Danny Drysdale on Directing Mumiy Troll’s Viral Russian Rock Video

By Kristina Moskalenko for Afisha.ru

The iconic Russian rock band Mumiy Troll has just dropped a dazzling new music video for their latest single, Summer Without the Internet — and it’s the ultimate anthem for unplugging. With its infectious vibe and playful message, the track invites fans to ditch their screens, step away from gadgets, and dive into real-life connections and carefree summer moments.

Recorded this spring as part of an ambitious new creative chapter, Summer Without the Internet will join a collection of fresh songs set to appear on Mumiy Troll’s highly anticipated upcoming album. With this release, the band once again proves why they remain one of Russia’s most original and globally loved rock acts.

“We recorded several dozen tracks in different genres and on the most unexpected topics for ourselves. Some of them will be included on the new album, others are meant for collaborations with other musicians. We felt it wouldn’t be right to postpone Summer Without the Internet until next summer for Mumiy Troll fans, so we decided to give you this song right now,” said the band’s frontman Ilya Lagutenko.

The video, filmed in the United States, was directed by American filmmaker Danny Drysdale, who had previously worked with Mumiy Troll on the music documentary SOS for the Sailor!. In an interview with Kristina Moskalenko for Afisha, he spoke about his first meeting and five-year collaboration with Ilya Lagutenko, their wordless understanding between a Russian and an American, and also about the time they caught a cow together in a tennis net.

— Danny, how did you first meet Ilya Lagutenko?
— I went to Musexpo in Los Angeles to arrange the filming of a video for the band IAMX. I happened to hear Mumiy Troll perform, and Ilya’s voice intrigued me. On the one hand, it was unusual, mysterious—just how I imagined Russians, mysterious. On the other hand, the mid-range of his voice affected me like alcohol. I immediately wanted to work with him, and after the concert I went backstage to meet him. It turned out Ilya was already aware of my work with The Killers. By the way, he was on stage wearing a polar bear costume. That drew me in even more.

— And how did it go?
— Romantically! That evening we met in the hotel garden on a bench, with a fountain bubbling nearby. Within half an hour we realized we were made for each other. (Laughs.) Ilya wanted to make a documentary about Mumiy Troll, something like Monty Python, to show the absurdity of human nature. We decided the film would feature a lot of animation. That’s how the 2016 film Vladivostok Vacation came about, which will soon be released in English. And just recently, I shot the music video for their new song Summer Without the Internet.

— Tell us how you and Ilya worked on his new video.
— About five years ago, I started thinking about how deeply we’ve sunk into virtual reality—how it feels like someone is always listening, how dependent we’ve become on gadgets. I wanted to break away from all of that and shoot something unconventional, free from the stereotypes of the online world. I came up with a storyline where teenagers cut down a tennis net from a court, run off into a field, and go catch a cow. For five years I told people about this idea, and most of them would just stare wide-eyed and quickly change the subject. But with Ilya, it was different. We learned to understand each other almost from the start. So when he told me about the new song, where proof of love is simply spending an hour together without phones, I said, “Bingo!” and pitched him the idea with the cow and the tennis net. From there, we started tossing around the craziest and funniest concepts for the video, and I dared to share my vision. Later, dancers came into the project.

— Where from?
— My daughter does hip-hop. I just went to her class and picked out a few kids.

— Why not your daughter?
— She’s still too young. So, I picked two dancers, and we went out to a farm in the town of Payson, Utah. The filming location depended entirely on the cow. Working with the cow, by the way, was quite interesting, since on that farm they’re actually trained to avoid human contact. Meaning, if I try to touch the cow and she notices, she’ll just walk away. It’s pretty difficult to figure out how to manage her under those conditions—especially since I didn’t grow up on a farm and my experience with cows is very limited.

— How long did the shoot take?
— Two days. When I started reviewing the footage, I was amazed at how closely it matched the vision I’d been carrying with me for five years—the image of teenagers running away from civilization.

— And did you enjoy filming it yourself?
— Honestly, when you’re working with a cow, you really need to be professional. So I can’t say I enjoyed it all that much.

— Let’s move from nature to gadgets. In the song, a couple proves their love by giving up their phones (at least for a while). Would you throw away your own smartphone?
— I thought about it once. But then I realized that after a while I’d just go out and buy another one. The winner would be the manufacturer, not me. So instead, I started limiting my screen time. I always keep my phone on silent mode, prefer a dimmed screen, and I’ve turned off all message notifications. On weekends, I try not to use it at all.

— Speaking of your own filming process, what’s your creative credo?
— I like adapting to the environment rather than trying to control it. For example, if the forecast says it’ll rain on the day of the shoot, even though the script calls for clear weather, I’ll still take everyone out to film—despite the complaints about getting wet. Because we might capture something unexpected and beautiful! Rain, in my opinion, is better than sunshine for filming. I think it’s through engaging with the environment, rather than controlling it, that I create my best work. Of course, I always have a script and an idea, but I’m open to changes along the way.

— Does Ilya support this approach? What’s it like working with one of Russia’s biggest stars? What’s the dynamic between you?
— We’ve known each other and worked together for five years now. During that time, we’ve learned to understand each other almost without words—quickly, instinctively. I have enormous respect for his vision; he’s a genius of creativity.

— Your new video with Ilya is about young love, a summer romance between teenagers. Did you ever have a story like that yourself?
— Of course I did. I was 16, playing in a band. She was in a band too. We both performed at a punk show in San Jose, and later we ran into each other at a drum shop where she gave me her number. I started taking the train to visit her in Palo Alto. Her neighborhood had all these beautiful old trees, and we’d walk around them all the time. Two weeks later, she dumped me. A week after that, she wanted me back. And two weeks later, she dumped me for good. Eventually, her band signed with a big label, and our paths completely diverged. But it was a beautiful romance. Without smartphones! Without phones at all.

Originally published at: https://www.afisha.ru/article/news-danny-drysdale-direct-video-mumiy-troll/