On his 54th birthday, Roman Ryabtsev released an album of 22 songs

The musician claims that he says goodbye to the stage with this record

Two years ago, Roman Ryabtsev announced work on a new album and his intention to say goodbye to his stage career with this album. And if the intentions of artists can change like the most capricious weather, then the album “Crossroads” is finally ready. It was released right on the day when the former participant and one of the key authors of “Technology” turned fifty-four years old.

For several years now, Roman has preferred studio silence to concert venues, distracted only by the sluggish scandals surrounding the copyrights to the “Technology” hits. And we must admit that the musician uses his studio time very effectively. The album “Crossroads” had a rather long run-up – some songs were released as singles starting in 2020. There are twenty-two tracks in total on the release, and if this is truly a farewell gesture, then it turned out to be quite sweeping.

As the work progressed, Roman sometimes provided details on the sidelines, emphasizing that the album would contain a lot of different music, but the synth-pop, on which “Technology” once broke the bank, was sent to waste. From the outside, such an allergy to music that still retains commercial potential may seem strange, but the author has every right to behave like a master. Moreover, Roman started drifting away from synth-pop back in the nineties, when he made his solo recordings outside of “Technology”. And he did melodic songs with a taste of rock ballads quite well.

There are a lot of tracks like this on Perekrestok. They sound a little monotonous when there are more than five of them, and apparently for dynamics, Roman invited an impressive number of assistants to the recording. Some alliances turned out to be quite unexpected. One could hardly imagine that Ryabtsev and Helavisa from “The Mill” would have a common musical denominator, but there is nothing artificial in “The Last Song,” a folk number for two voices.

With the light hand of MK, Roman met Tatyana Bulanova during a video conference in our press center. The colleagues had an ardent mutual attraction, and as a result, two songs were recorded: “Games” and “Peter”. For Tatyana, this is clearly new territory, and sometimes it seems as if she doesn’t feel very comfortable in it. But lately the singer, who was once awarded the title of the crying soul of the people, is ready for various adventures, which can only be welcomed.

As many as four tracks with the singer Mamouna look like a manifestation of Roman’s indifference to catchy vocals, which would be ideal for r’n’b or ethnic music. However, many years of experience always leads to youthful enthusiasm. The most indicative song in this regard is called “Enchanted” and it was recorded together with the young singer Lilly Beth, whom Ryabtsev helps as a sound producer. A light retro vibe comes in very handy here, and this is probably one of the brightest tracks on the album.

Yu-La and Sergei Mazaev were also featured on the record. But perhaps the most specific role is played by a small team of voice actors (Alena Falaleeva, Pyotr Kovrizhnykh, Aliya Nasyrova, Sergei Ponomarev, Ivan Zharkov) and comedian Vadim Galygin. They provided the record with something of a humorous multi-track section. They are probably funny in their own way as singles, but a selection of them turns into a kind of test for a sense of humor, and not everyone will be able to pass it.

In general, “Crossroads” fits well into the trend that is emerging right now. Many people notice that interest in pop music, as if assembled from rhythmic templates and nasal vocals, is beginning to cool down. In such a situation, a chance arises for those who still remember how melodies are composed and various arrangements are made. Maybe this is a new manifestation of nostalgia for more musical times. In any case, there is no variety.