“You will find high-quality music if you want”

On average, Boombox gives 100 concerts a year (it makes nearly three days) in Europe, Asia, and North America. Its albums are released simultaneously in several countries: Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, the US, etc. Its latest album, Middle Age, was presented in the end of last year. The band is going to give concerts in support of the album. Actually, the band’s front man Andrii KHLYVNIUK was the guest of Den/The Day before the concerting 2012 year (Boombox will perform in Odesa on February 14).

Andrii, as a guest of a popular morning TV program you once recommended the audience to listen to classics, though you are a leader of a mainstream band. Which classical composers do you like?

“I am not an expert in this. Moreover, I don’t want to start this discussion even though I know some names, because I will name some people and I won’t name others.

“This was rather a general wish than a concrete. I was addressing myself, rather than recommending anything to others. (There are a lot of people who are more knowledgeable in music than me.) That is why that was a message in mo­dern terminology. The image of a performer or band, like Boombox, may produce an impression that we are very significant. But you should always keep in mind that there is a reserve. There is a summit you should aspire to. If you work in the manner of minimalist arrangement, you have no right to say, ‘Listen to this music because this is a trend. This is cool.’ For there is a huge music palette.”

Please, tell about your vision of Ukrainian society in terms of music tastes. The abundance of Russian cri­mi­nal songs is quite a banal thing, but an objective one. There is a good quotation: pure singing gives an impetus to live a pure life. After all, you, too, think that music is a way of purification.

“Above all, you have to be dirty in order to seek purification. Secondly, you will find high-quality music if you want. When you are satisfied with what you are being given, you don’t need anything else. This is typical not only of Ukrai­­nians, but any society of consumers.

“As for purification with music… There is a wonderful expression from Ukrainian wedding parties: ‘Musicians, stand up. Let the guests sit.’ This is my answer to this question.”

Speaking of responsibility, you tend to believe that a person has to choose. But everyday life is also important, for example what radio stations offer, as well as music TV channels. They are also responsible in shaping the Ukrainian music sphere, if I may use such word.

“I will tell you the following thing: there are no more adults. There are intelligent people, but no adults. When you are 17, you think that adults know what you cannot know yet. It is not true. They are different only because they are experienced. But have they learned to be responsible? To what extent are they pain in the neck, in a good meaning of the word? This is a personal issue. Most of them are very good. Once you become god parents of their children and come to see them at their place, you will become their close people. You will see that they behave one way at home, and the other way – at work. I don’t know when the choice between bringing home money 100 percent and bringing home lesser money is made.

“One day we were sitting with Oleksii [Oleksii Sohomonov is the producer of Boombox. – Ed.] and speaking about one cinema project. It is focused on a perso­nality. But nobody remembers about the personality in their efforts to make a great commercial product. Producers were professionals. Their task was to get maximum income. They applied all the schemes. The very personality is lost as a result of those perfect schemes. The same sometimes happens to the audience.”

Why does Europe have a different situation?

“The most terrible thing in Europe is when low-quality musicians are performing outside your windows the songs of Toto Cutugno and Eros Ramazzotti. Then you come to think that there is no diffe­rence between us at all. Let’s first of all get rid of the barrier ‘We are Euro­pe’ and become part of this world. I understand that the former Iron Curtain and visa regime have their effect. But nothing is perfect. And there is lots of low-quality pop music everywhere. Every­where.”

But there is a powerful alternative.

“It is powerful because Europe did not start from scratch like we. However, they did not come far from the zero mark. For example, the segment of people who are knowledgeable in rock music is quite small.

“I don’t think we are on a lower degree. We are simply lacking structure. There is an interesting question: what should a Ukrainian band aspire to? The Club 44 is the simplest achievement. The greatest is the Palace of Sports. There are only three venues in between. The first has a capacity of 500, the second – 1,000, and the third – 10,000 people, which is a stadium. There is no middle. So the band has to be either very popular, in order to gather 10,000 (which only several bands can do) or will continue to perform in 44. Great. I’ve performed there. I like this club. I continue to visit it and discover more and more new musicians. We ought to have more of such venues. But situation is just like that.”

Is this the reason why Boombox is going to perform in Odesa’s philharmonic society?

“Odesa does not have many halls. The philharmonic society is beautiful. But unfortunately it is a former exchange. What Soviet film has this phrase? A hero says, ‘In Tsar’s time it was an exchange, so that you could say something to someone, and nobody else would hear it. Then the Soviet power came and made a philharmonic society of it.’”

Okay, let’s continue the topic of the world’s openness. Recently Wikipedia has not operated for a day. Speaking globally, the conflict was between the author’s right as a phenomenon and openness of information. What is your vision of this conflict? Is there any conflict at all?

“We have none of such conflict in Ukraine. We are not mature enough. We are not a conflict society. Once you start conflicting… So everything is working smoothly like a sledge. But you need much fat to make this sledge go.

“So far the openness of the Internet space enables the musicians to release their music. At the moment this is a great happiness. At least you can understand who you are, because who you are and whom you are considered to be are quite different things. When you go in public with an intention to say something and say only a word of what these people wanted to here, they come to love or dislike you for this only word. The rest is very simple. You thought you made or discovered something, you played diffe­rently here… But nobody cares.

“As for the author’s right, it does not exist in Ukraine.”

But they show social ads on TV to make people respect it.

“The easiest thing is to have respect for something that does not exist. This is so typical of us.”

Boombox has performed in North America. It is known that Ukrainian diaspora usually attends the concerts of Ukrainian bands performing music with folk elements. What was your audien­ce like?

“A new wave. That was mostly Rus­sian-speaking audience. In some American and Canadian provinces the migrants from the former Soviet Union are really separated. There is no possibility to make billboards in three or four languages. If those who grew up in a foreign country do not read Cyrillic, this becomes a problem. The concerts will be attended by the audience who speak the language in which the billboard is written. So the organizers ask you, ‘What language, Ukrai­nian or Russian? – It would be better to make it in English and Spanish.’

“What is the diaspora there like? I was stunned to hear the following words: ‘I remember you from childhood. Long ago, when I was living in Ukraine/Belarus/Russia, I used to love your music. Now my life has changed. I am living here. And you are the same.’ And you are thinking, ‘From childhood? Me? Stop. I was a child only yesterday.’

“‘I grew up on your music’ is a phrase you start to hear when your team is five years. When the band is 25, like VV, I can only imagine how many times they have heard this phrase in this pe­riod of time.

“You can live in countries where people like what no more exists and make profit on this. I am not saying all our bands are speculating on nostalgia. No. They are my acquaintances, interesting and open people. But if I wanted to move to Canada, I would add more folk elements to my music.”

You took part in Serhii Kuzminsky tribute concert, as well as VV’s 25th anniversary concert. Do you see the conti­nuance “Braty Hadiukiny – Vopli Vidopliasova – Boombox”?

“If you start thinking about this, this is the end of yours. At first your feet become concrete. Then you start thinking about erecting a monument to yourself on Khlyvniuk Street.

“I cannot abstract away from idolizing Kuzminsky, who is not with us anymore. I said twice or thrice during a concert, ‘Kuzia forever!’ It is a pity I did not know him better. He and his band have changed our ge­ne­ration: we learnt how to mock at ourselves and our project. This is a great labor, though few people understood it. Even after several years of glory (which grew after the star’s death, which is a common thing) the song of Hadiukins ‘A Star,’ for which I made a co­ver version, receive the following commentaries, ‘It is not the Boombox. It is pseudo-Ukrainian! Vernacular! They have gone crazy in their Russia!’

“As for Oleh Skrypka, this is a diffe­rent situation. We know each other well and it is easier for me: I can see all the human features, and I can get abstract away from what I can get as a musician with time. This is the most important thing, when you come to know someone who is important for you, you want the barrier between what I know about the person and what I learn in the process of knowing him better to fall as soon as possible.”

For several years in succession the albums of Boombox have been released simultaneously in several countries: Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, and the US. In your opinion, what caused the demand for Ukrainian music, specifically in Russia?

“The fact that the most famous authen­tic song ‘Black Eyes’ was written by Hrebinka will be the answer to your question.

“If you try to translate a Russian folk song into Ukrainian and back, you won’t have any problem. The rest is very diffe­rent. There are many disparities, but this thing does not differ. You can take a Po­lish folk song and do the same. It will be easy. In Montenegro you will dance to local music like in the Carpathians. Why? Because the cultures are very much alike. So there will always be a mutual demand. Ukrainians are interested in going from a smaller to bigger scale. Russia has a broader territory and larger population. Besides, Russian, in our opinion, are imposing their fashion on us. That is why we rejoice when a Ukrai­nian performer becomes popular there. But we like much Russian music, without giving a thought whose music is this. The same thing is with Russians. In Russia they call the songs of Ukrainian authors the best, and 60 percent of this music ranges from pop music to rock’n’roll. From Serov to Meladze to VIA HRA to Koroleva.

“I would like to go beyond the framework of one language, one harmony. Let’s be versatile. Because the step between taking pride of who you are and not being proud of who you are is very small. To impose your Ukraineness on someone is pri­­mi­tive in the same way as when someone says that there is no Ukrainian state and Ukrai­nian culture.”

What is your reaction to such statements?

“Thank God I haven’t heard any direct statement of this kind. I have heard similar statements, ‘Okay, we will help you if you need. Call us.’ What is my reaction? It may be diffe­rent. As a rule I smile. If I see that I can explain it with the help of a couple of words, I do so. When I understand that an evening and a bottle of vodka would not be enough to explain it, I simple get abstracted. It is hard for people limited in space to get rid of so-called border problems. Unfortunately, most of our former and present-day compatriots haven’t had an opportunity to travel often and see that when you hiccup in Spain, an Englishman and French, as well as Russian and Ukrai­nian, will give you a glass of water.”

Boombox has launched its album Middle Age in Moscow soon after the actions of protest took place in Russia against the Duma election results. Have you felt the changes in the atmosphere?

“Can you feel something in their so­cie­ty? Yes, you can. But what is it? I don’t know. When you enter any country there is something in the air. You think that it is the pressure of the system. In fact it is the atmosphere pressure. Sometimes you think that you see freedom in a state with democratic traditions dating back for se­veral centuries. But when you have a better look, you can see this freedom suppressed in this or other place.

“It is interesting to meet one Russian and another one and hear what they say at home in the kitchen, as they say, because general things are not a constant. I would seem narrow-sighted if I thought about what is going on in Russia.”

The parliamentary elections will take place in Ukraine in October. Will Boombox support some party or a candidate?

“I am waiting for this. We have missed such opportunities several times. After all, I hope to make profit on this (irony).”

You said once that reality is not only television. Do you watch TV?

“No. Rarely. Of course, I take inte­rest in news. I have been reading your newspaper for several years. Mostly in the Boryspil Airport, when I have plenty of time, so I read it from cover to co­ver. I like that Den is reasonable. And in many cases we have similar views.”

What, apart from music, makes the content of your life?

“My family and friends. What my family and friends give to me and I give to them: films, books. However, I don’t read as many books as I used to, because I am busy and lazy. And I am ashamed of this.

“For some reason, the middle age is not so intellectually rich like the youth. Whereas only an angel is sitting on your shoulder when you are young, someone different appears when you are in your middle age. His voice is clearer. So you come up with numerous questions. You find answers for some of them and you continue to seek ans­wers for the rest of the questions. And this continues for your whole life.”