Russian-Austrian band Russkaja is day to day more popular. They defined genre which play like ,,Russian turbo polka hardcore“. Their sixth album Kosmopoliturbo will be released on 4. August via Napalm Records. More info about it, concerts and others you can read in this interview with vocalist Georgij Makazaria (btw: this interview was made especially for people from Slovakia and Czech Republic, but certainly will be interested also people from other countries 🙂 ).
Hi, How are you?
Georgij Makazaria: Hi dear Slovakian Friends and Fans! We are motivated and euphorised about our new Album! 🙂
Russkaja will release new album on August 4th Kosmopiliturbo. What was the process of creation of it? When did you start to create music for this album?
Georgij Makazaria: This album I composed and produced together with Engel Mayr (Guitar). Engel and me was collecting ideas during the last year, recording those on smartphone, or producing short “Idea-Layouts”.
In February we sat together to find out, what we have, we listened to 40 Ideas, found out 20 to make a layout and then we figured out 10 Songs to finalize for the Album.
Your music, but also the title of the CD- Kosmopiliturbo show, that probably there are no borders in your music… but anyway, have you some limits which you will never go through?
Georgij Makazaria: Yes, maybe there could be limits if we try to combine polka with operetta, but even this could work with Russkaja, at the moment I (Georgij) work in theatre singing an operetta 🙂
Connecting people
These days, we all are witnesses of many terrible things all around the world. Do you believe, that your music can be some kind of bridge between different people and cultures, and can help find way to unity, peace….?
Georgij Makazaria: I hope this! It would mean our aim is achieved and our message of love and acceptance was heard and adopted. I don´t know how to get proof of this talking about all people of the world, but in a small scene I can say.
I am very happy to see people who met on our concert and who come some years later again with kids that are result of the night after Russkaja concert!
Could you describe Kosmopiliturbo in a few words? What can fans await from it? Are there some significant differences between it and your former albums?
Georgij Makazaria: On Kosmopiliturbo we had fun to make adventurous experiments. I did some Italian lyrics, some Spanish, I combined Japanese language with Russian in a song, we have our first song in German – everything is new – but still in Russkaja style.
Gigs
You will play on a lot of festivals this summer, and then you will have your own tour. Could you tell something more about this tour? And what do you prefer, playing on festivals or in your own shows?
Georgij Makazaria: This will be great tour, we are rehearsing at the moment and I know people would like it, because we like it and we are very critical! The Club and the festival are two different worlds, it is like day and night.
I need both. At the festival it is a big audience in marry making atmosphere, a lot of the people come not because of us, they see us first time, there we have chance to wow those people and to get them in the club, where the atmosphere is more intimate, everything is more close, people smell our sweat, we feel peoples heartbeat, than the masses start to pump in the same rhythm – it is magic.
Acording to your music and national elements in it, are there some special places and countries where you feel the strongest back-up from fans or it is the same everywhere you play?
Georgij Makazaria: It is kind of the same. In our music is it difficult to locate the origins of the elements, you hear some melodies sounding like klezmer, or like Balkan sound, than like hart rock metal part, than some gipsy feeling – it is universal and unique at the same time, a music that fits to a lot different tastes.
The past
Let′s talk about past now. What was the main impulse to create Russkaja?
Georgij Makazaria: In the Year 2001 I read a book called “Russendisko” written by Wladimir Kaminer, he described in this book a discothek in Berlin in Germany where he worked as DJ throwing his old Russian vinyls on the turntables, and people where crazy about this place!
There was a CD packed by the book, and I knew a lot of bands from my past in the USSR and I decided – If it works in Berlin it will work in Vienna. I never expected that it will work all across the Europe. Next year we will try our luck in USA, let´s see how they will like it.
What was your expectation from it? Have you ever hope that you will be famous band around the world like you are now?
Georgij Makazaria: It is to early to say “around the world” by there is always time to refresh the words of Dalai Lama: “Expect nothing and you will get everything” .
Ordinary life
Could you tell us something about members of Russkaja and their lives beside the band?
Georgij Makazaria: I am thinking to write a book about them! It would take a lot time to tell it. But what I can say – we have the best team since 2012, after we changed the half of members. Now we are really happy to hit the road together, to spend time in a bus, to rehearse and to perform together. I am very thankful for this and do everything to keep it going like this.
What do you think about current Austrian metal scene?
Georgij Makazaria: It is super! We have great bands in Austria – I am fan of Pungent Stench and the projects of Schirenc Martin.
Ok, that was the last question. Thank you for the interview, and if you want to bequeath something to our fans so you have the opportunity (smajlík).
Georgij Makazaria: Hej people, we will come to Slovakia on 28.10, we play in Košice! Be there lsten to new stuff! I wish you great summer, peace and freedom for your home!
Youtube teaser:
Links:
https://www.russkaja.com/
https://www.facebook.com/russkajaofficial/
