Mittwoch, 30. September 2009

A Letter To Ukraine


In the past five years, I spend much time playing and travelling in Ukraine. Meeting nice people, discovering my roots and the “Russian” way of lifestyle. I gained new “fans” and even one friend.
You showed me love with all the things you’ve done!
There was a firework before I started to play, a girl who designed a dress with my name on it. There have been bouquets and a full club with sparkles in hands. So many nice memories!
I even improved my mother language, as I’m not talking so much Russian in my daily life.
In moments of light disappointment or if something was not working out for me i found a lot of reception from your side. I'd like to thank you!

It’s a mentality thing why our connection works and why I am playing regularly in your country. It’s because I know that I can come to your house, drop my shoes on the floor and take something out of the fridge without asking and it’s because you know that in a way I am the same.

I receive many letters from young Ukrainian producers and dj´s and I’m flattered that you see me as a link between Ukraine / Russia & the “European – Techno world”.
It’s not only the fact that you can write me in Russian, it’s also that apart of SCSI-9 and me there aren’t so many Russians releasing music on vinyl and international labels.
I do understand your reasons and the connected emotions, I would be stupid if not. After all I played more or less 50 gigs in your country and had a plenty of chats with promoters and DJ´s .
I cant write everybody a personal letter with my thoughts to your questions, that’s why I write an official one and try to answer your questions with my theories.

Three most frequently asked questions.

1. Why cant I get a deal with a German label, what is wrong with my sound, can you please listen to my tracks and tell me?

There is nothing wrong with your sound! Due to the mass of demos a label receives nowadays, an A&R is only able to answer you, if he is interested in your music.
And none of the A&R´s I know cares where the artist comes from, if he likes the track.

Wondering why there are less Eastern European producers on the market I can only assume that it has something to do with the history and political situation of the countries.
Everything came really late. I ate my first banana when I was six!
(This was a time when a banana just was a banana. Just kidding)
And then there was a money & trading problem, how to buy a synthesizer even if you saved money for it.
Today it doesn’t matter with what you produce, but the guys you comparing yourself with have an analog background and a bit more experience. They are doing it since years, collecting plug ins changing skills between each other, hanging around in record shops…Don’t get disappointed if you cant reach this standard after a short time of producing. Reading the manual, without speaking good English in most times is the first barrier:)
Don’t worry, a good track is a good track, that’s it!

Just an advice: Mails like the one below will maybe not be taken serious and your chance of getting heard shrinks. Find your own handwriting and choose one style!

Hey my name is Grisha Koleshnik, please listen to my tracks, here you find 3 links .

1. some techno and tech-house tracks
2. some house and minimal tracks
3. some dubby and broken beats influenced ones
---
Too many styles and tracks can confuse an A&R as he might think you didn’t find your way yet.

2. Why it is so tough to work with Germans, don’t you think their cessation of work with us is a bit critical?

To say it rough you’re one of the most popular download pirates.
Sure the basics for work will be reviewed even more than critical.
I work on both sides, as an artist I have at least some benefits from it. The people who are sharing my tracks are coming to my shows and begging the promoters to book me. But for a label it’s a total disaster.
You have to understand that an artist has to live from his art and that it’s not naturally and welcome stealing his work.
The music industry did some mistakes as well, the digital rights management system did not worked out the way it should have.
When I buy a Coke in Ukraine I pay 0,40,-€ and not 1,00,-€ like in Germany, it makes sense to fit the prices to the market.
But If I want to buy something I cant afford, I don’t steal it and excuse it in my head with :” Hey it’s your fault that I steal your product, you made it too expensive for me to get it legal!”

I guess you don’t even think about it anymore, as it became naturally for you getting music for free and i know it wont change, but I’ll hope that you spend a minute thinking about it.
Respect moves a relationship further!

3.Is it true, that Anthony Rother don’t like to come to Ukraine anymore?

I cant speak for him and it’s not my style to tamper in somebody else business, but I can understand that you ask me about him, because you know me trough Datapunk releases.
Anthony plays live with a lot of equipment, you know your border control…With his new project Beuys Von Telekraft he plays a dj-set, so I think you’ll see him in the future and he likes to come to Ukraine.

Read his words:

“TO MY FANS IN KIEV. I AM VERY SORRY THAT I COULD NOT PLAY FOR YOU AT THE BEST DJ FEST.
THE PROBLEM WAS THAT I COULD NOT IMIGRATE TO THE UKRAINE WITH MY DOCUMENTS. LUFTHANSA DID NOT CHECK MY DOCUMENTS PROPERLY BEFORE BOARDING IN FRANKFURT.
I ACTUALLY WAS AT THE KIEV AIRPORT!!! IGOR, THE EVENT MANAGER, AND LUFTHANSA TRIED EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO GET ME IN, BUT UKRAINE IMIGRATION WOULD NOT LET ME SET ONE FOOTSTEP INTO YOUR COUNTRY.
AGAIN I AM VERY SORRY FOR NOT BEING WITH YOU LAST NIGHT.
BUT AS WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A NEW DATE TO HAPPEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I AM DEEPLY HOPEFUL TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME WHEN I COME TO PLAY FOR YOU...”
ANTHONY ROTHER

4 Kommentare:

  1. if you are communicating to russians and ukrainians, why the hell do you have to write in english? there are plenty of signs of you trying to distance yourself from what you call "your country" alreadt anyway. and by the way, your music sucks! try to create, not to produce, and may be put some soul in it. otherwise might as well go get a job and do something usefull.

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  2. why are you so agressive, not lucky with yourself?
    actually, music here is the language.
    i wrote in english, because eveybody can understand it and also i dont have russian leters on my computer or wanted to write russian with english letters.
    that's it!
    if you think that my music sucks, do you really think i care about it?
    i can give you just one advice, keep concentrating on things you like instead of waisting your time reading and commenting my words, if you dont like it!

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  3. I find this a good article, putting some personal, but still interesting opinions out. And being a German who sort of follows Xenia's music, because I like some of her tunes, I appreciate that she writes this open letter in English. It's understandable that some people would have appreciated it as a special proof of brother- or sisterhood if Xenia would have written it in Russian or Ukrainian. But I would support her decision of writing in English. I even appreciate it when my favourite Danish artists do it on their websites - even I live in Denmark and speak quite well Danish!

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  4. "if you are communicating to russians and ukrainians, why the hell do you have to write in english?"
    hahaha, sorry, but it is the most stupid comment i have ever read!)
    на самом деле, уважаемый аноним, если вы так обеспокоены тем, что russian speaking people are not able to read and translate, то могу Вас уверить, что сегодня вообще такой проблемы не существует (кому нужно воспользуется гугл переводчиком), what about «signs of you trying to distance yourself from what you call "your country"» - what was that? Stupid try to raise the topic of patriotism? (у Вас об этом извращенное какое-то представление).
    But one thing is clear, you have not read the article ( u didn’t understand its meaning) and havnt listened to music (judging by the comments “music..put some soul in it..).
    Love. Peace. Techno. Ukraine.

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