GAINA – Interview with Valeryi Gaina (ex-KRUIZ)

Valeryi Gaina (previously leader of GVAS, Kordinal, Molodyie Golosa, Magistral, KRUIZ, VALERYI GAINA – GAIN, KARMA, SDD (Shue String Delilla), iNSULATED and currently GAiNA, sond engineer, and co-producer from LA)

Sdrastvuy Valeriy! I'd like to make a short interview with you. Sorry for my English but my Russian is worse… (I have not used Russian for long long years)

Your English is good enough for us to communicate and will do so.

Tell me please, what are you doing in LA? Why have you left your homeland? Do you feel free now?

Well, I moved to LA, cause I got signed to Warner Bros Records with my project “GAIN” in 1991. My girl friend was from LA, so it was a big change in my life. Honestly, I always felt free, even in those communist times in Russia, I was still playing the music I wanted. They didn't stop me then and I keep feeling free now.

I visit to your website, and I'd like to ask you about some things. At first, I found out the note about SHAH. My Russian is too weak to understand every informations. Was it your first band?

“Shah” was a great Russian band that I really liked and I produced the album “Beware” and got them a record deal with the German label “ATOM H”. That was 1988.

And frankly speaking, what it was GALAKTIKA? I listen to the samples of this squad and I notice that music is very different to KRUIZ for example.

Galaktika was a kind of hard rock band that somehow ended up touring with us for a pretty long time. I didn't have to do with their music.

At your website you have written about your discography, but I can't assume all your LP. Would you tell few words about your bands, your albums and music voyage before and after the “Kruiz-1” LP era?

I hope the press release that my admin sent it to you gave you the answer to this question, if not, please let me know and will give you more details.

Why you decided to stop singing in KRUIZ?

Well, I put 10 years of my life in to KRUIZ…it was my baby and my life. The line up has changed 3 times through the all this period. The last line up, so called “trio Kruiz” it lasted almost 5 years. 1990 we were about to start working on the new record for WEA Germany, when I realized that I've had enough of Kruiz internal problems and I need to move along. That's exactly what I did, I moved back to Moscow and I started a new project “Gain”.

Do you live from music?

Yes, indeed. I'm composing music tracks for Music library's, tv, and commercials.

I notice that you at first use Gibson guitars. Now-a-days you play ESP equipment. Why such a decision? And similar question. On this red Gibson is black star or… pentagram?

I basically got endorsed by ESP, but I still play Gibson and many other guitars. I have over 40 guitars in my collection. It was was a pentagram, and it looked cool on stage.

People ask sometimes about your KRUIZ drummer, Sergiey Ephimov. Do you know what he was doing after KRUIZ was crashed? I have found somewhere that he was writting a book. Has he finished his work yet?

Unfortunately I don't keep in touch with Sergey, and I don't know much about him, as-well as about the book his writing. That's a news to me. I keep in touch with Fedor and he will join me on my tour in Russia.

Why KRUIZ is not playing?

Well, actually when I moved to the America the lead singer and the guitarist from the second line up of Kruiz, dicided to start playing under the name Kruiz. Up to that point they were so called E.V.M. So they are Kruiz at this point. So, I lost my rights to the name Kruiz, and I don't think it would be worth fighting for it. They managed to do a lot to damage the good name of Kruiz. That's one of the reason my new project is called GAiNA. Remember the Roger Waters vs. Pink Floyd….it sound's similar.

You tell about your KRUIZ music using word “rock” (I think about lyrics of songs). It's rather strange. Do you agree that “Kruiz-1” was power metal or something-else metal stuff? Was the term “heavy metal” in Russia forbidden in 1986-90?

Back in 1986, Heavy Metal in Russia was still not very welcome, but by the 1990 with Kruiz help there was no more questions about it. Kruiz was always the band that fought for establishment of Rock music, and the music style of the band was evolving all the time. Considering that we started as New Wave/Pop Rock and turned in to monster Heavy Metal/Thrash band.

Thanks to your site for link to Black Coffee group. I discover now next Russian excellent bands. Do you ever play on the same stage with this group?

We play together only at some big festivals. Back then the Black Coffee could play big arenas and stadiums on their own, so for the most time we toured separately.

I found that in the same time, when KRUIZ existed, there was another Russian band called KRUIZ. What did they play and do you like their music?

I mentioned above about the other Kruiz…honestly I wish they would do something interesting this days, but they keep on playing the songs from the first 3 (tapes) released records, were 80% of songs were written by me.

Your one show was transmitted in German RTL TV. How did it happen? Was this performance in Germany?

Kruiz was signed to WEA Records in Germany from 1987 to 1989. The show was in Munich. We actually did more then one TV and radio shows in Germany, but the RTL show's got a lot of promotion in Germany, and the Russian pirates did a good job on their part… By the way me and my girl friend performed at the Sopot festival in 1989. We had had a great time, and I liked Poland very much.

To the list of my favourite drum solos I added Sergiey solo . Have you had some problems after this performance in your country? (I remember he sing “Pye-rye-stroyka, Ba-la-lay-ka!” during he drumming)

No, We didn't have any problems. It was a very entertaining solo. Sergey was an amassing and very funny live drummer.

Why KRUIZ album had so weak promotion in Poland? Only old thrash-metal maniax remember your group today. They mainly got your LP from Russian friends 'cos in Polish shops there wasn't any.

I don't really know why, but that's true. Somehow we didn't have anything going in Poland. At the same time we were more popular in Bulgaria then Iron Maiden…We had no control and no offers from anybody in Poland.

I have read that after KRUIZ band, in USA you played in some bands. VALERIY GAINA – GAIN, KARMA, INSULATED, SHUE STRING DELILLA, and now you have solo project GAiNA. How do you feel in so different styles? I have written that you become a sound engineer, music producer, promotional band manager etc. Which informations are true and which are false?

I feel great… I've learned so much and I worked and played with so many bands and people. I like so many deferent music styles, and I would not be complete if I would just play Heavy Metal for the rest of my life. Yes in did, I've produced many band, but now I manly composing music in a lot of deferent styles and I love it.

Promo 2002 CD – who recorded this one? you and Fedor and Sergiey? drummer from my band (yea, I'm a rock star 😉 ) said that drummer in this songs play with a little different technique, so I ask you… 😉

VG: It was recorded by me- Fedor Vasiliev and Greg Stevens-drums (this is important info because of many news in internet telling that drummer was Sergiey – add. Emanuel).

At your website http://kruiz-gaina.narod.ru you have made available to download many songs of KRUIZ, fotos, but not this RTL-concert? Do you have copy in your archive? Are you going to add it at this site?

That's probably cause the file is to big and and the server can't handle it. We will upgrade the website and more files and information will be available as soon as the Russian project takes off.

Why Valeryi Gaina mp3 are only 2-minutes long? You write about authorization laws. What do you mean?

I just don't want the pirates in Russia to take advantage and to think that all my music is free. They already benefited from 4 songs of Kruiz, re-release in 2002 and 3 songs of GAiNA for free. It's time to keep it under control. If you would like I could send you a full version of the last song. Is your mail let's you receive a 4MB file?

Are you enjoy your life?

Yes, I'm a pretty happy man and enjoying life very much.

Of course I'd like to get every informations about your new songs. I really like your new alternative face… What do you think about singing in your native language? Do you agree that Russian language is beauty and very flexible to rock phrasing?

Thank you, I'm glad you like my alternative sound…me too. I just want to write some great songs and not worry to much to about my guitar technique. I've done it in the past, and it's time to move on.

Do you study guitar techniques in music schools? Do you finish some music school?

Yes, I studied and graduated a music college. I use to be an accordion player since 4 years old, then I felt in love with Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix and switched to guitar when I was 14, and I kept it going.

Do you play other instruments?

Accordion and keyboards…and this days I play very well with my computer software.

OK. I wish you luck and keep on rocking in the free world. Dasvidanyia.

Thank you very much…It was a pleasure to do this for you. Will keep in touch. By the way do you play music? Are you in a band? Just curious.