Nearly two years after the invasion, the Ukrainian music scene has continued to flourish, responding to war with creative fire. We continue to be astounded by the volume, variety and vitality of the new music released by Ukrainian musicians, which we’ve been chronicling in real time on our website. Gianmarco Del Re’s Ukrainian Field Notes is now a 567-page book with an 86-track album, the go-to resource for anyone wishing to understand the scene. Amazingly, the book covers only the first year of the war. We’ve prepared this list as an entry point to the second.
These ten entries were selected from Gianmarco’s short list of 42. Five of these releases received full reviews on our site in 2023; the other five were first listed in Ukrainian Field Notes. Together, the albums and EPs create a tapestry of Ukrainian music composed in an impossible time: a testament to the continued resilience of the Ukrainian people.
Alexander Stratonov ~ Bucha: Final Destination
Bucha: Final Destination is the first of three film scores Stratonov composed in 2023; the other two are Queue to Say Goodbye and Maple: To Identify a War Criminal. All three of these documentaries have important insights to share about the war, and are bolstered by the dramatic tension that Stratonov brings to the table. He’s the right person, at the right time, in the right place.
Hanna Svirska ~ Yangola (Standard Deviation)
Yangola is a gorgeous meditation that also serves as a metaphor. In this Ukrainian folk tale, an antagonist stalks the land, while the people set out in search of an angel. Svirska sings of conflict, revival and the return of spring. Aho Ssan provides an exciting remix. In addition to compilation appearances, Svirska also released the Zabuttya EP this past fall, in collaboration with Ukrainian artists Pymin, Lostlojic, Revshark and Seréen.
Heinali ~ Kyiv Eternal (Injazero)
“A tribute to the city that refuses to fall,” Kyiv Eternal is an ambient love letter to a city under siege, filled with local field recordings that anchor the recording in geography and time. The mood is wistful, yet hopeful, suffused with the sense of wonder that comes with survival. While all of the Ukrainian music released this year can be considered vital, this one has the feel of a classic.
Igor Yalivec ~ Etudes (Whited Sepulchre)
There are two types of peace: outer and inner. In the absence of one, we seek the other. If there is ever a need for ambient music, it is in a war zone. Igor Yalivec makes such music because he feels compelled to do so; without it, the soul begins to dissipate. The album highlight is the chime-toned “Awakening,” a lullaby that eases agitation, and soothes the savage breast.
Natalia Tsupyrk ~ do nestyamy
This spring, Natalia Tsupyrk released “beyond the cemetery wall,” described as “a lullaby for a fallen soldier.” This simple, heartbreaking piece is now the finale of the mournful do nestyamy, roughly translated to carry. Aching strings meet bubbling electronics as the artist walks through cemeteries and monasteries, remembering the lost, carrying their memories close to her heart.
sophistication. ~ Ten Folds
Ten Folds is the score to the photographic exhibition Women Fleeing War, which chronicles the “veil of numbness” experienced by the artist as she and others fled the initial bombing of Kyiv, relocating to the north of Denmark. The artist, now located in Copenhagen, looks back with sadness, yet infuses her compositions with tender grace.
ummsbiaus ~ enerhomor (Mystictrax)
enerhomor captures electrical sounds from the outskirts of Kyiv in the early days of the russian invasion, incorporating them in a harrowing electronic frame. The Kakhovka HPP, released three months later, is a frightening drone that addresses the demolition of the Kakhovka Dam. Capping the year, ummsbiaus released Snovyda Suite No. 1, Op. 4, a reflection of the sleep cycle, ending in a nightmare. The nation is not safe, and as a result, neither is this music.
Various Artists ~ Спадок (Gasoline Records)
Featuring Hanna Svirska, ummsbiaus, Revshark and Lostlojic, all mentioned above and more, Спадок is a variety-packed introduction to the year in Ukrainian music. The incorporation of chants and traditional instruments builds bridges across generations, and a separate 297-track sample pack invites listeners to make their own Ukrainian tracks, wherever they may live.
Vera Logdanidi ~ Voices (Kashtan Records)
Voices is a multi-disciplinary work that operates as an historic document. The piece incorporates recordings from February 24, 2022, the first day of the invasion. (For non-Ukrainian speakers, we recommend the subtitled version in the video below.) Released exactly one year later, the piece serves as a reminder that while the news cycle may have moved on, the people of Ukraine are continuing to fight for their lives and their freedom.
Waveskania ~ Braveland
Braveland is the first of two Waveskania EPs to appear this year, the second being the equally club worthy Gatekeeper. The key track, “Темна нічка,” includes a field recording of elderly Ukrainian women singing traditional Ukrainian songs in a Kyiv subway just before the onset of the war. The juxtapositions ~ old and new, before and after ~ create a striking contrast.
Richard Allen
a closer listen 