"If something scares me, then I have to try it."
The race for popularity belittles and lands the magical, magical territory of creativity, Nike Borzov believes. The musician is sure that there is nothing left of art when it turns into a conveyor belt. The performer is ready to use AI for their own purposes as another tool. He also believes that censorship is useful these days. On June 21, Nike Borzov will perform on the VK Fest stage in Sirius. Izvestia asked the artist about the festival, competition and cooperation with young people.
"Young musicians don't make any bets on television"
Russian Russian punk, Russian indie rock, and Russian britpop are considered classics of your music. And what definition do you like?
—A genius!
— On the stage of VK Fest in Sirius, you perform as a veteran of Russian rock with the younger generation of artists. The youngest, Betsy, is only 12 years old, and she has an army of fans. The song "Sigma Boy", which became famous thanks to the Internet, brought her fame. Do you like this kind of music?
— Music is being written, artists are appearing — it's great. To achieve high places in the charts at the age of 12 is a great honor. A great start. When he grows up, maybe he'll create something radically progressive that will influence music in general. So I can only be happy for Betsy.
— Are modern viral tracks capable of going into eternity? Will they be sung in twenty years, like, for example, your "Horse" or "Riding on a star"?
— Something will remain, something will disappear in time — it always has been and always will be. In six months, no one will remember any songs that are currently at the top of the charts. They will be replaced by others.
But there are songs that I'm sure will stay for a long time. They're about eternal themes or something else important to people.
— Which of the new artists would you agree to collaborate with?
— For example, Boulevard Depo is a good performer. I like individual tracks and, in general, his love of experimentation. "Bond with the button" is quite an interesting band. ZOLOTO, of course. There is such a group "Log cabin" from Siberia. They also like to experiment. In general, we have creative people who are pleasant to watch.
— Do you keep track of who appears in the orbit of the musical?
— Of course, even if I don't want to.
— When you started, it was difficult to get into the rotation of radio stations, and getting on television is even more problematic. Right now, musicians are promoting themselves through social media. In your opinion, is this an advantage? Or maybe there's a variant of rapid fame and the same rapid decline?
— Of course, there are certain advantages to promoting through social media: music has become easy to deliver. But the transience of fading songs, performers and their popularity leads to the need to constantly produce hits. And this leads to a loss of music quality: give it out quickly and do something again a week later. This, of course, is not art. The conveyor belt belittles, lands this magical, magical territory — creativity.
Nevertheless, it is definitely impossible to ignore social networks. I've been actively diving into this topic with reels and snippets, and I'm really excited about how things are working out.
— Artificial intelligence breaks into music. Why come up with something, stay awake at night when you can install a program and get the result in a minute? Is it possible to compete with AI?
— I don't think it's necessary to compete or compete with artificial intelligence. And in general, to people among themselves. It's not a very interesting concept for me. But using AI for your own purposes as a tool, a single cog in a common mechanism, seems to me an interesting topic. You can use it to do interesting and quite progressive things.
— Is it about arrangements or even writing?
— Yes, anything.
"Have you tried it?"
— I don't use AI to write lyrics. But recently I did a track that is against transhumanism, artificial intelligence and other new aesthetics. And I used AI to play the guitar for me.
— VK Fest in Sirius is, in fact, a huge open-air. How do you feel about performing outdoors? Aren't you afraid that you won't be lucky with the weather?
— I'm not afraid, because I've had various performances in my life. For example, we once performed at an outdoor venue in Volgograd. There was a very strong wind, and the stage was on a hill. And during the performance, our roof just blew off. Not in the sense of musicians, but from the stage. The roof lifted and flew backwards. It was very enchanting, apocalyptic and, of course, funny.
Once, at concerts, during a thunderstorm, lightning struck transformers, speakers, and the sound and lights in the city were turned off.
— And you continued the concert?
— Well, how can it continue when nothing is heard except the drums? I can't shout so that the whole square can hear me. It needs to be some kind of Gelsomino.
I've heard that VK Fest is always lucky with the weather, so I'm sure everything will be fine.
"I'm happy to break into these turns"
— A year ago, at the "Plus Cottage" in Gorky Park, it was possible to evaluate the play "Lost among the Stars", according to the title of your album. Director Yuri Kvyatkovsky decided to set up an experiment and, with an eye to the example of American rock veteran David Byrne, staged the record. What was the audience's response to this production?
— The response was warm. We managed to create a kind of outer space filled with only positive energy in Gorky Park for one evening. The audience was very pleased, they wrote me a lot of messages and comments, someone even managed to shed a tear.
In fact, I would really like to give this play a second wind: to finish the script, to finish the production itself, to add old hits that fit the concept of this story very well. And send it to other cities. I really hope that one day this dream will come true.
— With what feelings do you perform the old songs today, the same "Horse"? Maybe you have discovered some new meanings in reading this material?
— All with the same, most positive ones. I sing along with the audience: I throw in the first phrase, the audience picks up and then we sing in unison. It's always a state of catharsis when you don't think about anything else, when you're on the same wavelength as your audience, just having fun.
— Your journey to the theater stage began with the play "Nirvana". In 2003, Yuri Grymov invited you to play the role of Kurt Cobain. How do you feel about such twists of fate?
— I'm happy to break into these corners. And even if something scares me, it means that I have to try. I've already realized this, practiced it, and, as Buddhists say, you have to go different ways to the same point every time, because on the way you run the risk of encountering something new.
— Are you a fatalist? Do you believe in fate?
— I believe that everything has already been prescribed and predestined for us. The main thing is not to be afraid.
— How do you feel about Kurt Cobain's words that "it's better to burn out than fade away"?
— You can burn in different ways too. If Kurt had burned without the help of additional improvised means, let's call it that, he would have continued to burn until now. It would be bright and self-sufficient. And I don't think he would have had any kind of burnout or anything. The man clearly enjoyed writing music, performing it, and recording it. It was music that would become his fuel in the end. But he made a different choice.
— Is there happiness in money?
— Money is like artificial intelligence, a means to achieve certain goals. There is no way in the modern world without them. And if there aren't enough of them, well, then it's sad.
— You starred in the film "Secret Attraction" by Stacy Tolstoy, where you played the father of an aspiring actress. Why didn't you turn down the young director when she made you an offer to star in her film?
— Yes, I'm generally interested in everything new. It is good to work with young people because they are not afraid and do not look back. They're experimenting, and it's fun to participate.
— What forms of non-offensive refusal do you have for those who ask for the thousandth time to sing about three obscene words?
— Even if they ask, I just don't hear it, because I usually have ear monitors at concerts. (Laughs.) But the audience at my concerts and festivals where I perform is always very pleasant and understanding. They'd rather ask you to play the entire discography to enjoy all my songs.
— Musicians remember the 90s as a rampant banditry. It wasn't easy to perform and go on tour. They tried to protect the musicians. Who provided security for you? Did you have to negotiate with bandits?
— At that time, I was living in the city of Vidnoye, Moscow region. Solntsevskaya bandit group, Podolsk, Vidnovskaya — it was one party. I knew all these people long before the "dashing 90s" began. And I didn't have any problems. One day, my friends who had a "roof" started asking different groups how they could reach me to offer me their "service". After that, I just left the city and didn't live there anymore.
— So you went to Moscow, where this "business" flourished even more?
— It was easier to get lost in Moscow. Moreover, I was in the underground. And what kind of bribes from a musician who plays incomprehensible music and sings about no one knows what. (Laughs.)
— And what is the difference between show business then and now?
— Despite the fact that it was fast—paced and had its own nuances, it was still a time of freedom. You could sing with any words about anything. Absolutely all forms of self-expression were available to creative people.
— Have you ever been a victim of phone scams?
— Well, there was a time.
"Did you believe me?"
— Yes, I fell for it. But that was a long time ago.
— Was your pocket hit hard?
— Tolerable. In general, it can be perceived as a payment for science.
— Are you no longer answering unfamiliar numbers?
— Now I have all kinds of antispammers. And if I'm in a very good mood, then I can pick up the phone and even listen to a greeting from the police captain. (Laughs.)
"I prefer to do everything on the sly, and then give out products that blow everyone's mind"
— Russia will host Intervision. How do you feel about the fact that SHAMAN, the most popular artist according to VTSIOM, will represent our country?
— To be honest, I don't really follow such things, but I've heard that this competition is international. Fine, let's have another TV festival. And may a worthy artist win.
— If you were offered to participate in an international competition, would you agree?
— I'm not a fan of contests at all and I'm not a fan of competition. Well, if offered, I will consider the offer. (Laughs.)
— You are a multifaceted person. You've tried yourself in the cinema, in the theater, and what else can fans expect from you? What kind of experiments?
— I'm not a fan of talking about what hasn't happened yet. If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans. These are not empty words for me. I prefer to do everything on the sly, and then give out products that blow everyone's mind.
— So you've already started doing something on the sly?
"I can't do nothing. I don't like lying on the couch or sleeping during the day. It causes some kind of discomfort. And music is always playing in my head, so I don't miss the opportunity to spend all my free time with it.
— Where do you rest? Do you go to the conservatory, to the cinema, to the theater?
— I'm on vacation on tour. I have no particular desire to go to conservatories, cinemas, or clubs. I like to perceive music or watch movies individually. And when they start crunching popcorn or laughing out of place, leaving the hall, being late for the start of the session, it bothers me a little. In my free time, I walk in the park, thinking about something. Or I ride a bike, meet with friends. I love spending time with my daughter Victoria.
— What are your expectations from VK Fest in Sirius?
— I think everything will be very cool. It's a great place, great sound, light, rock'n'roll and the energy of the audience. What else does an artist need for happiness?
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