and think. Besides, any of us can clearly explain to both a colleague or a candidate why he made the certain decision. So that game is fair.
-As far as I understand, you mostly want to occupy global projects now?
-I need to say, that I’m not alone, and it is important. Eugeniy Fridliand is my companion and we work together for many years. During those years some kind of a labor division was formed. He occupies the PR, the work with the designers, directors, stylists, journalists, lawyers. My responsibilities are music composing, works with the music arrangements, records in the studio, editing of vocal part and joining. The wide circle of issues, including those connected with the repertoire of the artists, is solved by both of us together. It is very reasonable because it is almost impossible to handle everything alone. Thus, there is a point to speak about the tandem. Speaking about your question… Without the projects of such scale one can found him self on the roadside of everything happening around. If there is such a tendency to globalization, it means we shall be in the stream too, if we position our selves as the participants of that busyness. With Eugeniy we accept the proposal to work with “Russia” channel, because it was, no doubt, interesting and prestige. Yes, when we were invited to the “Public Artist” for the second time, we apprehended that the viewers could have less interest in the project, but the ratings sometimes even overtake those from the last year. It means, that our work is good and actual.
-Tell, what does worry you the most in the future of Russian music show-busyness?
-I won’t be original, if I say that the piracy worries me the most. That part of the busyness is just switched off now. And I clearly understand that if the situation of at least ten years old returned, when the disks cost a lot, and when the artists got much larger fee for the albums, everything would be much more interesting. Formerly, “Souz” was quite capable to control the market and paid the singers well. And what is it now? Artists rushed all around the country and perform on corporative parties.
-What can be done with it?
-I don’t know, the government should decide it, and control the law execution more strictly. The corruption is the cause. Apparently, somebody gets big bribes. And the pirates are scourge for authors and performers. The disk became the addition to the concert. And it is good that somebody still can give a notice concert. Boris Moiseev can, for example. And somebody works only, I repeat myself, on corporative parties, factories anniversaries, and birthdays of rich persons.
-Question for the author. How do you think, what genres will be actual the nearest time? Maybe it will be same pop, maybe rock or R’n’B?
-Speaking about the R’n’B… We walked the hard road, because “Premier Ministr” was planned as the R’n’B band, and then they were one of few who dared on it. But I understand that R’n’B can be the high priority direction of music in the country with Slavic culture. Maybe that music will form some kind of a vector, but not the main one. Yes, it is interesting for young people now. It is interesting to “talk”, to work by speech, as the musical instrument, but I think there will be no revolutions. The mainstream, located between European music and our native music, will keep the highest priority. I’m sure that the music founded on folk will be close to our nation on the genes level.
-And what about the guitar music?
-I’m agree, the contingent is large. It will develop simultaneously. But, unfortunately, that vector is limited by some “special” approach here, which takes place on “Our Radio”. That is the rock of narrow vector. Something, that has no title. Something connected with KCP. It turns, that our rock is much lyrics and less music. It means, if you hear some words delirium, sang up under the guitar, than there are some reasons to call that “amateur performance” as Russian rock. I want to ask, to say the rhetorical question – where are our U2, Aero-smith, Brian Adams, where is the quality rock in its genuine sense? Of course, there is such music somewhere, somebody plays it, but because of the radio stations – people think several times before playing it. It is too expensive to make such music. Imagine, to spend as much as U2 for the album record and then not to get the format of “Our Radio”. It is much more easier to find some cheap studio, to record the songs and then say – here, we play Russian rock. Though, I can place Zemphira as the example – everything was done correctly.

“Musicexpert” magazine, #1
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