World folk sensation Otyken performed in Moscow

“I broke my voice yesterday, this, of course, is not very good, I should have screamed less,” says Azyan, the main vocalist of the band. And then he adds that the whole group is delighted with the energy of the Moscow public. Given the international popularity of Otyken, it seemed like they stopped by for an hour, finding time in a busy schedule. In fact, the band’s concert life is just beginning to unfold (“We haven’t been anywhere yet, my new passport is absolutely virgin,” Azyan admits), becoming an addition to the victorious procession of their videos on social networks.

By the standards of the music industry, Otyken is a production project, although Andrey Medonos (Chernetsov), who brought the group together, can hardly be compared with those who we call producers. Andrey grew up in Siberia in his parents’ apiary, and in addition to beekeeping, he was mainly interested in ethnography and local history. In the Museum of Honey and Ethnography he created in Krasnoyarka, lectures on the culture of the indigenous peoples of Siberia were regularly held, and over time, it was decided to include local folk in such an educational program, for which Andrey began to gather a group.

The requirements for artists can hardly be called strict, but, of course, something was required from the musicians. The producer wanted the group to consist of representatives of small taiga peoples (Chulyms, Selkups, Kets), all of them should perform folklore and show a bright show using folk instruments and characteristic costumes. A diploma in musical education, apparently, was not of decisive importance.

“I only have two years of music school in piano,” says Azyan. “Our keyboardist Acha has an education, he makes music for us. And we only sing and play instruments, and here musical education is not so important. Personally, as long as I can remember, I sing all the time. I’m trying to develop myself. I usually do exercises, they are on YouTube, but this is more for warming up the ligaments. Perhaps this approach can be a cause for heated reproaches, but from the point of view of the group’s production, everything is very logical. Charisma and novelty can be much more important than music. And the practice of both local and world music is teeming with examples of stellar careers of people with absolutely no profile education.

“Soloists were not immediately found,” Azyan recalls. – One girl at the selection was with a musical education, and when the producer asked her to sing the way he needed for the group, she replied that she didn’t sing like that, she was taught differently. I had to say goodbye to her. We needed a twist, many people can sing according to the rules, but our producer wanted something unusual. I also did not immediately come to the desired style of vocals. I remember that the producer showed me as an example different rockers who sing on vocal cords, and their vocals are quite hard. He said that you need to sing both rocker and gently, like a girl. In the end, I got it.”

Despite her exotic appearance, unusual vocals and almost shamanic aura, Azyan at one time was not much different from the average Russian teenager. At least the music she listened to at a tender age can hardly be called out of the ordinary.

“In terms of singing, I liked Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, I remember I had an Avril Lavigne poster in my room,” the singer says. – But I enjoyed the music itself when I listened to “The King and the Jester” by Rammstein. Their songs always gave me goosebumps. I’m generally a music lover, I just don’t like Russian rap, neither beats nor lyrics. I hate to hear about how women are humiliated. I don’t know why girls are obsessed with some rapper who raps like he does one way and another that way. Nonsense!”

The members of Otyken are obviously not interested in rap, but the musical doctrine they have chosen is much more risky. In their music, they unabashedly violate the sacred rules of the pop industry, according to which songs are verses, choruses and hooks. Otyken’s tracks are more like a roller coaster with unexpected twists and turns and an unpredictable ending. But, as it turns out, it is in this approach that their strength lies.

“We were sure it would come in,” Azyan says emphatically. I’m tired of listening to verses and choruses. I want something unusual, some combinations. I love songs where you don’t know what’s going to happen next. When there are verses and choruses, you can immediately imagine how it will all end. And there are a lot of surprises in our songs, people don’t understand what awaits them, that’s probably why they like it. It’s very cool, especially emotionally.”

It was quite easy to check the correctness of such assumptions. The group from Siberia was so far away from the capital’s musical and promotional fuss that the musicians could only hope for their songs and videos shot for them. And here the miracles began. Challenges began to be filmed on Otyken tracks, radio stations from different continents became interested in the material, the group began to receive offers, thanks to which they got into the The Lunar Codex program, within which, with the assistance of NASA and Space X, capsules with the Earth’s cultural artifacts in the form of books are sent to the Moon, music, works of art, so that the group’s records as a cultural heritage of the Earth may someday be dug up from the lunar soil by stray aliens. The Grammy Global Spin project and other prestigious international events have also invited exotic musicians to their programs. It is noteworthy that all this happened to the group online, that is, without leaving home, therefore, in fact, Azyan’s passport is still virgin, although she has already seen half the world.

However, in the case of Otyken, it’s better to leave the house, because their live concert makes a strong impression. Critics have already labeled Otyken’s style as s-pop, i.e. Siberian folk-pop music, in which throat singing and giant drumming met with techno, trance, and sometimes rock and R’n’B, and such an alliance looks very natural. .

The band’s show can hardly be called long, but from the first track Phenomenon to the encore repetition of Storm and Legend (the only 100% folklore number in the repertoire, everything else is original songs), it is downright teeming with passion. Eight artists are very mobile, there is a bright video art on the screen, fans invited from the audience are waving black flags with mysterious symbols. The audience has long gone out of school age, but even the weight gained with age does not prevent them from reacting violently to what is happening. For those who believe in themselves, the ethno-rave turned out to be a good start to the Friday evening.