Разбор полета / группа IC3PEAK // 24.12.18

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Six-six

One-two-three

Shall we begin?

Good evening. Hello.

This is the "Debriefing" show

Usually I describe it as a show about
people and their life-choices

but today this is a show about
the outcomes of IC3PEAK tour

And our today's guests are Nastya
Kreslina

and Nikolai Kostylev
(makes accent on the last syllable)

Nikolai Kostylev
(makes accent on the first syllable O)

Kolya: It's fine, both
pronunciations are fine,
I don't mind.

Host: hello, folks.

Nastya: Hello-hello.

Host: You tour has ended and it was a
major event of our country's inner
political life.

Did you expect it all to happen as it did?

Well, we simply wished to tour
around and sing songs

Instead, it almost turned into
a clandestine spy story

Host: So this was not a produced story?

Nastya: This was not some
premediated PR stunt.

Nastya: Yet, it was a sort of spontaneous
self-emerged PR stunt made by our
country's authorities.

Host: In that regard, you probably
should be even grateful to them?

Kolya: Yes. Respects.

Nastya: Well, a little bit yes.
A little bit grateful.

Host: That is, in essence, the album and
the tour were financially profitable?

Host: Did it work out?

Kolya: We don't do finances ourselves, so

our tour-manager should be able to
answer this question better.

But, regarding the support, the scope,
and the people's interest to our band,

this tour helped us tremendously.

Host: The tour has finished several
days ago?

Kolya: Yes, our last gig was
the day before yesterday.

Nastya: Yes, we believe that from this
tour we emerged victorious

because despite all the obstacles we still
managed to do all the gigs

and even expanded our audience,
attracted new listeners.

This is very cool.

Hostess: Did you do everything you
planned?

Nastya: Only three of our gigs were truly cancelled.

Sometimes we played only 25-30 minutes,
which is very little

but at least we were able to play at all
and it is already a victory to us.

Host: Did you ever had people
refunding/returning the tickets

for any of your gigs?
Or did you reschedule the gigs?

Kolya: Tickets were returned in many
instances, and it is understandable:

many people were prevented from even
reaching the concert hall,

because we were forced to move to
new locations on the spot.

Every time, new location was kept in secret,
of sorts.

We were notifying the fans by Telegram,
personally messaging every person who

purchased a ticket to tell the new
location of the gig.

Those messages did not reach everyone.

As a result, not everyone came to the gig.

Of course, we returned the money to
everyone who did not reach the gig.

Host: Were there people who did not
succeed in reaching the gig,

but — in support of IC3PEAK —
did not take the money back?

Nastya: Of course, there were
people like that too.

Some fans were even buying more than one
ticket, just to support us.

That's what we heard from our fans.

Kolys: But the nicest thing is that even
cops and FSB (secret police)

bought the tickets to attend the gig

Nastya: they invested into tickets.
We are grateful to them.

Kolya: We thank them all.

Host: we will discuss your dialogues with the
people of force ("siloviki") a bit later.

Is it true that the last couple of gigs on
weren't disturbed by authorities?

Nastya: Mostly, yes.

There were calls with threats from
authorities, but they were probably

scared by the publicity surrounding our
tour and did not act as much --

-- they made no arrests, etc.

Hostess: How did your last gig go,
for example? Which city was it?

Kolya, Nastia: It was in Ryazan.
it was great.

Kolya: Concert hall received calls from
authorities, and there were problems.

But, in the end, after the events
surrounding our arrest in Novosibirsk,

the authorities called again and said:
"You are free to do the gig."

Nastya: Like, "everything will be OK".

Kolya: It seems that publicity
was harmful to them.

Host: How many people
attended your gig, on average?

Kolya: Between 300 and 500 people,
depending on the city

Kolya: In Moscow and St. Petersburg,
more people came, of course.

Nastya: Well, we are still a young,
growing project.

Host: Oh, can you tell your story from
the beginning?

How did the project start?
Was it about 5 years ago?

Host: Though I am sure that the
audience of our radio station and

the Youtube channel did not hear much
about you until this autumn.

Host: So how did your project begin?

What ultimate goal did you set
for yourself?

Kolya: Well, IC3PEAK is intrinsically an
art project.

Kolya: We envisioned it as an
audiovisual project.

Kolya: So that neither audio component,
nor video component is dominant.

Kolya: From the very beginning, we
wanted to make music, video, graphics.

Kolya: Nastya is a visual artist.
I was a musician.

Together we began to create something.

Host: Why did you turn to Russian-language
lyrics just now?

Your first albums were English.

Nastya: We started with English lyrics.

For some reason I was writing in English
at that time.

Nastya: Actually, not "for some reason",
the reason was clear.

Music is itself a universal language, and
English language is similarly universal

-- the entire world speaks it.

That is why we use English.

Furthermore, our early tracks used vocals as a tool.

The story was mostly phonetical.

In essence, it was not very important
which language it was sung in,

spoken in, expressed in.

Hostess: So what made you switch
languages, and why in 2018?

Nastya: We toured a lot.

Nastya: And it is from a distance, while
touring abroad, that we became aware of

of our Russian identity of sorts.

Nastya: And simply by returning to our
native language,

we understood that we wish to have a
dialogue with our generation

without a language barrier.

Nastya: And that's how I started to write
the lyrics -- it was a mutual decision --

Nastya: I started to write the lyrics
in Russian.

Kolya: It happened very organically.

Kolya: Immediately after we returned home
from our USA tour,

we felt a desire to make music in Russian.

Hostess: Did you switch for good?

Hostess: Before that, only English,
and now -- only Russian? Or...

Nastya: No, we don't limit ourselves.

Nastya: English and Russian are the two
languages we speak, think, read,

use to learn stuff.

Nastya: We don't intend to do "only
Russian" or "only English" music now.

Nastya: This is absolutely unpredictable.

Host: What kind of people comprise your
audience in USA and other countries?

Kolya: Audiences everywhere are similar.

Nastya: Same as here.

Kolya: Internet strongly unites everyone.

Kolya: Languages differ, but folks there
are pretty much the same as folks here.

Sparkling eyes everywhere.

Kolya: On the other hand,
there are differences.

There is no uniformity.

People in their 30s, 40s, sometimes
in their 50s go to our gigs.

On average, the audience abroad is
somewhat older than in Russia,

but is otherwise pretty similar.

Host: What is "IC3PEAK"?

Kolya: Audiovisual project.

Hosts: I mean, what does the name mean?
Is it a cypher?

Nastya: There are many ways it can be
deciphered.

We have told the story of how we
came up with the name.

Nastya: In principle, any artist turns
oneself into a brand.

Natya: That's the nature of the
music industry.

We simply took an existing brand
and decided to make it our slave from now on.

It was a punk thing to do.

At the same time, it sounds as many things

For instance, it can be perceived as "I SPEAK".

We like this option as well.

Kolya: Or as "EYES PIG". A pig of eyes.

Host: In your tandem, in your duet,
lyrics is Nastya's responsibility?

Kolya: Mainly Nastya's.

Nastya: I write all lyrics, Kolya writes all music.

Host: You never switch roles?

Nastya: We discuss everything, we are
equal contributors to the project.

Nastya: Nobody dictates anything
to anyone.

Kolya: It is a collaboration, a dialogue.
Everything is born from a process.

There is a partial separation of duties.

Nastya: For example, Kolya might
comment on my lyrics,

like, "what on earth did you write here?"

Kolya: "Very bad word. Remove it."

Nastya: It does not happen often, though.

Host: Let's familiarize our listeners
with your music by putting a track on.

This track became insanely popular this
autumn -- this beginning winter --

"Death no more".
(Turns on the song on air)

Kolya: The listeners can't hear
us talk right now?

Host: No, but those who watch the
youtube stream can still hear you.

Kolya: Great! They also have sound?
Host: Yes, sure.

Kolya: That means we may sing along.
Nastya: Here it comes.

Host: By the way, I noticed that many of
your tracks are... overscaling?

Host: You called it "peaking".
Is this on purpose?

Kolya: Yes.
Nastya: Of course.

Kolya: You'll find our earlier tracks to
be more "dirty" than what we make now.

Nastya: There was a large period when we
did "noise".

Kolya: Yes, it was very "noise"-ful sound.

Host: I watched a show on "Afisha" where
you two were guessing music tracks.

Host: And you were easily recognizing
music of some weird obscure bands.

Host: Yet, you failed to recognize
the Mozart's "Requiem".

Kostya: We are lame goops.

Nastya: Now idea how it happened.

Nastya: Everyone knows that Mozart's
piece.

Kostya: This shame will follow us for
the rest of our lives.

Nastya: At the time, I was recovering from
a food poisoning.

Nastya: I was barely able to speak at all,
contrary to appearances.

Kolya: But you have a point.
We live out life on Youtube.

Kostya: So we are familiar with
lots of Youtube stuff.

Nastya: In fact, it seemed fun that we
did not recognize Mozart on that show.

Host: By the way, concerning Youtube,
your songs don't have swear words, right?

Host: I could not clearly hear all the lyrics.

Kolya: No, we don't swear.
Nastya: No.

Kolya: Even the "sad bitch" is...
Nastya: ..it is not an obscene...

Kostya: Contextually, it is about a dog,
indeed.

Hostess: It is not an obscene word.
It is allowed.

Kolya: It depends.

Hostess: It is a rude word, but not
an obscene one.

Hostess: We investigated it.

Kolya: Investigated?

Hostess: When we were figuring out what
we can or cannot say on air.

Hostess: Our guests too.

Nastya: In general, we have not a single
tracks with "explicit lyrics".

Nastya: Well, legally. By unwritten laws,
it seems that there are such tracks.

Kolya: Yes.

Host: Listeners ask about your roots,
your musical headsprings.

Host: They ask about your view on
the "cult" bands from the 1990s.

Nastya: Which bands in particular?

Hostess: Let's ask this question on air?
Host: OK.

Nastya: We hate such questions.

Kolya: "Gosti iz budushchego"?
(Russian pop/dance-pop band)

Nastya: By the way, so what?

Kolya: That's the only group we know, sorry.

Hostess: (reads from screen)
I don't even know this group.

Kolya: What's the name?

Hostess: They ask, "What's your opinion
of the...

Host: "Rage against the machine"

Kolya: "Rage against the machine"
are very cool.

Hostess: Ah, "Rage against the machine".
I looked in the wrong part of the screen.

Kolya: No-no, these guys are
great, of course. Rapcore.

Hostess: Do they still exist?

Kolya: They split, but they still
do something separately.

Hostess: Even I remember them.
It was long ago.

Host: Don't you say!

Hostess: I even have a couple of
their albums.

Host: Marina and I are very old.
At least I am for sure.

Kolya: No, why is that? It was not
so long ago. I was 5 years old.

Hostess: No, I would not have listened
to RATM as a 5-year-old.

Host: I wish we were showing your
music videos right now.

Kolya: Videos -- yes.
Nastya: Yes, it would have been better.

Hostess: But video clips....
Nastya: Can be played on the Youtube stream.

Host: So, we've finished listening to this track.

Host: This track is inspiring..

Hostess: It inspired you to do what?
Please do tell us.

Hostess: Satisfy our guests' curiosity.

Host: Everyone is inspired in one's
own way.

Host: What were the traditional reproaches
we heard from people who propagated --

-- in one way or another --
the view of "persecutioners"

(if I may call it "persecution")

authorities' persecution of your band.

They accused you of decadence,
suicidal sentiments -- do you have that?

Hostess: Presumably, "suicidal focus
of lyrics". How would you respond?

Nastya: It is not a suicidal sentiment
or mood.

Nastya: It is a description of what
is often felt by a young person

who lives in Russia.

It is a state of oppression, despiritedness.

Host: Can it be viewed as your expression
of you own state?

Nastya: Including that, yes.
Kostya: Well, of course.

Nastya: After all, we do belong to
our generation.

Kostya: Primarily, we sing about
what we feel.

Nastya: But judging by the feedback
from young audience, they feel the same.

Nastya: And I'm getting many
messages that say

"You are singing what I think and feel",
and so on.

Hostess: Excuse me for quoting Wikipedia,

Hostess: "the "Fairytale" album has songs
about social themes"

"The most colorful song "Death no more"

-- we just played on it air --

you are singing while sitting on the
shoulders of riot police men

in front of FSB (secret police)
headquarters on Lubyanka

and so on.

What is the reason for appearance
of these social themes in 2017?

Nastya: It has ripened. This mood.
It was something....

It's that nothing is changing.
The stillness.

Kolya: Nothing is changing,
but people have moved on.

They read various news from
various sources on the internet.

They don't watch TV anymore.

Hostess: How interested are you
in the news?

How important are they in your life?

Kostya: Same as for everyone.

Nastya: We don't watch TV.
Kolya: Yes.

Nastya: We follow the news.
Kolya: On the internet.

Nastya: We follow the events.
Kolya: Especially the ones relevant to us

relevant to our fans abroad,
the world at large.

Host: This feeling of stillness,
that nothing is changing --

-- did it come to you at some
particular moment,

or did you start with it?

Did you have this message from
the start, from 2013?

Nastya: At first it was at the level of
intuitive sensations.

I guess it follows us all from the
early childhood.

But we grew, developed as artists, and our
expressions evolved with us.

Our statements gained not just emotional
clarity, but semantical clarity as well

That is where our precision came from.

Hostess: Am I understanding it correctly
that it was simultaneous -- you transition

to Russian language lyrics --
temporary or not, as you decide --

and the appearance of these social
themes?

Kolya: Well...
Nastya: Well, actually not.

Kolya: Almost simultaneous,
it seems to me.

When you start speaking Russian,

Russian problems become more pronounced
for you. This is normal.

It's the language you think in.

Nastya: Language is culture.

Nastya: Nevertheless, we had English
lyrics about social and political issues.

Nastya: Political, too.

Nastya: They, too, were more on the
emotional level.

Nastya: What you feel in a certain
situation, even the political one.

Host: How do you see the main problems
of Russian political life?

Host: What are the top 3?

Kolya: Well, that's too...
Host: Tell it straight, bluntly.

Kolya: For example, a big problem is the
absence of government turnover.

It last for many-many years.

Now it is obvious that the government has
lost all contact with the young generation

It is exemplified in authorities' attempts
to censor us, how these attempts failed.

Nastya: Our judicial system works
very badly.

Nastya: Another issue is the conditions in
prisons, how prisoners are treated.

Nastya: We have groups of people who are
disenfranchised in general.

Nastya: Education, too, must be improved,
since it's the foundation of everything.

Hostess: Considering what you just listed,
what can be expected in the future?

Hostess: In the next few years, do you
plan to expand on these social topics?

Nastya: It is unpredictable.
Kolya: Nothing is impossible.

Kolya: We are metamorphosis.
Everything changes all the time.

Kolya: We change.

Host: You change, yet you say that
nothing changes around you?

Nastya: We don't limit ourselves to a
certain single topic.

We don't intent to focus solely
on social & political issues from now on.

Our art has it all:
from love, to politics.

Doing drastic decisive turns
is boring to us.

Kolya: Yes.
Nastya: Whatever excites us, we express.

Kolya: Don't expect us to release
an album titled "Putin is bad."

Kolya: In all probability.

Nastya: Neither an album
titled "Putin is good."

Kolya: Also no, also no.

Host: When you were arrested in Novosibirsk
(and not only there), and cops talked to you

in a police station -- how did they behave?
Normal dialogue? Do they get it?

Nastya: Some of them did not know who we
are.

Nastya: They started watching our
Youtube videos right there on the spot.

Kolya: They do not understand what's going
on themselves, mainly.

Nastya: "Just an order."

Kolya: They are perplexed, confused.

Kolya: At first, they thought that we are
yet another pair of random guys

that their superiors ordered to arrest
for some reason.

But when the publicity begins to
surround them, fans singing on the street

fans trying to break in, as it was in
Novosibirsk, for example

Cops become puzzled and start googling.
Start to behave more politely, suddenly.

They are hostages of the situation
themselves. The cops.

Kolya: Because they are given an order.

Nastya: Still, comrade policeman refused to
take a selfie with me. Was afraid, maybe.

Host: Compromising photos!

Hostess: How were you treated at first
in Novosibisk?

Kolya: Not very well they treated us.

Kolya: They stopped us, started to check
our IDs, searched our bags for drugs

With a sniffer dog.

Confiscated my passport. By force.
I did not want to give it to them.

They took my passport. Studied it.

Started making the typical
cop jokes, like,

"There is a girl on your passport photo,
not a boy".

I replied: "No, it's me on the photo."

They arrested me, using force.
Handcuffed me.

Nastya: Yup. Presumably, for
"establishing the identity".

Kolya: Why did they do it?
Just because we sing songs.

Hostess: Did you resist arrest?

Kolya: No.
Nastya: They simply had an order to...

Kolya: ...to take us away, we objected.
Nastya: ...to detain by any means.

Kolya: ...because no legal reason for
arrest was announced to us.

Kolya: We tried to ask them:
"What is the reason for our arrest?"

Kolya: They did not answer.

Nastya: "We'll tell you at the
police station", they said.

Kolya: And so they took us...
Nastya: But they tried...

Hostess: Sorry, was that the first arrest
in your life?

Hostess: Your first time at the police
station?

Kolya: No, I was taken to a police station
when I was very young, for making graffiti

Kolya: way before that

Nastya: Also a perfectly
innocuous occasion

Hostess: Nothing changes.
Kolya: Nothing changes.

Kolya: The only difference is that
painting graffiti is legally prohibited,

Hostess: Vandalism, right.
Kolya: But singing songs is legal, so here they...

Hostess: Depends on the song.
Kolya: It does not.

Kolya: All songs are legal, for now.

Host: When your track was playing here,
you said to Youtube listeners that

you never use any obscene lyrics,
as a matter of principle.

So you carefully keep your art within
the legal restrictions.

Nastya: Well,...

Kolya: When we initially create the
song and videos, we don't think about it

Kolya: We think about it later,
when we've already made the thing.

And occasionally we edit, cut
something

because we want it to spread
as widely as possible

we want more people to hear it,
to see it.

Host: Do you want it to be
well-monetized in the end?

Kolya: It's a pleasant bonus,
but not the primary objective.

Nastya: Primary objective is to make a
sincere statement, to share our view

To show people with similar views
that they are not alone.

That there are many of us.
it's the most important.

Host: A person sharing your views --
what is his portrait?

Nastya: He has no specific portrait.
These are diverse people.

By the way, maybe the diversity
is the portrait.

I don't like pigeonholing,
fitting to some template.

Kolya: Identikit must be constructed.
Identikit of an IC3PEAK listener.

Hostess: You just wait, it might
soon be requested by authorities.

Hostess: Are you ready to meet some
resistance from authorities again?

Hostess: If you do another tour next
year, for example?

Kolya: Unfortunately,...

Nastya: ...now we're prepared for
anything at all. (quote from "Death No More" lyrics)

Kolya: ...it remains a possibility, yes.

Kolya: It is possible, and we did our time
online. (quote from "Death No More" lyrics)

Kolya: Indeed, anything can happen
next year, and the year after, too.

Kolya: Or at the next gig.

Kolya: But we already know how to
counteract it.

Host: Let's listen to one more track --

-- this time it will be an English song,
"Pain" -- before the news section.

"Pain" starts playing on air

Nastya: Very interesting choice.

Host: It's the catholic Christmas.
The 24th.

Nastya: The 24th.

Hostess: We should ask a question...
or maybe later?

Host: Yup.

Hostess: About the relationships of
the group.

Host: We'll do that after the track.
When on air.

Hostess: How much time we have left
after the track?

Host: We go live, then news, then....

Host: Absolute simulation, so...

Hostess: We should exit at 26, yes?
Stas?

Host: The track ends at 26.
It's 4 minutes, right?

Nastya: I don't remember.
About right.

Hostess: How-how long?
Ok, 3.5 minutes.

Hostess: Then it would be just before the
news.

Nastya: We did not yet learn our
track durations by heart.

Host: Everyone says that your music and
lyrics must be accompanied by videos.

Kolya: Yes. Yes. It would have been very
logical.

Nastya: On the Youtube stream for sure.

Kolya: If you're streaming to youtube,
then for sure.

Nastya: Well, this specific track has no
video clip.

Kolya: Some fan clips can be shown instead

Kolya: No.

Nastya: Pony clip.
Kolya: Pony clip.

Nastya: That's what can be
really traumatic to one's sanity.

Kolya: There is this
"dark corner of Youtube".

Kolya: The pony clips.

Kolya: Very young kinds make them for any
music tracks, including ours.

Kolya: They use some special software on
Android.

Kolya: Software that allows you to make
clips with pony.

Nastya: You take a clip,
and there is a cartoon pony.

Nastya: Everything with these ponies.

Kolya: Kids edit it themselves.

Kolya: This form of creativity seems to me
similar to weaving beads, or some such.

Kolya: But now many people watch it,
hundreds of thousands of views.

Nastya: It might seem very easy,
cutting lots of something random.

Nastya: but it gets lots of views,
so effort is put into it.

Kolya: Viewers are same kids.
It's a sort of craft.

Hostess: Still, hundreds of thousands
of views...

Kolya: Yes. Millions even, for pony clips.

Host: They watch...

Hostess: Ponies! Do you hear that?!
We should change our occupation, Stas!

Hostess: Let's go. End this show.
Guests will finish this show themselves.

Hostess: Let's leave them here.
Let's go make pony clips.

Kolya: That is the future.

Host: "Our entire family listens to
[IC3PEAK] for 4 years".

Host: The entire family sits and listens,
imagine that.

Host: A family becomes glued to speakers.
Cool! Mama, papa, ...

Hostess: Can't imagine...

Kolya: Grandmother, grandfather...

Hostess: ...that an entire family...
what can they all listen to?

Hostess: Can't think of a single band
that would unite, say, my family.

Hostess: Everyone's taste is different.

Kolya: It's a healthy sign, in fact.

Host: Your gigs abroad have smaller
attendance? Or same?

Kolya: Right now, we had the largest
audience in Moscow, so far.

Nastya: We did not do any solo concerts
anywhere recently.

Kolya: Yes. Overall, audiences are smaller
abroad.

Host: It was always just the two of you?

Nastya: Yes.

Kolya: We don't have a manager,
no band director, just two of us.

Kolya: We have tour-manager.

Nastya: Absolutely everything is done by
just the two of us.

We have a cameraman who shoots our videos.
And that's pretty much it.

Kolya: Yes.

Host: Track "Pain". It's the IC3PEAK band.
Nastya Kreslina, Nikolai Kostylev.

It's the "Debriefing" show. We'll be back
after the news and ads on "Echo Moscow".

We continue. Our guests are IC3PEAK.
It's the "Debriefing" show.

Stas Kryuchkov, Marina Maximova,
Nastya Kreslina, Nikolai Kostylev

This is group "IC3PEAK" upon finishing
their epic -- turned epic -- tour.

We listened to a couple of tracks.

I propose to start the second half of our
show with another composition

titled "Strength and Beauty".
(track starts playing)

Nastya & Kolya: It's "Beauty and Strength".

Host: Sorry, we'll correct after the track.
Nastya & Kolya: Nevermind, it's OK.

Hostess: You even have a note there:
"Beauty...". Nevermind,

Hostess: We must exit at 49.

Hostess: If we end with a song,
"Fairytale" lasts for two...

Hostess: How long is "Fairytale"?

Hostess: 2:40, I believe?

Kolya: 2:43.

Hostess: At 46:20, right?

Kolya: For what time is the show usually
scheduled?

Host: I don't know what schedule will be.
Typically, it runs at 21:00 on Mondays.

Host: But it's very possible that it will
replace some more prime-time show.

Hostess: We'll ask around, maybe the
schedule is already finalized.

Hostess: So we should start
the song at 46:20.

We'll have to say goodbye
and play the song at 46:20.

Host: A music day on "Echo Moscow"
is a great thing.

Host: Listeners complain about
Vasya Oblomov.

Yes, my friends, join us -- today we'll
have Stas Namin.

Host: Given your "Death no more" video,
a youtube user "solid exec" commented:

"Of course the cop was afraid to take a
selfie with Nastya:

Nastya probably tried to climb onto his
shoulders like in the video".

Host: by the way, maybe we can talk about
Pavlensky.

Host: did Pavlensky's art inspire the
making of your music video?

Host: Him setting the FSB HQ's
door on fire.

Nastya: Not in particular, but in general
I like him.

Kolya: I believe that he left a trace
in everyone's consciousness anyway.

Because his performances are very
impressive, distinct.

Host: Regarding the recent socio-political
statements of that kind in Russia,

what comes to your mind?

What inspires you? What touches you?

Hostess: That was the end of the song.
The show continues.

Host: We were talking during the track,
while the youtube viewers were watching.

Listeners could not hear that.

Regarding the recent political statements
that Nastya and Kolya find inspiring

we talked about Pavlensky, perhaps
the performances of Pussy Riot

Nastya: Uhu.

Kolya: Out of the most recent political,
or close to political, art --

I really liked the SHORTPARIS video
that came out few days ago

Nastya: But it's from the music scene.

Kolya: Pavlensky -- yes, as I said,
he surely left a trace

in public consciousness, a distinct trace,

since his performances are effective
and stand out

Nastya: I also like Pavlensky's art a lot.

Nastya: His work with wire is an amazing
statement, I believe.

Nastya: Complex on one hand, and very
clear on sensual level at the same time.

Nastya: In general, surely we were
affected to some extent by him

and by Pussy Riot.

We all live in the same country,
same context.

Kolya: They affected everyone.
Nastya: Everyone, yes.

Kolya: Just in a different way.

Nastya: There is not a single person
who is unaffected by that.

Hostess: But you are not ready to do
certain extreme things he demonstrated?

Nastya: Well,...

Kolya: Same can be achieved without being
caught, without cutting pieces off yourself

Nastya: Each artist works with his own
materials. He works with his body.

Nastya: And we work in different,
immaterial spaces.

It is about the tools one chooses.

Host: Considering your music material --

or, rather, about the basis of your music
material

or those who most influenced what
you do now -- who can you list?

Nastya: The everyday life, the people you
meet, events that happen to you --

these things influence you more than
specific artists or musicians

or directors, and so on

Thus, listing our influences makes
little sense.

If we do it, we would be compared to
this list forever.

We don't need that.

Hostess: Our listeners -- or, rather,
viewers, ask about your view on

-- for some reason they picked this band -

"Rage against the machine".

Kolya: "Rage against the machine" are very
cool, yes, fellows.

It's a pity that they split.

But they are epoch-making musicians
with a cool sound, a charismatic frontman

Yes, very interesting group.

Hostess: Do you attend any gigs of
other musicians?

Nastya: Sure.
Kolya: Yes.

Hostess: Can you give an example?
Which ones did you go to recently?

Kolya: We went to a "Laibach" gig
not long ago.

Nastya: It was very recently.

Kolya: I like Laibach a lot.

Kolya: Was it a month ago?

Nastya: Yes, when they were here
last time.

Hostess: That's also a band of
"that" generation.

Nastya: Well, they preserved...

Kolya: They were changing and progressing,
not standing still

Kolya: in contrast to many musicians from
that time.

Host: what is their music right now?

Kolya: Laibach? Right now they did a cover
of "Sound of music" musical.

Host: did it turn out heavy and grim,
as usual?

Kolya: Actually, no. Actually, no.
Nastya: It turned out very ironic.

Kolya: It was ironic, as all in their art.

Host: Would you somehow define,
stylistically, what you do now?

Nastya: From the start of our project,
we had various made-up (by us) definitions

of what we do.

Right now, our last album is
"scary Russian fairytale".

That is our definition for it.

But we don't like to make boundaries
and genres for ourselves.

We do all.

We take a bit of something
from everything.

That is how we gathered it all in
our music and our videos, I believe.

Kolya: We leave genres to journalists.

Host: But you do it very professionally.
Do you have some music education?

Host: What literature did you grow
up with? Books that you soaked in?

Nastya: We do not have a music education,
neither Kolya, nor I have it.

Nastya: Despite our parents
being musicians.

Kolya: Of course, we read. Watch.
Nastya: Naturally.

Kolya: As everyone.

Host: Since your parents are musicians,
do they follow your successes?

Host: How do they perceive it all?

Nastya: They support it.
They like it.

Kolya: Yes, my mother is probably watching
this show -- hi, mom.

Kolya: They like and support it.
They worry, but are interested.

Host: They are academic (classic)
musicians, right?

Kolya: Well, yes, my mother is formerly a
piano teacher at a music school.

And my father is conductor
of an orchestra.

Nastya: My mother is an opera singer.

Host: The way you sing... shriek...
Kolya: Shred.

Host: what does your mom think about it?

Nastya: She gets it. In what sense?

Host: Doesn't she worry about the
safety of...

Nastya: No, I am always very aware of
what I do vocally.

Nastya: I developed a certain technique.
My own. Meaning, nobody taught me that.

But I feel what I do.

And my mom can appreciate the
technical details like no one else

Because her instrument is also her voice

In principle, a vocal singer
is like an athlete.

One has to take care of one's
vocal apparatus, and so on.

Hostess: When your gigs were censored
and cancelled by authorities --

how did your parents and relatives react?
Did they try dissuading you?

Nastya: No, quite the opposite --
they supported our decision.

Kolya: Yes, my mom was saying
"Yeah, fuck the police, beat them"

Kolya: I'm joking, she was worried,
of course.

Hostess: I hope she did not say that.

Kolya: No, no, she was very worried.

She used to say something like
"be careful if you can", and so on

Nastya: I didn't hear anything
like that from my mom.

Kolya: But she knows that we do
the right thing.

Kolya: That we simply with to convey
our message to the people, that's it.

Nastya: Sure, they worried for us,
as any parents would.

They wished us to be safe,
not physically hurt, and so on.

It's a natural reaction.

At the same time, we felt
that they are not against our cause

That they support us.
That they are with us.

It's very cool. It helps.

Host: Youtube user "PiereLouisJK" writes:

"Putin will never be able to
understand these free people"

Host: Would you like to be understood by
Those People?

Host: All those events -- are a
consequence of Their inability

to understand you?

Nastya: Here I agree that us and Them
speak truly different languages.

While we are still able to understand them
to some extent,

it is much harder for them to understand
us.

Perhaps some translator is here needed for
establishing the communication.

But some dialogue is probably needed
anyway, because

because we all are people,
we share a common space,

share a country.

Pretending that the other person
does not exist would be strange.

Hostess: What should be done for it
to happen?

Is it you who should shift on the scale --
right or left? --

-- closer to those who can not understand
you right now?

Kolya: No, of course in a healthy society
the government should look at the artists

Not the other way around.

Because the duty of the government is
to sense the social processes

and to understand them, not to forbid
or censor them

especially that censorship is impossible,
of course.

Nastya: A ban is not a dialogue,
that much is certain.

That is an absolutely totalitarian
method. Violence.

Violence prevents a dialogue.

Like punching a table and saying:
"It's going to be my way!"

Kolya: "Don't want."

Host: What there won't be an idiotic
government to challenge an artist?

Host: Would this not cause artistic
stagnation, a sort of swamp?

Host: These like, those like.

Host: Is a counterparty
necessary for you?

Kolya: Of course not.

Without that adversary we'd be able to
make art more freely

because an adversary exists
inside ourselves anyway

and any art is a fight with oneself,
first and foremost

and the external adversary is not
necessary at all.

Host: do you believe that a positive
outcome is possible in Russia?

Host: Vasya Oblomov once visited our
studio and he said:

"Nothing will change in this country"

Nastya: Well, many people say this --
that's why nothing is changing.

I believe that this rotten thought must be
rejected altogether

because one can always grow and change
something

and we feel it all the more clearly after
the tour

-- that our fans, our supporters, they are
ready to...

starting from the mindset -- they think
differently, in a new way --

and this is a big change already.

And I believe that very soon they will
be ready to do concrete changes

Kolya: All those guys are between 16
and 22 or so

and they have a firmer understanding
of political processes

than people who teach them at schools

Simply because young people have
the internet and they can use it well

Hostess: You said that you are changing.
Can you tell us more about your plans?

Hostess: Plans for the next year?

Nastya: Usually we keep our plans to
ourselves.

Kolya: Soon we'll do a tour in Europe
and Ukraine.

In Russia, we'll have gigs in May
and April.

Hostess: Aren't you afraid to visit
Ukraine?

Hostess: I mean, aren't you afraid
to return back to Russia from Ukraine?

Kolya: Not at all. Why?
Nastya: Not at all. Why?

Host: Are you a Russian citizen?
Kolya: Yes, sure.

Host: It's just that currently the entry
is forbidden for young people.

Nastya: Right now, yes.
Kolya: Yes, for now.

Kolya: But I suspect that the border
will be opened.

Host: I'll return to the previous question.

Host: The passionarity that is
demonstrated in our country --

-- in the expression of dissatisfaction
with the present state --

by the people who attend you gigs,
for instance --

this passionarity is of a different nature
than the passionarity in Europe.

For example, yesterday there was a protest
regarding the situation with paid parking

in Moscow, for cancelling the weekend
parking.

Our listeners write: "Look at Paris.
People there claim their demands

and fight for their demands to be
satisfied -- successfully.

We don't have such successful
activism.

Two people, 10 people, 100 people,
and the protest dies.

Kolya: Yes, it's more difficult to express
one's political stance in Russia.

Kolya: The reasons are both historical and
stemming from the reaction of authorities

Their reaction is often cruel.
We have many political prisoners.

Of course, people are afraid of
being persecuted.

Nastya: For a long time, our people lived
in fear, and they still do today.

Because they know that, in principle,
their legal rights won't be protected

or respected by anyone.

Thus, even when you are motivated to
go and do some collective action,

these plans are rarely implemented,

since you never know what consequences
for you might follow from your actions

And one expects the worst, of course.

But I think this will also change.

Host: You said that dialogue is necessary
and an "interpreter" is needed for it.

Host: Where do we start on this front
right now?

Host: They don't want to talk to
this generation at all.

Host: Or to other generations.
They don't talk to right-wing

Host: They don't talk to left-wing.

Kolya: I think that the most important
thing is to keep talking,

Kolya: Even if They close their ears
and scream, we should keep talking

We should not yell in return.
We should not punch the table.

Nastya: An example of what we can do is
to be those "interpreters" --

-- artists of all kinds -- and we express our
views, and people support us.

This is already a dialogue, as far as we
are concerned.

Even if someone pretends that he does
not hear us,

or that our opinion is irrelevant,
more and more people support us

And sooner or later They will be forced
to pay attention.

Hostess: When all these events started to
accompany your gigs, and people united

for that famous gig you did,
people buying several tickets at once

There was a wave of support, and
Husky was released from prison

But then, just several days later,
Lev Ponomaryov was arrested,

but now the "wave" did not reach the peak
necessary for the authorities to listen

As our colleague journalists say:
"We defended Husky,

but did not have enough to defend
Ponomaryov"

Do you understand, why?

Because one is a musician, while the other
is a human rights defender? Or...?

Kolya: Well, yes.
Nastya: Audiences of unequal scales.

Nastya: Understandably, all media persons,
musicians, artists have wider audiences

and access to publicity.

Not all people are interested in politics.

They simply ignore certain
sources of information.

Kolya: But when it concerns music, they
think:

"Wait, I listen to that guy's music!
No way I'm going to miss the gig"

Nastya: Music is something that
unites everyone.

Kolya: Still, the trend is a sad one,

because human rights defenders
are doing important work,

in many respects more important
than the musicians

so it is sad that some events get
publicity, while other do not.

Host: Your English twitter bio
says: "IC3PEAK: futuristic opera"

Host: How future of our country
should look like?

Host: Socially and politically?

Nastya: To list the simplest things,

people should become kinder to each other.

Should respect each other more.

Respect an opinion that is different
from one's own.

Be more open to something new.

Nastya: I think these are the primary
things that should be cultivated

in order to improve everything else.

Kolya: Reforming the education system
should be the primary concern.

Kolya: There should be regular
government turnover.

Kolya: This all sounds like
"World peace for everyone".

but the fashion of our answer
reflects the fashion of you question.

Host: do you set some limits for yourself
in your art -- in the sense that

"I would not cross this boundary,
this is me, and this is artistic character

"I would never go that direction ever".

Nastya: Can you give an example?

Host: For example, "I would not call
anyone for political action."

Kolya: If we would want to call someone
to do something

we would call someone to do something.

Host: As in the case with "good putin" and
"bad putin" album titles?

Nastya: We can summon the
spirits to some action.

Kolya: We simply do what we want to
watch and listen to.

Hostess: Out show is nearing the end.
We wanted to play another song.

Host: Moscow duet IC3PEAK is here.
Nikolay Kostylev, Nastya Kreslina.

Our last track for today is "Fairytale"

Host: Should we say goodbye one more time?

Hostess: No, we should finish by this song

Hostess: You forgot to say that you've
mistaken the "Beauty and Strength" title

Host: Guys have forgiven me, so...

Kolya: Strength and Beauty,
Beauty and Strength -- it's fine.

Host: That was a bit political.

Kolya: It's all right, we are used to it.

Nastya: Especially recently.
Everyone asks us similar questions.

Hostess: What can you do...

Hostess: This is your life for now.

Kolya: Yes, yes. But it's dragging on
for longer than we'd like.

Hostess: Now they ask you these questions,

and before that they were asking you
some different questions, probably.

Kolya: Before that, nobody asked
us anything.

Nastya: They did ask.

Kolya: But not as much.

Kolya: Now there is some interest
towards this and towards us.

Host: "Thanks for this show", they write,
"And Fairytale should also be seen"

Kolya: The clip? Yes.
Nastya: Yes.

Host: do you film yourself, or do you
hire someone for video-making?

Kolya: We make our videos ourselves.
We direct, we write screenplay, I edit

Nastya does color correction.

Host: Who is the cameraman?

Kolya: The cameraman is hired.
Nastya: Except the first clip,

Nastya: Which we shot together.

Host: Tell me: when you filmed in front
of FSB HQ (secret police)

did any officials approach you?

Kolya: No, we did it very quickly.
We filmed everywhere fast.

Kolya: We had to run around the main
Parliament Building a bit,

but we had no problems.

Host: Was it all fun for you?
When you filmed it?

Kolya: Fun. Just like this tour was.
Same, same.

Nastya: Very fun tour.

Kolya: We laughed a lot during
this tour: it was so absurd!

Nastya: perfect absurdity.

Hostess: Did you get any dark
aftertaste of sorts?

Kolya: Quite the opposite.
Nastya: Although we were tired.

Kolya: We were tired, psychologically.
But it was interesting.

Nastya: No mental trauma.

Kolya: Quite opposite to a trauma.

Host: How often did you play?
Every day? Or every other day?

Kolya: There were several days in a row,
and every day they tried to cancel us

Kolya: When we were in the south...
no, when we were in the north.

Nastya: Due to live singing, it's hard to
play daily,

so the tour was planned accordingly.

We had gigs for two days in a row,
sometimes three. Maximum, four.

So we had breaks.

Host: "Fairytale", IC3PEAK.
Nastya Kreslina, Nikolai Kostylev.

Thank you very much, guys.

Kolya: Yo. Thanks for having us.
Nastya: Thank you as well.

Kolya: Thank you, thank you.

Hostess: It's great that you visited us!

Host: We thank the chat users.
See you, folks!

Kolya: I hope we did not say something
excessive, as usual.

Kolya: Surely we said something that we'll
regret later.

Nastya: Yup.

Hostess: It was OK.

Hostess: I don't know what to wish you --
to visit us more often,

or to wish you to have no more occasions
to talk about police iniquity