UCHU (Moscow, Russia)

23Jul/100

"People are always individuals - I'm writing music for them and not for some 'masses'"

Pavel Burylichev, a.k.a. UCHU is yet another discovery I made on Soundcloud, where music enthusiasts hang in the clouds of good and different melodies, for whom, strangely enough, the most important things is to create music and share it with others. In his own words, his biography as a composer began with... laziness. His first instruments were a "stupid metallophone" and an accordion, but Pavel "was too lazy to learn notes or play something serious", so he would "just experiment with them in various ways." The experiments continued and ventured into the electronic territory when ZX Spectrum and БК001001 computers came out. Pavel and his friend Anton "were trying to write some programs... and extract some sounds out of them." With Anton they started the project called UCHU, but then "something terrible happened to Anton - he got consumed by television. Injections of reason couldn't bring him back to his senses, and he indulged in laziness and lounging. He didn't have any time or will left to seriously work on music," - says Pavel. They are still good friends with Anton, but Pavel continues working on UCHU on his own. Which actually doesn't bother him at all. "You cannot work as well with anyone else as with yourself," - he says. "Even though I'm opened to collaborating with other musicians, currently I prefer doing everything on my own." And he does quite a bit. In the last 3-4 years he released an album, his tracks were featured on a few compilations, and he also played a few live shows. "I actually think that I don't play very often," - says Pavel. "I like to play at the gigs that I find interesting, that my friends and nice people go to; and don't like ti play at any others. It's simple, really."

There wasn't a turning point, a defining moment in time when Pavel suddenly woke up one day feeling like he wants to write music professionally for the rest of his life. "I've been just practicing music constantly, learning to play different instruments, mastering something," - he says. "There were long unproductive periods when I hadn't written a single track, but somewhat figured out percussion, guitar and keyboard." There also weren't any definite music influences. Among his interests from the distant past Pavel names Sex Pistols, Nirvana, Depeche Mode and other "electronic and electric" bands. But these days he feels "nauseous from songs with lyrics, and his present favorites include (among many others) Shpongle, Slackbaba, Master Margherita, Ajja, Dickster. Absence of influences reflects in the undefinable genre of UCHU's music. To me personally it's reminiscent of the "true" electronica of the 90's, when it started conquering the hearts of music lovers in general, not just the night clubs audience. But Pavel doesn't think that he is following some kind of traditions. "I just do what I like," - says he. Doing what one likes could be unaffordable luxury these days. This also isn't a problem for Pavel, who is living in his own world, where "traditional commercial genres aren't popular." "My main audience is my friends and open-minded people who are close to me in spirit and ideas," - says he. "'Masses' can be of air or farmer's cheese. And people are always individuals - I'm writing music for them, and not for some 'masses'." This sure is great, but it's even better when these individuals are willing to support a talent not just spiritually, but also financially. UCHU's music is available at Amazon.com and iTunes in digital format, CD's are also sold at several online stores. But Pavel thinks that distribution of his music is set up "terribly" yet. "People who used to help me, ceased to exist in such capacity, so I'm handling all this myself for now," - says he. "I'm currently focused on music production, on improving its quality and making it more interesting; and distribution - it will somehow organize itself, I think." I, too, hope that the distribution will organize itself and more open-minded people will discover UCHU's music and agree that it is very interesting and of high quality.