Tatu talk about the new album
Internationally known group Tatu who are the best known "Russian pop" to the West prepare to release their new album. It will be released in October in 2 versions - Russian (Lyudi Invalidi) and American (Dangerous And Moving). At the Russian office of Universal Music, journalists have been allowed to listen to some songs from the new album, and then given an opportunity to discuss it with the Tatu girls.
Tatu look much the same as they used to. Yulia Volkova now has a short blonde hairstyle like Marie Frederiksson from Roxette, Lena Katina has not really changed. But both of them look as spoiled brats whilst half-lying on a sofa with snack bowls in front of them. They are ordering a young man to go and get them sushi.
RG: Young ladies, it's your comeback! Do you really want to return?
Yulia: We can not live without music. Really, I want to sleep now. (lies down)
RG: How do the 2 album versions differ ?
Yulia: The Russian album has songs which aren't on the English version and vice versa.
Lena: Though some are the same.
RG: Is there a difference in the songs or just in the language they are sung in?
Yulia: The songs are different.
RG: Did the Americans select the songs?
Lena: No, we selected the songs.
RG: Using what criteria?
Lena: What we found good - we sang.
RG: Can you compare this new creativity to your past work ?
Yulia: We have more influence in it. We contributed more of our feelings.
Lena: I think, that we grew creatively. It seems to me that this album is more serious, it is darker. It has a wider spectrum. It has more serious theme.
RG: For example?
Lena: The actual condition of our society. Not only in Russia, but also in the West.
RG: What is the song Obezyanka Nol about?
Lena: You don't understand?
RG: Yes, I think I do. But it's important for me to hear, what you have to say about this song?
Lena: We want you to tell us what you have understood (giggling). A successful translation of this song in English is available. All is clear there.
RG: The song Loves Me Not is about a woman's love or a man's, you now sing about that?
Yulia: About both male and female.
Lena: We also sang earlier about men's love.
RG: The song Lyudi Invalidi, is it a social comment?
Lena: It is about the disability of soul, if that's possible to say. This can mean both in the spiritual and physical sense. We mean the spiritual condition of mankind. About the bad people in it. More so, they are human but bad people, there isn't anything human in them anymore.
RG: Are you surrounded by such people?
Lena: All of us are surrounded by such people. They are everywhere: in shops, acts of terrorism, show business, politics, anywhere, everywhere.
RG: During the making of your albums what work was done by the Americans and what was done by the Russians ?
Lena: We recorded the album there. We had an American video director. Very good, talented boy. The sound engineer was Russian - a young man called Vanya, he was very good. Then Sergey Galoyan also did arrangements. His songs are on our album. All made in America. We were the sound producers on the Russian album. We selected vocals. Different people helped, such as Richard Carpenter. On the song Friend Or Foe Sting played the guitar.
RG: Sting? The guitar? For Tatu?
Lena: Well. Our record company said, that Sting will play the guitar for us. You know what? Sting played. He helped and participated - it was pleasant for us.
RG: Why didn't you invite McCartney to play drums and get Madonna to do backing vocals?
Lena: Why not! Actually everything turned out by itself. It wasn't possible for us to get to know him persnally. Maybe it'll happen in the future.
RG: Did Ivan Shapovalov help on one of the songs?
Lena: Lyudi Invalidy is his song. He didn't participate in any other.
RG: Do you still keep in touch with him?
Lena: We do. We have a normal relationship. We simply don't work together anymore.
RG: What impressions do you have from working with him?
Lena: Excellent! He is a very talented person. It all just happened. We decided, that we wanted to move on and assert ourselves. We realised, that we could work on our own. But with Vanya the work was fine, and we still have happy memories. We didn't fight, nothing like that, we simply went our separate ways.
RG: Business is business, yes? Who is in his place?
Lena: Nobody, it's just us.
RG: Can we expect similar PR stunts like you did with Shapovalov?
Lena: I don't know, we shall see. We don't prepare anything, we are spontaneous.
Yulia: Oh you don't know what we are able to do! We'll set such a thing, that maybe all of you will run away!
RG: Did Shapovalov you discuss these scandals with you?
Lena: Yes, we came up with it together. It's not like Vanya told us - 'Girls, you should do this now!'.
Yulia: 'You! Kiss quickly!'
RG: You don't regret it ...
Lena: We don't regret this.
RG: Many praise you, for showing the world Russian pop music. But many abuse you for the way in which you have shown it. What do you think?
Lena: We don't think anything. We are what we are. And if this is interesting to someone in the West that's fine - we should be glad. We have opened doors, maybe other artists will have opportunities in America.
Yulia: We wish to show nothing, we simply behave as we are.
RG: Yulia, now you have woken up, can you tell us how is your child?
Yulia: Vika will be a year old on the 23rd September. She is with the nurse, together with her grandmother and grandfather. I'm seldom there. A lot of work. On free days I'm with her.
RG: Lena, do you want children?
Lena: What is this? All ask me about this! As it turns out I've very much wanted a child for a long time. I think about it but to plan such things is impossible!
RG: How are your parents towards your work?
Lena: They always support us. Listen to our music, are pleased with it and also criticise.
RG: Earlier, did they ever tell you it was bad?
Lena: No, they always understood.
RG: How do you see your future?
Yulia: To have a sleep, like I said.
Lena: Yes, we will go home, and lie down to sleep. We do not think about it, we live as we live.
RG: At least, do you think you will be involved in music in the future?
Yulia: With music, certainly. Without music, there's no life.
Lena: As long as we know there is work - we will do it. What will happen after that - is not clear.
RG: What about studying?
Lena: I do my 5th and the last year now. Soon I shall start to write for my diploma. There are 2 topics, I haven't decided which one to choose yet.
Yulia: I'm going to study directing. I don't know whether I shall study here.
RG: Does it seem, that producers and show business have stolen your childhood from you?
Lena: We wanted to do this. When some sat around, smoking, drinking beer and doing other such things, we worked.
Yulia: Others were carefree - went to school, had lessons, went for a walk - during this time we worked. Certainly, we too would have liked to have been like them, but on the other hand, we are glad about what happened to us. These people still sit around and drink beer. They don't know what to do with their lives.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russia
Translated by nikki
05.09.05 |
