Russian friends Dima Pantyushin and Sasha Lipsky join forces on ‘Peshekhod’, their debut album which was released on Tim Sweeney’s Beats In Space Records.
‘Peshekhod’ oscillates through an immaculate synth-pop ecosystem in which every shift feels both accurate in its absurdity and divinely danceable. The album (“peshekhod” translates to “pedestrian”) investigates the inner narrative of a Muscovite as he wanders through the city, recalls his work, and contemplates his existence.
Fellow Moscow native and longtime friend Sasha Lipsky, who writes and performs with his brother in Simple Symmetry, joins Pantyushin on production. Lipsky weaves entire sonic ecosystems for Dima’s instinctual observations and adroit lyrics. The result is a musical landscape that bounces between the terrestrial and the divine as Pantyushin’s croon and Lipsky’s synth-heavy compositions swell with aliveness.
‘Peshekhod’ is roughly autobiographical in scope – Dima Pantyushin was born and raised in Moscow, co-runs Cafe Enthusiast in the city center, and is a visual artist by trade – yet explores feelings universal. His lyrics conjure the nostalgia and joy of parenthood in ‘Ray of Sunshine’, the paranoia of metropolitan life on ‘Pigeon’, and the slippage of time on ‘Chess’.
Today, we are talking with Dima Pantyushin about their collaboration on the album, inspiration behind the album and his life in Moscow.
How did you two first meet?
We started to meet each other here and there at our friends places in 2007-2008 but became friends in 2009 at Solyanka club.
How did you come across Beats In Space Records for the first time and would you describe your collaboration and the long distance friendship between BIS and yourselves?
It’s funny that I didn’t hear about BIS till Tim texted us. He asked if we work already with any labels. My life was quite far from music labels, even though I’m surrounded by people who are quite experienced in this. But Sasha has a completely different story, he knew BIS and was surprised in a good way that Tim reached us.
Your album quite poignantly encapsulates the collage of childhood, parenthood and overall transience of human life. What was your stream of thought through the process of creation and how did that idea evolve into Peshekhod today?
Yes, the album contains references to childhood. I think it’s important to be able to keep a child inside at any age if it goes together with the accumulated experience, wisdom and responsibility. Both of us are fathers of beautiful daughters and it is reflected in the track called ‘Ray Of Sunshine’. Besides that, the album also touches other topics, understandable to anyone: rehab from urban bustle (‘Nature’), the desire to always find inner light and strength in ourselves to move forward (‘Inner Light’), the ability to accept “surprises” that meet us on the life path (‘Change’), respect and tolerance (‘Position’) and the ability to appreciate the most important thing that we have – our time (‘Time’). Well, of course, in addition to all these philosophical topics, there are many other things in our lives, for example, parties (‘Phone’, ‘House (with an attic)’).
Besides the elaborate idea/concept behind the album itself, the visuals and videos that complement it have been incredibly fun and delightful to watch. What do the videos evoke in you, after spending time on filming it and conceptualising the accompanying visuals?
The elements of self-irony and the comedy genre have become an important component for us in this work. Recording the album, from the very beginning Sasha and I discovered that we have a lot in common in this direction and, despite the seriousness of some of the topics, we were looking for a balance between irony and kindness so it could be listened to by grown-up children.
With what type of a muscovite/peshekhod protagonist do you resonate/identify yourself/ves the most with at the moment? If there is such a thing as a type.
Talking about the album’s hero, it’s hard to say what he does, what his job is. This is a very collective character, he is individual and at the same time like everyone else. He is between 35 and 45 years old. In a suit, perhaps with a briefcase, he goes to kindergarten with his child in the morning on a sunny day, or he can take the subway to work, and in general his whole day is like the day of any person living in the city. He works, relaxes, goes to a cafe, on Friday nights he can be with friends in a bar or at a concert, and on weekends he can go to a city park or out of town. Our “pedestrian” can probably be compared with the character played by Pierre Richard in the film ‘Le Jouet’ or the hero of Jacques Tati’s film ‘Play Time’.
Dima how would you describe the atmosphere in Cafe Enthusiast these days?
In general, the cafe has not changed much for several years: breakfasts, lunches, screenings of films on Wednesdays and concerts of different bands and musicians on Sundays. On Saturdays (and sometimes Fridays) DJ sets curated by Anya Karmanova (co-founder of Enthusiast Records, our record store). A new generation has grown up, it is interesting to look at them when they come. I like that the Enthusiast hardly changes, despite the transience and speed of everything that happens in our city, and in the world, probably.
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When you’re not creating, what are you most likely doing?
I am always in the creative process. I collect pieces of observation from everything that surrounds me, and I like to spend all my free time with my daughter Maya.
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From Moscow with dove – what does that segment on the cover represent to you?
In fact, this is a reference to the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming (a film about James Bond) – ‘From Russia with Love’. I replayed it a bit and turned it into ‘From Moscow with Dove’. The Dove has two meanings here: as a “dove of peace” and the second meaning / translation – “a supporter of the politics of peace”. А lot of devilry happens between our countries historically, and I just want to say, maybe it’s not a new thing, but music connects and unites people, regardless of what is happening or will happen between our political leaders. It may be naive, but I want to believe in it.
These worries from the album’s protagonist, about the slippage of time, everpresent paranoia, how do you tend to fight it?
I work on myself every day, and I went to the psychologist.
And the last one, what would you reveal (anything at all) that you feel wasn’t yet said or shared through your work or previous interviews.
I don’t know yet..
‘Peshekhod’ album is available HERE.
Dima Pantyushin [IG]
Sasha Lipsky [SC]
