The first interview in the history of the group takes place in St. Petersburg. Feofan is tall, thoughtful, with broad shoulders and a stentorian voice. His DJ Nikodim is shorter, more cheerful and talks about the practical aspects of the matter with great pleasure. Both have lush false beards on their faces, both order tea with thyme and separately - honey (which, after an hour and a half of conversation, will remain almost untouched). With them - a bear, which was forbidden to describe in the material.
Dictionary of Theophanes
Anonymity
Fundamental decision. The musicians do not show faces and do not name names, so as not to distract listeners from their own music.
Asmodeus
Evil demon, patron of fornication, debauchery and revenge. It is first found in the Talmud, later - in medieval and modern literature. Theophanes confronts Asmodeus. “You see, this is a collective image. We don't point fingers at any particular thing. Asmodeus are both people and phenomena. That is, everything is negative. If you listen to this song ("Asmodeev on the stake", one of the main hits of "Neuromonk". - Note. ed.), then you will not find specific indications of who it is and what it is. In essence, this is what opposes the light (see Light).
Zelo
Highly. Let's put this word into the dictionary. We use it in the texts - people ask.
Bast shoes
Shoes worth dancing to the old Russian dram. (Listen to the song "Smash the shoes on the floor." - Note. ed.) Some concertgoers knew this and initially went to concerts in bast shoes - they got into the clip "Tread the Field" after the group contacted them on VKontakte.
False beards
One of the three things that Theophanes and Nicodemus fundamentally do not discuss. The other two are religion and politics.
Light
What Feofan carries with his creativity. “There are people who are positive. This is different. The positive is specifically "ha ha". And light is a filling of energy. Not to make you laugh, but to inspire and delight. This is happiness and positive as well, but light is a more capacious concept. And it certainly doesn't mean "peace." Light is movement.
Sergei Shnurov
The man whose post about Feofan on Instagram this summer gained 20,000 likes and added popularity to the group. Here is the caption that accompanied him: “Finally, something worthy of attention has appeared. Actual, like a laminate that imitates wood, a musical project - "Neuromonk Feofan". I see, I feel the potential of something unimaginably big. Like a nuclear mushroom grown in a garden plot in a zone of risky farming by an amateur gardener, Neuromonakh, I hope, will break through the greenhouse polyethylene of the present. Amen".
Vigorousness
Lifestyle. “It is easier for us to show this at concerts, it is more difficult to explain - the word is so capacious that you can write a scientific dissertation. Vigorousness is a state in which a person is overflowing with positive energy. Synonyms - enthusiasm, cheerfulness, agility. It can appear in absolutely any business.
Photo: Evgeny Petrushansky
- Do you have a legend?
Nicodemus: There is. I can tell about myself. Or rather, about Nicodemus. A city dweller who is tired of what is happening. He studied music for a long time and skillfully. But a little tired and decided to turn to nature. Gone into the forest. I'm walking, suddenly I hear - wonderful music is heard. The rhythm is such that the energy starts to ooze. It pulls right in. I approached - and just met Feofan. And there the bear pulled himself up a little later. We sat, drank honey, tea. I listened to Feofanov's songs, which he had already written by that time, offered some of my ideas, put my musical knowledge into it, and that's what happened, and we see it at our first concerts.
- What is Theophan's story? When did he get into the forest and how did he write songs there?
Feofan: The history of getting into the forest is a secret covered. I don't tell anyone. But you can guess - dissociation from people in society, as it usually happens in life. In general, I am an unsociable person, there were periods when I did not see people for a long time. This does not mean that there was no communication at all - I adore the forest just because there is no one there, but communication still takes place. Each tree has its own relationship. It can give you something, it can make you feel bad. And there, in this silence, when there is no hurry, when no one is driving anywhere, one feels unity with the entire planet. Actually, due to this, my idea was born. She wouldn't have been born on the run. Because the fast urban rhythm requires something from you. And when they demand from you, creativity is usually not very much. In a calm state - then, of course, it is completely different.
Nicodemus: Nature inspires. You sit on a stump, look at the sky. Suddenly, an idea came up. All and how to explain it. Yes, there is no way to explain this. So there was no specific reason: just doing what they have already done is not interesting. We found such a way out - to combine the balalaika and drums. Energy-wise, they are similar. By message.
- Where exactly is the point of contact?
Feofan: A combination of beauty and energy. If it was possible in ancient times to make such ragged loud beats, then what we are doing would have appeared right then. Then the rhythm, of course, was not considered, but there was little difference. Look at the drumstep dance. YouTube is very fond of overlaying Russian folk dances on this music. An ignorant person may not immediately distinguish whether this is true or not true. Everything has its roots from there. Here is the balalaika - a stringed instrument, it is often played dynamic music. The same goes for drum and bass. It carries a tremendous amount of energy. If you try to stand next to the stage at our concert, you will feel...
Nicodemus: If you try to stand there, you won't be able to stand, that's what I'll say. Folk music has a lot of energy, it is very energetic in itself. And when this energy is amplified by drum and bass, there are seven of me. At the first concert, I tried to stand behind the DJ set, could not stand it, broke into a dance, ran to the edge of the stage, and have been doing this since then. We can say that music initially controls everything - including us.
Folk Russian drama in Neuromonk Feofan's only clip at the moment "To trample"
- In a sense, drum and bass is also folk music. Brings people in the room to a common denominator.
Feofan: There are people who hardly look at the stage at a concert, they just dance. And there are people who care to see what's going on there. Therefore, we try to saturate the musical and visual components in proportion. Many people are performing against the background of a banner, and we are trying to make it somehow more interesting. This is how we show our respect for our listeners. We understand that standing on stage with a microphone, without moving, against a dark background and just playing music is not enough in our case. Not taking the trouble to convey the full power of the invented image is disrespectful. Therefore, we try to capture all the feelings at the concert.
Nicodemus: We have stained glass windows, dances, visualizations, a staff with laser beams, fellows with axes. Bear. Well done, by the way, they came to us once for a concert, and we took them. We are constantly updating our program and listen to the public very carefully. We sometimes go before a concert without costumes in the crowd - we listen to who tells what.
- You talk a lot about concerts, but you didn't start with them. When did you first see how the audience was dancing under you?
Feofan: This year. Before that, I myself recorded songs, since 2009. A year and a half ago, Nicodemus wandered into the forest - we re-recorded all the old songs (the album almost entirely consists of them), and wrote several new ones. And then they started performing.
- What did you feel?
Theophan and Nicodemus (at the same time): We realized that we did everything right!
- Do people write to you? A lot of?
Nicodemus: People are asking for new songs.
Bear: There are a lot of unread messages, unfortunately, it is not possible to answer all of them. There are several tens of thousands hanging there. We decided on the first concert only because people asked.
- It was important for you from the very beginning to remain incognito. Why is that?
Feofan: Because the main thing that we convey is emotions and music. It makes no sense to personalize these things. Like in a poem, you know? "Don't get behind the scenery." We really love what we do. And we see that people like it too. Sometimes, of course, they ask ... but most do not need it. The point is not to divert attention. It is clear that if someone really wants to, he will learn more about us. But even if he finds out and writes on his page on a social network, again, most will not give a damn. There is an image, people like it. It's like a poorly written verse. Everyone reads and finds their own meaning. Why take away this meaning from the one who found it. We deliberately avoid specifics, because specifics are true for some, but not for others. She confuses the true meaning. The general concept is the most correct.
At concerts, the audience, dressed in folk shirts and wreaths, dances to drum and bass, set under balalaika motifs.
- It's hard to remain anonymous when you're popular.
Feofan: Well, life is, in principle, all the time flows and changes. We don't know how it will be there. We can only focus on the present. Today - anonymity. And in a year, you see, we will run everywhere, give interviews, take pictures with everyone and kiss sugar on the lips.
- I can't help but ask: how many concerts is enough for one pair of bast shoes?
Nicodemus: There are bast shoes of different manufactories!
Feofan: There are bast, there are birch bark. The Berestyans were enough for eight concerts. And the lykovye are alive to this day. We do not buy fake ones, but we order from masters.
- They don't send it themselves - as a souvenir?
Bear: Not. Ivan-tea is sent instead. But buying bast shoes is a very big hassle. We in Moscow and St. Petersburg have already bought everything we found. There are very few craftsmen. Now I'm getting bast shoes from Tomsk, a batch has been ordered. You know what's great? People began to go to concerts in bast shoes. In groups, the masters before the concert flurry of messages: "I will buy bast shoes." Very high demand. I think this is a big problem for our listeners - it's hard to get bast shoes.
- It is necessary to arrange a rental of bast shoes.
Bear: A good idea.
In 2015, a video clip for the song "Pritoptat" was distributed on the Internet. Its executor was a certain Neuromonakh Feofan. "Who is it really?" netizens asked each other. However, there was no accompanying information. Two years have passed, and the musical project is still continuing its work. Who is Neuromonakh Feofan really and what is he famous for?
Compound
It is known that behind the pseudonym is not one, but at least two people. This is the soloist and DJ Nikodim. The first is a tall guy with a false beard. In public, he always appears in a hoodie resembling a schema, with patterns on the edge and in bast shoes. His face is hidden by a hood, and in his hands he usually holds a staff in which a laser pointer is hidden. Neuromonk Feofan sings songs in a singsong voice with a characteristic melody and the use of Slavicisms, obsolete words. The musical project comes from St. Petersburg.
Story
Who is it really - Neuromonakh Feofan? The group still maintains anonymity from the intrusive media. But, despite this, the Afisha magazine managed to slightly lift the veil and interview DJ Nikodim, the second member of the group. He spoke about himself and about the history of the group. Nicodemus has a higher education. For a long time he was engaged in music professionally. And when he met Feofan (who is a self-taught musician), he suggested a lot of interesting things to him. On the basis of common interests, the guys became friends.
Feofan, even before the formation of the group, was actively recording songs (since about 2008). The idea to join forces in an original musical project arose during a walk in the woods.
Style
The uniqueness of the style of the new group was not only in the stylization of Russian folk festivals, but also in the combination of balalaika with drum-bass basses (electronic music). The lyrics of the songs of the Neuromonakh Feofan group depict the life of Ancient Russia, Russian nature and peasant labor, while they are not without irony. This makes the perception of creativity easy and interesting.
Criticism
Who is it really - Neuromonakh Feofan? The critics of the group's creativity racked their brains for a long time and painfully. But they were not interested in the true names of the participants, but in what they want to say with their songs. So, he called the guys "Orthodox atheists" and "believing Komsomol members." But it was a positive assessment. The leader of the Leningrad group approved the style and creativity of the newly minted artists in general, as well as their active work in social networks.
Other music critics also noted the freshness and originality of the combination of Russian folk motives and electronic dance music. They compared the St. Petersburg musical project with the already well-known "MS Vpyshkin" and "Ivan Kupala". According to experts, the team focuses on the visual component, while the musical part is defined as unpretentious, too simple.
The journalist of the portal "Zvuki.ru" Victoria Bazoeva devoted a short article to the group, where she positively assessed the level of stylization of the group. However, she expressed doubts about the mixing of modern words and historicisms and the good perception of this by connoisseurs of historical reconstruction.
On the question of who it really is - "Neuromonakh Feofan", many agreed that the group represents the direction of conceptual postmodernism. Although her work in many respects opposes the activities of apologists for contemporary art, for example, Vladimir Sorokin.
Albums
The group has three albums in total. The first “Drama in the Soul, Bright Russia in the Heart” was presented in 2015. According to the musicians themselves, it was the first attempt to combine a Russian song, balalaika, the breadth of the Russian soul and the direction of drum and bass. The experiment was a success. The album consisted of 17 tracks, which were positively evaluated by the music reviewer Alexei Mazhaev (InterMedia). The lyrics often used the word "drum". However, this did not stop critics from defining the band's style as electropop with folk elements. The album clearly feels the promotion of cultural revival and the accompanying irony about it. The original themes of compositions about the Old Russian Olympic Games and open-airs do not let you get bored.
The second collection "Great are the forces of good" was released in 2016. No less success awaited him. For two weeks, the album entered the iTunes chart as one of the most listened to. Neuromonk Feofan did not change his sound. However, some critics did not appreciate such devotion to style. So, for example, Stanislav Sorochinsky - blogger REF News - called the sound of the new record predictable, monotonous. And Alexei Mazhaev, in a review of the album, expressed the opinion that the performer becomes a hostage of one image that has no development. In addition, some tracks (for example, "I'm dancing everywhere") in their sound are closer not to drum and bass, but to Soviet music. Critics also noted the lack of a clear style of the collection. In it, the influence of Russian rock and folk is felt every now and then.
The second album included 9 tracks. The last of them - "Stepson of Rules" - in style resembles the work of the "Technology" group.
At the beginning of 2017, Neuromonakh Feofan released his third album “Dance. Sing”, which was immediately covered by Stanislav Sorochinsky. According to him, the collection "sounds like one big song." Although the task of the team now is not to surprise the audience (“they have already invented the bicycle”), but to entertain the people who work hard in stuffy offices.
The band's singles were six compositions. From the last album, the tracks “And Now the Bear Sings” and “Old Russian Soul” were included in this list.
Video clips
The group has filmed only two videos so far. The first one for the song "To trample" scored almost seven million views on the YouTube channel. The second video clip "The hut is shaking" is less popular. Today it has collected only about two million views.
In the commercials, the musician traditionally, as well as on the stage, appears in his stage schema. Who it really is, Neuromonakh Feofan, and what his name is in ordinary life, cannot be understood. And the comments of fans and just curious users "hang" without an answer.
The musician himself, when asked why he does not reveal himself, answers simply. Neuromonakh Feofan is the image with which the style and creativity of the group is associated. Acceptance and approval of it should not be associated with the identity of the true performer.
Concerts
The beginning of 2015 was a landmark for the group. After all, then her debut album was released. This event was dedicated to the concert tour. Tours were held in the cities of Russia and Belarus. The program was originally called "Yadren Zador", and the collection entered the "golden ten" iTunes.
Also, the Neuromonakh Feofan group took part in the festivals Kubana, Invasion, VK Fest, Wild Mint and Epic Coast.
Today, musicians often perform in joint concerts with other stars: Basta, Marseille, Noize MC, etc.
- In the costume of a bear in the video “The hut walks shaking”, the wife of Neuromonk Feofan danced. Her name is unknown.
- In 2016, a musical project from St. Petersburg received the status of a popular Internet meme.
- A year after the release of the debut album, the Yandex.Music service recognized Neuromonakh Feofan as an independent performer of the year.
- At a concert in Moscow, one of the fans, apparently, decided to reveal to everyone who he really is - Neuromonakh Feofan. During the mass dance and fun, he reached out to the musician and wanted to pull off his hood. However, he was stopped in time.
- On September 19, 2017, the mysterious performer of the group gave an interview to Yuri Dud. The conversation turned out to be very frank for the artist. He spoke about how his work began. How did the idea to combine balalaika and drum and bass come about? But, most importantly, the artist answered the question tormenting all fans: “Who is this really - Neuromonakh Feofan, what is his name”? The musician, without any hesitation, called the name "Oleg". He also said that he is 30 years old, he grew up in Kupchino (St. Petersburg) and graduated from the State University of Aerospace Instrumentation with honors.
In the spring, the first concerts of the PNEUMOSLON group took place in St. Petersburg and Moscow - this is a new project of the anonymous St. Petersburg musician Neuromonakh Feofan, where he sings with obscenities about theft and domestic violence and shoots clips with rapper Pasha Technik.
Why does PNEUMOSLON share an audience with Sergey Shnurov, why should modern musicians make memes rather than songs, how do the members of the new group earn money and what do they say about life in Kupchyna? « » talked to the group's vocalists Lord Pnevmoslon (aka Neuromonakh Feofan) and Boris Butkeev (a pseudonym taken from Vysotsky's song).
Boris Butkeev (left) and Lord Pneumoslon (right)
How did Pneumoslon appear in the life of Neuromonk Theophan?
Lord Pneumoslon: You need to separate two different Air Elephants. The PNEUMOSLON group appeared quite recently, but under the pseudonym Lord Pnevmoslon I have been writing songs for a long time - it appeared even before Neuromonk Feofan.
For a year in 2008–2009, I tried to record something and sent sketches to the Kremov and Khrustalev show on Radio Record under the “Farshmak” section - the hosts put on a variety of music in it. Each time I signed with a new name, but then they began to recognize me by my voice and call only Lord Pneumoslon.
I did not invent this name, but simply borrowed from the stories of [journalist and writer] Dani Shepovalov - there was such a popular character in his time.
It so happened that at one fine moment I, like many young people, decided to delete my real page from VKontakte. Those were the times when you could change your name there as many times as you like without any documents and confirmations. I erased all the data and just put "Lord Pneumoslon". I sat under it on VKontakte, listened to music and so on. So everything remained, because when I wanted to change my name back, I already had to fiddle with the documents. And I scored.
What genre does what your band does fit into?
Boris Butkeev: It's a mixture of ska-punk and electronica. It so happened that Lord and I both like this kind of music.
LP: I wouldn't call it anything. If I say that this is a ska punk band, then what, will I have to play only ska punk all my life? What for?
In general, the original idea is different. I went to the concerts of Russian bands quite a lot and every time I just got furious about what a shitty live sound they have. They play like they did 20 years ago and don't take into account that the acoustics have come a long way. Now you can put such speakers in the car that you will rock, and they play as if everyone still listens to music only through ancient ear-drops. Accordingly, I decided that it would be cool to do something with such a fat-fat sound.
BB: Our idea is for a person to get into the car, turn on our music, and from the first chord ********* [play] so that the hood shakes.
What about texts? You simultaneously sing about domestic violence and theft, and about “princess in AliExpress shorts”, “waving ***** [penises] in the alcohol pit” and “hell on the back and on the front”.
LP: I didn't have a general concept. It cannot be said that we sing about any one topic. Each song has its own history of creation. Everything happens very simply - I notice something in myself or other people that I can laugh at, and I sing about it.
For example, the song "If I could, then ****** [stole]". I wrote it when I noticed that many people who seem to be very good and against all sorts of theft themselves begin to steal and cut money as soon as they have such an opportunity.
When I worked in a construction company (Lord Pneumoslon worked at a construction site every summer from the age of 13 to 18, then he was the commercial director of a construction company - approx. “ papers”), there were many such people around me. I think that in other areas there is also a lot of this - people want, if not to steal, then to get it for free. Many will understand me.
Similar stories with all the other songs. In general, the texts of the group and, in principle, "PNEUMOSLON" are very different from Feofan. If there is a myth about the old Russian drum’n’bass and immersion in some kind of artificially created reality, then everything is different here. You listened, recognized yourself or other people in the song, laughed and moved on.
BB: We do not have any mission and higher goal, we do not want to impose our position on someone or load them with something. Lord just calls me and says: "Let's make a song about shit?". And I’m like, “Hmm, interesting idea. Why not really make a song about shit.”
They are just little life stories to laugh at. For example, we have a new song “Workers of Culture”, which is about artists who are all such professionals on stage and love each other, but behind the scenes they drink, take drugs and ***** [hardly beat] each other.
And there is an even more intelligent song, called "Shriveled". It's just about a person who is a ******* [bad person] and ***** [complete] ****** [stupid].
Why are there so many obscenities in the songs?
LP: Is there a lot of it? I do not think so. It seems to me that he is everywhere in his place. Well, how, for example, can one replace the word ***** [complete failure] without losing meaning and capacity? Or ***** [stole]. If you replace it with just “stole” it will be completely different.
BB: *** [male genital organ] and ****** [female genital organ] are not the main thing in the song. The main thing is the message and meaning. And it can be delivered in any language. Someone sings in Chinese, someone in English, and we sing in Russian with obscenities.
Feofan spoke in an interview with Dudya, that his wife helped a lot with this project and even danced on stage in a bear costume for the first time. Does she help with PNEUMOSLONE? Doesn't the song bother her?
LP: Of course. She is my first listener. Moreover, she does not just say that everything is fine, but she can criticize and suggest. In general, she likes what I do and she helps a lot. And with songs, and with some kind of financial accounting, and with the development of concepts for shows and concerts. We are fine.
From the side it seems that there is a kind and sweet Feofan, and there is an evil and swearing Lord Pneumoslon. Which of them is similar to you in real life?
LP: It is difficult to talk about it and even compare. Feofan is a completely fictional story, and "PNEUMOSLON" does not need any myth around at all. We just sing songs.
Of course, there is a certain percentage of me in the projects. We are somewhat similar, but not one hundred percent.
When the Lord Pneumoslon first appeared and Feofan was not there yet, did you try to attach your songs somewhere? Start performing?
LP: Of course not. Moreover, I never tried to attach my music anywhere. I did not want and did not dream of large venues. I don't want to be a fucking rock star. If I had my way, I would perform twice a year and that's it.
Why then did you put together a group and started giving concerts, provided that you already have Feofan?
LP: We just at some point talked with Boris, who liked this project of mine for a long time, and decided to try to do something with it.
BB: Outside of PNEUMOSLON, I organize concerts. From gigs in small clubs to stadium tours. We met the Lord through the Neuromonakh Feofan project. Gradually they began to work together, and then they just decided that a good project could grow out of his Pneumoelephant Lord. It's great when a hobby becomes something more, some kind of serious, professional business.
We immediately agreed that we would do it together: I used to play in several small punk bands. As a result, in 2017, two songs were recorded and released for testing. See how people will react to them. It seems that everyone liked it, and we decided to record a full-fledged album - it was released in 2018. Now we are writing new songs for the second part of the album. We make all records with our own money.
For me, the main motivation to engage in a group is the opportunity to earn money. This is a commercial project. This is not a hobby. While of course I love the music and the performances, the stage is a huge adrenaline rush. Roughly speaking, this is a job that brings pleasure.
LP: Partly, of course, this is done for the sake of making money. We are not 23 years old (both musicians are over 30 years old - approx. “ papers”) and we can't just play for ourselves. Of course we want to make money, but that doesn't mean we don't like the band.
I don’t understand at all why there is such a notion in Russia that musicians don’t need to be paid and only poor artists are true. It seems to me that this is some kind of relic of the Soviet Union.
Music is hard work that must be paid. If this is not the case, everything will come to the state of a sluggish hobby.
- Why do you sing in a mask again in a group?
LP: For the same reasons as Feofan. I don't sing about myself in this project.
BB: All other members (six people play in the group at concerts - approx. “ papers”), also with hypocrites. Either masks or make-up. So it is more logical than if only the Lord was in the mask.
Why did you disclose that this is Feofan's project?
Your album “Counter-revolution. Part 1” are the old songs of Lord Pneumoelephant? Or is everything written specifically for a new project?
LP: These are the songs that I have been slowly writing since 2014 in parallel with Feofan.
BB: The new songs will be on the second album, which we want to release by the end of the summer. The entire first one consists of reworked old Lord songs. Once it was just a sketch, but now they are full-fledged songs with a good sound. We worked on the sound for a very long time, eight months. As a result, we came to the conclusion that the sound should contain wind instruments - five pipes, drums and electronics.
At the beginning of May you had your first concerts. How did they get through?
What kind of people came to the concerts?
BB: Partially those who listen to Feofan, but the majority are new listeners. It's actually hard to say. Ordinary concert, ordinary people. Our audience is young people 25+ who drink at concerts. Great audience.
Who are you competing with for it? What groups does it overlap with?
BB: With Leningrad, of course. It's stupid to deny it.
LP: Perhaps with the audience of that old Leningrad, before the Louboutins. Maybe "PNEUMOSLON" appeared because something was missing when that "Leningrad" disappeared.
But I would not say that we are competing with someone. It doesn't happen that people listen to "Leningrad" and that's it. They can listen to both Leningrad and us.
BB: I don't think there should be such comparisons. Yes, we have dummies too. Yes, we also have a mat. But according to this principle, we can say that all the groups that use wind instruments copied it from Leningrad.
We want to experiment. On the new album, the sound will be very different from what it was - there will be pump, and dubstep, and whatever.
Now there is a popular opinion that young musicians, on the contrary, shoot without any resource and analysis. Only on social networks and YouTube. This is true?
BB: It is a myth. Nothing happens by accident. Most often, everything happens according to one scenario: some Western celebrity is taken in a genre popular in the West, for example, in cloud rap, and simply copied.
Then you need a huge resource, including money, to promote this artist. To be written about by the public and the media. Otherwise, no one will need the artist. Without money and connections, unfortunately, it is unlikely that anything will work out.
Don't you think that musicians now make not songs, but memes for the sake of popularity? Even Kirkorov with his "Mood color - blue."
LP: I have been watching football since childhood. And, of course, I root for Zenit, because in St. Petersburg there is no one else to root for. I went to the Petrovsky, I was on the Bend.
I have always liked the way the fans sing, how they support the team, how they cheat, what kind of performances they put on. And I had a dream to make a performance at Virage.
BB: It so happened that I have been in football circles for a long time. I went to Virage, I know many of them from there. A couple of months ago, the Pivot driver listened to our song "Domestic Violence" and suggested that we remake it together into "Peter, Shizi on the Bend." Under the same beat, just with words about Zenit and fans. We, of course, agreed.
LP: Posted a song. The fans liked it and we were offered to make a performance at the match against SKA-Khabarovsk on May 13th. We came to the "Virage" and together with the fans sang the song twice, stretched out on the podium
Archpriest Igor Fomin comments.
Hello! A new character appeared in the entertainment media space, which quickly gained popularity among the younger generation. There is a musical project that creates original music in the direction of folk with a mixture of electronic music, the so-called Drum and Bass. Everything would be fine, an original and interesting idea, but the soloist of the group is dressed in a blasphemous likeness of monastic attire and calls himself "Neuromonk Feofan". "Actual commentary" right now, the guest of the program is Archpriest Igor Fomin.
Father, hello!
Hello!
- How is this possible?
In pursuit of popularity, a person very often forgets the boundaries of what is permitted, the boundaries of his safety, both physical and spiritual. The person you are talking about now has forgotten the boundaries of his spiritual security. Very often, when you are chasing something, chasing something, you disregard the rules and step into the forbidden lines. This musician stepped into the forbidden line of spiritual security.
And he leads the youth.
Youth leads. Does it bother the youth? Is this an opportunity to laugh and sneer?
You know, I will say that he does not confuse the youth. The audience that is at his concerts is (I'm not afraid of this word) a raging crowd.
It’s not embarrassing in the sense that the young suddenly began to somehow bashfully look away ... If it were, it would be great. He gives them an imaginary freedom from the restrictions of some rules of decency. It is impossible to ridicule what is dear to another, and it is impossible to mock at it.
- Here the person did not take the image of a Muslim, a Buddhist, these are attacks precisely in the direction of Orthodoxy.
Naturally, you and I understand very well that no matter who is there... One TV presenter put on priestly clothes and held a photo session, someone danced in an Orthodox church. Although they are blasphemers, they are not completely brainless people, they are well aware that life is the only thing they have, earthly life is the only thing they can go through, and then they have no future after death. Therefore, they want to live this life in such a way that “eh!”, so that everything around will ring. Unfortunately, even this will not work, because when remorse overtakes us, when remorse overtakes us ...
- When the hour of death overtakes us, no one knows.
Well, that's far away. When the Father comes to us, He will not tell us anything, He will simply look into our eyes, and we will see His eyes. And what will then be going on in the soul of this person, this "neuromonic", as he calls himself? The Lord will not punish him directly, he has already punished himself. If the Lord wants to punish - the mind takes away.
Here we see that this musician destroys what, on the contrary, had to be built on. He is destroying his platform of security, his platform of stability in this world. Does he think he can stand everywhere? No, he will not be able to, Russia will not be able to stand without Orthodoxy, Russia will not exist without Orthodoxy. And the one who destroys this foundation should first of all think about it. We have formed as Orthodox, we have formed as a society that without God it is not even conceivable to be Russian, as Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky said. Therefore, only regrets.
Let's pray that the Lord would painlessly enlighten and give a person the opportunity to repent. By the way, it often happens that people who behave like this, after some time come to confession, are reborn, and then serve the cause of preaching Christ. Let's not go far and take Saul, who suddenly and overnight was reborn into Paul.
Host Alexander Kruse
Recorded by Anna Solodnikova
— How do people in such small towns as Lipetsk perceive your music?
Feofan: That's the best! Just due to the fact that the city is provincial, companies usually come to performances in which everyone knows each other, so they behave more openly and liberatedly. So often in small towns it takes place more and more vigorously. There seems to be some great commonality.
Lipetsk is already the fifth city where you present your new album. Did you remember anything from concerts in other cities?
Feofan: Each city has something different. In Voronezh, for example, there were double round dances. It was very crowded in Tula. There were a lot of people, and the site is not very big. Here there was a slam very frantic. Everyone jumped there, and it looked very epic.
Nicodemus: In Bryansk, for example, it was very family. It's a very low stage and the audience was actually right in front of us.
Feofan: We went to the hall there.
- Aren't you afraid that you will be discovered?
Feofan: Yes, well, people are still adequate. Nobody needs it.
I read that the concert in Bryansk was on the verge of failure due to calls from anonymous people who strongly recommended that it be cancelled.
Feofan: I'll explain now. In fact, there was just a little problem with the organizers, and the concert was simply rescheduled for another day. And there were no such things. We do not have any offensive texts that provoke. Everything is very good.
In your interview with Yuri Dudyu, you said that you respect the work of such an artist as Big Russian Boss. When he performed with us in Lipetsk, mainly schoolchildren came to the concert. Can you roughly describe the image of your fan?
Feofan: As for Big Russian Boss, we are for any creativity. We are for the maximum diversity and lack of limits in creativity. The main thing is that Nicodemus should only sing less (laughs).
Nicodemus: I'm trying to sing, everything is torn from my soul.
Feofan: He will sing, he can not be stopped. Well, I'm kidding, of course. And as for the fans, there is a very wide range. We had a woman, she is 62 years old, she danced in front of the stage the whole concert. I don't know where she gets so much power from. They came for three generations - grandson, mother and grandmother. Even small children like it, but they, however, are unlikely to come to our performances. Shouldn't they be carried in wheelchairs?
- YourDudyu's interview will soon gain three million views . Do you somehow look at the comments on social networks, follow what the fans write?
Feofan: I sometimes answer on Vkontakte when someone asks me something. Nikodim now has his own official Vkontakte page.
Nicodemus: People write, I try to answer everyone. Basically, they write on musical issues, a lot of reviews, everyone likes it. So join and write.
- And the Bear will not start a page?
Feofan: Yes, he is a clubfoot.
Nicodemus: He ate a computer.
Surely, you have heard such bands as Nevid, Arkona, Butterfly Temple. Was there any desire to do something similar, to "weight" your music?
Feofan A: Well, it's already there, what's the point of doing what has already been. We go our own way, our own way and develop in this. We have, for example, added the Bear.
Feofan: And now turn the Bear down.
Nicodemus: Add protein. You can also make a fish song. Let's add animals.
- In your opinion, folklore and traditional culture can live in the postmodern era? And in what form?
Feofan: In the postmodern era everything can live in any form. This is not an invention of something new, but a combination of the old, so anything can be born. And if you move into post-postmodern, then there is even more variability and some things created at different poles.
There is a video showing how foreigners can watch your clips. They are all delighted, everyone loves it. Don't you think that your work will take root in the minds of foreigners as a stereotype about Russian culture?
Feofan: They have such a variety there that it is unlikely. There are, of course, groups that "beat" according to stereotypes. For example, Little Big. They are great guys, we know them well. They just have everything with pure banter. The same "Arkona" is very popular abroad, for example. Due to the fact that there is such a variety, therefore, they are unlikely to get hung up on one thing and build their opinion on the basis of the work of one group.
- Fans write that your new album is more serious.
Nicodemus: It's all because the Bear sang.
Feofan: The album is called “Dance. Sing". That is, there is a more dancing part, and there is one where you can sing along a lot, there are a lot of words, they are very melodic. If you remove the second part, you get a perky dance album, if the first part, then there will be a calm album. They could easily be divided into two.
Nicodemus: The main thing is not to mix up the parts and not to sing dances and not to dance songs (laughs).
Feofan: In the future, we may release a heavier, tougher version of "Dance", because within the same album it would be strange for the parts to be very different. They go in a common thread. So, perhaps, it is the dance songs that we will release separately, but with a heavier sound. We are currently working on it.
You have probably heard about such a performer as Hieromonk Photius (winner of the Voice show). By the way, he will come to us with a concert in a month. Have you often experienced being confused?
Feofan: Not so often, but more than we would like. We, of course, do not intersect with him at all, absolutely. There are people who confuse, but this is all because of the similarity in names only.
Nicodemus: Probably, it's just some kind of inattention.
Feofan: Well, that's good. This speaks of diversity and that there are so many of everyone, all sorts of groups and performers, that there are even small coincidences.
- A post recently appeared on Peekaboo about how the guy decided to please his believing parents and buy a ticket for Photius. But I made a mistake and bought a ticket to your concert. My father was delighted, but my mother did not really understand.
Feofan: So the father is a very modern person, he is ready for everything new, open, and my mother is also well done. She probably cooks delicious soup.
Do you want to record a song in Old Church Slavonic? In the comments on YouTube they write that you were offered this, but you seem to have refused.
Feofan: Who writes? We have not received such proposals. If you go out into the street and say: “Offer”, then people, of course, will begin to do it very actively. But we physically cannot do everything that is offered. What we like is what we do. If we were constantly just sitting in the studio, then we would have so many options ... But we don’t always sit in the studio, now here is a concert, a tour. Forces are not enough for anything then.
- You have a very tight schedule, a lot of concerts during the tour. How do you deal with it, how do you relax?
Feofan: It's not easy at all, there are constant failures of modes, physically it's hard. If we just stood on the stage, like statues, then this is one thing, and we are moving actively. Physically, it is not easy, you need to be prepared. We are constantly rebuilding. Everything must be done in parallel.
Nicodemus: Everything happens during the tour.
Feofan: It is necessary, for example, to go for a massage, to the sauna.
Nicodemus: Place the vertebrae in place after transport.
The next city on the tour is Kyiv. How are you feeling before this concert? Do you think that they will be able to calmly and adequately perceive a group with such a traditional Russian orientation?
Feofan: I think it will be cool. All our friends who were there say that the audience there is very good, everyone is very cheerful. Of course, if someone wants to do something, report for money, then we can't do anything about it. But I don't think it will be. All people are adequate. We will be in Kyiv for the first time. We were in Minsk, in Belarus, it was, in general, very cool. We were also not far from Minsk at the festival. By the way, there were Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russians there. We performed there absolutely normally, despite the fact that there were also Ukrainian nationalists. That is, there are, of course, some incidents. The people who come to our performances are all very adequate and sensible, there are, of course, those who behave strangely, but they are few.
Your group is connected with Slavic, Old Russian culture. How much are you interested in all this in life? Or is it also just an image to a greater extent? Some of the groups that play in the Slavic theme, they are in life, for example, directly connected with Rodnoverie, Slavic paganism.
Feofan: I am interested in this topic. If I didn't know anything about it, where would it come from?! I wonder what it looked like. We have visited all the fortresses that are in the Leningrad region. It's curious, but to delve into some beliefs. I do not even know. Maybe Nicodemus on the sly?!
Nicodemus: And I love all sorts of old instruments and music. Songs, tunes. There are some really cool things about the art of music, if you dig around.
Feofan: I'm crazy about choral singing. Especially “The Wide Steppe”, but not performed by Cossack choirs... It gives me goosebumps, at these moments I really want to sit there (shows the pose of a sage). Yes, and all the tunes, they are very smart and fast, they also sound very cool.
