“It’s hard to see themselves in the status of a legend.” Ilya Lagutenko — about the meaning of existence of the group “Mumiy Troll”, leaving her friends-musicians and the film “SOS Sailor»
In 2018 Ilya Lagutenko is 50 years old. February 18, the group “Mumiy Troll”, the new album “Severozapaden”; at the same time the band released the documentary “SOS to the Sailor”, which was filmed in 2013.
The film took so long to finish because in the process of filming “mummy Troll” almost collapsed: the group consistently left guitarist Yuri Tsaler, bassist Eugene and Zvidionny playing in it since the late 1990s. About it and about the songs in English, popularity in Mongolia and the veterans of the rock scene — the journalist of “Medusa” Alexey Ponomarev spoke with Ilya Lagutenko.
— You spent several years to bring the film “SOS to the Sailor” to the final version. After watching I had the feeling that the film — which is a delicate way to talk about the traumatic situation for you — care half musikanlaggning composition.
— It does have some movie magic. My idea to turn the movie in a mockumentary romantic Comedy-drama first came across the language barrier because we were shooting his international team, a Russian-American. Half the dialogues were in English, and then had to translate. Then started to happen some processes in the team, which was directly related to my not quite rational as it may seem, ideas of where to move the group.
For me, “SOS Sailor” — an absurd and strange film, not like the movie at all. But deciding to release it on the screen five years later, I realized that it probably is the most “mummies the Troll-the movie”. Without any exaggeration, arrogance, to boast.
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— In the film you say you’d like to “just write songs for themselves and their friends.”
— All right. Even if it sounds trivial.
But here at the “mummies the Troll” has released at least two albums with English-language versions of old hits, some already 20 years old. You don’t just because they spend time and effort? There’s no pragmatic calculation?
— I wish this was some sort of pragmatic purpose, but, actually, there’s something different. You just want to look at himself and these songs using subjunctive. Now, if, and I would… I Have the song “Girl” in Japanese. We performed at the festival of Visual Japan Summit [in 2016] in front of tens of thousands of people. I was, of course, interesting: people perceive it as nonsense to some, or they really hear the song.
There is still such moment: here come the Japanese and begin to sing in Russian- sort of, you know, what normal guy in Russian singing. But still Japanese! In any case, it is perceived as exotic, some “chocolate Bunny” or Laima Vaikule. It is unclear if it would work or not, and while you didn’t, then you do not understand. Although I must say, I have matured the idea that to go with their English songs in the world of English-speaking people is not very convincing idea.
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— Why is Ilya Lagutenko in 2018, the group “Mumiy Troll”? You’re obviously more inspired by other stories, for example, the V-Rox festival.
— In fact, all the festival history, I consider myself rather a public burden. If you want, right now, in 2018, I understood that too fascinated outsiders, and in fact it is time to pay attention to the group “Mumiy Troll”. 20 years I’ve been doing this and know that out of a million projects, this is the biggest thing that I enjoy the most personal and emotional.
— I have a feeling that after a very strong album “8” and the subsequent successful collaborations (“Ermine”, “CHUM”) you had some kind of breakdown. According to recent records it seems that they have more grocery than pure inspiration.
— Here, you know, every student finds their emotions. As I find them in his records as a listener. I may have issues that should or should not, good or bad. But really, pereslushival our records, I understand that [among them] for me personally there is not one passage. Everywhere is a story, which more or less resonates with listeners.