The best music producers in Russia. Who is a music producer

SOUND SELLERS
Ten most influential music producers in Russia Love can be different - the love of a cat for a mouse, a vampire for human blood, a child for candy, which, as you know, spoils teeth. There is people's love. The feeling is terrible in strength and inexplicable in essence. So first they loved Hitler, then Lenya Golubkov. This is how the groups “Chaif” and “Hands Up” love it. And rarely does anyone realize that SOMEONE makes them LOVE. That on the paths and roads of love there are a lot of crooks - Foxes and Basilio's cats, who dream only of tricking the unfortunate Pinocchio, leaving him only with a wooden nose and inexplicable love. And they themselves will go into the dark forest and bury five treasured gold pieces in one place known to them, and then sit and wait for them to emerge. We are, as you already understood, about music producers. We won’t theorize - we’ll look at real-life examples and make a rating

FIRST PLACE
Yuri AIZENSHPIS (“Cinema”, “Technology”, Vlad Stashevsky, “Dynamite”; general director of the production company “Mediastar”)
Yuri Shmilevich Aizenshpis is ready to kill anyone who accidentally pronounces his patronymic as “Shmilich.” With the genius of production art there is no familiarity. Despite everything, he almost always remains an esthete. Having spent more than a decade and a half in the zone, Aizenshpis did not get a single tattoo. And about six months ago, for the same aesthetic reasons, he painted over the noble gray hairs on his head with black paint, after which persistent rumors spread on the sidelines: Yuri Shmilevich went in search of new same-sex love. They say absolutely terrible things about Aizenshpis, hide everything and consider him the biggest monster in show business. He is actually a very good professional (just look at the list of names he has promoted). Everyone prefers not to mess with him... except musicians. He never allowed himself any dishonest things towards the people he took on. If this person gets down to business, he brings the entrusted team to a certain level - and it does not matter what level the music and the performer himself are.
If Aizenshpis shoots a video, it’s really expensive. He rents it with his own money, sometimes even risking his name.
Aizenshpis took up the Kino group when they were already popular.
But without talented production, the musicians would not have earned as much as they did. The years that Kino worked with Aizenshpis were the best years of the group.
The next project that he undertook to promote - “Technology” - also turned out to be successful. Maybe he didn’t earn that much from them, but he raised them from scratch and promoted them to a decent level.

Aizenshpis is an excellent businessman and creative, he understands very well what will “work” at a given moment in time and what will not.
SECOND PLACE
Igor MATVIENKO (“Lube”, “Ivanushki”, “Girls”)

Matvienko is a creative person. He mainly focuses on selecting material for bands and writing songs himself. For example, it was he who wrote the music “Atas” and “Let’s Play.” He didn’t offend “Ivanushka” either - “The Universe” and “Two Bottomless Oceans of Eyes” are also the work of his hands. Igor Igorevich prefers to be less involved with business matters. For such needs (so as not to get his hands dirty), he created the “Igor Matvienko Production Center”, where specially trained employees handle all PR and contracts. He himself tries not to get involved in business too much, although he has a fairly good idea of the tastes of the people. A good indicator of his humanity is his long-term relationships with the same people - both with groups and with music-related figures who help him in the production center. For example, he has been working with one of the best songwriters in the country, Alexander Shaganov, for about 10 years.
THIRD PLACE
Alexander SHULGIN (Valeria; owner of the rights to Vizbor’s “creative heritage”)
Shulgin, according to our information, has a bad character. He treats people mostly negatively. There are persistent rumors among showbiz that he beats his wife, singer Valeria. By the way, a mother of three children and a means of earning money. Nobody will tell us what Valeria thinks about this, because at all the singer’s interviews the guardian husband is an indispensable attribute. With all this, Shulgin is a good businessman. He is one of the most practical and promising people in show business at the moment. At the time he was the general producer of Rec Records, it was one of the most successful record companies involved in commercial music. It successfully competed even with Soyuz, which was generally considered beyond competition.
Few people remember that Valeria recorded her first record in Germany, it was called “Taiga Symphony” and was sung in English. The album received bad criticism both here and in the West. Critics here and there had a good laugh at the accent of the Volga girl. This did her good - she began to sing in Russian. This time, what her strict husband told her to do. And I didn’t miscalculate.
Shulgin works according to Western standards - he hires professional musicians and arrangers for the performer. But he doesn’t live up to Aizenshpis. Where Yuri Shmilevich will do everything brilliantly and at a frantic pace, Shulgin will act slowly and deliberately. That's why it remains the best of the average.

Dmitry GROSMAN (“Chaif”, “Serga” in his best years)
Groysman took up Chaif when the group was already gaining fame.

But it was he who brought it to the stadium level.
"Chaif" held the bar even when the ratings of "Alice" and "Agatha Christie" fell. People's love for the band remains a given, even when the new albums are no longer so good.
The stable positive image of the group does not allow one to scold the respectable Shakhrin, his valiant jumps on the stage and condemn him for nightmarish works like “Argentina-Jamaica - 5:0”. And all because Groysman is a good businessman. If he had been a better creative person, maybe he would have given birth to another “star” team.

FOURTH PLACE
Oleg NESTEROV (Nike Borzov, “Knife for Frau Muller”, “Underwood”, etc.; general production of record companies “Lungs”, “Bullfinches”)
Ponomarev kicked out musicians from “Spleen”, inflated Sasha Vasiliev’s star fever and periodically behaved not very nicely. For example, at the dawn of the youth of the Splin group there was such a person - Sergei Rymov. He used his own money to transport “Spleen” from St. Petersburg to Moscow, looking for money for them to record their first records. The musicians even lived with him at one time. Then Ponomarev came to Splin and pushed Rymov aside. Then "Spleen" began to make purely commercial things like "Orbit without sugar." The result is the love of the stadium crowds. Ponomarev has a pretty good sense of the Russian-Russian conjuncture. The songs of his groups were well rotated, the albums were sold, but from that moment on, creatively, both “Spleen” and Vasiliev himself began to rot and deteriorate. A little more and it will be yesterday.
Ponomarev has one distinctive disadvantage - he has not raised a single group from scratch. I sat down on “Spleen” when it was rising, and “Bi-2” I saddled up when the streets were singing “Colonel” in a frenzy.

SIXTH PLACE
Vladimir MESKHI (producer of the Maxidrom festival; Masha and the Bears, The End of the Film, Agatha Christie)
Meskhi wears a bob hairstyle and from afar looks like a man who smells like rock and roll. For at least another five years, it will probably enjoy wild success with girls who are “ripe” and chronically “chew sugar-free orbits.” Like a man.
As a producer, Meskhi really doesn’t like it when someone claims that at least half of the credit for creating Maxidrom belongs to Mikhail Kozyrev. Although he himself actually had a hand in the creation of the festival and, at the very least, continues to drag it to this day (Kozyrev no longer has anything to do with the festival). As for producing groups, the initially soaring “Masha” went off the rails, and the successful “Agatha Christie” suddenly went into decline. All this speaks to one thing - Meskhi cannot carry the project from start to finish.

Leonid GUTKIN (Danko, “Brothers Smile”; General Director of “Cream Records”)
Not a single bright star emerged among Gutkin’s “sponsored people.” Danko, who howled “Baby” so soulfully, still did not become a super project and, most likely, will not become. The “Brothers,” after the hip-hop ballad about “Yulia,” who “loves Yuri” and therefore cannot lead a normal life, somehow very quickly felt popular, drowned in their own pathos and became even more oppressed. Unless Dolphin, who records on “Cream,” is a real star. But the fact of the matter is that it is only being recorded. (But, according to our information, he is soon breaking the contract.) Such an uncreative approach to “production” on the part of a famous producer is completely incomprehensible. After all, Gutkin himself is no different, but still a musician. (At one time, the current director of the record label enjoyed playing music in the Autograph group. He was then the most phlegmatic musician in the group. Judging by his production style, he has remained a phlegmatic one to this day.)

SEVENTH PLACE
Joseph PRIGOGINE (Kristina Orbakaite, Alexander Marshall, Pascal; general producer of Nox music)
Not long ago, Joseph Prigogine published a book of works with the vague title “Politics - the pinnacle of show business” - a guide for aspiring producers. In the book, the author clearly admires himself. Towards the middle of the book, an eminent citizen expresses an opinion that is surprising in its novelty.
“There is no Russian show business! - writes Joseph Igorevich on page 97. “He never existed.”

Nevertheless, in the world of non-existent show business, Prigozhin skillfully selects projects with the original name and budget, and then cuts coupons from them.
He sits confidently in his niche (much like those who work with Baskov).
Prigogine is an ambitious and narcissistic person. It is enough to read the same book to be convinced of this.
There are persistent rumors in the field of show business that Burlakov owed the MT musicians a certain amount of money that the musicians had earned, incurred debts on behalf of the group, spent it, and at the end of the day dragged MT to a deliberately flawed last concert at the Olimpiysky.
Ilya took all rights from him and left. Then Zemfira left. At the same time, she didn’t lose much - it was mainly produced by Lagutenko, and Burlakov’s hand functioned only in the field of raking in money.
Although this did not stop the “super producer” from claiming that he was the genius.
After which, abandoned by everyone, Burlakov went to collaborate with Joseph Prigogine. The collaboration ended just before it began. The financial inconsistencies between Prigozhin and Burlakov were to blame.

Burlakov's new projects, left without funding, are unlikely to last long. Although this does not prevent him from constantly feeding the musicians “breakfast”.
We will give ratings on a five-point system. The criteria are as follows.
1) Moral qualities
There are no super-good and super-honest producers. This is the profession - you have to eat the fish and not offend the musician. Therefore, we will evaluate the moral qualities of our comrades by answering the question: is the citizen honest with the musicians entrusted to him?
2) Creative
The degree of knowledge, the ability to navigate the music environment, and understanding of the musical environment are very important qualities of a producer.
3) Businessman

The ability to make money for yourself and for the group, while trying to screw over as few partners as possible, is a sign of good business acumen.

We will give grades like in school - on a five-point system.	Producer	Morality	Creative	Businessman
In total	5	4	5	14
Aizenshpis	0	3	0	3
Burlakov	4	4	3	11
Nesterov	3	4	5	12
Shulgin	2	3	3	8
Prigogine	4	5	4	13
Matvienko	3	3	4	10
Ponomarev	5	3	4	12
Grossman	2	4-	4	10-
Meskhi	4	3	3-	10-

Gutkin

The process of economic transition to market conditions has affected all areas of economic and cultural activity, including the music industry. In this area, as in any other area of culture, radical changes have occurred. First of all, it should be noted that the economic block of relations in the music industry is highlighted. Thus, the economics of a musical project, along with creativity, are increasingly emerging as a necessary part of production activities in the music business. The interaction of these two components - economics and creativity - ensures both the competitiveness and originality of musical projects that are the object of close public attention. Music producer (English)) - the person responsible for the image, musical style of performers and the sound recording process. He is usually in charge of monitoring sound quality, determining the repertoire and the general ideology of the project (album, single 3, radio broadcast, etc.). The producer selects sound engineers 4, editors 5, and assistants. As a rule, major labels 6 have their own studio producers; often musicians themselves invite outside producers who are interesting to them.

Producer activities (producing) is a kind of creative process, the implementation of a project from beginning to end. 7

The profession of “producer” is only now beginning to appear in Moscow universities. And those who became producers before that were a kind of pioneers, they relied only on their own intuition.

Activity in the field of show business has its own distinctive features, technology, and pitfalls, but at the same time it is subject to laws characteristic of other types of social activity. It includes many processes. These include financial, personnel, social and many others. Thus, the economics of a musical project is one of the most important components of management and entrepreneurship in this area.

Let's consider all the components of show business, united by management leverage, for which the producer is responsible (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. The main components of the producer’s social activities.

As can be seen from the figure, the music industry includes elements such as economics, creativity, law and management. How do all these components relate in the music business? The need for a creative and economic component is obvious without further explanation. The organization of any project is ensured by management relationships based on the personal factor. In addition, the organization of any musical project begins with the selection of artists and other participants responsible for various parts of the process. This is where professional management is needed. And management relations at a civilized level are ensured by legal principles, reflected in legislation and contractual regulation.

Musical producing or producing a musical project is a complex multi-level process that requires a lot of effort, time and nerves from the producer as a creative and managerial figure.

The concept of a producer as a person responsible for the financing, production and distribution of cultural products, in particular a musical product, has arisen in practice a long time ago. But it is gradually gaining recognition from official structures.

Producing activities are closely related to other spheres of culture - cinema, theater, television. This happens because the show project is a synthesis of various types of art. It includes musical material, direction, the work of a music video director, image maker, etc. But one way or another, the main object of interest of the producer is intellectual property. First of all, it has a certain value as an object of culture, and in business the producer is also interested in the price for which this property is purchased.

The versatility of producer activity in the music industry is associated with powerful promotion of the project, which includes not only traditional promotion methods (for example, concert and touring activities, information support, etc.), but also specific ones - merchandising 8, participation in prestigious music festivals , creating a promotional campaign 9 on the Internet. Despite such diverse activities, the producer usually relies on one or several areas. Thus, projects appear, the foundation of which is either an original idea, or the vocal abilities of the performers, or the skill of the composer.

Naturally, the producer is interested in covering all aspects of the project, but the main emphasis, the main focus is quite easy to see.

As noted, the music business involves organizing a large number of multi-level events, people and processes. All of them are in one way or another connected with generating an idea, creating a project, promoting it to the market, and maintaining creative and commercial potential at a certain level. For the financial stability of his activities, the producer needs to take into account its creative, economic, managerial and legal specifics. This became especially important during the period when contractual relations were reaching a civilized level.

Under concepts production activities And producing refers to activities aimed at organizing and solving assigned tasks aimed at implementing the project.

There are many branches of production activity, which act as independent professions in various branches of the world of art and show business. Studio Producer cooperates with film studios and does not deal with financial matters. His task is only the artistic side of the project. However, along with this, it does not carry any risks. Independent producer is looking for sponsors for its project and is dealing with distribution issues. General producer bears full responsibility for the project, determines the project budget, concludes contracts with performers. Executive producer essentially does all the work, oversees the development of the project, creative and organizational aspects. Line Producer heads the block related to the implementation of the project, monitors the filming schedule. Sound producer deals with issues of sound recording and the quality of musical material.

Thus, under the concept producer refers to the organizer of multi-level creative, managerial, legal and economic events, processes and phenomena.

Do you have any idea of how the songs might sound differently on the radio? Do you dream of your composition conquering the top of the charts? In this article you will learn how to become a music producer.

Steps

Part 1

Exploring Producing

Learn to play some musical instrument. You don't have to be a virtuoso to become a producer, but a trained ear and knowledge of music theory will be very, very helpful to your career. You should also try composing your own compositions, mastering musical tempos, or even learning how to play sheet music. Being on the other side of the soundboard, you will be able to appreciate a particular composition much better. Consider one of the following basic tools:

Piano/synthesizer. Perhaps, for a producer, these are the most necessary and widespread tools; the ability to play something on the piano is incredibly useful. Whether you are trying to formulate an idea or want to record a musical phrase, it is almost impossible to do without a piano.
Guitar. Once you master the guitar, you will be able to pluck the strings with ease and immediately take a big step towards pop and rock music.
Bas-guitar. Underrated but absolutely essential, the bass guitar will help guide the rhythm section and provide the foundation for production.

Master technology. To learn how to create and control music, you will need to learn how to use a soundboard and as many music processing programs as possible. If you haven’t worked in production yet, you can start with Cubase; this sequencer program is great for beginners.
- Sequencer programs like Cakewalk Sonar, Reason, and Pro Tools are used by producers to correct and change the music they record. Hip-hop and dance producers can use FL Studio, and it’s also suitable for pop.
- If you would like to produce hip-hop music, consider investing in a sampler. The MPC60, SP1200 and S950 are popular among golden age producers like Pete Rock and DJ Premier.
Mixing Basics. Understand what it means to mix a track: how to merge all the disparate sounds into one mellifluous mix.
- Understand the difference between "in the box" and "out of the box." In the box means you mix only using a computer program; outside - using a soundboard and other non-computer equipment.
- Understand the difference between stereo and mono mixing. The stereo mix consists of two tracks in one song, one for the left ear and one for the right; mono - one sound for a track.
- You need to know what to put in the center of the mix. Usually the bass guitar and vocals are in the center of the mix, not to the side. Other instruments and production elements can be moved slightly left or right to create a fuller sound.
Start studying music. Take your studies seriously. Music producers exist in the business of creating music, often through other songs. Hip-hop producers have to study music especially diligently, because their job is to take samples of other songs and rework them into a different beat. By not studying music, you are simply limiting your own capabilities.
Think about what sounds will go well together. The task of a music producer is to create exciting, soul-stirring music. This often involves exploring different sounds and the interactions of different musical genres.
- George Martin, the colorful producer of the Beatles, introduced what we call "ethnic" music into pop music. He helped introduce elements of Indian music into popular songs, a true meeting of east and west.
Make music. Do what you like best: punk, ska, rap, R&B, country, funk, jazz, etc. In the beginning, it is better to concentrate your efforts on mastering one style. This will allow you to make a name for yourself in one genre before moving on to something else. Hip-hop, R&B and pop are easier for beginners because they use fewer instruments.
- Gradually start experimenting with different genres. The more genres you master, the more opportunities (and more clients) you'll have. However, try not to spread yourself too thin at first. Master one genre thoroughly and only then move on to the next.
Recycle some old hit. Take a well-known song—preferably a simple one—and put your own spin on it. What is its potential? Can you make it better? What is your vision for how this song could be transformed into something completely new?
- Create several versions, this will allow you to evaluate the possibilities. Make a reggae version of "The Wall" or rework an obscure jazz song into hip-hop. Don't limit yourself to limits.
Collaborate with other producers. Some of the most famous compositions were created as a result of collaboration. Don't be afraid to reach out to a producer you admire and ask if they'd like to work together. Working together brings success because you can use his strengths to hide your weaknesses and, perhaps, vice versa.

Part 2
Production business
1. Start making connections. Tell your family and friends that you are producing music. Order business cards. Post notices. If you offer reasonable prices, customers will not keep you waiting. Charge little per hour or song.
  - It would be good to take your first steps together with a friend or family member. Do any of your friends sing well? Uncle, do you play the tuba beautifully? Produce them and show samples to potential clients. (Remember, family is separate, business is separate).
  - If nothing comes up, offer to volunteer, this will help build a reputation. There is nothing wrong with working for free, as long as you are not being exploited, of course. By leaving a very good first impression of yourself at voluntary work, you can even get paid, if, of course, your work is worth it.

Perhaps the most famous and cool producer in Russia is still the late Yuri Aizenshpis. He was educated as an engineer-economist, but quickly connected his life with music. However, in 1970 he was arrested: as a result of a search in his apartment, 15,585 rubles and $7,675 were confiscated. Convicted under Article 88 (Violation of rules on currency transactions). He was released from prison in 1988, having served 18 years in prison. Upon returning from places not so distant, Aizenshpis again took up music, in particular, organizing concerts of young performers. He was the director of the Kino group (from 1989 to 1990). He collaborated with the group "Moral Code", Vlad Stashevsky, singer Linda, and was the producer of Katya Lel, Nikita, Sasha. His last “brainchild” was Dima Bilan, which truly became his swan song. In 2005, Aizenshpis died of a heart attack.

ON THIS TOPIC

Producer Ivan Shapovalov gained fame by “promoting” the group “Tatu” - a girl duet that promoted same-sex love, skillfully stirring up interest with unambiguous touches and kisses. The soloists were the “dark” Yulia Volkova and the “red-haired” Lena Katina. In 2000, the first song “I'm crazy” was released, which literally blew up the charts in Russia. The group achieved international recognition. Their singles, both English and Russian, topped the charts in Australia, Great Britain, Germany, the USA and other countries. Their debut English-language single All the Things She Said became one of the most successful and topped the main music charts in the world. "Tatu" became the first and only Russian group to receive an IFPI award for the number of albums sold. In 2003, the group took third place at the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2004, Shapovalov stopped collaborating with Tatu and took up other projects, but they did not gain much fame. In 2012, the producer was diagnosed with brain cancer, but with timely treatment, Shapovalov managed to overcome the disease.

Maxim Fadeev From early childhood I became interested in music - at the age of five I entered a music school. In general, he himself dreamed of performing, but at the beginning of his journey, no one needed his work, and he decided to start producing. In 1993, he began collaborating with singer Linda. During this time, Fadeev’s first production project gained tremendous popularity, and specialists were delighted with the quality of the musical product, unprecedented on the domestic pop scene. A record number of spectators in the entire history of Russian show business (400 thousand) was gathered by the joint concert of Fadeev and Linda at the Singing Field in Kyiv on September 1, 1997. In 2002, he became the producer of the show “Star Factory”, and then collaborated with the singer Gluck’Oza, who intrigued by not showing her face and making only cartoon videos. In 2006, Fadeev became the producer of the Serebro group. The producer has a house in Bali, but often visits Russia, where he continues to work successfully and even perform, recording his own songs.

Few people know what exactly Igor Matvienko discovered singer Zhenya Belousov to the country, whose life was interrupted literally at the peak of fame. The main and, perhaps, the most successful brainchild of the producer is the group “Lube”, which has been pleasing many fans around the world for more than 20 years. Matvienko also produces the girl group “Factory” and the boy group “Ivanushki International”. It was he who became in 2002 the producer and director of the First Channel musical project “Star Factory”. In February 2014, he was appointed music producer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Sochi. For the most touching scene of the closing ceremony, “Mirror World” made an arrangement that combined the compositions “One among strangers, a stranger among friends” by Eduard Artemyev and “Goodbye, Moscow” by Alexandra Pakhmutova.

Producer Victor Drobysh, just like Fadeev and Matvienko, immediately realized that he would connect his life with music. It was he who became the author of the Buranovsky Babushki song Party for Everybody, which took an honorable second place at Eurovision 2012. Drobysh became the producer of the fourth season of the show “Star Factory”, after which he began creative promotion of graduates: the groups “Tutsi”, “K.G.B.”, as well as such performers as Yulia Mikhalchik, Natalya Podolskaya and Stas Piekha. Interestingly, in addition to producing, Drobysh is popular as a composer, who wrote a lot of music for songs that later became hits.