Interview with Dmitry Ignatiev, the leader of Tantal

An important event for Russian progressive scene happened at the end of 2009 – Moscow band Tantal starts selling their albums in India and the United Kingdom. Negotiations for the sale of albums in the EU and the U.S. are carried on. Progress.FM asked the band leader Dmitry Ignatiev about promotion and distribution of prog-metal music.

Max Messerschmitt
Tantal began to sell their music abroad. Tell us more about this, please.

Dmitri Ignatiev
Album and merchandise is now been selling in India, a formal agreement is signed. After the New Year English label Raven Heart Music organizes distribution and promotion in Britain and in the U.S. and the album will be available through internet stores CD Baby, Amazon, Super D. This is something that is currently confirmed. We negotiate with the European agencies and with the United States separately. But I really think it is not big news for Russian listeners.

MM
Many musicians dream about it. How did you do this? Does secret is in music, or in promotion, or is the will and efforts of a man who was looking for distributors? Or maybe just luck?

DI
This is just the will and effort – modern technology has opened up great opportunities for musicians. They just have to want to use, and further results depend only on the person and the effort. We are not going to stop there. It’s not enough just to find agents who want to sell the disc. We must make great efforts to the promotion of the album and the band. And, again, all in the hands of musicians: Internet now is the most effective weapon.

MM
Who did promotion?

DI
Whole band. We worked with forums, with MySpace, sent newsletters. This is hellish and ungrateful work. Most offices do not bother themselves to respond. They can be understood, although.

MM
And who coordinated the effort?

DI
I had to do it as a leader.

MM
Have you been acting intuitively or studied the question? Have you tried any promotional tool, which came to hand? Or looked like moving the others? Is there some sort of “Promotional guideline for young musician”?

DI
I do not know how to call it … Just looking for labels and promotional agencies, which produce heavy music. Of course, I had to collect a huge database and then handle it methodically – sending e-mails, parcels with promotional packages of the group. There are no difficulties in it, the main thing here is perseverance. I think all bands do this way, if they want to express themselves abroad. It was the first experience for me.

MM
Have you worked with a label before?

DI
Yes, of course. It is Russian metal label Mazzar Records. They released lots of our local colleagues, as well as foreign bands.

MM
What is your relationship with the label now? Did they help in the promotion? What does their management think about the fact that you have established distribution abroad yourself?

DI
We are quite pleased. Mutual understanding between us was set up from the very beginning and it remains so. Thanks Mazzar Records album produced and sold throughout Russia, it is also available in several Russian ineternet stores. Label gave us a big push in promoting the band. Mazzar Records was engaged in arranging interviews for various publications in heavy music Web-Zines (Dark City, Rock Oracle, Darkside, etc.), sent album for reviewing, made various advertising modules. We discussed abroad promotion separately from the outset, and nobody objected. On the contrary, welcomed the initiative and helped.

MM
Why foreign labels take up this project? Again, was the music key factor or trends – prog becomes popular? Or an exotic? What determined this, to your mind?

DI
I think, first of all is music. Little indiscreet of course, but in confirmation of this came a large number of positive feedback and reviews from abroad and many foreigners interested by e-mail and on MySpace about the opportunity to purchase the disc. But the main was real desire to show our self not only in Russia. Moreover, such music is not in demand here.

MM
What is the reason for the lack of interest to prog in Russia?

DI
The complexity of perception is the main reason. Now “-core” dominates (the first part of the style substitute yourself). I will not deny that there are different bands that I am happy to listen. We, in Russia, not even have own prog-hangouts and thematic concerts, although I know many format bands. And there’s no an organizer that wanted to take up such a festival.

MM
In the contextf: What do you think about Progress.FM?

DI
I think it’s great that the radio station relevant to the subject of Prog-music has appeared. A lot of young prog bands will meet here!

MM
Prog – music for musicians. Do you agree with this statement?

DI
Not always! It depends on the band. There is a super sophisticated technical prog, but there are “benign” bands also, that can be listened to by an unprepared listener.

MM
Let’s return to the distribution. Do foreign partners predict commercial success?

DI
No one gives predictions in our time. But, if they do – only pessimistic. Now people do not want to pay for music: visit a torrent and download anything you want!

MM
The situation in the west should be better …

DI
We hope that people are more civilized there.

MM
Do you plan to earn for a living playing music?

DI
No, this was never in our plans. Especially with such a style very few people can afford to live off the music.

MM
We started well, but we came to end… not as would like to:) Do you have something to make us glad in the new year?

DI
It’s all because our grim concept In the new year we hope to finish writing material for their second album. Some of the songs for it already can be heard at our concerts. Also at ESP guitars (members of our band are it’s endorsers) we plan to release several thematic video master classes with our second guitarist Alexander Strelnikov. I also hope someone from Moscow organizers still be able to do the Prog-Festival. It should finally happen! Follow our news www.tantalweb.ru, www.myspace.com/tantalband, http://vkontakte.ru/club598531.

MM
Concerts? Foreign tour is in the plans?

DI
We have proposals in Russia from time to time which we are always happy! The next year is already scheduled performances in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Tyumen. And the foreign tours – let’s wait for our English label, we discussed it.

MM
We are waiting for Russian prog-intervention to the west. Thank you for the interview.

DI
Thanks to all the Progress.FM staff! Good luck!