«The Russians Are Coming! Mumiy Troll Interview» — Brightestyoungthings

The Russians Are Coming! Mumiy Troll Interview

Mumiy Troll, Monsters of Russian rock, are playing the Black Cat tonight. For those of you with language barriers: This guys sing about molesting eight graders, eating seaweed and debauchery – and all this in the most eloquent and nonchalant way imaginable. Needless to say-an (English-as-a-second-language) interview was not a want, it was a NEED.

Oh, wow! You are not exactly what people expect when they are about to meet a Russian rock musician. I mean, you are all bangs and skinnies and totally androgyny. And knowing that you`ve been on the cover of Russian GQ, I expected someone who is, you know, more consistent with Russian male beau ideal.

Now that`s funny. What do you associate with Russian males?

Sweat suits. Muscles. Bears…

Well, I`m not a bear. I`m more of a Siberian tiger.

Speaking of animals – what is a Mumiy Troll? I know, it always ends up as a disappointment when you ask bands about their names, but yours sounds almost like my favorite Swedish child book about naked trolls who look like cuddly hippopotamuses. Is it wishful thinking or is there a grain of truth in my version?

My first band, a psychedelic punk outfit I started at the age of 11, was named “Bunny Pee■. You can imagine that I wanted to be more poetical with the next try and put a lot of thought into the whole naming thing. In the Russia of the Eighties it was a trend to name bands after fairy tales, like “Wizard of OZ■ or “Alice■. Musicians wanted to contrast the gravity of life and the austerity of music with lighthearted names. I came up with Tove Janssons` “Moomin Troll■ and then decided to make it sound more mature by exchanging some letters. Moomin became Mumiy – a mummy – and all of the sudden cuddly trolls grew into indestructible monsters that live forever. Isn`t that something every rock musician is dreaming of?

Looks like this dream has come true for you. You`ve been making music for almost 25 years now, and still have this boyish Peter Pan image.

I don`t think of myself as a conserved child trapped in a body of a grown-up. I actually like being an adult and all the things which come with life experience. Being wise for instance. And anxiety-free. But I am still as curious as a six-year-old — and also as happy.

Did the actual six-years-old you planned on becoming a rock ingénue back then?

Hell, no! I actually wanted to join the navy, but then my mum told me that it`s a pretty hard job.

So then you decided to take it easy and founded one of the most successful Russian rock bands? After all, your song “Vladivostok 2000■ was the first video to be aired on Russian MTV.

Actually, I started to study Mandarin first…

Because you needed a freaky major you can write into your bio later?

No, way easier. The Chinese school was the closest to my apartment. It was more of a coincidence – like everything in my life, including the MTV video you`ve mentioned. Success is more being at the right place at the right time than anything else. We were lucky. Everybody in Russia thought that our first hits were a flash in the pan, that our music was too reckless to be appreciated by a large public, too western, too weird. At the beginning only a handful of friends would come to our gigs. But 10 years later, hundreds of people claimed that they`ve been to that particular show. Which is nonsense: I still remember the two paying guest and they were my neighbors.

Because your music was on the “black list■ and people were afraid to be seen at your concerts? I`ve read that you were considered “one of the most socially dangerous bands in the world■ by the local communist party.

Oh no, we were neither criminals nor insurgents. For us it was just a game. I started playing just to be able to say I`m a musician. I recorded my first album only so that I have proof if girls asked me at parties what I do.

Are there any contemporary Russian bands you recommend to our readers?

Personally I`m into Eighties Rock like Aquarium. But there also amazing new bands like Tesla Boy from Moscow and Everything Made In China – fresh, talented musicians who sing in English.

You`ve also been experimenting with English lyrics recently while conquering North America in the last weeks. As far as I know you spent Halloween in LA. What was your costume?

Unfortunately we were in the studio at Halloween. But if I had had a chance to dress up, I definitely would have gone as a sailor.

I was hoping you would say vampire… After all you were such a convincing vampire in Night Watch, this scary Russian block buster that even made it to international movie theatres.

I`m not a vampire; I`m more of a donor. And I decided not to act any more. I`m not good at pretending to be someone else, I`m too busy being me. It`s frustrating to tell other people`s stories when you have so much to say yourself.

Don`t you run out of stories after a quarter of a century on stage?

Never. Musicians always talk how the play every show as if it were their last. We play as if it`s our first.

Wlada