Even though Diana Arbenina's songs are original, deeply felt, and highly emotional, they are not resistant to covers. They are sung in kitchens and karaoke bars, and last year, Vanya Dmitriyenko performed "31 Spring" on the television project "Battle of Generations," receiving compliments from none other than Arbenina herself.
On the compilation "Tribute to Arbenina," Dmitriyenko, having already fulfilled his Arbenina mission as an artist, did not make an appearance, but there was no shortage of those eager to take a shot at material from the glorious rock archives. Perhaps the most prominent participant in the project is Mari Kraimbrery, who took on the song "Rubezh" from the 2001 vintage.
“For me, it’s generally unusual to sing songs that aren’t my own. It doesn’t really matter what genre it is, although I do listen to rock as well,” Mari commented to "ZD." “I was offered ‘Rubezh,’ I agreed, and while working in the studio, I revisited some compositions by ‘Night Snipers.’ To be honest, the song didn’t come to me right away; I initially didn’t understand what I could do with it. But as I worked on the track, it became interesting, and I found myself in this song. Of course, it was very important not to ruin it, as it’s a great honor to cover such legendary works. In my opinion, Diana's uniqueness lies in her honesty, not in following trends. When an artist and musician has their own signature, that’s a reward. Arbenina has that.”
In her version of “Rubezh,” Mari Kraimbrery remained within her familiar territory of pop-modern, preserving both her sound and the recognizability of the original. Many participants in the project followed a similar approach, and perhaps the rock artists found themselves in the most advantageous situation. Pol Punch wrapped “Actress” in pop-punk and seems to have succeeded, while Trita kept “31 Spring” as a guitar anthem, which is exactly what it is.
The other guitar anthem “Catastrophically” was transformed by the group Nemiga into a melancholic electronic piece, which didn’t strip the song of its charm (it takes effort to hopelessly ruin a super hit) but didn’t add any credibility to the cover. A similar diagnosis can be applied to “You Gave Me Roses” in the version by rapper PLC, although the lounge vibe was largely preserved. The second version of this song was presented by the beatmaker and performer from Tajikistan, Onative. This is perhaps the most unexpected track on the album, especially since the musician translated the song into English. Why not? After all, he is a foreigner.
Yuri Nikolaenko, better known as NЮ, worked his magic on “Yugo-2” and expressed Arbenina’s emotion quite accurately in a male vocal. Tosya Chaykina in “Adrenaline” seemed to don a Billie Eilish outfit, and probably did the right thing. As a true music chameleon, she can dress in anything and still manage not to look ridiculous.
Two tracks feature the voice of Arbenina herself. Along with Megi Gogitidze, Diana performed “Smiryayus,” and paired with Feigin, she sang “Zvu-chi.” The female alliance is not devoid of passion, although it is largely predictable. However, “Zvu-chi” truly resonates, and quite inventively. Lo-fi, old-school elements, and two voices intertwine into something you want to listen to until the end, as it’s unclear how it will finish. It’s almost like a magic trick.
But what intrigues the most on the album is the combination of the still trendy nasal vocals of some collaborators and the literary Russian language that fills Arbenina’s songs. If only the younger generation, despite their technical advancement, could master the ability to express thoughts in verses and choruses without interjections and slang. Such artists would be priceless.