Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

MSFinland‘s Kostya Aronberg had a chance to interview the founder Alexander Lataev of V.A.-R.G. project from Russia, please see the conversation below.

1. Hey Alex, welcome to Metal Shock Finland Magazine! How are and what are you doing right now?

Hi there, Metal Shock Finland Magazine! I’m fine, we’re preparing a new compilation by V.A-R.G project and GlobMetal Promotion with 13 bands from Israel. Our further plans are to continue similar series of compilations and some new projects as well.

2. V.A.-R.G. Project (Various Artists – Russian Group), was found in 2010, and since then the project has released 26 compilation CD’s all over Russia, and got more than 10000 news subscribes from Russia. Tell us about the idea of forming this project, and why you decided to do this?

The project was founded as an information support for young and novice musicians. Later on we began to work with more famous bands within Russia, e.g. Амели (Ameli), Дрыгва (Drygva), АнДем (AnDem), Alex Sigmer and others. Due to their support, in August 2011 we made a small fest in Smolensk 1-st Alternative Club under the aegis of V.A-R.G project.

3. Thanks to your compilations, many bands have become famous in Russia, and they’re talking about your project “as the best thing that can happen to a band”. What do you think about it?

That’s scarcely “the best thing that can happen to a band”, but we work with bands at the limits of our powers. More outstanding “the best thing” is, for instance, going out to A1 and similar channels around the world. We just give an impulse to a band’s potential happy-end.  We’ve started working with GlobMetal Promotion lately so it has given all of us some new opportunities: going out to Europe for V.A-R.G and working with bands, which took part in compilations, for GlobMetal Promotion.

4. Which music styles you like the most to have in your compilations?

The most “glamorous” at my sight: Death Metal, Post-Hardcore and Heavy Metal. But generally I welcome the whole heavy music in all its reincarnations, genres, subgenres.

5. What is the best V.A.-R.G compilation in your opinion, or what is the most unusual one that you’ve ever released?

The best and the most unusual compilation in my opinion is “VA – ИзНавивЯвь (Pagan/Folk)” with participants not only from CIS, but from Poland and Germany as well. We also made a splendid Post-rock compilation. You can check them out on our web-page.

6. In spring V.A.-R.G announced that they are starting a new sort of compilation with GlobMetal Promotions company, from Europe. Tell us about the meeting of this guys, and how the idea of creating together a new compilation came about?

The idea appeared spontaneously: one gloomy evening, discussing Russian music scene with the director of GlobMetal, I asked him if there were many musical bands in his country and whether it was possible to invite someone to a compilation. Constantine sent me twenty links to the most interesting Tel-Aviv bands. Thereby the idea about a joint compilation arose.

7. The result was the new compilation “From IsraHell with Love”, where all the bands are from Israel (and not from Russia as usual). What do you think about this compilation, and will we see more compilations with GlobMetal Promotions in the future?

Certainly you will: Finnish, German, Sweden and Polish compilations are in plans. We hope that all our plans will come true.  But I’d prefer not to comment upon “From IsraHell with Love”, giving this opportunity to you, Metal Shock Finland Magazine, and to other listeners and musicians as well.

8. What can V.A.-R.G fans wait to see for the second part of 2012?

An Apocalypse, perhaps 🙂 We even have an idea about “Pussy Wheels 2012” fest, which must be considered by organizers of our town. There is a big deal of plans: we wish to release DVD-collection of all our compilations, new series of compilations VERSUS and the second part of Pagan/Folk as well. We have alot of work to do.

9. Before we finish, please tell us how the bands, who read this interview, are able to be in V.A.-R.G next compilation albums?

The bands can just write me online or send participation requests. Sometimes, to give more interest for a compilation I invite more famous bands, trying to select participants according to their musical level.

10. Thank you for the interview! Any last words you wanna add to our readers?

Nostradamus, after listening to somebody’s miserable singing foretold us the end of days. …and Archimedes drown himself in the bath and led Colt to creating his revolver… Subsequently my colleagues here refuted these “dreadful rumors” with their song “Everything will be!”. So let everything be okay and the end of days may go to Hell =)

Interview by Kostya Aronberg

For more information, please visit: http://varg.shurf.ru