Our land will not become scarce with talents. Faced with our compatriots in the Emirates, I find confirmation of this almost daily. Well, I’m probably not mistaken if I say that most of our readers are familiar with this young man in absentia. Someone saw him behind the curtains of theatrical performances organized by the Stars Dome Group, someone in local clubs. Some even know that his name is Ilkh. But the fact that Ilkhom Avganov is a talented musician, composer, DJ (DJ Il), most likely, only a few people close to him know. In my opinion, it’s time to correct this annoying misunderstanding and talk heart to heart with a person.
Ilkhom, please tell me where you come from and when did you start making music?
I come from Almaty, where I received a secondary musical education. He graduated from the specialized music school Kulyash Baysitova in the class of horn and piano. Having been at school for 11 years, I did not want to go to the conservatory, because I was very sensitive to music. This is common to all adolescents. All the children walk, and I have to sit and play music for four to five hours every day, play scales, learn solfeggio. Accordingly, having put a certificate of secondary education in front of my parents, I told them that I was moving on through life myself. And he entered our Kazakh National University named after Al Farabi at the faculty of journalism. So, my second major is international journalism. Somewhere in my second year, I began working in the advertising business, choosing television specialization for myself. For a while I worked on our TV channels, as a journalist, reporter, wrote for magazines at the same time, worked on the radio. And then I was attracted by the advertisement, as such. I started working at an advertising agency. He was a manager, worked with clients, was engaged in marketing and PR, wrote scripts for videos. It was the Almaty branch of the international network of advertising agencies Initiative Group. I learned a lot there, tightened my tongue. There I first came across the production of commercials. And just then I was drawn to music again. Working with production studios and creating videos together, I suddenly thought: “Why not write music for him?” Slowly, some kind of musical background began to be created. Then the 1998 crisis began, and the network of our advertising agencies was, alas, closed.
Where did you go to work?
I moved to another agency where we organized such well-known events as "The Night of the Ad Eaters", "Cannes Lions" and other advertising projects. In the process, I began to write music. It began very unpretentiously. I had a simple synthesizer in which it was possible to store up to four audio tracks. So, stuffing melodies, I saved these tracks, somehow mixing them. In general, this was not a serious occupation, I just stuffed the melodies that came to my mind at that time. And then, when the opportunity arose to work in a professional studio, I was already able to show my achievements. At one time I wrote music for many commercials in Kazakhstan.
Ilkhom, how do you position yourself today? Who are you DJ? Musician, composer?
I somehow do not associate myself with the profession of a DJ. It’s not that it doesn’t attract me. I am still more a musician and composer. I create my own music, and DJs take ready-made material and make remixes of them. Fortunately, modern technology allows this. Therefore, today almost any person who has a sense of rhythm and love of music can become a DJ.
When was your first album released?
The first album was released in Almaty in 2006. It is called "Period. Sorrow" and came out with a circulation of 1,000 copies. We have a national music CD distribution network through which I launched 500 copies for sale. Somewhere in two or three weeks the entire circulation was sold out, and I felt a demand. He brought another 500 discs. And they were also sold.
That is, you are your own composer, producer, distributor, so it turns out?
Well, yes, somewhere like that. In Almaty, I had to do everything myself. We don’t have show business as such, and I think it won’t be there for a long time. The disc cover design was done by my friends. I released the disc with my own money. In Kazakhstan, visiting nightclubs and various musical parties, I realized that the music that was played there did not quite correspond to my musical taste. And at some point I thought, why not start writing what I like myself. From this, the first experiments with sound began.
Then I met a man who showed me his sketches and said that I wanted to record my disc. There was a lot of material. It was a professional sound engineer Alexey Stetsenko. I had a vision of how I want to do this, but there was no experience. In general, together with Alexei, I studied studio work from scratch - mixing, mixing, computer programs, mastering. Somewhere about a year and a half I worked on this album.
Ilkhom, traditionally people who want to break into show business, try to present their projects in Moscow. There were thoughts to show yourself and your music in the Russian capital?
Not. I did not want to go to Moscow or the West. Why? Yes, because first of all I do it for myself. I, in general, was not going to record the album. At some point, it was enough for me that I was recording music for my friends. But when good reviews went and many told me: “Release the record”, I decided to record an album.
Is there really no ambition in you, and do not want to publish your music to go with it "to the masses"?
There are ambitions, but not everything is as simple as it turned out. In order to go "to the masses" substantial financial resources are needed. Its not enough. Producers are not always interested in promoting unknown projects.
The direction of “chill out”, “ambient” is more suitable for home listening, making a hit from such music is very difficult. It was clear to me initially. Therefore, working today, I first of all try to realize my creative ideas. I really enjoy experimenting with sound. I like to sit at home, at the computer, in fact, in my home studio. I really like the surround sound.
I dare to suggest that a couple of new albums have already been written?
Written (laughs). Now I'm working on the fifth album, material for four is already ready. Basically, they are all ready for publication. Last February, I registered in the UAE the label “Air Field Records”, through which I plan to release all my albums.
In one of the albums is the music for the film, which I wrote in 2007, already in Dubai. One of the famous film studios whose branch is here found me through my Facebook and MySpace pages (www. Myspace.com/thechilloutproject), and suggested writing a version of the music for the science fiction film. I wrote and received my first substantial fee for this work.
By the way, March 15 will start selling worldwide the English version of the album "Period. Sorrow." First, through digital stores such as iTunes, Amazon, MySpace Music, Nokia, Napster, so that everyone can buy it online, simply by typing in the search for the Chill Out Project, and then to the UAE via the Virgin network.
What music is close to you? Which do you like to listen to at your leisure?
I really like the work of composer Vangelis, I like to listen to the music of the project “Enigma”, ATB. By the way, they tour a little. They just work in their studios, write albums and sell them via the Internet. This model of work suits me better. I also like the concept of the production center of Konstantin Meladze, where there is a brain center in the person of Kostya who generates ideas, and his "products" go on tour, perform, while he is engaged in pure creativity.
I really like listening to classical music - Rachmaninov, Mozart, Shostakovich. The music that makes you think. Modern pop music, hip hop or R&B is very tiresome. Therefore, I want to listen to something beautiful, melodic. For example, I like our Soviet pop music - Magomayev, Antonov, Valery Leontyev, KINO, modern trends such as acid jazz, aplift trans, break beat, house. At the moment I am writing electronic dance music, which includes the listed areas. Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, ATB, Moby, Deep Dish, Dash Berlin, David Guetta and others work in these styles.
As for creativity in general, I like the so-called "cinema music", that is, the music that is used in cinema. In it you can hear the sounds of airplanes, wind, surf, the sound of the forest and the singing of cicadas. Very interesting effects are obtained and, by the way, such music calms well. A completely different perception.
Oh well. What's in the immediate creative plans?
I would like to make music more. Now, working in the Stars Dome Group company during the day, I devote only evening and night time to music. The family sometimes is very jealous of this, so you have to strike a balance between work, hobbies and family. For example, I do not believe those who say that he does not have free time. I believe that if you want to do something, then there will always be time for this.
I have a lot of creative plans. Sometimes I don’t even have time to record the music that comes. In the middle of the night I can wake up to take notes. In general, I am now completing, together with Igor Tabashnikov, the club album "Predestination. Deja Vu" and at the end of March I plan to release it on the Internet and then through the Virgin network. It remains to finish one song, do the final mastering of the album and a photo shoot for the booklet. Also, more recently, I was offered to write music for the Kazakhstani film "Club", directed by Zhanna Isabaeva. The title of the film tells what kind of music will be there. At the moment, several tracks are already ready. And what will happen next - time will tell.
In parting, I want to wish all readers of the Russian Emirates magazine success, happiness and, most importantly, health. It is important that people always strive for something, regardless of difficulties or crises. Set goals and achieve your goal. Dubai is a city of opportunity. Do what you like, and you will succeed.
Thank you, Ilkhom. I wish you the implementation of all creative plans.
