Artwork by Mariia Prymachenko
Nowadays, an increasing percentage of musicians I get in touch with are currently serving in the army. This month we meet Cryptic Chorus, who found the time to talk to us about his debut solo album from an undisclosed location on the frontline.
We also get to talk field recordings with Volyn Field in Lutsk and orfin in Kremenchuk, while Bedroom Talks introduces us to darkwave in Lviv and Виставка Дисторшн tells us what it feels like being the underdog in Dnipro. To round things off, Soulcoholic is appreciative of his Chinese fans, Kateryna Kravchenko pays homage to Mariia Prymachenko, and TĒMNA RÁDIST salutes the brave spirit of Mariupol.
We also get to check out new releases by Monoconda, Revshark, Kadiristy, rupe tarpea, Revolt, Chocollab, Монтеск’є, Ragapop, User Kyx, Vlad Suppish, Difference Machine, Provoluk, Obskura, 58918012, Moon Projection, Emil Asadow, and r.roo. The new kid on the block is the label Telesma launched by Pymin with a skilfully curated and thoughtful fundraising compilation.
Zlata and Katro Zauber
But first our monthly podcast for Resonance FM with Zlata and Katro Zauber talking to us from Ibiza followed by our Spotify playlist for May.
tracklist:
Marina Herlop – abans abans
Loslojic – Kyivskyi vechir
Katro Zauber – DNA
Тонка – Болить
k.e.d.r.o.v.a – Вечр
Andrii Barmalii – я нормально
Yansima – Tweede Cans
APRIL 23, 2024 – KREMENCHUK
My name is Danya. I come from Kremenchuk – a town in the centre of Ukraine. There I played in rock bands as a teen in the basements of the abandoned cinema and had doubtful experiences (not only musically-wise). Once I came to Kyiv to study, I discovered DAW and started making music by myself, being glad to be independent in my creative process. I was using my camera to record the sounds of the city and nature, and made harsh chaotic music that was hiding in my laptop – it was more like an inner therapy for me.
After discovering the cultural communities of Kyiv and the variety of people’s manifestations, I formed an obvious but important principle – the mutual exchange is important, to be able to both receive and give, as if breathing. The works of creativity should be shared with people. But I guess having a certain disbelief in my own creativity, I returned to musical interactions with people who formed a more versatile and conscious musician in me.
Returning to Kremenchuk after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I immersed myself in cultural activities, in which a creative space and community were formed. With inner transformations, I came to solo creativity again. More conscious and pure I’d say. I also continue making collaborative music.
In case the question was about my study of music – it is just practicing and interacting with lots of people of different musical mindsets.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your setup and the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
I wouldn’t say it had a direct impact. More like it had an impact by changing the way I lived, my surroundings, people I interacted with, and triggered the processes that transformed my identity. I guess one of the main impacts is that the music I make became much more filled with light.
You have returned to your hometown of Kremenchuk since the full-scale invasion, what is the current situation on the ground there?
Pretty calm, even peaceful I’d say. Well, sometimes rockets and drones target here, but not as much as in Kyiv for example. But the air raid sirens are frequent – they became a routine sound. The curfew goes from midnight till 4 am and it is also the routine that became so normal that I forget that it was otherwise sometime before. I guess one of the aspects of the current situation that people are most worried about here is the mobilization.
Also, one of the aspects of the cultural activity in wartime is that lots of such activities aim to raise money for the military instead of just supporting the creative minds themselves.
A lot could be actually said regarding life in wartime here now. We definitely got used to the current situation, so much so that, as I am writing this text now, I realize how absurd everything is. Well, absurd is normal.
What can you tell us about the making of your album Na Vitru and did the full-scale invasion give you a different perspective on working with field recordings? And has the sonic environment where you live changed in any way since the full-scale invasion?
Last summer I moved to the country house where I had a shelter of silence far from the town’s bustle (though we have a quiet town). The forest nearby, a big space where I could make some ‘noise’ that I couldn’t do in my apartment in an old soviet building where you are surrounded by thin walls and neighbours. My friend made a present for me in the form of a small accordion that she found in the attic. I was inspired by this instrument, it felt so alive – like a horse, that you might ride, but it has its own life and you have to find harmony and mutual understanding in your interaction. You can hear this accordion in the track “hora”. It was the first track made.
It triggered me to start making music again that actually wasn’t a goal. Making an album wasn’t a goal. It was going that way without such an intention from me. I was just exploring and experimenting, and being honest with this music as it was made just for the sake of the process. Later in autumn, when I came back to my apartment because of the cold
weather, I started seeing the whole picture that some of these pieces could create together. It felt like I found the pieces of mosaic that were a part of one full picture before I found them. I decided to finish them to make an album out of it. Three tracks named “Spohad” were created later specially for the album, as well as “Tuman”.
As for the sonic environment, the main difference is the presence of the air raid sirens obviously. A few weeks after the invasion I started liking listening to them. They were different each time – it depends on the spot where you are standing, and the dynamics and timbres of their waves can differ each time. I recorded them and made an organ-like-sounding preset with a granular synthesis in Ableton that I played with. You can hear it a bit in the first track “u lis”.
The perception of sounds changed a bit as well, but it is more about loud sounds that pop up unexpectedly. For example, thunder sounds feel not just thrilling as usual for me, but also nervy. The sounds of the fireworks are what I cannot perceive normally anymore.
What can you tell us about ERЦGÁMMA and the O’Komova community you are part of?
O’Komova was initiated to have some platform for cultural initiatives here in Kremenchuk. It was founded in 2021 but really started developing in the summer of 2023 when we organized Mosaic a festival of Kremenchuk culture in the central park here. It was a big public charity event with a free entrance to unite as many people and artists as possible and had a variety of activities – yoga, poetry, lectures and discussions, art exhibitions, art performances, market, DJ sets and live performances, master classes… And everything by local artists that met each other and were discovered by people, and it triggered some important processes here, new initiatives. Now I’d say it has become much more interesting to live here. O’Komova became an NGO as well, and we continue launching new initiatives. For example, last month we launched a local independent media.
As for the Erzgamma studio, it was built by my friend and is currently financed by another friend. I develop it as a cultural space. I don’t know if I can name any work title I have here, I am just doing various stuff to keep it going and bring more people here, more initiatives.
And I am not the only one. It is a multi-disciplinary cultural space, where various kinds of events are held – concerts, meditation practices, nude sketching, cinema evenings, lectures, dance and music improvisations, markets… It was important to have a space where we could realize various ideas and also let people realize their initiatives. A space
that can function as the centre (or one of the centres) for the cultural community of Kremenchuk.
Following from the previous questions, are there any specific tracks, albums, artists, or genres that evoke particular moments or events in the development of the full-scale invasion for you and that you now find difficult to listen to?
When my flatmate woke me up in Kyiv and said “The war has started”, somehow I had the track going in my head called “Sleep” by This Heat. It kept going throughout that day that started by me packing some random stuff frantically in my backpack and running away from my ex-home without any phone connection and understanding where to go. I lived in the governmental district – somehow it felt unsafe to be there, also with all the military people in the streets, although still, it wasn’t a rational decision, more of a reaction. But I don’t know what can be considered rational here. Later I was sitting in a car with my friend and her parents driving to Kremenchuk. That 7-hour road with constant news on the radio, traffic jams on petrol stations, and military cars and tanks I was watching out of the window felt like an apocalypse started. This song just puts me in that day instantly. The instrumental feels broken, with words that keep saying, “Sleep, sleep, sleep, go to sleep…” and percussion making a marching-like rhythm.
One more track that has this special connection is “Jimmy V” by Mary Lattimore. In the first days of the war, I couldn’t listen to music, it was hard to feel it, to let it take you with it, you know. And when I was going home by bicycle when it was dark in the streets (no city lights at all – “light masking” as it was called), I saw pure sky above me with a huge
amount of stars that would not be visible otherwise. Somehow this track was in my headphones, and then I felt that I could feel the joy and beauty of music again. Love this track, though it is pretty heavy emotionally for me.
How do you feel about the inclusion of “war sounds” in recent releases by Ukrainian artists and are there any specific sounds you find triggering? Also, how do you feel about bayraktar-core music?
It feels natural. Although sometimes it may also feel… vulgar I guess. Inappropriate. It depends on what the artists had to say with it. If they had anything at all.
All this bayraktar music is definitely not something I like to hear, but if it is there, then it means there is some demand for that. And I guess it mainly comes from the military. It might support the spirit. But it definitely feels sometimes vulgar to me, like a TikTok trend that exploits war-theme. The humour is an important feature of people here that helps in
such times, expressing serious topics in an unserious way, but the bayraktar music is not the expression I can connect with.
What would you say the West still gets wrong about Ukraine?
A lot could be said here. But I think governments of Western countries (and Ukrainian one as well) know and understand everything from their own perspective that we cannot see, and we interpret their actions from our own perspective. We just live in different worlds and that’s all.
I just hope that the citizens of Western countries stop feeling as if the war in Ukraine is something normal nowadays, and understand that it is not just about the destiny of Ukraine. Hope they start looking at everything from a broader geopolitical perspective as well. We can already see how the war conflicts and tensions spread easily when the aggression of one country is not met and stopped with a confident force. Extreme global transformations are going on. What an exciting time to live in.
APRIL 25, 2024 – LVIV
Eugene – Bedroom Talks
Hello. My name is Eugene, I’m Ukrainian and still live in Ukraine. I’m the only member of Bedroom Talks and also member of Ritual Lovers duo. Before Bedroom Talks I was also a member of the Cold Comfort band which was a legendary post punk/coldwave band in Ukraine, as there was no such coldwave music in Ukraine before. And before Cold Comfort I was playing depressive black metal with big amounts of post-rock in a band called Fleurs du Mal. And yet, I now play electronic music.
I also like to listen to different genres, pop music, midwest emo, different coldwave, darkwave, ebm, dark jazz, brutal death metal, black metal, crust and so on. I believe one’s own music background plays a huge role in what one is doing, what one can do, how one sees and feels what one is doing.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your setup and the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
For the first half of 2022 I couldn’t listen to music at all. I was trying to write new material when I had such possibility, but it was hard due to air raid sirens and stress. I cannot say that war changed my setup or the way I feel and see my music. It never was happy. So it continues to be cold, dark, gothic and at the same time romantic. Now we are all used to live in this hell and have adapted. War is not something romantic, glorious, it’s all about death, destruction, broken lives and hopes which never bloom.
What can you tell us about the making of your album Call Me Malespero and the single “Burden of Epoch” which was released last year on the first anniversary of the full-scale invasion?
I started working with new material before the war and was planning to release a new single “Burden of Epoch”. But the war changed my plans and the plans of millions. So my priority changed for some time. I continued working to be able to donate, I was volunteering and music was on hold for some time. And just closer to the end of year I returned to my single “Burden of Epoch” and completed mixing and mastering. I released it on February 24, 2023, this date changed my life, and changed my country on the same day back in 2022.
All of 2023 I was working on my full-length album Call Me Malespero, where Malespero means Despair in Esperanto. Due to blackouts and shellings, it was pretty hard to work and record something new, but skeletons of the album were made before the war so it was a bit easier. I’m a fan of old equipment, so in my music I’m using real synths from the 80s to add this feel, and grainy sound. This album is not about war, but it was created in times of war. Previously I also was recording my music to Reel to Reel tape recorder. After the album was completed I sent it to a few labels and the next day Oraculo Records replied that they are ready to release it on vinyls immediately. Pre-oder is already open and in a few days I believe there will be a possibility to buy the vinyl.
You have recently started a new collaborative project, Ritual Lovers, with Alex whom you’ve worked with previously in Cold Comfort. Why the band name change and what can you tell us about Sombre Rawmantique?
First of all Ritual Lovers is a duo, and Cold Comfort was a trio. So Ritual Lovers it’s a new band, new story. It may be similar in some points as Alex and I are writing all the music. But at the same time Ritual Lovers is different, we are different then when we were in Cold Comfort. Now we have more skills, more equipment to do more interesting music with better sound and we both sing. Alex and I started working on new material last summer and, as we are now living in different cities, we were sending instrumentals to each other. First we completed some drafts and recorded all the instruments in Rivne, than we recorded all the vocals, Alex’s and mine in Lviv. Ritual Lovers is about cold and beauty with a gothic atmosphere. It combines aggressive EMB, coldwave, darkwave, and gothic rock. After Sombre Rawmantique was self-released we started working with on new material.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?
In 2018 I relocated to Lviv, and I’m still living here.
How would you describe the coldwave and darkwave scene in Ukraine and how do you see it developing under present circumstances?
To be honest, I don’t know any modern coldwave or darkwave bands/projects in Ukraine. A long time ago we had a nice duet Edgy Point, and I’ve heard the Sexual Purity duo. I’m not a fan of modern post-punk in Ukraine, it’s not interesting and is influenced by russian post punk wave which I’m not a fan of. I really hope that we’ll have more good and interesting representatives of the cold dark scene here in Ukraine.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year and a half that you feel can help make sense of current events?
I can point out White Ward, Yuvi, Andrii Barmalii releases which I remember. Maybe I missed something, things
happen)
How do you feel about the inclusion of “war sounds” in recent releases by Ukrainian artists and are there any specific sounds you find triggering? Also, how do you feel about bayraktar-core music?
War sounds trigger. We all got used to living with these sounds, but I’m more than sure we will all require psychological support in the future. It’s our daily routine and adds to domestic stress. It’s hell 24/7.
Regarding all this bayraktar music, I’m just not listening to it. It’s not my kind of music.
Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?
Music definitely changed. It becomes more ukrainian. But it’s not always a question of quality. Yes, we definitely have some new young musicians, and it’s good what they are doing. But at the same time have huge amount of so called cringe music/artists.
Has the sonic environment you live in changed at all since the full-scale invasion?
I’m living in Lviv. It’s in Western Ukraine. It’s more calm here comparing to the capital or to cities closer to the frontline. But we have air raid sirens here, shaheds, missiles. We have curfew. There are definitely fewer events than before and definitely more people.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Interesting question. As a musician I’ll probably choose a song. And it’s Marduk – “Baptism by fire“.
Hear the bombs falling
The devil is calling
I’ve had this album on my phone for many years, and it’s petty powerful, dark and evil, especially when you walk
and an air raid siren starts.
But Ukraine it’s not just all about war, suffering and destruction. Now it’s more about people who continue living here and history in the making.
APRIL 28, 2024 – VINNYTSIA
Hello, my stage name is Soulcoholic and I am from Ukraine. My hometown is Vinnytsia, which is South central part of a country. I’ve been producing my music for a long time already. Everything started with rap music. I had a crew and we had live-shows in the country. I was both an MC and a beatmaker for the crew. But it stopped being interesting by 2011. I had a lot of stuff in my life going on at the time, so I stopped producing any music till 2020.
From 2020 (in the time of COVID-19) I’ve started to experiment with Synthwave and Electronic Music in common. At that point I had a lot of free time. During my music journey I’ve met a lot of interesting people to create music with in FB. The Synthwave community is extremely friendly. A year later I also started to experiment with Post-Punk. Or better say Soviet Doomed/Doomed Music/Russian Doomed etc. Here I am writing lyrics and singing both in Russian and Ukrainian. It’s very sad music, but I love it. Also, from time to time I may produce some rap songs, but it’s not that interesting like it was before.
I love Synthwave for its nostalgic vibes and imagination that it brings with itself. Post-Punk for it’s kind sadness.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your setup and the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
Not at all. In my humble opinion people should stay themselves no matter what and not change their own selves because of any possible circumstances. Your personality is all you may possess for real. People can fill their surroundings, but not their own self. I am listening to the same music I was listening for all my life. It’s a part of me. Why should I change it and become someone I am not really am? To please others? No, sorry. People have the freedom to make their own choices. I am not blaming others and I ask others not to blame me.
What can you tell us about the production process of Меланхолия скитальца – Instrumental Versions and how did you it feel like to revisit your back catalogue?
This is simply an instrumental album of all Post-Punk songs I have at the moment. People like them. Especially, my Chinese audience. People from China really supportive with my music. I appreciate that.
You seem to have switched from Russian to the Ukrainian language in your latest tracks as in “Настане день” (The day will come). Has this transition been a difficult one and how do you feel about the language debate?
Well, I would form it this way. It’s not a transition. It’s an attempt of being heard by my own people. As a language teacher, I speak perfect both Russian, Ukrainian, English, and intermediate Chinese. Russian and Ukrainian are both my native languages. As I said, I am producing my music in both Russian and Ukrainian. Sometimes even trying with English and Chinese. By the way, the song you mentioned in this question made with a Brazilian guy. He is singing the first verse. Nice Ukrainian language skills, huh?
In your track Опавший лист (fallen leaf) you sing,
“What we came to
It takes peace to survive these days
War has no meaning
There is no “God-chosen” nation among us
It’s time to understand each other
And respect other people’s thoughts
This is a common house, and wouldn’t you know?
Fear of being forgotten in the heavenly heights”
Do you see the possibility of a peaceful resolution to the full-scale invasion?
We have no other choice, but negotiations. Every war ends this way. It’s just a common sense. People should stop killing each other. We aren’t living in medieval times, where we have to kill for food, water or survival. It has no sense anymore. It might be not friendly peace, but we have to think of how to save people. People are what is important.
How would you describe the Synthwave, Cyberpunk, and old school sci-fi scene in Ukraine and how do you see it developing under present circumstances?
To be perfectly honest, I’ve encountered just a few Ukrainian musicians that are producing music in this genre in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Synthwave scene is very poor. I think it will become popular in 5-10 years. We are always behind the West when it comes to music.
Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?
You are right on point. That’s why I am almost not listening to Ukrainian music anymore. It stopped being honest, and started being “popular” and “convenient”.
What would you say the West still gets wrong about Ukraine?
I am not sure, I am not a Westerner, so I don’t know what people in the West actually think about Ukraine and Ukrainian people.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
If we are talking about books, it’s probably Kobzar by Taras Shevchenko. We don’t have nice cinematography, so I am not going to recommend any movie. I don’t think there is a good one. Talking about music, you may listen to Karna – “Добрий ввечір” [Dobr, Плач Єреміі [Plach Yeremiyi] – “Вона” [Vona], Okean Elzy’s album called Модель [Model], etc. We have a lot of good music, but it mostly underground. Mainstream is unbearable to listen to. And, of course, traditional dish you have to try is borsch.
APRIL 29, 2024 – UKRAINE
Hi! My name is Max and I’m the founder and only member of the Cryptic Chorus project that I started in 2024. I’ve been playing various kinds of music (mostly Black Metal and Death Metal) for over 20 years. This year, I decided to try something new and settled on Dungeon Synth.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your setup and the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
The full-scale invasion, unfortunately, took away my ability to create the kind of music I was used to, but it didn’t really change my attitude towards music in general. But my playlist has changed quite a lot. It featured more aggressive epic militarized songs to keep my morale up during this time. On the other hand, the playlist also included very optimistic and even youth songs, they help me not to forget that there is a normal life and we need to strive for it.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by the full-scale invasion at any point?
Currently, I serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and unfortunately, I cannot disclose my location. Several days before the invasion, I had the opportunity to leave for the EU with my family, but I decided that I was needed more here and voluntarily enlisted into the army.
What can you tell us about the production process for your album Famines, plagues and wars? And how does it feel to be launching a new musical project in times of war?
Creating a completely new musical project during the war was wonderful therapy for me. Making music helps me forget about everything that’s going on for a while and relax. “Famines, plagues and wars” became the debut for the project and the work on it, in fact, did not take long. I had a lot of ideas that had not been realized before, and almost all of them one way or another were included in the songs of this album. It was very interesting to work with sounds and instruments that were unusual for me. I think the result turned out quite good.
You mentioned that you’ve worked with sounds and instruments that were unusal for you, could you tell us how the album was made?
On the album I used VSTs of different synthesizers (it is really hard to use analog synths in the army but I hope I will try it on the next album). For recording I used AKAI MPK mini midi-keyboard and some of the built-in FL Studio VSTs such as Morphine, SAWER and Ogun. And some of other VSTs such as the legendary Korg M3 synth-simulator and the famous Sonatina Orchestra. It was unusual for me because I never worked with synths before. I used to work with live instruments like guitars and drums. And it was pretty exciting. Like, I was excited even by finding a new sound for some parts of the song and sometimes it took hours but was really interesting for me. In some cases a new sound could make the whole song.
How would you describe the darkwave and dungeon synth music scene in Ukraine and how do you see it developing under present circumstances?
I’m just discovering the Ukrainian dungeon synth and darkwave scene, and I can already say that I’m very inspired by what I see and hear. In just a month, I’ve come across a large number of interesting and cool projects. I can say that the Ukrainian scene is developing just as well as, for example, the European one, despite the war. Releases come out regularly, and they are of very high quality. The only thing I regret is that we don’t have festivals like, for example, the Dark Dungeon Festival that recently took place in Belgium. But that’s still ahead.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year and a half that you feel can help make sense of current events?
Unfortunately, over the past year and a half, I’ve hardly kept up with the releases of Ukrainian projects that would indirectly or directly describe the events happening right now. But I can recommend the album Defiance by the Luxembourgish band Rome, which is entirely dedicated to Ukraine and war.
Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?
For me, music has never been just entertainment, and I see that recently, many people in Ukraine are beginning to feel the same. People are increasingly choosing the kind of music that helps them during these difficult times. It helps lift their spirits, remember their roots, and understand why it’s important to keep fighting day by day. Moreover, music is becoming more and more a method of psychological therapy, both for listeners and musicians themselves. In the songs recorded since the beginning of the invasion, you can hear more honest emotions and sincere feelings of love and hatred. Unless, of course, it’s bayraktar-core, then everything is very bad with it.
How do you feel about the inclusion of “war sounds” in recent releases by Ukrainian artists and are there any specific sounds you find triggering? Also, how do you feel about bayraktar-core music?
With “war sounds,” it’s all ambiguous for me. If a musician wants to convey to the rest of the world what every resident of Ukraine is going through day by day right now, then using such sounds is justified and even necessary if it fits the spirit of the song. But in the case of a ukrainian listener, I don’t think anyone in Ukraine would want to hear sounds of air raid sirens or explosions again and again. This is my personal opinion, and I could be wrong. I can’t say that there are any sounds that could cause panic or any other negative consequences for me, but I will never insert “war sounds” into my music. Music for me is a tool of escapism. I can just open the window and listen to “war sounds” live to come back in reality.
As for bayraktar-core, at first, it was even amusing. In 2022, I even liked one or two songs. But then everything started to sadden me. Songs come out like they’re on an assembly line, and their value is zero. The lyrics of a song released yesterday may already be outdated today. But that doesn’t stop anyone because they’re making money from it. We even have a “Bayraktar” radio, and for me, it’s a sonic hell. Unfortunately, many musicians can’t break into the radio simply because there’s no space left; it’s all occupied by bayraktar-core. Also, because of this phenomenon, many musicians don’t want to touch the topic of war to avoid being categorized into this genre. I hope this “genre” will disappear with the war.
Could you give us an idea of what the listening habits are in your platoon?
Guys from my platoon listen to very different music. Some of them are into metal, some into pop, some guys listen to old rock, and some are not interested in music at all. It is because we are not from one social group and met each other in the army.
Any bayraktar-core listeners in your platoon?
Actually, I am not sure about bayraktar-core listeners in my platoon. Maybe, some of them are true fans of it (hope, not).
What would you say the West still gets wrong about Ukraine?
The West refuses to acknowledge or understand that Ukraine has never voluntarily been a part of Russia. For us, the loss of sovereignty isn’t just a matter of “well, that’s how it’s going to be now,” but a question of survival. This war isn’t 3, 10, or even 100 years old; it spans more than 800 years. Yet, somehow, the West still believes that we are merely separatists and that being with Russia wouldn’t be so bad for us. That’s not true.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Books: Kobzar by T.H. Shevchenko and Black Raven by V.Shklyar
Film: Пропала грамота (Propala Gramota – “The Lost Letter“)
Album: Vopli Vidopliassova – Kraina Mriy
Song: Ukrainian traditional “Arkan”
Traditional dish: Borsch and lard
Artwork: Any paintings of M.Pymonenko
For memes, blogs or podcasts it is hard for me to give a specific answer.
APRIL 30,2024 – LUTSK
Hello, my name is Maksym Son, I am an artist from Ukraine, aged 24, originally from the small town of Lutsk, located in Volyn. While music is not my primary pursuit, it has been a steadfast companion for quite some time, akin to a loyal friend. My exploration of sound began in childhood, honing the ability to discern rhythms, perceive structures, and compose melodies within my mind.
As for the Volyn Field project, it has been in existence for several years now. I was considering it more as an experiment in my art practice.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your setup and the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
Music has always been my guiding light in the darkness, so after the full-scale invasion, nothing changed for me.
You have been quite prolific since the full-scale invasion, releasing a number of tracks, EPs and albums. Most of the artists I have spoken to have said they were unable to even listen to music for the first few weeks / months of the invasion. What has your own personal production process been like over the past couple of years?
The project started approximately a year or half a year before the full-scale invasion. On February 24th, I had to quickly figure out what to do. I felt responsible for the people whom I love and my family. Before, I was sick and couldn’t sleep for a long time, so I wasn’t in the mood for music at all. For a while, I didn’t listen to anything either. I couldn’t bear drones and ambient for a very long time. The first track I listened to after the invasion was by my favorite composer Eydís Evensen – “Bulur.” I cried then.
How do you go about incorporating field recordings in your work, do you use them for texture or mostly as identity markers?
Sometimes I use field recordings, they help convey the precise state, landscape, and feeling, as in my track “Styr River.” It’s more like a tool; it all depends on the task at hand.
Your work also features poetry and folk songs. This seems to be a trend in recent Ukrainian releases as other young electronic producers like Sergey Russolo and Cepasa and the Спадок compilation released by Gasoline Radio have also been incorporating and sometimes reinterpreting and sampling Ukrainian folk and ethnomusic. Has the full-scale invasion made you delve deeper into your musical heritage?
Of course. I have always felt a connection with my ancestors; it gives me strength to think, breathe, and move my body. After the full-scale invasion, this connection only intensified.
Перелітні Пташки
In her book Wild Music: Sound and Sovereignty in Ukraine looks at the work of artists as diverse as DakhaBrakha and Eurovision Song Contest winners such as Ruslana, Jamala and Kalush Orchestra and points to dangers of reproducing damaging stereotypes of exoticism through the use of myths and stereotyping in music and performance that represent Ukraine or its constituent people (Hutsuls, Crimean Tatars, rural Ukrainians, or Ukrainians in general) as exotic, wild, uncivilized. She also argues that these same exoticizing and self-exoticizing tropes are often also used by various Ukrainian musicians as tools for self-empowerment. What is your take on this?
A tough question. Firstly, I haven’t read this book, but this phenomenon is familiar to me, as it is to all Ukrainians. Over time, much has been imposed on us. They imposed on us to be ashamed of our roots, our language, identity, and uniqueness. That’s why people are confused now; someone has forgotten who they are and what is important. I believe that much (but not all) depends on people’s self-awareness, their level of cultural development, and their ability to reflect in general. This issue exists, but in my opinion, this process is challenging and necessary. People who are capable and willing to engage in enlightenment are needed. Then, with time, there will be less of it.
“Search, knock on doors, sweep the house clean, delve into it, dig through everything, explore every nook and cranny, feel out all the hiding places, try, listen carefully. This is the wisest, sweetest curiosity. Always think to know yourself.”
Are alyona alyona and Jerry Heil going to win Eurovision this year?
Honestly, I don’t watch or care about Eurovision. So, I can’t say. Sorry.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by the full-scale invasion at any point?
My family wanted to go abroad at the beginning. But I refused. So, we all stayed in our homeland.
Has the sonic environment where you lived changed in a significant way since the full-scale invasion?
At the beginning, there were rocket launches, but now, compared to other regions, it’s calm here. Of course, there are air raid alerts and fighter jets. I live almost outside the city, so sometimes I see rockets launched by the Russians into other regions. Explosions from other cities can be heard.
Na Den’ doshchu
Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?
In my opinion, it has certainly changed. We carry this pain on our shoulders. It’s one pain for both hearts. What happens inside us somehow affects everything, all categories, including music, of course.
Are there any Ukrainian releases that have captured for you the current situation and have helped you process the events from the past couple of years?
Цукор біла смерть [Cukor Bila Smerť], Руся [Russya], Вежа Хмар [Vezha Khmar], Скрябін [Skryabin].Are there any specific albums and tracks that you are now unable to listen to because they might be associated with difficult times / events?
Overall, no, there aren’t any that I can’t listen to. I accept reality. Of course, there is music that takes me back, but as a researcher, I can unconsciously go back there to find and reflect on something I might have missed.
How do you feel about the inclusion of “war sounds” in recent releases by Ukrainian artists and are there any specific sounds you find triggering? Also, how do you feel about bayraktar-core music?
The sounds of war in music. Again, it all depends on what you want to convey and evoke. It can certainly serve as a tool for certain purposes. Yes, sometimes the sound of thunder triggers me. bayraktar-core.. generally – negative. But it’s not something you can completely get rid of.
What would you say the West still gets wrong about Ukraine?
There are things I cannot know. It’s a strange feeling, a mix of gratitude and somewhat disappointment. Russia is a country of terrorists that won’t stop at Ukraine, everyone should understand that. The world must act decisively in my opinion. It’s not just our war. It’s a war for truth and freedom for the entire world.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Alright, if that’s the case, then let it be our carols and festive songs. They warm my heart.
MAY 4, 2024 – DNIPRO
photo by Volodymyr Derkach
Виставка Дисторшн [Vystavka Dystorshn]
I’m Serhii, been making music for 6 years as Виставка Дисторшн. I’m also a drummer in the metal band ROZPACH and another project without a name.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your setup, the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
Definitely. I always care about the sound, it’s the number one thing. And with the full-scale invasion, I started to really dig this hole. I feel my time is limited and one day it may all end. So I’m fucking more with the sound, space, and all that shit.
At the beginning of the invasion, I left my home, computer, and all the music stuff. I had only a laptop for several months and it’s made me think in a different way. More limitations, more time for learning a craft. It had a good influence on me. Limitations are the key. You never have enough synths, plugins, and stuff, and this leads you astray.
About the playlist, I just threw out all the russian music. Nothing else changed.
What can you tell us about the production process for your latest album Метаморфози нанана and in what way do you interpret the concept of metamorphosis?
The album was made over the course of 3 years with big breaks ’cause I often changed my mind about the songs and sound. I lacked discipline, and had to remake a lot of stuff. Again, the full-scale invasion gave me a big push. I re-mixed half of the album and translated some existing lyrics at the time from russian to Ukrainian. Let’s say that for two years I was fucking around with the demos, and after the invasion, I really started to compose an Album. I knew it was gonna be a big one.
The metamorphosis concept of the album is about a path to acceptance and a way of preserving one’s own style from the others around, constantly feeling like an underdog and music scum in the local scene. But it’s for the best.
How would you describe the experimental and alternative music scene in Dnipro and would you say there is a Dnipro sound? Also, how do you see the scene in Dnipro developing under present circumstances?
The sound of Dnipro is a mix of Module-related electronic musicians and DJs now based at the Spalah bar, and shitty rock/metal gigs in the Makhno pub. I belong to both scenes in some way, but prefer Spalah for its vibe.
Unfortunately, there’s no place for a rock/metal scene in Dnipro except the Makhno pub. We have venues for bigger bands from other cities, but not for our local weekly bands. But maybe it’s because of the quality of that local scene.
Dnipro needs more experimental music, more venues.
Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?
Popular music is still entertainment and will always be, but yes, the thing with identity, communication, commonness, and stuff is almost everywhere now. It’s not a bad thing, but I’m just far from that kind of music, it makes me bored. A lot of people get bored too, I think. Often, there’s nothing interesting to listen to besides these ideas. I don’t need songs about that.
Are there any Ukrainian releases that have captured for you the current situation and have helped you process the events from the past couple of years?
I barely listen to Ukrainian artists, unfortunately. I ask for help and support from the music I always felt a need to listen to.
Are there any specific albums and tracks that you are now unable to listen to because they might be associated with difficult times / events?
It’s only with russian music I used to listen to, which I stopped listening to since the invasion.
How do you feel about the inclusion of “war sounds” in recent releases by Ukrainian artists and are there any specific sounds you find triggering? Also, how do you feel about bayraktar-core music?
I think the inclusion of “war sounds”, sirens, and clips from the news became a moveton in the second month of the invasion. And I don’t think we could avoid the bayraktar music, it had to happen. It helps some people. But on the other hand, it bugs a lot of people.
Are alyona alyona and Jerry Heil going to win Eurovision this year?
I would like them to win. If it happens it’s a good sign because it’s politics.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Album Veselo by Kurs Valüt.
MAY 4, 2024 – GERMANY
photo by Dovile Sermokas
My name is Kateryna Kravchenko, and I am a Ukrainian vocalist and composer, currently based in Germany. My musical journey started in early childhood with classical piano lessons. Later, I discovered jazz music and fell in love with it. I moved to Dresden when I was 18 years old and began studying at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music. Since then, I’ve been working in various genres, experimenting a lot with jazz, improvised music and folk.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your setup and the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
The full-scale invasion changed my life completely. Before that, I didn’t really know who I was or where I was going. When the war in Ukraine started, I was 14 years old and didn’t fully realize what was happening around me. All the events in Crimea and Donbas seemed far removed from my reality, even though I was living in Ukraine at that time. But after the 22nd of February, 2022, I began to realize my Ukrainian identity and its importance to me. I felt a responsibility to do more than mumble something about “art being outside politics.” I now see that it’s not, and as an artist, I can do more than entertain; I can make a statement and promote Ukrainian culture. I aim to build awareness among the people around me about our strong culture, which has been suppressed for many years and is only now emerging from the shadows. It has become very important to me that people know more about Ukrainian music and artists.
What can you tell us about the production process of Mariia Prymachenko Suite, and how did you go about composing it?
I began writing Maria Prymachenko Suite during my exchange year at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. I had the opportunity to create a project for the New Sound Made festival and was searching for a theme that would inspire me. I was keen to write music for a large ensemble, a dream of mine. Then, I had a kind of “spark moment” during a brainstorming session about possible themes, and the story of the Maria Prymachenko museum came to mind. I was devastated to learn that her works were destroyed in a fire at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. A few months later, I discovered that the people of Ivankiv, where her museum is located, had saved her art and hid the paintings in their houses during the occupation of Kyiv Oblast. I was captivated by this story and felt compelled to share it with the world. I wanted to preserve Maria Prymachenko’s works in what I believe to be the safest place: in music.
Together with my good friend and collaborator, Arthur Clees, we arranged the suite for 12 instruments and premiered its new version at a charity concert for Ukraine in Dresden. On May 1, 2024, we released the recording on Bandcamp and YouTube.
Kravchenko Clees Duo
You are based in Germany; what was it like for you to experience the full-scale invasion from abroad, and have you been back to Ukraine since February 2022?
It was extremely challenging. In February 2022, I was on holiday in Ukraine. On February 19th, I arrived in Germany with my mom, who had never been abroad before. I was glad I had finally convinced her to visit me since I had a concert on February 24th. Then, on the day of the concert, I woke up to my mom crying. She said, “I don’t know how I will go home,” and “The war has started.” I couldn’t believe it. People from all over the world were sending me messages, asking where I was and if my family was okay. I wished it was still just a dream.
I’ve been back to Ukraine once since the invasion, in September 2023. I was playing a part of the Maria Prymachenko Suite with Ukrainian musicians in the Odesa Philharmonic Hall when, in the middle of the song, an air alarm sounded, and we had to move to a bunker. There, I witnessed the immense resilience of the Ukrainian people and gained a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be an artist. While we waited for the air alarm to pass, music and life continued. I realized that my role was to lift people from gloomy thoughts and sing for joy and freedom. In that moment, I felt deeply connected with the people around me and experienced the true power of unity and the unbreakable will to live, even when someone seeks to destroy your life and all you love.
Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?
Absolutely! I believe that music now has a much deeper meaning than before. I feel that people are more aware that our culture represents us as a nation, and we have started to appreciate it much more. It also helps us to unite and stay strong.
Has the full-scale invasion prompted you to look closer at your Ukrainian heritage, and what does it mean to you to be Ukrainian?
The invasion has made me realize that I can be proud of my heritage and my identity. Ukrainians endured decades of suffering under Soviet occupation. Our culture and language were constantly suppressed, teaching us to conceal, not share, for fear of risking our lives and careers. Promoting Ukrainian identity could lead to imprisonment or worse. And even after Ukraine gained independence, Russification was still very strong.
Growing up, I sometimes used to feel uncomfortable speaking Ukrainian because there was a narrative imposed by Russia that it was the language of the countryside and uneducated people. And I wanted to be an “intellectual”. Now I can recall this with laughter and some bitterness. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I have distanced myself from everything Russian. I realized that I knew very little about Ukraine and taught myself to study it and fall in love with it even more.
What would you say the West still gets wrong about Ukraine, and what are the most common misconceptions you still find yourself having to counter?
Living in eastern Germany, I sometimes meet people who are against arming Ukraine and try to convince me that “We need peace, so Ukraine should stop fighting.” It’s painful to hear because I know that we don’t have any other choice. If we stop defending ourselves, we cease to exist as a nation. Looking back just a few decades, we can see how much suffering and pain artists and people who simply wanted to speak their own language and have their own land endured… It’s indescribable, and I cannot imagine letting that happen again.
Which book, film, album, song, traditional dish, podcast, blog, artwork, building, or meme best captures Ukraine for you?
For me, Ukraine is sunflowers and singing of folk songs at a large table full of delicious food; poems by Vasyl Stus and Lesia Ukrainka, and paintings by Maria Prymachenko.
MAY 9, 2024 – KYIV
photo by Anastasiia Chazova
My name is Viki, I’m Ukrainian, I fundrise for the Ukrainian Army and make music. I’m a self-taught musician, and I play several instruments, including flutes and hurdy-gurdy, which I try to include in my electronic tracks. As a musician I started with folk, which enchanted and captured me for years. For some time I even had an art-rock band, but it failed. Then for several years I had been composing electronic music and some piano pieces, until I finally released my first track in the beginning of 2024. And here I am.
Has the full-scale invasion changed the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your playlist?
I suppose it hasn’t changed the way I think about music, but the way I approach my creative process — it definitely has. I have a lot of musical instruments and other stuff, but, living in Ukraine, you never know whether your house is gonna survive another missile attack. So your personal world shrinks to the size of your backpack and what you can put inside. Obviously, a synthesizer or a hurdy-gurdy doesn’t fit, so there is only a laptop — the only “musical instrument” I take with me to the shelter during the missile attacks.
When it comes to my playlist… There are plenty of new Ukrainian artists now, so I try to listen to their music and support them, and share the new names with my foreign friends. Also I’ve avoided russian artists since 2014, when russia invaded Ukraine. But there still were some of them in my playlists — whom I believed to have protest potential, haha, how naive we all were. Now — no, thanks, no russians, please, never again. Because it’s their so-called culture, music, language that takes up space first — and then their tanks and bombs arrive.
You openly address war themes in your work with tracks such as “Oh that city by the sea”, which, if I am not mistaken, is about Mariupol. How have you managed to process and translate feelings arising from current events into music and does it feel cathartic?
Yes, you’re right, it is about Mariupol and its Defense in Feb-May 2022. To be honest, it is the most difficult question for me, since I don’t think I actually managed to process what I feel in that piece of music. Because I don’t believe it is even possible. At least not now. But I feel a strong urge to talk, no — to shout — about those things. I suppose that this mission (translation of the war experiences) can be accomplished only from some distance, when we stand farther from current events in time. When we are outside of that, you know. Again, I don’t believe it is fully
possible — to convey that experience, translate it to the language that is clear to the people who have never been “inside”, only observed from the outside. Moreover, I can only talk about my personal experience, not the experience of Mariupol or other occupied cities, I will never be able to understand the horrors our people went through there. The same way people from other countries can’t understand Ukrainians now.
Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?
I can tell that our society changed drastically in 2014 after the Revolution of Dignity. Since it is the evolutionary process of my nation, not just a point in time, we continue this transformation. Music is and should be different: some artists may create for entertainment only, others have a different attitude. But the thing is that — I strongly believe it — all music is political to some degree, because there is always an artist behind the music. Well, yeah, the author is dead, haha. But an artist’s personality is the main medium of creation, not just musical instruments.
Example: when I’m talking about myself as an artist, the first thing I mention is that I am a Ukrainian, I am a volunteer — these things form my existence. And music arises out of those things. And I observe similar processes in other fellow artists here.
Are there any specific albums and tracks that you are now unable to listen to because they might be associated with difficult times / events?
No, not for me. I always try to embrace all experiences, good and bad, because they are obviously a part of my personality and cannot be detached. They are unalienable.
How do you feel about the inclusion of “war sounds” in recent releases by Ukrainian artists and are there any specific sounds you find triggering? Also, how do you feel about bayraktar-core music?
I feel it is unavoidable, if you want your audience to submerge into your own experience. But to be honest, I felt very reluctant adding the sounds of the explosions in my recent release, because I know well how triggering that might be for people who have experienced the war in any form. When I listen to the track myself, I usually avoid the intro — it is hard, really. Personally for me it doesn’t trigger any memories (like missile attacks), it just works on the level of the nervous system (like getting ticks from those sounds).
Ahah, it’s funny you’ve mentioned bayraktar-core. Well, of course, the type of music we call bayraktar-core is definitely a simplification and vulgarization of Ukrainian music culture. But I feel it is an inevitable process characteristic of any culture, any nation, not only us. I personally wouldn’t like this kind of music to prevail, of course. Yet there will always be an audience for that — we cannot change it. We, as Ukrainian musicians, can only create our own material as an alternative to propose.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by the full-scale invasion at any point?
I am from the city of Dnipro, the industrial heart of Ukraine. It is not occupied, thanks to the Ukrainian army. But I’ve been living in Kyiv for a couple of years now. Yet, a lot of my fellow musicians have been displaced, and for some of them their home town no longer exists.
Has the sonic environment where you lived changed in a significant way since the full-scale invasion?
The sound of air raid sirens has become the leitmotif of our lives. It is always triggering because you never know what it brings. For some cities, those farther from the frontline, – it brings a bunch of other sounds: air defense fire, and when we are less lucky, the sound of a missile hitting your city. For the cities closer to the frontline, these are always the excruciating sounds of shelling and bombing. But the sound that will forever be in my memory is people crying for help from the
debris of shelled buildings.
Are alyona alyona and Jerry Heil going to win Eurovision this year?
I bet they’ll be in the top 5!
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
It’s a kinda difficult one, because I feel that representing the whole country and a culture with one item is a simplification, but… First thing that comes to my mind is a painting “Cossacks are Writing a Letter to the Turkish Sultan” by Repin (who is always referred to as a russian artist, but it is not true: he always considered himself a Ukrainian). But for me the thing that fully represents us is the Battle of Mariupol. Please, remember, that more than 900 warriors of the Azov brigade are still being held as prisoners of war in horrible conditions in russian jails.
NEW RELEASES
V/A ~ Portraits
Portraits is the first compilation of the independent label Telesma, on which each track is a kind of musical portrait that reveals the unique style and expressiveness of each artist.
Our goal was to show the diversity of modern Ukrainian music: from complex instrumental and meditative music to expressive and dynamic.
100% of the sale of the release will go to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the safety of Ukrainians
Revshark ~ Loose Ends
система | system presents the release “Loose Ends” by Ukrainian-based artist Revshark aka Slava Dyadyun.
“The material for the album was created in 2022, the first year of the full-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, and this greatly influenced the sound and style of the release. Field recordings and sound effects of drones, power generators, and armored vehicles are mixed with wide pads and slow guitar passages, sometimes dark and mystical, filled with noise inserts, and sometimes dreamy and hopeful. The record is completely imbued with a cocktail of moods of these times – uncertainty, a sense of stopped time, as well as nostalgia for a carefree past.”
Monoconda ~ Disturbing
Salon Imaginalis is proud to present DISTURBING – a new album by Kyiv-native, Berlin-based experimental musician Monoconda. Known for a specific sound that blends together IDM, electronica, ambient, and dub, Monoconda explores his/their darker side on the new album.
DISTURBING is an unsettling work that takes inspiration from the classic dystopian tropes to reflect upon the state of humanity and the current times, referred to by some as the new dark age.
The record is saturated with sultry, yet somewhat cold and emotionless female vocals, creating an anxious sensation of uncanny valley. While rooted in dark robotic distortion, the seven tracks on the record are united by a further layer of mysticism and deep rhythmic patterns. Belonging to the same realm as Half-Life and Cyberpunk 2077, DISTURBING is a fever dream of a record that paints a vision of a (near) dystopian future where machines are in charge and human civilization has perished.
Artwork by Sergii Tomchuk
Chocollab ~ Saint House v.1
The release contains seven tracks two of which were co-written with producer Lugovskiy. The core of the sound is a tight beat and fast bpm with old school stabs and funky vocal interludes.
Revolt ~ Unfulfilled Promises
The whole album is a fusion of powerful bass lines, undeniable drum parts, melancholic synths and percussion. Sharpness and danceness, emotions and audacity, mystique and severity. He calls this genre Cold Body Music.
Prominent artists known in circles worked on the remixes: Zaatar, Alen Skanner, Endless Nothing, Alpha Sect, Asymetric80, and Persona Non Grata. All remixers put their soul into each track, signing under.
This album was written under air alarms and missile strikes. Help Ukraine!
Монтеск’є ~ Літанія радості й смутку
This is my first full-length album entitled “Літанія радості й смутку” (en. Litanies of joy and sorrow). I called it that way because, at some point in the making, I was oscillating between extreme emotional states and these songs smoothed the sharpness of radical joy and sorrow. While singing, it felt like a kind of prayer to retrieve some balance during the wartime.
Ragapop – Do you listen to Ragapop?
Emerging from the vibrant streets of Kyiv, Ragapop’s first LP is an eclectic blend of performative art and post-punk energy, where the band continues to push the boundaries of music with their innovative soundscapes. The album promises to be a culmination of their artistic journey, offering a sonic experience that resonates with the soul of Ukraine’s dynamic culture.
rupe tarpea ~ скруха
a little bit conceptual rather than musical release, showing that my writing skills and ideas are still asymmetrically higher than not-yet-regained soundcrafting power… however, it is also worth noting that these things were the last to be produced in squalid conditions without my Digitakt with which, after 5 months or more of being in different parts of the world, we eventually reunited this weekend…
r.roo ~ h.p.
this track was create in 2021 as a soundtrack for a theatrical performance by Stas Zhirkov based on play “Bread Truce” by Sergii Zhadan.
track was released exclusively for listening, in full version, with parts not included in the performance.
music – r.roo
clarinet – Stanislav Kotovski
Kadiristy ~ Sensory Spaces
“Sensory Spaces” EP by Kadiristy kicks off a series of EPs to be presented this summer via Regulardisco. It’s a soft “spring” release that balances between eclectic dance melodies and abstractly tropical sounds.
The EP is four original tracks written between February and April 2024 (except “Vortex” previously, which was available on the compilation by the label System – the version on this release is slightly rebuilt and got a fresh remaster). Additionally, there’s a spacy “emotional support” remix for the title track by Lauer and a harder club adaptation of “Apex” by Bawrut.
User Kyx ~ Invasion
New release by the ever off-kilter User Kyx with a collection of electro-ambient tracks from the far reaches of the universe mixing easy-listening, with sky-fi into an organic whole.
Vlad Suppish ~ A Mantra, Hocket & A Sequence (VORTEX004)
Machine mantras for the border stations of human knowledge, dedicated to Alan Turing and the Turing Machine module from the Music Thing Modular, Klaus Schulze, and the artist’s grandfather Anatoly Mityansky.
Clasps ~ Take Charge and Move In
«Take Charge And Move In» marks Clasps’ debut solo release on the Mystictrax label, presenting a collection of tracks that defy categorization within any specific genre.
The initial sketches were drawn as an attempt to test whether there was still room for creativity at a time when full-scale war was becoming increasingly entrenched as an integral part of the surrounding but isolated world. These attempts without a final goal recurred throughout the year, gradually taking shape through the active use of sampled material — a method more convenient for a consciousness often ravaged or fixated on reevaluating values. The postponed sessions were refined after the author’s decision to mobilize in September of last year.
While this work doesn’t directly capture reality or consciously reflect on the unfolding events, the war’s presence is subtly felt, especially through the titles chosen from pre-war notes. Notably, the EP’s title track, «Take Charge And Move In», subtly nods to «Take Charge And Move Out» (TACAMO), referencing a vital military communication system amidst the early months of the full-scale invasion, shadowed by nuclear engagement fears. Another track, «Shibboleth», a Hebrew term for a phrase that differentiates group membership, finds an echo in «паляниця», a term utilized for spotting infiltrators in unoccupied territories. This uncanny premonition underscores how terms, once casually penned down, have gained significant relevance amidst the conflict.
The visual design of the release features works from the «New Grasses» series by Kyiv-based visual artist Dima Tolkachov. This series delves into the blurred passage of time during the war and captures the quest for light amid the fragments of demolished buildings that have become a regular part of our landscape.
Difference Machine ~ Glass Garden
“This is a cinematic album, inviting the listener into a space conjured up by the soundscape. The album’s story takes place in the cosmos, in a kind of cosmic garden. Contrasting soft and sharp textures form an atmosphere full of gentle anti-melodic tones and dissonant alien noises.
The main body of the album was created using only 2 instruments: violin and a Carpathian pipe. Sounds of Ukrainian folk instruments serve as the base of the album. This release is a part of Difference Machine’s experiments with using traditional Ukrainian sounds and recontextualising them to create something new. No synthesisers were used; only samplers and effects to process the recorded sounds.”
Provoluk ~ Dissociation
post-shoegaze album which is mix of classic shoegaze with a dab / western/indie pop / post-punk / post-rock / blackgaze / midwest emo and indie folk
OBSKURA : Various Artists 4 ~ OBSKURA
OBSKURA is proud to present its new compilation “Various Artists 4”. Amidst the ongoing war, the global music community is uniting and once again presenting a charity album to raise funds to support Ukraine.
Bringing together various artists from around the world, OBSKURA demonstrates the power of music to inspire hope, promote unity and positive change. Each track on the album reflects the resilience and spirit of the Ukrainian people in the face of a difficult war.
“We believe in the transformative power of music to bring people together and make a meaningful impact. With V/A, we hope to not only raise awareness of the war in Ukraine, but also mobilize support to provide vital assistance to those in need.”
All proceeds from the sale will go directly to support organizations and foundations working to help people affected by the war.
“We are deeply grateful to the artists who have generously contributed their talent and passion to this project; their music serves as a beacon of hope and solidarity for the people of Ukraine, reminding them that they are not alone in their struggle.”
Together we are the force!
58918012 ~ Probabilities
Hello, my friends! As usual, I will try to describe the story of my new release here briefly. This album was written between the middle of February and the beginning of March 2024. I couldn’t finalize all the tracks for a long time after that. Every time I opened the project I changed something…but eventually I did it.
The album is called “Probabilities”. It’s somewhere in the middle of the imaginary scale of darkness of my music. My life at this point moving towards some big changes, so the music also reflects this process. Every composition has its own mood and story. For example, “Afield” sounds a bit melancholic and epic, like a hint at the end of a huge era of my life. “Near Ocean” — keeping hope for the new beginning. “Probability” sounds exactly like my unsureness. “Terror”, is my endless anxiety. Actually, it’s only my vision and attitude. You can interpret them any way you feel.
Moon Projection ~ Fragile
Ushering the listener into a place of reflection and serenity, Moon Projection’s latest release on Echoes in the Valley is a truly immersive, nature-infused experience. Relaxing soundscapes combine with organic instruments and washed-out synths to create an EP that is both calming and meditative.
Emil Asadow ~ Crimean Strong Sea
Ambient EP from the Crimean territory released on the 80th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people from Crimea, May 18, 2024.
VIEWING ROOM
(Gianmarco Del Re)
a closer listen 
The Maria Prymachenko Suite is extraordinary!