With the “Leap Year” group the situation is exactly the opposite. Only a deaf person has never heard their “Best Love Song” or “Metro”.
But almost nothing is known about them themselves.
“So you write what I am,” Ilya Kalinnikov, the leader of “Leap Year,” admonished me during an interview. - In general, I’ll tell you myself: I’m lazy, not very smart and very boring. But write your opinion too - I’ll be interested in reading it.” Well. Really boring, definitely not stupid and very arrogant. Our conversation below took place six months ago. Then they asked me to change the text - which is generally understandable: after participating in “Christmas Meetings”, it is difficult for Pugacheva to throw mud at show business - Ilya himself undertook to add and rewrite something. But I didn't change anything in the text. Not because I'm so harmful. It just seems to me that everything he said in the interview is real.
It will tell me better what he is like...
Show business and child prostitution - for me it has the same aura" Ilya, they talk a lot about your group, but no one has seen you. Say what you are for a long time
- Yes, in general, no one asked us for an interview for a long time.
And then - yes, it was a conscious policy. But not for advertising purposes, but just the opposite - so as not to descend into self-selling. You see, when I get paid for a concert, I don’t feel like I’m selling out. This is adequate payment for the hard work - mine and the group's. And when it comes to advertising, the feeling of vulgarity does not let me go. I have two girl neighbors - very beautiful girls
. I often hear the songs of “Leap Year” being heard from their windows; when we bump into each other in the yard, they politely say to me: “Hello.” But they have no idea that I wrote these songs.
- Part of this policy is that you still haven’t shot a single video?
- We wanted to shoot a video for “Metro,” but I canceled everything. I'll explain why. Do you, say, when you listen to this song, do any associations arise?.. Well, I didn’t want some upstart music video director to try to impose his artistic delights on your holy imagination. All the same, it would have turned out to be nonsense, although for us it would have been a huge advertisement. But I didn't want to sell the song for advertising.
- What you say is not entirely according to the laws of show business.
- And I never wanted to get into show business. He is unpleasant to me in spirit. It combines in itself something that should not be combined in principle - the realization of higher creative impulses and cynicism, venality. Show business, arms trafficking and child prostitution - for me they all have the same aura. Tell me, do you have a category of people - social, professional - who are unpleasant to you? Homeless people, for example?
- Well, homeless people are unpleasant, yes.
Although there was one homeless person whom I fed.
- So I have people in show business whom I feed. But essentially this doesn’t change anything, right?
- Then why not find a more congenial activity, for example, planting flowers or teaching at school?
- Yes, you see, such a thing as song composition...
- Yeah, it doesn't choose.
- A friend carried it. From January 1, 1998, they began to be played on Avtoradio.
- 98th? And your debut album - “Which Returns” - was released only in 2000. Why?
- Let's put it this way: it infused like expensive wine, it stood the test of time. That is, the desire to release an album was there even then, but it was so - teenage. And by the spring of that year it became clear that he had to be released. I don’t want to, but it’s necessary that he has nothing else to do on the shelf in our studio. The album was completely ready, the only thing we finished writing was “Metro”.
It was important for me to finish it - for several years it lay like a heavy burden on my soul. I made it entirely myself: I wrote the songs myself, sang them myself, played them myself - that is, the guys also played, but I also mixed the album, and did its design - everything.
- And yet there is one song there that is not yours - “A Certain Nobody.” - This is a song by my friend - Bori Bazhenov. He's a brilliant performer, he could be most popular
who you know. But he didn't want show business, show business didn't want him. Now this man is many years old - I went to listen to him when I was 14, and he is as old as I am now. He hasn’t written for a long time, he’s doing something very far from music. Therefore, it was important for me to perform one of his old songs. “A Certain Nobody” was written in 1985.
- Your group is represented on the compact: first name, first letter of the middle name and last name.
- So, in the English manner, without any idea or malicious intent.
- But you and the guys, I hope, don’t call each other by their first and patronymic names?
- Sometimes - by first name and patronymic, but always - by “you”. It’s convenient: there’s some business, bustle... I addressed him by his first name and patronymic and immediately attracted attention.
“I played the piano at the rental shop.”
Where were you before you became famous?
- In Fryazino. Or, as our director Masha Hopenko says, “in a fucking ass.” Masha is an enchanting lady, she doesn’t mince words.
- Yes, we’re not talking about Masha now.
- No, it’s about her, because thanks to her this album was released.
- Well, then let's talk about Masha.
- Masha is the best woman in the world that I have ever seen.
- She's your wife, or what?
- No, she's twice my age. We met her in 1994.
- And yet, what were you doing before “Leap Year”?
“Yes, in general, the same as now,” he wrote songs.
- Thirteen or fourteen. It was probably about love.
I do not remember exactly. I don’t remember a lot of things at all - how it all began, and what kind of songs I wrote then. I remember how I met the guys with whom we later played in the group. I came to our local club, the Fakel Palace of Culture, where the children’s VIA was rehearsing. I suggested: let’s create a group, but they simply didn’t have the nerve to say that they already had a group. Somehow, imperceptibly, I promoted their leader, and they almost completely began to rehearse my songs.
One of those guys - Ilya Sosnitsky - still plays in my group. Already 11 years.
The other one, Dima, the guitarist, left not long ago. Even before everything started to unravel. I found something serious to do, and he had no time for the pointless pursuit of my songs.
Now a waiter in London, he regrets it terribly... (Laughs.) This is Zhvanetsky. - Have you ever had any doubts that songs are exactly what you should do? After all, you still entered a technical university...- Yes, I didn’t really go anywhere. I was very young - then everything worked out by itself. Friends went - and I went. Then he quit. This is not important, but the fact that I was writing songs back then. And he considered this his main occupation, although not permanent. I still do this very sporadically.
- Do you have a musical education?
- No. I was not accepted into the music school. Due to lack of hearing. My grandfather took me there when I was six years old. He had a friend in the consumer service - at the rental office.
When we went for a walk, grandfather would come to her to chat about life, and while they were chatting, I would climb into the corner and “play” the piano that stood there. And with great pleasure. That's why grandfather decided to send me to
music school
- How did I feel? I am often asked about this. But I didn’t feel anything, I was at a concert at that time and was nervous, as usual.
- I’m wondering how you regarded this: as something taken for granted - “my song is really the best” - or as a happy accident?
- It was both.
Then in second place, it seems, was Zemfira’s song, and also about the metro - “She reads Nabokov in the metro.” Beautiful song! Although mine is very good. I’ll say more, when I heard it for the first time, I was simply flattened, I couldn’t believe that I could write such a thing.
- There is a line in “Metro”: “Our children swear, we are almost gone.” I always wanted to ask: “who are we”?
- This is a collective character: me and someone else whom I thought about, with whom I associated this song. In general, this topic is very painful for me. When I wrote “Metro”, I even said to myself: that’s it, no more songs, it tormented me so much. Then - in September 1999 - we played it just once and threw it on the shelf. “We” are those who could serve in intelligence, act in films, who could do something, but now stupidly ride the subway, no one knows why there, no one knows why back. If you add up everything that people think about on the subway, and then take the arithmetic average, that will be what this song is about. And also about love, the most hopeless love in the world. - By the way, it is “Metro” that is considered yours best song
about love.
- And my “Best Love Song” was named so as a joke. Many years ago I met Alexander Viktorovich Kutikov, bassist and sound producer of the “Time Machine” group. He listened to our demo and said: “Ilya, what is this! You seem to be able to write songs, but you write God knows what! Write a song that will be great. And about love.” I wrote. And so that he liked it, he put “The best love song” on top of the cassette.
- Kutikov, by the way, once played in the group “Leap Summer”.
- Yes, an incredible coincidence. When I called the group “Leap Year,” I had no idea about it. So don't accuse me of plagiarism.
- And you have already been accused. There is a discussion on the Internet about the fact that “Metro” is an exact copy of one of the compositions of the Portuguese singer Cesaria Evora.
Album from 1995, song - “Consedjo”.
-...You can’t say that right away. But I’m almost sure that it would be something from the repertoire of Grebenshchikov or Vysotsky. Or from Pasternak's poems.
“I would like to lose ten kilograms, otherwise it interferes with sex”
After all, you do not rule out that your popularity will pass and you will go back to your Fryazino. What do you think you'll do then?
- Firstly, I already live in Fryazino. And secondly, how do I know what will happen next? I don't even know what's happening to me now. There was a concert in Samara. It went great. But my soul feels bad: why do I need all this?
- Maybe he's just tired?
- Tired... On stage you turn into a certain character - like a theater actor, only he has a wider range. You stand in front of a microphone, a guitar in your hands, and everything goes according to the script - not a word to change in the song, not a different emphasis to place.
- Well, they would have done some mischief and changed the words in the song...
- By the way, we are changing. In “Metro”, when we sing for an encore. There were originally eight verses, which is generally a bit long, but at a concert we sometimes sing all of them. Instead of the words: “We invented Windows, we declared a default,” there were others.
- Which?
- I will not say. If you come to the concert, you will hear it. The line about Windows and default appeared when we were recording the song. I don’t remember how it happened. Was good mood
, they started joking. We have Pashka, the bass player, such a wit! And Ilya Sosnitsky is terribly funny. Pashka starts laughing - and he just gets carried away, Ilya immediately collapses in hysterics, and Pashka sees this and, of course, tries even harder. It was at the moment of such “revelry” that these words were coined. In general, during concerts we talk to the audience and ask them to send us notes. They don’t know much about us yet - let them ask. By the way, I have notes from last concert with myself. Would you like to read it?.. There are such interesting ones. “A regular listener, Sergei, writes to you with his friends Sveta and Sveta. Please perform the song “Valenki”.
Or, for example: “We really liked you, I love you very much. Kiss. The girl with the most
big breasts
- " I read this note out loud at the concert by inertia, then - oh... I joked like: well, how am I going to figure you out, girl? A second note arrived. With phone.
- Don't take this opportunity.
I'm actually afraid that as a result of my involvement in show business, I will have no personal life left at all.
- At least tell me: do you have a beloved woman?
- In any case, she has me - that's for sure.
- You have already achieved something: your songs are loved by the people, the album has been released...
- I would like to lose another twenty kilograms. - Yes, I'm actually talking about creative achievements
I wanted to ask...
- Or at least ten, otherwise it interferes with sex. Then I will be proud of myself.
FANS of the group "Leap Year" are certainly romantics. Moreover, they are hopeless romantics. It seems to them that Ilya KALINNIKOV and his guys are playing for those who are just about to sing their best love song...
And you, Ilya, you who sing about love, are you a romantic?
For me, romantic means innocent. Like all people, I was once innocent. Like all people, I stopped being one. But I still remember what I was like. The people's favorite song "Metro" is a childish mood for adults.
And it's also a hit! On all radio stations today, among the usual pop music, among outright hackwork, they play “Metro”. - "Hit" - good word . If you remember the etymology - this is a “blow”! It's not hard to write a hit song. Maybe this is immodest, but for five or six years now I’ve known how to make a hit. This is a studio, production craft. I respect the desire of radio stations to capture large audiences, to fight for the masses. If my songs help, that’s nice. Like ours Musical direction
It's called, I don't know. I can only remember two definitions that we have already been awarded. First: bard rock. Vile name. Second: KSP easy listening. It's a joke. With our songs we awaken the good from your past. And the secret of “Metro” is that this song is for any format. But why was “The Best Love Song” constantly listed on “Russian Radio”? I do not understand. But don’t interfere with this. Now our audience has suddenly become so wide that I completely give up the idea of somehow feeling and understanding it. The audience is from 17 to 57. Concerts in clubs are held with a squeal, although our songs seem to be such that you have to sit and listen thoughtfully.
You probably don’t have to go down the subway anymore after the success of “Metro”? And if you go down, will you pass your station because of the signing of autographs? In your It’s no longer possible to enter calmly. I am pleased that now the songs of “Leap Year” are much more famous than the group itself. And the group is more famous than its members. It's good that this is exactly the case, and not the other way around. I would like to take the metro a little more quietly. I was recently driving along the line where I always sleep. I wake up - two girls are sitting opposite me and are afraid of my appearance. The same man who sings: “We fall asleep in the subway,” suddenly sits nearby with such a sleepy face. They recognized me, that is. Maybe this is the fashion for Leap Year? I don’t know how you can say this to yourself: “I’m fashionable”? I am not involved in this internally. But for those who want to become famous or fashionable, I’ll say: guys, don’t worry, it’s not worth it. This is the lack of free time, including sleep, this is the lack of loneliness.
I'm asking you as an expert on romantic love. What's worse: when someone stops loving you or when you stop loving you?
Very good line. It's scary to lose feeling. The feeling of love is a manifestation of human nature. This is a catastrophe. Because a person is deprived of natural grace.
How do the lines come to mind? You sit down with a piece of paper...
You sit down, put down the paper, get ready, talk to someone on the phone, say, leave me alone, I don’t have time... The process of writing a song consists of 99% preparatory and final time. And the text is written quickly. Although I have already begun to forget how they are written. First, the main points of the song come to mind. But not the first line, as many believe. I always write diagonally, starting from the middle. The second stage is when you, with a piece of paper and a guitar, try to connect everything into a single whole. In a song, the text is always primary, because a song is some kind of story, right?.. I have a better command of music: in a day with a group I can scribble out three or four pieces. But this won’t work with text.
How did this whole Leap Year thing start? One morning you suddenly woke up famous?
What happened first? At first there was an idea to call future group"Leap year". This idea was born in 1988, when I was still in school. But the date of birth can be considered either 1994, when he gathered current composition, or the year 1996, when he did something for the first time. We didn't play music on the weekends. We've never been a band willing to play anywhere for $100. They did not develop classically. Over the course of two years, we had only three so-called rehearsal sessions, when the guys made songs in home, country, and beach conditions. Somehow in 1995, we got together in a group and left for the 101st kilometer, in my hometown Orekhovo-Zuevo. In the apartment where I grew up, we built a studio for a month. This is how the first recordings were made. Two or three things were included in the first and only album so far - “Which Is Returning”. In 1996, a demo recording of the future album appeared, which already included “The Best Love Song.” The famous "Metro" appeared even later, in 1999. All accumulated material was set aside. Postponed because the publishers did not smile. Several years ago, without thinking about the consequences, I distributed cassette tapes with our songs to friends. The things recorded on these gifts would be enough for two more albums. I'm afraid this material will surface on the Internet. The album “Which Is Returning” has already become, according to Russian standards, platinum. But, by the way, it might not have reached people at all. And all because we are lazy and unambitious. If it weren’t for one wonderful woman, let’s call her Masha, nothing would have worked out. One day she burst into the group’s presence shouting: “You, Ilya, have gone completely crazy from creative torment!” She quietly stole my cassette with songs. And then she dropped it off at Nashe Radio. So serene, originally from Fryazino, “Leap Year” went on air and touched vulnerable souls.
In “The Best Love Song” there is this story: “When she was 36, he died very quietly...” Did the man’s health fail him or his age?
When he is older than her, this is a normal situation among human beings. And it all starts with the girls. They sometimes perceive their peers poorly. This is why we men, in the prime of our creative powers, walk around with calluses. This theme will be present on the new album.
An intimate question: do you drink before a performance?
Sometimes it happens that someone really spoils the mood before a concert. And then you allow yourself 50 grams. But they don't have a strong impact. Everything goes away with the second song. We need to tune in to the public. We need to play theater. And the range of techniques and improvisations is limited. Theater of one group is very complex.
Leap Year is a rock band from Fryazino near Moscow.
Critics note its closeness national stage, warmth, sentimental lyricism, " rare soulfulness and trustfulness of Leap Year songs", among which the phrase " We invented Windows, we declared default“has actually become popular.
In 1988 the Leap Year group arose as a “concept” in the mind Ilya Kalinnikov when he contemplated the landscape from the window of the Fryazino-Moscow train and composed a song. He thought it would be nice to call this song Leap Year. Then he thought it would be nice to call the group that. And so it happened. And the song Leap year it remained unfinished.
In 1990 The Leap Year group arose as an amateur group of very young people.
The Leap Year group included:
In 1994 joins the group Pavel Seryakov - Bas-guitar.
In 2000 joins the group Dmitry Kukushkin - button accordion, guitar.
The night of April 5, 2000- the first radio broadcast of the song on Autoradio. In the same year with a song Metro the group is rotated on all leading Moscow radio stations, including Nashe Radio, and is included in the hit parade Chart's dozen, and then wins it, remaining in first place for 7 weeks. In the same year, the album was recorded and released.
August 2000- an experienced concert manager joins the group Alexey Kan, and from this moment the concert activity of the Leap Year group begins. Alex Kahn- permanent administrator of the group from 2000 to the present day.
October 2000 - the group receives an invitation from Alla Pugacheva to take part in the “Christmas Meetings”. The group gets a rare opportunity at Christmas Meetings to perform not one, but two songs ( Best Love Song, Metro). Performance at “Christmas Meetings” brings the group national success.
March 2001- song Quiet light becomes the theme song of the popular television series "Truckers". Also in 2001, Leap Year was nominated for an award Ovation, becomes a laureate Songs of the year and award winner Stopudovy hit.
In 2002 Ilya Kalinnikov hand over Golden star of Autoradio.
In 2003 Ilya Kalinnikov invites you to record one of the songs Mikhail Mitin - drums And Dmitry Shumilov - Bas-guitar- legendary musicians. From that moment Mikhail Mitin becomes the permanent drummer of the band Leap Year.
In 2005 the group disappears from the sight of fans and critics, having stopped performing in Moscow. Ilya Kalinnikov abandons the idea of recording a new album. The band continues to tour and perform only at private events.
June 2006- leaving the group Pavel Seryakov And Ilya Sosnitsky (organized a project In the world today ).
August 2006- returns to the group Dmitry Guguchkin - Bas-guitar. Place keyboard player takes Ilya Murtazin.
October 2006- Leap Year resumes concert activities. Young musicians join the group - Yuri Vanteev - pipe, And Renat Khalimdarov - trombone.
Leap Year has never had a producer, and traditionally in show business, “ promotion“Not a penny was invested.
September 2007- Ilya Kalinnikov is awarded the second “Golden Disc” from National Federation phonogram producers for the album.
February 2008- the group releases . All songs have been remixed and 4 bonus tracks have been added.
Composition of the Leap Year group:
Ilya Kalinnikov - songwriter, vocals, guitarDmitry Kukushkin - button accordion, guitar
Dmitry Guguchkin - bass guitar, guitar
Ilya Murtazin - keyboards
Mikhail Mitin - drums
Yuri Vanteev - pipe
Renat Khalimdarov - trombone
Other news
In 1988, the group “Leap Year” arose as a “concept” in the minds of Ilya Kalinnikov, when he contemplated the landscape from the window of the Fryazino-Moscow train and composed a song. He thought it would be nice to call this song “Leap Year.” Then he thought it would be nice to name the group that. And so it happened. And the song “Leap Year” remained unfinished. In 1990, the Leap Year group emerged as an amateur group of very young people. Its composition included (vocals, guitar, songwriter), (solo guitar), Ilya Sosnitsky (keys). In 1994 he joined the group (bass guitar) and in 2000 - (accordion, guitar).
1995, January - “The Best Love Song” was born. The first person to mix the song was Alexander Kutikov (“Time Machine”). The first version of the song remained on the collection “101 hits. Issue 4". (1997). In winter, the song “Quiet Light” was born, again under the influence of Alexander Kutikov, who hinted, as in the case of “The Best Love Song,” that more hits were needed.
2000, night of April 5 - the first radio broadcast of the song “Metro” on Avtoradio, Moscow. In the same year, with the song “Metro”, the group was rotated on all leading Moscow radio stations, including “Our Radio”, entered the “Chart Dozen” hit parade, and then won it, remaining on the first line for 7 weeks . In the same year, the album “Which Returns” is recorded and released.
2000, August - experienced concert manager Alexey Kan joins the group, and from that moment the concert activity of the Leap Year group begins.
2000, October - The group receives an invitation from Alla Pugacheva to take part in the “Christmas Meetings”. The group gets a rare opportunity at “Christmas Meetings” to perform not one, but two songs (“Best Love Song,” “Metro”). Performance at “Christmas Meetings” brings the group national success.
2001, March - the song “Quiet Light” becomes the title song of the popular television series “Truckers”. In the same 2001, “Leap Year” was nominated for the “Ovation” award, became the winner of the “Song of the Year” and the winner of the “Stopudovy Hit” award. In 2002, the Golden Star of Autoradio was awarded.
In 2002, the song “Kino” was released, in 2003 - “Bringing Good Luck”, in 2004 - “Who’s Here?”, in 2005 - “Nobody But You”, in 2006 - “Call!”.
In 2003, Ilya Kalinnikov invited Mikhail Mitin (drums) and Dmitry Shumilov (bass guitar) - musicians of the legendary “Polite Refusal” - to record one of the songs. From that moment he became the drummer of the group “Leap Year”.
In 2004, the group disappeared from the sight of fans and critics, stopping performances in Moscow. Ilya Kalinnikov abandons the idea of recording a new album. The band continues to tour and perform only at private events.
2006, June - Pavel Seryakov and Ilya Sosnitsky leave the group (they organized the project “Today in the World”).
2006, August - Dmitry Guguchkin (bass guitar) returns to the group. Takes the keyboard player's place.
2006, October - “Leap Year” resumes concert activities. Preparations begin for the release of the second studio album.
2006, December - Ilya Kalinnikov and Dmitry Guguchkin decide to introduce a brass section into the group, and in 2007 young musicians join the group - (trumpet) and (trombone).
“Leap Year” never had a producer, and not a penny was invested in the traditional “promotion” in show business.
2007, September - Ilya Kalinnikov is awarded the second “Golden Disc” from the National Federation of Phonogram Producers for the album “Which Returns.”
2008, February - the group releases a re-release of their debut album. All songs have been remixed and 4 bonus tracks have been added.
2000 - Which returns
01. Best love song (2:53)
02. Subway (3:46)
03. A Certain Nobody (3:08)
04. Lanterns (3:47)
05. 21st oncoming (3:47)
06. Sixth day of autumn (4:46)
07. Quiet Light (4:20)
08. Lay down and dozed off (3:53)
09. Wait (2:36)
10. 16:37 (4:31)
11. Metrojazz (6:11)
Bonus (2008 re-release):
1. Cinema ( Full version, 2002) (2:38)
2. The best love song (Kutikov edition, 1997) (3:18)
3. Flekkefjord (4:08)
4. Metro.Band.2007 (3:51)
Official website: www.visokosniygod.ru
What a sign: a bird flew into the window (a tit flew in)
Apricot jam in syrup for the winter
Why do you dream about red hair?
Zucchini like milk mushrooms - recipes for preparing for the winter
I dreamed of a light - what could this mean?