Ilia, Konstantin & Me is a new Norwegian-Russian (Ilia Belorukov — alto saxophone, Konstantin Samolovov — drums, objects, radio, voice recorder and Christian Meaas Svendsen — doublebass, voiceunion) which, in the borderlands of the known, seeks to find a common musical platform. The barriers are manifold: culture, references, language, upbringing, and education, along with voluntary and enforced indoctrination. Seemingly few things can unite the individuals and bring them into an elevated unity. The ego is by no chance put aside but is used with full effect as an active component to reach into the forever re-localizing goal. Through friction, a creative field arises that creates space to examine differences, juxtapose them and — if possible — transform them into a unison experience.
Just as with any other creation in the universe, the trio came to life from nature’s side: a part of an organic process initiated by a question without definitive answers. Logic, words and analysis can only get us so far; a dandelion is best described without description. In the same way Ilia, Konstantin & Me constitutes three living, breathing and existing entities who strive to remain as three at the same time as they try to become one. - Christian Meaas Svendsen, 2019