| The unexpected rise in the charts of a little-known group from Bishkek, City 312, is the latest example of the influence of the domestic film industry on pop music. The group's album "Out of Access Zone" was released a year ago in a small print run, about a thousand copies. Soon, two songs from the album ended up in two blockbusters: “Day Watch” and “Peter FM” and became hits. These songs are “I’ll Stay” and “Out of Access” respectively. After such success, absolutely everyone recognized the group, and the releasing company decided to re-release the album in a radically redone form: all the songs were rewritten by the “townspeople” at the Mosfilm studio with the participation of session musicians, with an orchestra and a rich sound.
AYA, vocalist of the group "City 312", tells Alexander BELYAEV about the circumstances surrounding the success.
— A couple of years ago, demo recordings of your band circulated throughout our journalistic community. Then nothing was heard from you, and now “City 312” suddenly surfaced in stellar quality. What have you been doing all this time?
- All four years that we spent in Moscow, we persistently walked towards the goal and did everything that we could do as musicians without a PR company. We even have our own home studio and a sound engineer who has been recording us for many years: he knows us and all our intricacies. We have never met such meticulous people even in Moscow. We recorded a large number of demo discs - you probably heard one of them. We had a lot of different contracts with companies and agreements with producers. In the end, Real Madrid signed us - they are the most professional company we have worked with. From the very moment the contract was signed - on the symbolic date of December 3 (i.e., “third twelfth”) - they began to work closely with us. We were always told what to do: guys, we’re going there, we’re working there, etc.
- Then you were young and unknown, but now you can’t just order...
- No, we haven’t become capricious, although prostrating ourselves in front of important people is not our way. Although I don’t remember us prostrating ourselves in front of anyone important. We are ready to meet halfway needs of those who understand how and what needs to be done. And before Real Madrid there were no such people in any company.
-- When were the songs for the soundtracks written?
- Both songs were ready long before any contacts with the film world. The producers of the film asked us for the track for Piter FM even before our contract with Real. The final decision, however, was made when we were already signed by Real Madrid. The creators of Piter FM themselves selected the song “Out of Access Zone” from a certain number of our recordings - “the song fits the plot,” that’s what they explained to us. Our recording came to them almost by accident: someone heard it somewhere, gave it to someone else to listen to... Things turned out differently with Dozor. The Real company told us: guys, there is an offer to give the song to such a blockbuster. We agreed - any normal person would immediately faint with happiness. We're glad that "I'll Stay" was included in the film. Everything happened as it should have happened - all the songs found a place.
-Aren't you jealous of your own success? Aren't you offended that the same song on a record is not popular, but when it ends up in a film, it becomes a hit?
“We have nothing to be upset about.” Yes, the songs received wider publicity, but they were already known - they were simply appreciated by a narrower circle of our fans. The fact is that we have long had our own loyal listener: these people went to our concerts when we were not yet popular, because they felt that they were not being lied to. Our small circle of loyal fans came with the following mood: “Guys, let’s get high.” This is rock and roll! And recently we were flying on a plane from Kyiv, and a girl flying to Novaya Zemlya asked us for an autograph. Do you know where it is? How would they know about us there if not for the films? It’s a sin to complain - it’s much easier for us now: we just have to compose, record and perform music. You no longer need to carry CDs with demo recordings and go to empty meetings. Now you can only create. We felt this difference.
— For the movie, did you do post-production, did you change the songs in any way?
“We didn’t do anything special.” Naturally, they starred in videos. “I’ll stay” is the first track we made at the Mosfilm studio. After that we finished writing the entire album. Everything had to be done quickly. And “Out of Access” turned out similar to the version that was recorded in our studio. It just sounds richer.
—Did you like the films yourself?
- We were at the premiere of both films. They are very different, for different perceptions, for different parts of the brain. But I liked both. Honestly, my soul cried at “Peter FM”! I felt this picture more deeply after watching it.
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