Hello. What influences brought you together musically when you formed the band?
Hi, this is Ilya. The story goes that I created The Re-Stoned in 2008, incorporating much of what I love and grew up with into the music: blues, psychedelia, heavy riffs, and later even folk. Over the band’s 15-year history, many musicians have played with me. The sound has changed multiple times, too. I’m very grateful to everyone who has been part of the band, which has long been a part of me.
Currently, I play with a fantastic rhythm section. Vladimir Kislyakov is on bass guitar. We’ve been playing together for a long time and have been through a lot together. We’re so in sync that we can often finish each other’s sentences. We have a tight partnership—both in playing and writing music. He’s the best bass player I know and a brilliant and creative person.
Evgeny Kudryashov is on drums. He’s a very old friend of ours, a legendary drummer from the avant-prog band Disen Gage. It’s really cool that he accepted our offer and joined us two years ago. With him, we started discovering new dimensions of the band’s sound. We’re all practically the same age and grew up listening to similar music. We’re very comfortable communicating thanks to our shared views. In my mind, this is a crucial aspect of creating together. We all love King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and tons of other music. Let’s see where this current lineup takes us.
What was the scene like in the Moscow music scene at the beginning and how were you received as The Re-Stoned?
As far as I remember, we were the third band playing this music on the Moscow scene. The other two bands also had vocals, though. Neither of them is active now.
The reception was incredible! Fun fact: The Re-Stoned’s second concert was at a metal festival in Moscow, where a tech-death band, Anata, performed. From the start, metalheads, old blues and hard rock fans, and stoner enthusiasts all welcomed us with open arms.
What was the most memorable experience you had while creating one of your albums?
Oh, every album stands out in its way. Each recording session has been a meaningful creative and life experience for me. For instance, when we were recording the ‘Analog’ album, there was a moment during one take when the owner of the shop—we were recording in a studio attached to a music store—kicked the door open and yelled that if we didn’t turn the bass down immediately, he’d kick us out. Right in the middle of a recording! Absurd. It ruined the vibe, but we turned the bass down as requested and somehow pushed through. By the way, the track we were recording was finally called ‘Put the Sound Down or Get the Hell Out.’
Of course, the primary goal of every musician is to create. But when I listen to your albums, I feel an infinite peace and serenity. The albums and the songs take me to a land I never knew. I would like to ask you, do you think the main reason for a musician to make an impact with the audience is that the inspiration created by the musician is fully conveyed to the listener? Or should the musician just be creative and move on?
That’s hard to answer. First and foremost, we create for ourselves—we evolve and express who we are. If listeners enjoy it, that’s a miracle. For me, moving forward is the essence of life. Growth—both personal and as a band—is everything. We build a world of sounds and images that feels good and authentic to us, a place where we can forget the burdens of life for a while.
That said, let’s not overlook live shows. Nothing compares to the raw energy of a live concert—the energy exchange between musicians and the audience is real magic. You don’t get the full spectrum of emotions listening only digitally. So, come see us live!
How important are improvisational elements for you? Do you improvise in your live performances?
Yeah, improvisation is significant to us. Typically, our compositions have a clear structure, but we intentionally leave room for jam sections. Some solos I play the same every time, but others I approach differently each time when performing.
Sometimes, we go fully off-script and play something completely improvised—spur-of-the-moment stuff. It’s always fascinating, like capturing a snapshot of the musicians’ states at that exact moment. Occasionally, it backfires, and we have to learn our improvisations later. That’s an interesting experience in itself.
Every concert is slightly different. These days, we have more prearranged compositions, but that doesn’t mean improvisation has disappeared. Sometimes, we play jams as encores, and they’ve even inspired new songs down the line.
What do you think about the connection between psychedelic art and stoner rock music?
I guess psychedelic art is inseparable from what’s often called stoner rock. That said, we try not to label ourselves, and we don’t claim to play pure stoner rock—because we don’t, really.
For example, psychedelic art is vital to our aesthetic, especially in our album covers. As for psychoactive substances—if that’s what you’re asking—we’ve never promoted them. Everyone makes their own choices. Self-discovery and exploring the universe can take many forms, and substances aren’t the only way.
People have told us that our music can substitute consciousness-expanding tools, though. A concert, in particular, is like a mystical, energetic ritual. It feels like we and the audience enter another dimension and experience something entirely different from our everyday reality. Maybe that’s a kind of shared psychedelic experience?
What do you have planned for The Re-Stoned in the future? Are there any new projects?
Absolutely! In spring 2024, we recorded a new album. It was pretty spontaneous but fascinating, and I think the result is fantastic. We’ve amassed so much material over the COVID years, and much of it was created ‘on a wave.’
We’re almost done with the mixing and will start mastering soon. We don’t have an exact release date yet, but it’ll likely drop in spring 2025. It’s a continuation of the ‘Stories of the Astral Lizard,’ but not a literal sequel to the previous two albums.
A new album is always a musician’s favorite, and I can’t wait for you to hear it. One track from the album, ‘The Loom,’ is already part of our live sets.
Touring outside Russia has been challenging due to the political situation, but we’re determined to play in Europe and America as soon as feasible. Meanwhile, we’re continuing our series of concerts across Russia and working on an exciting project with the Guitar Club store—a short documentary about analog guitar sound. In it, I’ll be sharing stories about my guitars, gear, pedals, and, of course, playing with the band.
Despite everything going on in the world, this year has been incredibly creative and fulfilling. It keeps us sane.
To all our friends around the world: thank you! Thank you for remembering us, listening to us, waiting for us, and buying our merch. Thank you for your kind and encouraging words during tough times—they give us hope. I’ll never forget it.
Our mission is to bring our music to you, and we’ll keep doing that to the best of our ability. We’d be grateful for any help, including with organizing shows. Feel free to email us at restoned@gmail.com.
See you soon, friends
Ilya & The Re-Stoned crew