Artwork by Maryia Primachenko
This month we are traveling to Kyiv where we explore Solar Nights with Shadow Unit, and discuss fundraising compilations with Volyk Artem and Volodymyr Kozhevnikov, while Hockins bemoans the current output of tiktok “sharovarshchyna” music.
After a pit stop in Kharkiv to discuss recordings made in a bomb shelter with invisible noise monasticism, we head south to speak to Juli Riot in Mykolaiv about premonitions, before reaching Odesa where we encounter an honest fox and chat to Luigi Lynch about Dante’s Divine Comedy.
We then board a plane to Germany to speak to TANKATAKA (also from Mykolaiv) about volunteering in Cottbus while Heiko Jungnitz reminisces about the GDR and waxes lyrical for all things Ukrainian. Our journey terminates in Denmark where we chat to sophistication. about her latest album.
New releases include albums by Gamardah Fungus, Edward Sol, 58918012, Lubomyr Melnyk, xtclvr, Whaler (on Gasoline Radio’s very own new label), Стас Корольов, and Kojoohar, as well as fundraising compilations by Sound of Survival, Neformat Family and Gagarin Project.
Our featured podcasts include the latest from the Air Raid Siren second season with the Ukrainian label ANKLAV as well as new sets by tofudj, Le_Na_Mi, be_ca_di, 05:AM, Anthony Junkoid, Ira-Hoisa, Kadiristy B2B Katia Stieber, Juli Riot and Oleksii Lupashko.
In the viewing room we have a new video by Zavoloka from her excellent album Amulet released back in December 2022; the trailer for Blakyt’ (Блакить), the first release from the new independent label of contemporary jazz No Time For Swing; the short film I Did Not Want to Make a War Film by Nadia Parfan; the latest single from the ОЧІ label, and the newly uploaded animation OKO from Mykyta Lyskov.
But to begin with, our monthly podcast for Resonance FM with Alexander Stratonov, a jack of all trades and composer for Ukrainian television Suspilne discussing scoring investigative documentaries about war crimes, followed by our monthly spotify playlist with featured artists.
Tracklist:
Alexander Stratonov – “Before the Storm” (from Bucha 22)
Alexander Stratonov – “He Bought Himself a Clock” (from Bucha 22)
Alexander Stratonov – “Numbering the People” (from Survivor’s Diary)
Alexander Stratonov – “The Last Lullaby” (from Notes Under the Cherry Tree)
Alexander Stratonov – “Identification” (from Bucha: Final Destination)
Плач Єремії – “Вона”
March 26, 2023 – KYIV
My name is Yaroslaw Marcinkowski. I have always been interested in electronic music of various genres, mostly: electronica, breakbeat, 2 step and UK Garage music.
I put out my first release in 2006. In the mid-noughties, I was a member of a formation that held parties with breakbeat music in Kyiv in the underground clubs: ”Cinema Club” and “The Most Open Air”.
In 2011 I released my first album. Also, I took part in the live performances of The Dark Wood. We often performed at the warm-up of many famous projects that came to Kyiv: Modeselektor, Christian Löffler, Stimming, Dave DK and many others.
I currently release music under the alias Shadow Unit, curate the label 2064年 Recordings, and the Spotify and Apple Music playlists SOLAR NIGHT.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
So much so, I was surprised that at first I just couldn’t listen to music at all. It was like learning to listen to it all over again.
At first I wanted to listen to very light and simple music, the modern indie/r&b scene like: Kenzie TTH, ELIZA, Mykki Blanco, Nilüfer Yanya, Warpaint, Lawrence, Kelela.
And only later I came to light electronics, something like the Studio Barnhus label: Axel Boman, Bella Boo or Move D, DJ Koze, something in the direction of modern house sound.
By the way, that’s when I started working on the house tracks “Pray” and “Magic Day” that will be included in my mini-album Angel Cry, which will be released in May. These tracks are also light and very bright in their essence, which is exactly what I was missing at the time.
You host the Solar Night project on Gasoline Radio. I understand you’ve been developing this over the past 10 years. What can you tell us about it and how did it evolve after February 24, 2022?
SOLAR NIGHT is a project that was born in 2012 because I wanted to regularly share music that I liked. It could be very different music, from modern, dark r&b sound with electronics, to UK Garage/2Step, House and even Ambient.
Then I was drawn to stuff I really love: Autonomic, the DJ Kicks mix series and, of course, Late Night Tales.
It all started as a series of mixes, each mix was one of the planets of the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
The last mix was dedicated to Voyager, our satellite that flew beyond the solar system. Just imagine, it’s the only man-made object to travel that far and will likely be around long after mankind has ceased to exist.
After that, the project was transformed into a radio show, a series of mixes for Gasoline radio and a series of regular playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.
You specialise in “futuristic electronics” as the curator of 2064年 Recordings. How do you see the electronic music scene in Kyiv developing under present circumstances, and what future would you like to see for Ukraine’s electronic world?
I like the Ukrainian scene, it is very diverse and interesting. There are names I follow in every genre.
In the electronic scene they are: Monoconda, Lostlojic, Na Nich, Hidden Element, Koloah, Poly Chain, Bejenec, Echodive, Vera Logdanidi, Kichi Kazuko, Leftie, Sun Halø, Wootabi, ϙue, Venture Silk.
In indie pop: Tonka, Latexfauna, Monotonne, Odin v Kanoe.
In hip-hop: Zbaraski, Roma Mike, Apex, Gonya, Lasta, Long Dog, Nice Ugly, Lizzard.
I think that now is the time when the Ukrainian electronic scene has every chance to introduce itself to the world.
Where are you based and have you been displaced by war at any point?
I have now returned to Kyiv. After the full-scale invasion, I moved for two months to the city of Rivne, which is located closer to the west of Ukraine. I am very grateful to all the cool people I met there (Sun Halø, Serhiy, Wootabi) who helped my wife and I cope with the aftermath of having the russian troops right outside Kyiv.
I love Kyiv very much, and it is always difficult for me to stay away for a prolonged period of time. Kyiv is one of the best cities in the world with great music, nightclubs and food, it is a city of music, electric scooters, restaurant culture and the best coffee.
How did your life change over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
It is very sad to see how empty the city is, with many people having left. I dream that when the war ends, they will all return, and direct their energy to the development of the city.
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
Some people believe that part of the russian-speaking Ukrainians support putin and his murderers. They don’t. Now, 99% of Ukrainians dream of only one thing: that the russian bastards leave our land forever.
In Diary of an Invasion, Andrii Kurkov writes, “The disappearance of fear is a strange wartime symptom. Indifference to your own destiny sets in and you simply decide that what will be will be.” Would you agree with this?
Yes 100%. At first, you are afraid, but when there is a constant threat to life, you begin to understand that every day can be your last, so fear gradually turns into fatalism. This state is best described by my favorite meme from the beginning of the war: «ну Їбане, то їбане». This phrase is difficult to translate into English. But this is something like “whatever will be, will be”. This is the thought with which most Ukrainians fall asleep every night when the sound of the air alarm sounds, because they simply do not have the strength to hide in the shelters every day.
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind?
Simple joys help a lot to survive the war: writing and listening to music, walking in nature, meeting friends, riding a scooter, skateboard or bicycle. I began to draw a lot of primitive drawings that simply reflect the mood.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events or that you think deserved to become “global hits”?
So, in every genre there are releases that best describe this time.
In terms of indie music I’d pick Zbaraski‘s latest album, and all of Tonka‘s releases.
As for electronic music, I’d go for Monoconda’s album Horizon, a modern and cool-sounding work. This album was released on the Ukrainian label Kashtan after the full-scale invasion.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
This is the coat of arms of our state – the “Trident” sign, which can be read as the word “Воля” (Freedom) – a country with such a main ideology will never be able to obey the will of old deranged agents, like putin, who have completely lost touch with reality. Freedom is the most important thing we have, and we will never lose it.
Who should I interview next and what should I be asking them?
Let it be Zbaraski. It would be interesting to find out what kind of music he is inspired by.
MARCH 28, 2023 – KYIV
My name is Volodymyr Kozhevnikov also known as Taigai and Vova Undercliff. I’m a Kyivan DJ and musician, co-founder of the capital’s formation Kolir. I have devoted more than 10 years to developing myself primarily as a musician, finding my own style and improving my skills. My track record includes a number of releases on domestic and foreign labels, as well as collaborations with colleagues. Since 2018 I also act as a DJ (I performed at Atlas Weekend 2018-2019, Salat Party, Take my Bass, Obskura and Kolir itself).
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
Yes, sure. I think the invasion of my country has changed a lot for all my compatriots, and for me in particular. Yes, I had to sell most of the setup, and not only that. But this is nothing, given what happened to many people in Ukraine who were deprived of housing, work, health or even their life, as a result of the russian aggression.
As for the music… I wouldn’t say that the war somehow drastically affected the sound or my music in general. Rather, the people with whom I talked, in particular Artem Volik, inspired me a lot to start a new stage in my musical activity, and I am very grateful to him for this.
Just music and creativity in general helps not to go crazy, against the backdrop of the ongoing horror of which our wild neighbours have been orchestrating for the past year.
You have taken part in a number of fundraising compilations like Obskura and Peace Tomorrow. What would you say are the essential ingredients for a good fundraising album?
I think what makes it good in the first place is what it is actually produced for. Considering the motivation of the musicians, as well as the motivation of people who buy the collection. This is faith in the victory of Ukraine, the victory of the civilised world over barbarism, over some kind of absolute evil. It is this opportunity to contribute to this, both for the musicians and the listeners, even if in a small way, that makes such compilations successful.
Together with Artem Volyk you have also recently released the EP Molfar, “an explosive mixture of fast minimalistic beats and sophisticated synth sequences”, on the Berlin based label Flash Recordings. How do you go about collaborating?
Yes, this is a pretty significant release. And that means a lot to me as a techno artist. Germany has always been a special country for me, and this represents a very important stage in my career. Artem played a major role in this and he influenced me a lot in general. It was thanks to him that I found myself in music. And in general, I feel most comfortable working with Artem. To date, this is the best collaboration for me.
If we talk about collaborating with Flash Recordings, and in particular with Florian Meindl, they are high-class professionals and it’s a pleasure to work with them. I am a sound engineer by profession, and when I saw the Florian Meindl studio, where Artem and I were mixing the Molfar EP, I was just in a pleasant shock. So it’s a very cool experience. I hope we will work with Flash Recordings again.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?
At the moment I am in Kyiv. Yes, I had to transfer my family in the first days of the war away from the urban centre in the Kyiv region. Still, every day I watched the russian army strike at villages and cities, killing the civilian population of my country. Thankfully, our military forces were able not only to defend, but also to drive the enemy out of the region, preventing them from taking the capital. These people are just titans. I am extremely proud that I was born and live in the same country with such people.
How did your life change over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
If we take my personal life, then I realise how important my family and their safety is to me and how much I love them. I realised how important it is to live in the moment. Do not wait for something positive in the future, or remember the past, but live in the here and now and appreciate life for what it is. Because at any time it could all be over.
The same applies to the professional sphere. The feeling of real danger motivates you to work, just in case, to make as much high-quality music as possible. I think today’s activity of Ukrainian musicians is largely connected with this. There are a lot of emotions, and they need to be transformed into something, it can be anything, but in my case it’s music.
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
It seems to me that the main misconceptions about Ukraine have already been countered, thanks to the Ukrainian army, the Ukrainian leadership and the people of Ukraine as a whole. I see an increase in military support. This is still not enough, but as a Ukrainian I am grateful for the help, this is extremely important for my country. It’s just that Ukraine has always been perceived as part of russia, not realising that Ukraine is not just a separate country, it is a country with a rich culture and a powerful history. But thank God, perception is changing for the better, it’s just terrifying the price we are having to pay for this.
In Diary of an Invasion, Andrii Kurkov writes, “The disappearance of fear is a strange wartime symptom. Indifference to your own destiny sets in and you simply decide that what will be will be.” Is this something that has happened to you?
Yes, I agree. But only partly. Fear remains only for loved ones. For my son, and my wife. When I think that my 6 year old child could be left alone in an extreme situation, this is cause for serious concern. As for myself, of course, fear abates when one simply cannot influence the processes that can lead to one’s own death. And, in general, the body gets tired from being in a state of constant tension. When one does not sleep for several days, sooner or later it all becomes the same.
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind and is there a specific genre of music or a particular artist / album that helps you “switch off” from daily reminders of the war?
No, there is no burnout. I think on the contrary, there is enough energy for creativity. I spend time with my family, it charges me for a long time.
I really enjoy listening to the soundtrack to the movie Interstellar, it often helps me to get distracted.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events and, conversely, are there any specific tracks that you now find triggering because they might be associated with specific difficult times or events?
Well, I wouldn’t say that any release helped me figure anything out, since it was enough for me to look out the window on February 24, 2022, to immediately understand everything. That said, generally speaking, a lot of good music appeared in Ukraine over the past year, and continues to appear even now. If I had to single anyone out, then I would probably say ŸDV, I really like his sound. I also heard Ocheret live for the first time last year, and really liked what he did. And of course, Louwave & Splinter (UA), they make very cool techno.
Are you able to think of the future?
Yes, sure! And it looks very bright to me. I believe that Ukraine has proved that it is a strong country, worthy of being part of the civilised world. The Ukrainian people completely destroyed the myth about Ukrainians “my home is on the edge”, and showed that they are empathic, enterprising, resourceful and able to unite and protect not only their home but also their neighbours. Therefore, I am sure that after the victory over russia, Ukraine will have a wonderful future.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
I think this is the song “Chervona Kalyna” which has become one of the symbols of resistance in Ukraine. Being a march of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, written back in 1914, it has not lost its relevance in 2023. It seems to me that it describes Ukraine and the love of Ukrainians for their country very well.
Who should I interview next and what should I be asking them?
Well I think Louwave & Splinter (UA) and also ŸDV. I think it will be interesting.
MARCH 29, 2023 – MYKOLAIV
photo by Saoto Mamore
My name is Yulia. My artist name is Juli Riot. I am an independent electronic musician and a music lover from Mykolaiv. As a child, I had different CDs and cassettes (from trance music to rock). I wrote songs and performed in the yard of my house. I always loved to sing and I had a dream to become a singer/musician. But this dream can be said to have come true many years later. I didn’t have any musical education.
In my student years, I was in different musical formations, I was surrounded by musicians and we organised rock parties, attended various concerts, and festivals. Since then, I started making my first demos. But I’ve always been more drawn to the electronic style.
photo by Thomas Brume
In 2017, rave culture began to develop in Mykolaiv. My friends were the organisers of such parties, with deejays coming from Kyiv and abroad to perform. In 2019, I began to make tracks more professionally and upload them to music platforms. I do everything myself, mixing and mastering. I was also a resident in a music rap studio, but I was the only one there responsible for the electronic concept. That same year, I tried deejaying for the first time, (they just gave me a controller and said: “You will be a DJ!”). And I liked it. I liked to share my musical discoveries. But with the coronavirus pandemic, the studio ceased to exist, along with the performances. During that time, I began to record mixes for different radio platforms, which I still do to this day.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
With the full-scale invasion, I completely forgot about music for the first two months, not only to make a new track or mix, but even to listen music, because you are completely at a loss not knowing what might happen in the next hour or even in the next five minutes. You sit and listen to the different sounds around, because the constant shelling of the city was uninterrupted. It was impossible to sleep, or even to do anything other than concentrating on staying alive.
Your album Distorted Reality from 2019 could be seen as prescient, with its image of a world collapsing. Did you have a sense that something was brewing back then?
Distorted Reality EP
To be honest, I had a premonition but I thought it wouldn’t happen for many, many years. I even wrote in the liner notes: «Світ ніколи не руйнується поступово. Все відбувається різко, обвалюється, наче недбало побудована будівля, залишаючи після себе лише пил та уламки будівельних матеріалів. Ні, дзвенять, звичайно, перші дзвіночки, які попереджають, що скоро щось піде не так. Але, як правило, їх майже ніхто не чує…» [The world never collapses gradually. Everything happens suddenly, collapses, like a carelessly constructed building, leaving behind only dust and fragments of construction materials. No, of course, the first bells are ringing, warning that something will soon go wrong. But, as a rule, almost no one hears them.] But still, I was more inspired by the industrial landscapes of my hometown and the cover just depicts this. Working shipyards.
Mykolaiv – the regional state administration after a russian rocket strike on March 29, 2022 – photo by Valery Fedchenko
Mykolaiv is one of the cities that saw some of the worst fighting. What is the current situation on the ground?
With the liberation of the town of Kherson (and the right-bank part of the region) by the Ukrainian army, the situation began to improve. The firing of cluster shells and mortars stopped, but the rockets threat is still there. People have now began to return to the city. But people have died and lives have been ruined, and this is not something that can ever be restored in any way.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?
I am currently in Mykolaiv. At the start of the full-scale invasion, becasue of the heavy shelling by the russian army, especially in the area where I live, I decided to move to Odesa. I lived there for almost 9 months. In Odesa the situation in terms of music improved a little for me. In June 2022, I wrote and released “Залиш Мене” and during the summer I wrote a couple of unreleased tracks, one of them dedicated to Ukrainians, called “Vilna”, it was included in one of my mixes dedicated to Ukrainian music.
In Odesa
You host the New Beat series on Gasoline Radio. What can you tell us about it and what role do you see Gasoline having in shaping and bringing together the electronic music community in Kyiv and Ukraine?
Gasoline Radio is a non-commercial media platform created by the people behind Kultura Zvuka. The radio focuses on different strands: interviews, podcasts, mixes, and live shows on any topic. New Beat is a little-known genre. I think even underestimated in dance electronic music. Therefore, I had an idea to acquaint the Ukrainian audience (and not only Ukrainian, as Gasoline has an international audience) with this Belgian style. Perhaps someone will be inspired by my show and will want to make a Ukrainian New Beat. Who knows.
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind?
No, I don’t suffer, but when it happens I meditate.
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
The most important task of the West is to deliver weapons to us as soon as possible and bring about the surrender of russia.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events or that you think deserved to become “global hits”?
Karoon – “Степ (feat. ТУЧА).”
Lostlojic – “Rave Under Occupation.”
RUSIIICK – “Ukrains’ka, 114
.”
Volyn Field – “pidu ya v sad spaty.”
Bejenec – “Who Made Diz?”
Turbinaria – “Hydra.”
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Book – «Poezії», Spiridon Cherkasenko
.
Film – Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, Sergei Parajanov
.
LP – YUKO, Dura?
Song – Radoslaw – “Kupalo“.
Traditional dish – Borsch
Artwork – Viktor Zaretsky, “Portrait of Rayisa Nedashkivska playing Kateryna Bilokur”, 1989
.
Meme blog – https://twitter.com/outUkraine
Building – Roman Catholic church of Saint Joseph (in Mykolaiv).
Who should I interview next and what should I be asking them?
Demian Feriy [UFN 16]; LIGHT WAY; Pasha Semikashev; ТУЧА [UFN 8]; Volodymyr Gnatenko; Daniel Merkulov (Aircraft) and Anthony Junkoid [UFN 14].
MARCH 31, 2023 – KHARKIV
invisible noise monasticism – Holodomor – Kandzume Mizu
I’m Oleg Kulyk (I previously used the pseudonym Misailov very often). I am an artist, the main and most productive area of my work is noise and experimental music. In addition to musical activities, I also studied Psychology at university. The topic of scientific psychology is always relevant and interesting to me. Music (and art in general) for me is a special language of freedom.
My main noise project “invisible noise monasticism” reflects in its name my craving for spirituality, asceticism and something higher. As a believing Christian in my teenage years, I was very fond of the ideas of monasticism. I have been an atheist for a long time now, but this desire for spirituality is always with me. For me, art is often a kind of spiritual practice, especially the process of its creation. My second important project, called Holodomor, is an attempt to understand death through art.
I started recording my music in 2018, at the age of 19. These were twisted experiments around free jazz, noise rock, concrete music. Many records from this period have not survived. Acquaintance with noise music gave me a strong inspiration, a desire to experiment with new forms, with instruments that I had not encountered before. I have been very attracted to the genre of noise for a very long time now, it is in a sense the ideal art for me now.
Dead Giants
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
I can only say that because of all the terrible events that began from the moment of the full-scale invasion, and continue to happen, my psyche began to use its defence mechanisms to the maximum, so I began to go into escapism more often and such processes as reading literature, or creating music became more valuable to me. Because of the fear of rocket attacks, I still haven’t been able to get over my fear of live recording. Prior to the full-scale invasion, almost all of my recordings were made in the garage method (microphone in front of the speaker). So I had to look for other recording options and change the setup.
For several months now I have been listening to only one genre – harsh noise wall. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I feel some semblance of safety and comfort while listening to this genre.
Songs from bomb shelter
Songs from bomb shelter was recorded between February 26 – March 02, 2022. Was this a difficult album to make and did it feel cathartic?
It is difficult to remember this period of time. When no one knew what to expect the next day, what to expect in an hour. Many people were demoralised, many lost their jobs and did not know what to do next, how to live on. At the time, when evening came, I and most of the neighbours gathered together in the basement of our apartment building. We heard explosions every day, at any time of the day, but in the evening they were incessant. Sometimes we heard warplanes flying by…
There was a very strong pressure on my psyche and I felt the need for creativity even more strongly, but under those conditions I did not have the opportunity to record my performance on the microphone, as I had done before. I listened to the sound background of the basement (which served us as a bomb shelter), to its “silence”, quiet sounds in this silence. I remembered my former experiments in concrete music. It’s hard for me to remember exactly what I was thinking at that moment, but I remember that a strong impetus for the creation of a concept album was triggered by my neighbours singing in the basement, I recorded a piece of that moment. In general, there was a real sense of unity between neighbours then, all caring for each other. The noise part of this album is the amplified silence of the basement, recorded when I was alone there. Since then, I have recorded many albums in this way (amplifying and processing silence), but since then I have learned to do it more skilfully.
Ніч над яром : Night over the ravine
You also recorded a number of other albums in the early stages of the full-scale invasion back in 2022, but you only released them either towards the end of the 2022 or the beginning of 2023. How do you schedule your releases and how does it differ to release an album in wartime?
All my albums are available digitally on bandcamp, so the release process is simple and fast. The thing is, I write a lot more than I upload. Now there are essentially no major technical problems with releasing material, as blackouts and other such impediments don’t really affect the release date (of course there were problems at the beginning of the invasion). Now I have enough material for 50+ albums, but I try to have some time interval between releases.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?
I have not been displaced.
My Ukraine. Chapter 2
How did your life change over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
A few months later, after a severe nervous breakdown, I felt a very powerful, irresistible desire to hear Orthodox chants. In my teenage years, when I was still living in the village, I spent a lot of time in an Orthodox church, I was even part of the church choir for about a year. I remember that atmosphere very well and the desire to feel it again arose with powerful force. But I understand that now the ideas of Christianity (most of them) cause me only disgust. At this point, I began to read about the concepts of Taoism. I realised that some of the ideas of Taoism are close to me, that is, they correspond to the emotional (or spiritual) experience that I have always experienced. Especially the concept of Tao. The few Taoism courses I took have helped me cope (as much as possible) with personal existential issues and calmly experience the terrible events that are happening around me. I have always felt the suffering of any people on the planet very emotionally, and sensitively, as a humanist. These feelings often served as inspiration for the music of my punk project (Kandzume Mizu).
My Ukraine. Chapter 3
In Diary of an Invasion, Andrii Kurkov writes, “The disappearance of fear is a strange wartime symptom. Indifference to your own destiny sets in and you simply decide that what will be will be.” Is this something that has happened to you?
Yes. Ukrainian people everywhere feel this way. The war destroyed the life plans of many people. I know that those people who left Ukraine are forced to adapt to completely new conditions of life and are already in this different system to make new plans for their future life. Of course they remember their homeland. Forgive me if I’m being naive about this, I’m not a sociologist to know the opinion of a large number of people, but I tend to think this is the case. But for those people who stayed here in Ukraine… this quote is about them for sure.
My Ukraine. Chapter 1
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind and is there a specific genre of music or a particular artist / album that helps you “switch off” from daily reminders of the war?
Because of what is happening around me, I began to seek solace in literature, art, and creativity, more often. My creative activity is one of the ways I found to help me relax, meditate, escape, and reflect. In this area, I feel no restrictions and no dangers from the outside world, only its projections, which are not so terrible.
Also, the panacea that protects me from burnout is my followers. There are people from different parts of the planet, who value what I do. And also other noise artists often inspire me. At one time (about two years ago) I had a period when there was practically no interest in my project at all and, at times, I felt that I was releasing albums into the void. Dylan Terranova (Kilised) helped me during this period. His admiration for my work and the desire to record a collaborative album inspired me to continue my work. I am very grateful to him for his support.
Another interesting fact is that it was only during this war period that horror literature began to interest me very much, I even distinctly feel calm when reading such literature (perhaps this has a strange therapeutic effect). Lovecraft’s books especially appeal to me now.
Emotional Boy
How has the sonic environment you live in changed, if at all, over the past year, and are there specific sounds you miss and / or sounds that you find triggering?
I have spent most of my life living in the countryside and I often miss the absolute silence now that I live in a big city where the road noise is constant. At the beginning of the invasion, in the intervals between explosions, there was almost absolute silence (because there were practically no people and no cars on the street). In those moments, one could only hear the crunch of snow underfoot.
The sound of the air raid sirens is, of course, very triggering. There was a period when it seemed to me to sound off literally every half an hour, it put a lot of pressure on the psyche.
Are you able to think of the future?
No.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
I don’t know any one thing that captures Ukraine, but I would recommend watching the Ukrainian film Bad roads (2020). In my opinion it is best suited for this purpose.
APRIL 2, 2023 – KYIV
Hello! My name is Anton Ihonin, better known as Hockins. I’m from Kharkiv, Ukraine, but now I’m in Kyiv. I’ve been making music all my life, I think, and have been doing it full-time for the last 6 years. I learned to play the saxophone for 6 or 7 years when I was a teenager. In 2002 I started making music on the computer. When I was 30 y.o. I woke up one day, quit my job and decided to do audio stuff only. I have worked on commercials, ghost-production, recording, sound design, mixing, sample and preset packs production, short and full-length films, etc.
I had several musical projects, sometimes I play as a DJ.
In general, I have a fairly extensive and long background in sound. And most importantly, I’ve been doing it for fun all my life.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
Yes, definitely. I haven’t written music for over a year. Kinda put everything on pause, or even ended my career. I don’t know yet. But I can’t write. At a minimum, this is an absolutely useless exercise for my country now, and I want to be as useful and efficient as possible. So, since February 18, 2022, I’ve only made one track, and that’s because a lot of people have been asking for it. My whole setup right now is the cheapest, earbuds and laptop.
And there was never a playlist, I don’t listen to music. I don’t like it. Occasionally I can listen to old school punk rock or something in the spirit of Jerry Lee Lewis or Johnny Cash on the way home from work.
Back in May 2022 you released the album Sounds From The Basement Shelter which you recorded in the space of 24 hours. What can you tell us about its production process and did it feel cathartic?
Oh, it was interesting, sudden and uncompromising. I’ll start off by saying that the album “wasn’t recorded” in 24 hours, as you might imagine. I didn’t sit for 24 hours in a row and did not write music, dying in agony from moral and physical exhaustion. It’s just impossible))) The album was recorded in three sessions of 8 hours, which in total gave us about 25 hours of time to work on this material (I wrote about it in a press release). Like almost every other album I’ve made, it was made from scraps, pieces to throw away, all sorts of trash.
Now I will try to explain. Every producer has a bunch of small projects on the disk, 8 bar loops and other things that should be removed, because it’s terrible and absolutely not musical. So, conditionally, other producers have a “Delete” folder for these projects. I have a folder called “Make an album out of this”. It’s kind of a challenge that I take some nasty 8 bar pieces and make an album out of them. So it was here. I wanted to dedicate a track to the defenders of Mariupol, so I surfed through the projects and looked for something to work with. Fortunately, I found one of them and I quickly designed it into the track “Azov”. At the same time, I realised that there were many more Ukrainian cities that I wanted to talk about. So I decided to challenge myself and make a tribute album in 24 hours. And this is what came of it.
Was it cathartic? Don’t know. Firstly, everything happened too fast. Secondly, I did not have such a goal, I just wanted to pay tribute to the hero cities as a citizen. And thirdly, it was rather not a catharsis, but a final understanding that my music does not bring absolutely any benefit to my country, so it’s not worth wasting any more time on this.
Over the past year you have also released old tracks from your archive, from 2002-2004 and 2016. Has the full-scale invasion prompted you to revisit your early works and if so, how would you say your sound has developed over the years?
As I said, during the full-scale invasion, I did not write music, but I wanted to. After all, this is my life’s work. And here it’s impossible, as with a band-aid, to grit your teeth and quickly tear it off. Therefore, I sorted through the archives, looked back into the past, and analysed. It turned out I was making pretty good (in my opinion) music 20 years ago. In addition, the war gave me an understanding of how short life is and that everything can end at any moment. And my music will end with me, both unwritten and old, but unreleased. Unfortunately, in the archives I have, I could not find much, but it’s better than nothing. Plus, I got the opportunity to revisit my works again during their mastering.
For many years I did not return to these tracks. They have a lot to learn. They have soul, ideas, and music. The music. Now I think only in terms of the product and make only the product. There is absolutely no music and creativity in it. Yes, my tracks sounded terrible 20 years ago, but how interesting and soulful they were! I would like to learn how to combine the me of the past and the me of the present in my sound.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?
I have lived in Kharkiv for the past 16 years. This is a wonderful city. This is the best city! My favourite. At the beginning of the war, I was in Kharkiv. We cooperated among friends and lived together to help each other. We volunteered together, looked for food and cigarettes together, and hid in basements from bombings together. So we lasted 2 weeks. Then it became very scary, rockets exploded all around, there was constant shelling. We couldn’t stand it and evacuated to Poltava, where we ended up living for half a year. And then I went to Kyiv and have been living here for seven months. I’m getting used to it little by little, but slowly, because I don’t have free time due to work.
How did your life change over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
Life has not changed much in personal terms, as I lived with cats for the last 5 years, and continue to do so)) However, now I know for sure that I am not going to start any relationship. In times of war, it’s easier to be alone. But I became very close to my parents.
As a professional – as I wrote above, I stopped doing music. Very rarely, about once a month, someone gives me small projects that take a couple of hours of work. Also, every month I master the radio show Rejoiced, hosted by a friend of mine. So this is my only “permanent” work in sound. In March of this year, I wrote and posted one track. That’s all.
Since the beginning of the war, I have changed my profession and it’s not related to music.
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
That Ukraine itself is to blame for the attack (haha); that the West has already given enough help; that Ukraine is to blame for the food and energy crisis, for rising prices; that it is necessary to put up with the aggressor country (never). I can not say that I am well versed in this issue, but this is what I have heard.
In Diary of an Invasion, Andrii Kurkov writes, “The disappearance of fear is a strange wartime symptom. Indifference to your own destiny sets in and you simply decide that what will be will be.” Is this something that has happened to you?
Oooooh yeah! Absolutely no fear. You are not afraid to die. At all. You don’t care. And you know that your loved ones can die at any second, and this is also not scary. The only thing that is scary now is that there’s no future. Simply no future at all.
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind and is there a specific genre of music or a particular artist / album that helps you “switch off” from daily reminders of the war?
Of course, like everyone else. I don’t believe in people who don’t burn out. Nonsense. Any body accumulates stress and is unable to resist it. During the war I started listening to a lot of old Ukrainian music, the music of my childhood.
As I wrote above, I don’t really like music. But… sometimes, when I’m at home drinking alcohol, I like to listen to something old. Basically, all my life I have listened to punk rock, so this is the basis of my playlist (actually I don’t have one, it’s always in random mode). Favourite album, Rancid, …And Out Come The Wolves. I also listen to the Prodigy a lot, especially their album Experience.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events and, conversely, are there any specific tracks that you now find triggering because they might be associated with specific difficult times or events?
To be honest, I haven’t followed the latest releases. Not up to music now, a lot of work. I only listened, basically, to what my friends-producers released, but I won’t single out one person. Quite a lot of Ukrainian compilations and releases have come out over the past year, especially from young and “fashionable” artists. I don’t understand this kind of music and I don’t like it. I’m even a little scared that “this” is the future of our Ukrainian music… Unprofessional atonal howls of two-oscillator synths to an insipid drum machine, the main thing is that there should be more light bulbs. Crap. My early music sounded even worse, but I didn’t play it to anyone and told them it was cool modern music. Now is the time when every other person is a trendy DJ and every other DJ is a trendy producer (no).
At the same time, I can say that I am very enraged by all these tik-tok tracks, sharovarshchina [the deliberate use of Ukrainian national symbols, historical events, stereotypes in the songs, which everyone has heard of, and speculations on the war theme] and bad taste. “Steam Machine” and others about the dog Patron and Vova, damn it. Also, Stephania’s Mom. From all around (as we say in Ukraine, “from every iron”). The song is shit! And Eurovision is a phenomenon that completely exhausted itself 20 years ago.
And if we are already talking about “sharovarshchyna”, I want to give an explanation about my last track “huylo!” – it should be perceived exclusively as the Prodigy’s “Charly”, and not as “pespatronshchyna”. It’s just a fun song with children’s vocals, nothing more.
In general, as it turned out, I have more negative attitudes than positive))
How has the sonic environment you live in changed, if at all, over the past year, and are there specific sounds you miss and / or sounds that find triggering?
Fear of any loud sounds, constant phantom air raid sirens and explosions. Fear of wearing headphones or listening to music/movie loudly, because you might not hear the explosion/siren.
Also, I try to avoid the russian language when communicating with strangers and in unfamiliar places, so as not to hurt anyone.
Are you able to think of the future?
No. There’s no future. No future for me.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Book – Taras Shevchenko’s Kobzar.
Film – Luxembourg, Luxembourg by Antonio Lukich.
Album – Kazky by Skryabin.
Song – “A Teper Use Inakshe” – Aqua Vita.
Traditional dish – BORSCH!
Artwork – a red pack of Vatra cigarettes.
Building – Gosprom.
APRIL 4 2023 – KYIV
photo by Danil Privet
If I start listing all the directions and styles I worked with, the projects that I initiated or took part in, and all my aliases – probably everyone will get tired of reading straight away. To introduce myself, I’ll briefly say – a great connoisseur of music (of various genres from d’n’b and techno to house and hip hop), producer, DJ and organiser of parties and large-scale festivals, a bit of a traveler, a bit of a content creator, Volyk Artem or Selecta. Unfortunately, only now I understand that I should have shared more publicly the results of my activities and creativity, but I will say frankly – there is never enough time for this, because I was enjoying what I was doing.
photo by Danil Privet
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and sound, and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
Certainly in the first days of the full-scale invasion, I disconnected for a few days and could not accept reality. But I pulled myself together and within a week I joined the ranks of the territorial defence of the city where I live. About a week later, I was able to find the strength to return to music. February 24, 2022 changed every Ukrainian, every sphere of our lives and definitely the music industry. But I found strength in music. I started listening to lighter music, and I began to write a lot of diverse material. But I know for sure – that all this is a reflection of the circumstances in which we live now.
photo by Eugene Pospelov
You are the founder of OBSKURA, a Kyiv-based music initiative aimed at highlighting music from talented Ukrainian producers and raising money to support the country. You have recently released the second fundraising compilation which includes artists from abroad, like Janeda, supporting Ukraine. How were your compilations produced in terms of artists invited and tracks selected and compiled, and what would you say are the essential ingredients for a good fundraising compilation?
I want to briefly talk about the project itself. OBSKURA actually began as a series of local parties with an ambitious and well-thought-out plan for step-by-step scaling. But immediately after the first party (literally a month later) Covid-19 began to spread and our plans had to be urgently changed. Over time, with the loosening of lockdown regulations, we began to hold small closed events to preserve the project and increase our audience. OBSKURA became recognisable, the audience grew, and we began to include not only local, but also foreign artists. On February 25, 2022, a party with a cool line-up was planned in honour of the 2nd anniversary of the project. However, it was not destined to happen, russia attacked Ukraine and a full-scale war began.
In general, 2022 was supposed to be significant for the project: we planned to reach a new level of venues and artists, as well as launch a vinyl label. But, we had to change plans and rebuild everything.
I had a strong need to be useful and in my own way to convey information and remind people about my country. So, in April 2022, I came up with the idea of a charity record. I understood that it would not be quick, but even then I understood that my country would need help over a long period of time. I wrote to all artists I had collaborated with, to all those I was friends with, and to those I could reach. Many did not have any available tracks, but I am very grateful to those who responded and joined the initiative from the start. In the dialogue with the artists, it became clear that everything should not be limited to the one compilation, and which is why we already have 2 releases under our belt, with all proceeds going to the needs of my country and fellow citizens. Also, work on the 3rd album is already actively underway.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been and will be involved in what we are doing.
You have also taken part in other compilations such Peace Tomorrow together with Volodymyr Kozhevnikov. Over at A Closer Listen we have featured 100+ compilations throughout the past year with the ones produced in the West donating proceeds mostly to big humanitarian organisations like Unicef and the Red Cross. What are your thoughts on this?
I am happy to be a part of any such initiative, especially if they are close friends, which is exactly what happened in this case. Stas (Yes Stanley) invited me to the compilation and asked for free tracks, I sent what I had available at the time. In March 2022, another one of my tracks was released on a compilation by Standard Deviation x Mystictrax under the alias ghetto89, this was one of the first powerful compilations aimed at raising funds for Ukraine.
Thanks to everyone who supports us in such a difficult time!
photo by Danil Privet
Also with Volodymyr Kozhevnikov you have recently released the EP Molfar, “an explosive mixture of fast minimalistic beats and sophisticated synth sequences”, for the Berlin based label Flash Recordings. How do you go about collaborating?
Vova is my old friend, we have known each other for many years. He is a very talented musician. In the summer of ’22, we met for a beer and there a new branch of our creative paths was born. We do what we feel, what we like. We discuss each pattern, remove, add, etc. Collaborations do not tolerate ego – it is primarily the work of two people, and it does not matter how much someone did – the main thing is the result, the whole process is important. There should be interest on both sides and work on an equal footing. This is actually the result of several months of fruitful work – our release on Flash, and special respect to Florian for releasing the EP.
How did your life change over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
Everything has changed so much, life will definitely not be the same as it was before. What I decided to do was to be even more creative and gradually close the set goals. The attitude towards many people has changed a lot, unfortunately, they have shown themselves to be what they have always been, but my eyes have opened to many things only now. It’s an experience!
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
All you need to know is that russia is a terrorist state that should be isolated from the rest of the world, and if it is so convenient for them to live in their narrative, “I am russian” they can do it as much as they want, but there is no need to tell another country and nation that “we are brothers” and “we came to rescue you”. russia has revived the concept of fascism in a new interpretation, and in order for this to be solved once and for all, it is necessary to give us what is necessary for victory and to preserve our independence.
In Diary of an Invasion, Andrii Kurkov writes, “The disappearance of fear is a strange wartime symptom. Indifference to your own destiny sets in and you simply decide that what will be will be.” Is this something that has happened to you?
Both yes and no. In some matters, you become fatalistic and sometimes ignore your own safety. However, you clearly see the goal and know the main desire of the huge community of all Ukrainians – victory.
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind and is there a specific genre of music or a particular artist / album that helps you “switch off” from daily reminders of the war?
At first it was difficult to understand and accept what was happening, but now I am full of strength, goals and energy. Music has supported me in one way or another throughout my life. Now, as I said before, I listen to more positive music, ambient, liquid drum and bass, lo-fi hip hop, jazz, etc.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events and, conversely, are there any specific tracks that you now find triggering because they might be associated with specific difficult times or events?
If we take what can be a trigger, then I will say it more simply – if I don’t like the music, I don’t listen to it.
Regarding releases, I would like to note that there is a strong growth of the local scene and music, especially electronic music, I think, first of all, we need to accept our identity and not do only what is trendy to show ourselves, but do what we really feel, and now there is a lot of music like this and the most important thing is that it is in the native language. There are a lot of artists, events, labels that are doing very cool things that can really show our vibe – made in Ukraine. I especially want to mention the labels Khvylia, Mystictrax, Corridor Audio, Standard Deviation… etc
photo by Klim Beats
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
The most difficult of all questions))) like most Ukrainians I long for everything traditional and want the whole world to learn about the wonderful and deep culture of our people. It is difficult to even single out something specific. But the most important piece of music for me now is the National Anthem of Ukraine. I discovered it in a whole new way.
And of course, we will be sincerely glad to invite everyone to visit, to get to know us and enjoy the beauty of our nature, get to know our traditions and enjoy the hospitality of our people (as soon as it becomes possible and safe).
Who should I interview next and what should I be asking them?
Voin Oruwu [UFN 3], ŸDV, Lostlojic [UFN 4], Stanislav Tolkachev, Danilenko, Dagilis, Yes Stanley, Vera Logdanidi, Na Nich, Artem Cheros, Yan Cook, 909 Machine.
APRIL 9, 2023 – ODESA
My name is Vadym, I am 24 years old, I was born, grew up and live in the glorious southern city of Ukraine – Odesa.
If we talk about my musical background – it’s based on what I listened to before my musical project Luigi Lynch was created. I listened to everything around me. Pop music, and my love for dance music, were passed on to me by my father, who used to listen to Kiss FM. After I got the Internet (and I’m not talking about the time when I got it, like in the late 90s, no, I’m talking about the mid-2000s), I started to discover a lot of things. And at some point ad that moment, when I was sick at home, I saw the videoclip for “Windowlicker” by Aphex Twin, and that really influenced me, and that’s where it all started, as they say 😀
As for whether I went to music school or not, no – I didn’t, because of a difficult situation with my father. It’s kind of dissonant :D Although I did participate in singing competitions, I don’t remember that.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
Actually, when the full-scale invasion began, it was a shock at first. When you go through the topics of the World Wars at school or university, they don’t really explain what people were really going through. When you experience it first hand in the present, after you’ve been told many times, “as long as there’s no war,” the reality of it all is very shocking. During the rocket attacks, music of all kinds helped me a lot, and still does. Since my search for my taste in music, my playlist is now what I wanted, to listen to everything without any restrictions 🙂
After running the Luigi Lynch project since 2016, you have now started a new one, an honest fox.
What prompted the change and what can you tell us about your new incarnation?
The project an honest fox is more of an ambient offshoot of Luigi Lynch. At first I was against separating the music into different projects, because it hurts the artist. But after a lot of thinking, analysing and understanding how everything works, I changed my mind, and now I explicitly state that an honest fox is strictly an ambient (and a bit noisy) project, while Luigi Lynch continues his multi-genre path.
Generally speaking, I consider Luigi Lynch to be a representative project (by the way, there’s a new release in May, which I am very excited about). If I go through my whole discography, the tracks probably sound sloppy, like demo compilations, because I didn’t really process them in terms of “mixing” and “mastering” at the time. So for me it’s like an indicative example that anyone who has a laptop and headphones can start doing something on their own, discover something new for themselves and not be afraid to experiment.
Ukraine before, during & after the…
Back in September 2022 you released the album Ukraine before, during & after the… dedicated to all those who lost their lives during the full-scale invasion. What can you tell us about the making of this album? Also, how did you see Ukraine before the full-scale invasion and how do you see its future after the war?
Ukraine before, during and after… – the album is the result of how the war changed people, changed the perception of everything, and how the hatred of russians was born because of the constant shelling.
“Before” the war, Ukraine and especially Odesa lived really peacefully. We had our own problems as a country, but we did not bother anyone, we did not want to attack anyone, and so on.
“During” shows all these feelings derived from all the news reports. The track itself consists of intercepted conversations of russian soldiers, which Ukrainian officials (especially heads of military administrations and the Main Intelligence Directorate) published up to September 2022 to show how our soldiers are doing their jobs. Of course, to complete the picture, we should have taken the records from 2014, when it all actually began, but… one can always do part 2.
“After” sounds a bit dark to me, because “after” doesn’t come quickly enough, but after that moment comes, things won’t ever be the same again. For example, the way you thought before may seem naive and ridiculous now. Or if you do certain things now that you did before, you will think about it 200 times if necessary. It seems to me that the track sounds exactly like that, because people have somehow grown up again.
Sonia the cat
You have also released three albums inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, Infernum, Purgatorium and Paradisum. What inspired you to take on such an ambitious project, and could you tell us how you went about creating the music?
La Divina Commedia is one of my favourite musical projects that I’ve worked on. I was, of course, inspired by the poem itself and my vision of how it would sound at the time (I mean, at the time of recording).
Many tracks, like “Infernum: Proditio”, are my personal experiences of betrayal by people I trusted (who hasn’t been betrayed in difficult moments?). “Purgatorium: Salaciam” is about vanity, and contains Mr. Poroshenko’s speech about getting Tomos, because who else but Ukrainians know how vain he is and this is my vision. “Paradisum: Scope Stellas” is generally love for cats, as originally it is a super accelerated and inverted Nyan Cat tune.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun recording the three parts. 😀
How did your life change over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
Speaking of my job, I managed to change it over the past year (music is not the only craft I do, because I am a software engineer by education) 😀
Personally, I changed from a goody-goody boy to a serious young man who is not afraid to speak the truth, and is not a hypocrite. Also, the full-scale invasion teaches one to be more indifferent about everything, because all that was in life – cannot compare with the horror that has been happening to us for over a year now.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?
For the entire period of the full-scale invasion, I was, and still am, in Odesa. I had initially thought of going elsewhere in Western Ukraine, but after assessing the situation and seeing how some people were trying to profit from the current state of affairs during such a difficult period, we decided to stay.
How would you say the sonic landscape has changed in Odesa over the past year and are there any sounds you miss?
Can’t say it has changed much. I mean, yes, we can’t have firecrackers, fireworks, and we can’t have all kinds of racing cars driving around town (the noise coming out of their exhaust systems is loud), but this can still happen from time to time. Still, it’s quieter now, there’s nothing too rowdy going on. So far 😉
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events and, conversely, are there any specific tracks that you now find triggering because they might be associated with specific difficult times or events?
Until recently there hasn’t been a release that got me into the war theme, but LIGHT WAY’s THIS IS WAR released on March 25 on the ОЧІ label is a perfect depiction of what is going on.
LIGHT WAY – THIS IS WAR
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
It seems to me that what appears in the Western media describes a tenth or even a hundredth of what is really going on here, so people and politicians don’t really understand how important it is for us to win this war and how urgently we need the weapons. Many of the officials who visited Ukraine said (or thought, or at least I hope they did) that hearing with one’s ears and seeing this horror first hand is a completely different thing. But there are still some people who think that giving more weapons will lead directly to a world war. I don’t want to upset them, but people die or could die every day from a missile or a UAV. If bureaucracy is more important than people, I don’t know what to say.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Ukrainian Borsch, any paintings made by Ukrainian artists, and Ukrainian folklore – can describe Ukraine much better than I can 😀
Who should I interview next and what should I be asking them?
be_ca_di [UFN 21] and Heinali [UFN 5], and the question: how do you see Ukraine in 5-10 years?
APRIL 9, 2023 – COTTBUS, GERMANY
photo by Lisa Aharkova
My name is Tanya, I am the founder of the music project TANKATAKA, for which I write the songs and sing. I am originally from Mykolaiv, but in recent years I have been living and working in Germany, where I came even before the start of the full-scale invasion.
My whole life is connected with music. My mother is a piano teacher at a music school, and my older sister is an opera singer, so I grew up in a musical family and it was only a matter of time before I would start creating something of my own.
I have been writing my own poems since the age of 9, and at the age of 11 I wrote my first song. I consciously started writing songs based on my own poems probably at the age of 13. For me, creating music has always been a way to immerse myself in my inner world. It’s what helped me live through difficult times. Especially in adolescence, when I was worried about my first crushes, the formation of myself as a person and my difficulties with my peers. Instead of doing homework, I would sit in my room for hours and improvise melodies, humming along to them.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
The full-scale invasion showed me that music is my personal weapon in this war and my front-line activity. I realised that I simply cannot stand aside and must use my talent to fight the enemy with words, raise the morale of our soldiers with music and provide emotional support to Ukrainians in this difficult time for all of us.
photo by Lisa Aharkova
You released a number of singles back in 2022 together with a live EP. What can you tell us about the writing of those tracks in times war, and do the lyrics come first or do you start with a melody?
The song “Shelter” (Укриття) was the only song on this mini-album that I wrote after the full-scale invasion began. It was the reason for creating this mini-album. I wrote it at the end of March 2022. It came to me by chance. I stood on the street during a break and thought about the footage I had just seen on Telegram chats of people in shelters, subways, basements, hiding there during an air raid. After seeing the photo of a woman in labor in the subway, just sitting on the floor next to a column and feeding her baby, I felt so hurt inside, it was like a punch in the stomach, that I just needed to go outside to take a deep breath.
And there and then the melody “Shelter” was born in my head with the first four lines, which I recorded on the phone. On the same day, I came home after work and finished it completely in half an hour.
Usually when I write a song, the lyrics, melody and accompaniment are born instantly, so it’s difficult at such moments to identify what came first. Generally speaking, it’s a lot harder for me to write music to a finished poem, but this is what happened, for instance, with “Єдині квіти” (The Only Flowers). First I wrote a poem, then I set it to music.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?
Now I live in Germany, where I came before the full-scale invasion, but many of my friends and relatives are still in Ukraine. My father, for example, still lives in Mykolaiv.
photo by Ralf Schuster
How did your life change over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
Compared to millions of Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad, my everyday life has not changed. I still live where I used to live, there are no air raid alarms, no curfews around me, no rockets or drones flying over my head, there are no outages due to enemy shelling of our critical infrastructure. So I have nothing to complain about in that respect.
Probably the single most comprehensive change I underwent was to realise my life’s purpose, and I know what I have to do for the development of Ukrainian culture in Ukraine and abroad. The full-scale invasion very clearly put everything in its own place and showed everyone their own path and way forward. I saw mine and I will not leave this path. During 2022, I gave many charity concerts, released several songs born out of the war, tried to make the greatest possible contribution from my side to the promotion of Ukrainian culture in Germany and, through my creativity, to fight against russian propaganda.
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
The biggest misconception of the West is that this beast (russia) will stop if we make concessions to it and give up the occupied territories of Ukraine. The example of South Ossetia, Transnistria, Crimea and Donbas clearly shows that this Leviathan will never be satisfied and will always be hungry for more. And our Western partners must understand once and for all that this creature understands only the language of power. This system is the epitome of patriarchy and its consequences. And there is no equality in patriarchy. There is only the dominance of the strong over the weak. Democracy and diplomacy are not great values for russia. That is why it is very dangerous to believe that it is possible to win this war without weapons and to negotiate peacefully with russia.
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind? Also, is there a specific genre of music or a particular artist / album that helps you “switch off” from daily reminders of the war?
Like anyone else, I do get tired sometimes and have burnout. Because of my desire to do as much as possible, I am often very exhausted and do not always realise that I need help and to rest myself. Over time, I’m also learning to pay attention and listen to my own needs. Only in a balanced and stable state of mind can one be useful to society.
Music helps me a lot in this regard and there are several genres that are very soothing to me. Lofi, jazz-hip hop, jazz house, etc. A calm beat combined with jazzy chords calms my mind and inspires me to switch thoughts. Tom Misch is a good example of the kind of music I mean.
photo by Lisa Aharkova
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events and, conversely, are there any specific tracks that you now find triggering because they might be associated with specific difficult times or episodes?
Oh yeah, I have a song from last year that really triggers me. This is “UYAVY” by ONUKA. Here are the verses that were constantly in my head, “Imagine the future world without wars and misery”.
During the first month of the full-scale invasion, we did a lot of volunteering in Cottbus, the German city where my boyfriend and I live. At the time, the city received many refugees from Ukraine, who arrived in their hundreds by train. Families with children and pets came. And we were among the volunteers who acted as translators. We spent almost the whole day until night time at the meeting points. We had to be everywhere, make sure no one got lost, we had to translate and give moral support. It was then that I listened to the song “UYAVY” every day. There was even a moment when I slept several nights in a row and dreamed of this song, I woke up with it in my head. It was my own “little hell”. Imagine having an obsessive thought that you can’t turn off, even when you sleep. I still can’t listen to it calmly, which is a pity, because I love this song very much.
photo by Lisa Aharkova
Are there specific sounds you miss and / or sounds that you find triggering?
In Germany, routine fire drills are carried out on a regular basis. They are turned on unexpectedly, but for a very short time, literally 5-10 seconds. And it never bothered me before. Now, when I hear a fire alarm going off, everything inside me freezes and I start to get nervous. Which to me is actually very strange, because I have not been in Ukraine at all since the start of the full-scale invasion and I have not experienced first hand what things are really like there. But it is actually the same sound. People say that this is a normal state for those who have not personally experienced war. Unfortunately, our brain works in such a way that it catastrophizes more strongly what it has not seen with its own eyes, because in this way it protects itself.
photo by Ralf Schuster
Are you able to think of the future?
Yes, and I think I should. The war taught me to live life to the fullest and make the most of every single moment. No one knows for sure what will happen tomorrow, but that does not change the fact that life goes on. And who else will think about us and our future, if not ourselves? So lately I have realised that I should not wait for the moment when this war ends, because at the same time, neither other problems like domestic violence, social inequality, mental health, global warming and the domination of capitalism and patriarchy are going away. Moreover, some try to use the war to promote and entrench conservative narratives. That’s why I’m planning to release new songs and an album soon, where I’m going to highlight many topics that are important to me, which should not escape from the field of view because of the war.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
I think it’s generally a sense of humour. It is amazing to me how quickly new memes arise for any event during wartime. Ukrainians meet all the harshest challenges of fate with a smile. This is incredibly uplifting, it unites us and makes it possible to survive any difficulties that befall us.
Who should I interview next and what should I be asking them?
Romario Punch. A very talented guy who performed on the same stage with Coldplay and writes and performs music himself. A Ukrainian musician who lives in Poland and during the year goes out on the square with his guitar and sings Ukrainian songs, introducing Ukrainian musical culture to Poles.
APRIL 10, 2023 – LVIV
photo by @meesooohorny
My name is Joseph, and I’d like to begin by saying that I’m really flattered that you reached out to me, especially in this crucial time when Ukraine needs all the attention we can get from the global community.
My parents are big music fans, so I believe I was programmed to be a musician from the crib. I took piano lessons in elementary school for a few years, but my main passion was always the drums. Since, statistically speaking, there are always more guitarists and singers than drummers, the band is usually going to be looking for the drummer and not the other way around. That’s how I ended up in my first band, pretty much out of the blue. Nu metal was at its heyday in the early 2000s, so that was all we wanted to hear or play, and we had a blast doing it. I have been drumming in various bands on and off ever since, and in the late 2000s I also started messing around with Ableton Live, making beats and IDM-influenced demos.
Has the full-scale invasion changed your approach and motivation to music, and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?
Not really, or at least not that I can tell. Notwithstanding that, I can’t help but get triggered when hearing russian lyrics no matter what country the music is from or its message, although there is one exception to that rule for me, Homesick – “Под Звук Сирен / Under The Sirens“, it’s a song about waking up to this war and coming together as one by a fellow band from Odesa.
photo by @meesooohorny
You released three EPs with your solo project mob since the full-scale invasion, the first one of which, creepin in the cut (w/mesohorny) came out in December 2022. Did you find it difficult to start producing again since February 24, 2002 and how would you was the war influenced your sound if at all?
I’ve always struggled with finishing my projects, and it’s something that I really want to overcome at some point, so I decided I need to push myself a bit more, seeing as it’s so easy to find an excuse and not do anything at all. Like a lot of people, it was like I was in suspended animation for the first couple of months of the war. I was in Canada with mesohorny at the time (fun fact: Nastya is my wife, and I actually met her on Soundcloud back in the day) and although we were far from home, we were even more preoccupied with the events happening in Ukraine, than when we were actually able to return in early June. But up until that point, it was just getting worse and worse for both of us mentally, which is when I started spending 30 minutes to an hour each day throwing together the beats I would later mix into the ‘use at own risk’ tape. After returning, I actually procrastinated for another 6 months before I finally mixed it and allowed myself to move on to all of the other projects I had lined up.
ева (released in February 2023) features ногируки on piano as well as Maryana Klochko on one of the tracks. I know ногируки is also from Lviv, so is this collaboration something you had envisaged for a while and how would you describe the experimental music scene in Lviv?
It’s actually a compilation of the few tracks I made using Evelina’s (ногируки) piano recordings, with the most recent one (“going, going, gone”) being a version of her track “я собі йду“. I’m really into her soundscapes, and I find that they lend themselves to sampling very well. Evelina is a personal acquaintance of mine, but I must say I’m not otherwise that familiar with the local experimental music scene. There’s definitely a lot of bedroom producers just like anywhere in the world right now, and since Ukrainian music is experiencing a general revival at the moment, I would think this includes experimental music as well, there’s more exchange, more coverage, more collaboration.
photo by @anna_oldman_
You also perform in the band Suicideburg, with your first album У німому очікуванні… having been released on Neformat at the end of October 2022. The lyrics are existential, for want of a better word. Was the album written and produced entirely after February 24, 2022 and, if so, how much of its sound and themes were influenced by current events?
I guess that’s the beauty of art that it lends itself to interpretation, although everything was written and recorded a long time before the full-scale invasion. Having said that, my generation of Ukrainians has been going through times of turmoil at every decade of our lives: the 1990s felt like a time of high hopes after the collapse of the soviet union, then we had the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity, both of which were direct precursors to the current war, so it has been one step forward and two steps back pretty much all our lives, hence the existentialism, I guess. We are currently working on Suicideburg’s second album, which will be 100% about this war.
You were also a member of the band пуща which I understand is currently on hold. Did the full-scale invasion derail the project in any way?
I guess it must have brought everything to a boiling point, but I see that as a good thing. To quote Yamamoto Tsunetomo, “The end is important in all things,” for now…
photo by @kiraigigs
How has your life changed over the course of the past year, both from a personal and a professional point of view?
It’s difficult to say, sometimes I think we will only be able to appreciate it once everything’s said and done. Right now it feels as though everything is on hold, and every moment is spent contemplating this war and its barbaric ways: the rape, the torture, the leveled blocks and whole cities. It’s like a new low for us as a species in this day and age.
Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point, and has the sonic landscape in Lviv changed since February 24?
I’m in Lviv with my pets; my wife had to return to Canada so she could extend her resident status there. It sucks to stay apart like this, but there are likely millions of couples that were separated just like we have been, and a lot of them were basically forced to do so because of this war. I think the sonic landscape is trying to keep its footing; music is being released, events are being organized, and all efforts are being made to raise money for the army and for humanitarian aid.
photo by @olyocean.ph
What would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West still holds about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
That’s a very good question. Although it’s hard to generalise, I think there is a misconception that’s also effectively pushed by russian propaganda about Ukrainians being extremely nationalistic, when, in fact, I believe we have many fewer far-right political representatives than other European countries, for instance. Any form of real national or ethnic identity has always been the biggest threat to the soviet empire which is why the mere existence of a free and prosperous Ukraine is a major threat to the post-soviet anti-utopia that is modern-day russia.
photo by @noregrets.digital
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events and, conversely, are there any specific tracks that you now find triggering because they might be associated with specific difficult times or events?
I think the aforementioned “Under The Sirens” sums it all up in the best possible way, “russia is a terrorist state” by ТУЧА, “в найхолодніші дні” by Acid Mamba and “Гний!” by ВІДСІЧ are also up there for me.
Do you suffer from burnout and what do you do to unwind and is there a specific genre of music or a particular artist / album that helps you “switch off” from daily reminders of the war?
I do feel burnout of course, but I don’t really feel the need nor do I believe I really could “switch off” from the war, even if I wanted to. Music is more of a way to channel the conscious and subconscious to try and get any excess out of the system.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
Ukraine is so many wonderful things, if I had to name one thing, it would probably be borsch, although I should also say that each borsch is unique, and coincidentally, that also says a lot about Ukraine.
Who should I interview next and what should I be asking them?
Consider interviewing ТУЧА, you can ask her how she manages to be so productive, making awesome music, videos, and vlogs.
APRIL 12, 2023 – BERLIN
I have been living in Berlin for almost 30 years. I am a full time nurse and studied social work. I worked for a German NGO for 25 years, working for the rights of street children in Madagascar.
I have loved music all my life. I am a child of the 1980s and I grew up with electronic music.
In 2002 I founded the KLIKERKLUB with some friends. It was a small illegal club in the beginning, where we played indiepop by and large. Besides that, for 10 years we did a weekly podcast for a French EU radio station in Nantes. Through this format we significantly expanded our content repertoire and also opened up as DJs to different styles such as rockabilly/ psychobilly, ska, exotica/ trash, krautrock, punk/ postpunk.
In 2013 we stopped our DJ activities and devoted ourselves to our families and professions. I’ve produced another podcast once or twice a year since then. But more to give a small frame to my collecting passion for new music.
In early 2022, after a difficult period in my personal life, I decided to pursue this passion more fully again. I produced a podcast both in January and February, using many songs that mean a lot to me personally. And then on 2/24/2022 the war started and everything changed.
Photo: Nataliia Volkova (@nat_volll)
Can you remember your feelings when you learned about the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022?
The feelings range from incredulous amazement, to total shock, to incomprehensible rage.
I consider myself a political person who is interested in what is happening in this world. I was aware that the Putin regime was drifting further and further towards dictatorship and that it was distancing itself politically more and more from Europe and acting more and more aggressively both internally and externally. But I never thought it possible that in the 21st century I would be confronted with such an epochal rupture of all political and human norms and laws.
I realised abruptly that this war would not be like any other. That it would resemble a culture war. A war of two systems diametrically opposed to each other. And that this war would decide our future for the next 100 years or more. Of this I am convinced.
I have clearly positioned myself on the morning of February 24, 2022 and have decided in favour of democratic and liberal values. And I have decided never to get used to this war, no matter how long it lasts.
You have since become an expert in Ukrainian music, past and present, and you have been running the podcast #supportukraine. Have identified any specific traits within Ukrainian music?
I don’t consider myself an expert in Ukrainian music. I started from 0 by asking Google about “Ukrainian underground music”. I didn’t have a plan that I was following. I just went for it. I thought I’d produce a podcast of Ukrainian music and then go back to my actual podcasts. But then it pulled me in like a maelstrom. In the first 3 months I listened exclusively to Ukrainian music at home, in the car, on foot with headphones. To this day, for the most part, I still do.
Interestingly, in the two podcasts before the outbreak of war, I had already used 2 Ukrainian musicians. Lubomyr Melnyk and Stanislav Tolkachev. Maybe it was a premonition. Then I spent nights researching on the computer and then artists like Svitlana Nianio, Foa Hoka or Yarn captivated me. This music electrified me and it made no difference whether they sang in Ukrainian or English. This surprised me the most. Ukrainian was not a language I was used to hearing in songs until then.
But this music from the early 1990s radiated an incredible power and joy of life for me. I felt I could physically sense the will to freedom inherent in this music. At a time when Ukraine was becoming independent, this music sounded like the soundtrack to this independence movement. Reflecting on the current war, it was obvious that the Ukrainian people were defending the very freedom they had won in the 1990s. And they did it with a passion, like they made music back then. I was incredibly fascinated by that.
What discoveries have surprised you the most in your search for Ukrainian music?
Besides the emotional part described above, what surprised me the most was how many female artists the Ukrainian music scene has to offer, especially in the field of electronic music / DJs / producers. Maryana Klochko, Poly Chain, Nastya Vogan, Klenova, Waveskania, Katya Milch, Marisha, Nata Teva, Bryozone, NFNR – just to name a few.
I find especially exciting the concept of MODULE EXCHANGE, a school of electronic music in Kiev, where, among other things, you learn how to use composition /arrangement / notes in electronic music, what a synthesizer is and how to set it up, or the possibilities of the instrument in “Ableton Live”.
It reminds me of the legendary “BBC Radiophonic Workshop” from the 1950s-1960s, when artists like Delia Derbyshire or Daphne Oram produced groundbreaking sounds in a way that didn’t exist before. That’s why I dedicated my first two-hour show that I was allowed to produce for GASOLINE RADIO to female artists and used only music by them.
How did your collaboration with Gasoline Radio come about and what are your personal favourite series?
I have been to many charity events by Ukrainian bands and singers during the past year. I am in regular contact with some of them. Some of them I would even call friends. Daniel Merkulov (AIRCRAFT) gave me the tip to contact GASOLINE RADIO. He could imagine that my mixes could be interesting to them. He made the contact and then everything went very fast and I got a monthly broadcast. For this I am incredibly grateful and humbled, especially as a “non-resident”.
Unfortunately I have far too little time to listen to the radio. I’m already overwhelmed with listening to my own music collections. But I really like the series of Elizaveta Hilko, or the guest mixes by Waveskania or Nata Teva.
Have you been to Ukraine before or after the full-scale invasion?
No, never, unfortunately. I only made it to just before the Romanian-Ukrainian border on my walks through Romania with my dog. But after the war I will definitely travel to Ukraine. That is 100% certain for me.
Did the full-scale invasion make you reassess your political outlook or any long held beliefs? And what would you say are the biggest misconceptions the West, and specifically Germany, still hold about Ukraine and the full-scale invasion?
Yes definitely. It opened my eyes and made me aware of the deceptive security we all thought we were in. And how lazy and comfortable we have made ourselves in our lives in the safe West. We thought we had the luxury of being able to just look and be shocked when something bad happens in the world and then just carry on as before. Believing that we are on the right side. Giving good advice without being asked, while you made yourself comfortable on the couch with your latte macchiato.
“Yes, it’s stupid about Crimea, but what can you do? We’ll just keep watching from a distance.” I realised how little we had noticed of Ukraine at all. I remember a neighbour I had in the 2000s who always had a Ukrainian flag hanging on her balcony. I found that a bit strange and bizarre. But I never bothered to ask what it was all about.
This focus has now completely shifted for me. I look for the conversation and ask questions and listen. I go to exhibitions, see films and, of course, go to concerts.
I know Russian propaganda well from my childhood and teenage years in the GDR. And I know well how it works. It has led to the fact that Ukraine was never seen in the consciousness as an independent state. Because it was always presented as a brotherly nation. Or at least as a historically deeply intertwined country. The fact that Russia in truth has more than once covered Ukraine with death and horror, that was not in any history book.
I find it astonishing and scary how much this empire is still deeply entrenched in their old thought patterns and how the Putin regime has managed to rally the majority of Russians behind him, while piece by piece he has curtailed the freedom of the individual more and more. It is our duty in the so-called enlightened West to open our eyes and turn our focus towards Ukraine. This is where the future lies. This is where they are fighting for it.
Have you had any awkward conversations with friends from Germany about the war?
Thank God, there is no one in my immediate circle or family who would not have clearly sided with Ukraine. I have more awkward dialogues with clients at work. I work as a nurse in Pankow, a district in the eastern part of Berlin. Many people who live here were socialised in the GDR and were partly profiteers of that system. Nearby is the Majakoswki Ring. Many high-ranking politicians, secret service agents and artists of the GDR lived here in the 1950s-1970s. Many old people have a rather transfigured view of the Soviet Union and later Russia. This is partly shocking.
Are there any Ukrainian releases from the past year that you feel have helped you to make sense of current events?
What has helped me tremendously to broaden my access to Ukrainian music, culture and the atmosphere of Ukrainian society are the many compilations that have been released since then. From many different labels and artists. Labels like Systema, Ochi, Wornpop, Khatacomb, erythroleukoplakia or MusCut represent an incredibly wide artistic range. At the same time, they reflect a diverse Ukrainian society that tells of an impressive artistic freedom. That impresses me very much.
Air Alarm Triptych – Natalia Volkova
What book / movie / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best describes Ukraine for you?
Film: I really enjoyed watching some good movies. One is Donbass from 2018 and especially Stop-Zemlia from 2021 with a great soundtrack featuring Maryana Klochko, Kurs Valut and Svitlana Nianio, among others.
Artwork/ Design: Nataliia Volkova (visual artist, model, photography, cover design); Olga Aboronok (film/digital photography, collages, drawings, paintings), and Maksym Son.
Food: Of course “borsch”. )))
Album: VOLYN FIELD – Tanok (2022).
Song: NFRN – “Cards Against Humanity“.
APRIL 20, 2023 – COPENHAGEN
My name is Sofia Shvager. I am a singer and musician performing under the name of sophistication.
I guess I got into music already in my early years, thanks to my father who used to connect me to sound, and to my mother who encouraged me to sing. I remember clearly when I was 4-5 years old and there were moments when we could just stay home with dad, switch on the record player, and just listen to music for hours sharing what we felt and thought about it. It was an intimate listening atmosphere which I later started to share with my friends and close ones.
I’ve been singing all my life. And the older I get, the more connected I am to my voice. Everything became music for me: the voices of my loved ones, the cries of birds, the car noises, and silence as well. I think I was really coming to music when I wanted to have a specific conversation that couldn’t come out as a simple dialogue. I think it is also deeply connected to my love for literature. Hence, composing the songs was this very revelation: the sounds are not simply noise, the lyrics are not just words.
Did the full-scale invasion change your approach and motivation to music and the way you think about sound?
I think it didn’t change the idea of what music is for me, but it definitely changed the feeling of it. I truly felt that there can be neither a desire for music, nor the ability to listen to it. I also felt its particular uselessness in dangerous circumstances of life. But I also felt that it is still something that stabilises my mind and my sensitivity, though, probably, not to the same degree it was before the full-scale invasion. The war had made my musical skin thicker. The sound takes a longer route to enter my soul now.
Your most recent album, Ten Folds, was made for Kirstine Fryd’s exhibition “Women Fleeing War”, a series of portraits of Ukrainian women who fled to the north of Denmark at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion. This album is probably your most experimental and signals a shift in your work, as it is mostly instrumental. How did you go about composing it?
This work began from my connection to the Danish organisation “The Displaced Artist Network” which supports Ukrainian artists with residencies, facilities, and connections to continue their artistic practices in Denmark. Through them, I got to know “Sound Art Lab”, a space for artistic development and production in sound, where I had an opportunity to record my upcoming EP Amber. Its director, Jacob Eriksen, connected me to Kirstine, who was looking for a person to work on the music for her exhibition. It was a perfect match, we instantly found a common line and started our collaboration on the project.
I always connected my music to the environment, both natural or human-made. This commissioned work for the Struer museum allowed me to explore how I could create music for a specific space, instead of fitting already-existing music to it. At the same time, the music started with the intention to capture some traces of my own experience of leaving Ukraine. Ten Folds is an elaboration of this one melody but with the different tones and emotions of the instruments as the voices.
Your track “Tempo” was picked by DTF magazine as part of 11 Ukrainian releases from 2022 that make sense of the war experience. In the liner notes you write that, “Tempo is not a story about something specific, it is a state of getting used to time and circumstances when relationships even with the dearest people are questioned. There are no conclusions here, only the state of research is unstable, uneven, but the most honest.” Has having to question relationships been one of the most destabilising effects of the full-scale war for you?
I guess it was and it is. The full-scale invasion has been emotionally draining for many of us. For some of my closest friends, this triggered a deepening sense of apathy, as any direct experience and expression of feelings and emotions was put on hold. It also made it hard to keep stable connections, especially taking into consideration that most of my friends are now physically distant. I probably would’ve experienced things differently, had I stayed in Kyiv, but my being far away put some relationships in question.
Are there any tracks / albums that you feel have helped you to make sense of the war experience?
Probably, none. But some of the albums comforted me, like Vega Trails’ Tremors in the Static and Nils Frahm’s Music for Animals. I also spent plenty of time with Svaneborg Kardyb’s Orbit and the first two albums of Hania Rani.
Where are you now and have you been displaced at any point?
Now I’m in Copenhagen and have lived here since last March.
Is there anything about the way the war has been covered in the West that you find problematic and what do you feel the West still gets wrong about Ukraine?
Unfortunately, there are plenty of issues here. To my dismay, part of the West is still unaware of what Ukraine is in the historical and cultural context, primarily due to the russian influence on diminishing and stealing our heritage. It raises the issue that it’s easier to put more attention on whitewashing the so-called “russian liberals” than to pay attention to Ukraine, its voice, and its statements.
It is still an issue that russians are able to continue their cultural activity in the West by just attaching an “anti-war” or “anti-putin” tag to their work. The West still doesn’t get that if some russians claim to be anti-government, this doesn’t mean that they are against the oppression and the killing of Ukrainians and the theft of our land. And their “culture” serves their need to cover it. I guess the ban on russian culture should be more severe than it is now.
Are you able to think of the future?
I do. I couldn’t do it the first month after February 24. But then I started to force myself. I need to have an abstract direction for tomorrow to keep going. And this direction can be, probably, well described by Tagore’s words: “I have spent my days in stringing and in unstringing my instrument.” I keep doing it and plan to continue doing it.
Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork /building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?
To name a few of many: It’s a taste of the herbal tea from the garden of my friend’s mother. The smell of the dried porcini mushrooms from the Carpathians. The travel diaries of the Ukrainian photographer Sofia Yablonska from the 20th century (she wrote about journeys to many other countries but in her writing, I feel a very Ukrainian spirit). The books of literary critic Vira Ageyeva. The photographs of Paraska Plytka Horytsvit. The Troeshchyna and Podil districts in Kyiv. The album Kyiv Eternal by Heinali.
NEW RELEASES
To the Stars and Back ~ Gamardah Fungus
“This album is a logical continuation of our 2021 work ‘Polaris’.
Here we explore space again and travel the galaxy through music and fantasy ‘To The Stars And Back’. Each track on this album is dedicated to different stars that have existed in the universe along with our planet for many millennia and will exist long after the end of our civilization.
From here follows the main idea and philosophy of this release, which can be expressed in the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus: everything flows, everything changes, everything passes.”
Cachalot ~ Kojoohar
“Thick layers of noise swollen textures merge into a viscous soundscape enswathing the listener, like bottomless depths of a swamp devour a descending piece of slag.
Kojoohar is an accidental one-man project from Ukrainian South, weaving tarry audio cocoons from pulsatile cartilagery of obsessive-compulsive ambient industrial and slimy flaps of post-flegmatique noisewave, invoking analog and digital miasma of pocket devices, paralyzant enthropia of modular synths and beatific dyslexy of reverently crafted samples, all concrescent in acataleptic mantrae heralding the impending serenity of inner void.”
Hating Piano ~ 58918012
“Hello, my friends! This album (or EP…whatever you’ll call it) is some kind of challenge for me. I have no idea why but I hate piano in music (especially in ambient music). That’s exactly why I decided to write an album that built around a piano.
The release in general is pretty dark / melancholic / sad / cinematic, and even a bit depressive. But at least two tracks out there are light, soft, and with much more positive vibes (“Impulse” and “Postlude”).
What can I say…this work gave me the experience and showed me that I can like piano-based music. At least when it’s written by me. We all can learn to love. Enjoy the music and stand with Ukraine! Peace.”
Corollaries (10th Anniversary Special Edition) ~ Lubomyr Melnyk
“Hard to believe, it’s only 10 Light-Years away since I was recording the pieces for this album. And it is wonderful that people can revisit the music which may have been forgotten over this long journey of 10 years… and I love that special live performance of Pockets of Light, which now everyone can hear for the first time!” — Lubomyr Melnyk, April 2023
Vegan Headfuck ~ Edward Sol
While by no stretch of the imagination vegan, bears have a varied diet that consist of around 70% of something other than meat. They also benefit from an elongated digestive tract, an adaptation that allows them more efficient digestion of vegetation than other carnivores. What any of this has to do with Edward Sol’s latest output makes indeed for a pretty unsettling headfuck, or rather, an adventurous musical journey filled with menace and dread. Under current iconography, the bear symbolises Russia, and one would be hard pushed not to see in the album’s cover a metaphor for the aggressive behaviour of a rather territorial neighbour.
Vegan Headfack opens in a foreboding manner with hissing sounds and relentless drones that eventually give way to a more varied musical landscape. Side 2 of the tape starts in a similarly dark mode with industrial tones, radio signals and what could be identified as passing aircraft. And yet, eventually, the fog lifts, and tentative field recordings from a bucolic countryside emerge with birdsong signalling a new dawn.
blurred days ~ xtclvr
“Pep Gaffe is glad to deliver an audio collage of smeared and punched moods & blessed loops recorded by xtclvr during 2022 in Kyiv, UA.
‘Blurred Days’ molds the sense of hopefulness and love, something nostalgic, meaningful, and memorable, like trippin’ with friends. Perhaps even some life-altering news, an inexplicable cloying feeling of dissociation of past and present.”
26 04 ~ Whaler
“April 26, 1986. At 01:23, two explosions echoed through the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In the sky above Pripyat, a glow emanated from the burning reactor, releasing tons of radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere. The event forever changed the lives of ordinary people.
Maksym Merkulov, also known as Whaler, incorporates conceptual and, to some extent, cinematic elements in his work. With releases such as Mothership, which tells the story of an artificial intelligence wandering through space, and Noncommon Sense, which explores the journey of internal transformation, the artist returns to the narrative format to recount the event that left a profound impact on both him and the entire planet.
He sublimates his experiences of the disaster’s consequences into a haunting soundscape filled with the hum of reactors, the crackling of dosimeters, and the chatter of internal communication systems.”
Кав’ярня + ~ Стас Корольов
“The first single of this year. The additional track is actually what sounds in the Virtual Kaviarnia (our own online institution kaviarnia.staskoroliov.com). And this is a tribute to the six and a half hour concert at which we collected a million hryvnias for the Hospitallers. The bonus hidden track is a very early demo.”
Sounds Of Survival From Ukrainian Underground Volume 2 ~ various artists
Venturing further afield, the second volume of Ukrainian underground music from Sounds of Survival presents a more diverse palette of sounds rippling out from its dub core to more experimental fare laced with drones. 23 tracks, for another generous offering represeting five Ukrainian cities: Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Kharkiv & Ternopil.
МАПА. Частина IV ~ Neformat Family
“Neformat Family together with the МА|ПА project (series of interviews with representatives of the Ukrainian underground scene) presents the fourth part of the charity compilation aimed at supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Hardcore, black metal, psychedelic rock, psychobilly and a bunch of other genres from 24 Ukrainian artists who found the strength and inspiration to continue creating music over the past year!”
Live Love Freedom ~ Gagarin Project
“Welcome to the first compilation from Live Love Create Music Records. LIVE LOVE FREEDOM offers a 60-minute journey through delicious music, featuring sound masters from all over the world: Ashnaia Project, Eurythmy + Nibana, Balancé, beatfarmer, Kliment, Essence Project, Kaya Project, Kick Bong, Zen Baboon and Sufi’s Life. All been carefully mastered by Aes Dana.
As part of our mission to promote culture and support social causes, we are dedicating this compilation to the courageous individuals fighting for FREEDOM in Ukraine. The proceeds and donations from this album will be directed towards financing various social projects. We will be selecting different projects based on their urgency each time. We believe that together we can do more.
The second chapter, LIVE LOVE UNITY, is already available as a presale and will be fully available in May. It features tracks from EMOG, Erothyme, Sikha Pros,Jeremy’s Aura, Dejalum, AuroraX, Jule Grasz, WasiSunqu and I-ONE. Don’t miss this audio experience for your ears and mind to savour.”
PODCASTS
VIEWING ROOM
(Gianmarco Del Re)
a closer listen 