Ukrainian Field Notes XLII

For this episode we travel to Ivano-Frankivsk to discover what DEDDOM does when he finds out the amount of his pension. Also in Ivano-Frankivsk we speculate on the meaning of Cringemodernism with Benjamin WiSE, and 5NONE5 distances himself from American musical influences.

Furthermore we talk folk and metal with Oleksiy Pominchuk, and Disco Borisco explains the unexpected results of listening to disco.

In Berlin, we revisit Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo courtesy of Triš, whereas in Kyiv Ivan Shelekhov focuses on quality rather than quantity and Maksym Razdobudko muses on listening during war.

Finally, KESER1 assures us that dreams do come true, and Olga Zaitseva-Herz pays tribute to Bakhmut, while Vladyslav Deboshyr has forgotten what nightlife is, Maksym Natalich uses creativity to protect his own mental health and Elvira Saryhalil explains the history of Crimean Tatars.

We also celebrate a boutiful crop of new releases with latest offerings from Poly Chain, Katarina Gryvul, Andrey Kiritchenko, Lvcerate, Noneside Records, NFNR, Roman Slavka, Drone of War, 58918012, King Imagine, Trinidad Shevron, Lu Joyce, Drudkh, Valentina Goncharova, Cryptic Chorus and their side project Dosenfett, and Italian producer IOSONOUNCANE with a soundtrack to the documentary Lirica Ucraina.

In the Viewing Room we feature the latest from Паліндром [Palindrom] and three recent sets from the popular Noise Every Wednesday series at Otel’ with Sominaryst, Kelsis and Parking Spott. Plus two sets from Berlin courtesy of Monoconda and Koloah.

Last, but not least, to celebrate Spring I am including the poem “Contra spem spero” by Lesia Ukrainka in a translation by the Ukrainian author Olesya Khromeychuk who recently delivered a speech on hope and democracy at the University of Notre Dame.

Contra spem spero

Away, dark thoughts, you autumn skies!
Springtime is here adorned with gold!
Shall youth be lost in grieving sighs,  
Am I, in sorrow, to grow old?  

No, through my tears I want to smile  
Amid disaster sing my song,  
It’s hopeless hope, but it is mine,  
I want to live! Dark thoughts, be gone!

But to begin with, here’s the UFN monthly podcast on Resonance FM which looks at the connections between K41 in Kyiv and Bassiani in Tbilisi. Having recorded two interviews with Mariana Berezovska, Nastya Syradoieva from K41 and Standard Deviation and Giorgi Kikonishvili from Horoom, Hydrash, Wings of Desire and Bassiani, I have produced an extended version roughly divided into two halves the second half with Giorgi starting at 01:11.30.

Tracklist:

• Maryana Klochko – “Babusia” [VA – Intermission – (Standard Deviation)]
• Kataryna Gryvul – “Ocean” [VA – From Ukraine, For Ukraine – (Standard Deviation)]
• XTCLVR – “Feel Me” [XTCLVR – Inverse (Standard Deviation)]
• Native Outsider – “Vertigo” [VA – Succession – (Standard Deviation)]
• Nana.ios – “Unknown” [VA – Women Against the Oppressive Regime (Diaci)]
• Mark Panghoud – “Kiki” [VA – Succession – (Standard Deviation)]

INTERVIEWS

MARCH 6, 2025 – IVANO-FRANKIVSK

DEDDOM

Hi! My name is Andrii, and I am the only member of a very experimental one-man band, DEDDOM. My music is a way to create something new that I have never heard before but always wanted to listen to. So, the only way is to do it yourself. Also, DEDDOM’s lyrics are a reflection on and a contemplation of what kind of life awaits us when we become old.

My story as an instrumentalist started when I was thirteen. My father showed me a few chords on an acoustic guitar. At that period, I got sick, and there are very few actions you can do when you have a fever. So I played one song over and over again for two weeks from morning till night. I think it was extremely hard to live in one apartment with me and listen to this endless music.

At sixteen, I learned to play bass guitar and joined a few bands. I played a lot of different and maybe even opposite genres of music such as death metal, pop, thrash, funk, grindcore, metalcore, punk rock, and many others. This gave me a wide perspective on how different music can be, and I was always surprised – why do so few bands combine genres, and why do almost all of them follow the classic pattern in their style? Why are there no solos in hardcore, why are grind songs always short, and why is pop music so easy to play? etc. I always wanted to combine different aspects from different genres.

Has the full-scale invasion changed the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your setup and playlist?

Sure. Before I loved to listen to styles that require good preparation, such as progressive rock, avant-garde, math metal, free jazz, and others. But during the first years of the war, I needed something warm and calm instead. So, I switched to field recordings, ambient, and meditation music. Also, my favorites were The Men I Trust, Sade, and Sleep. Their music helped me keep my thoughts together, stay productive, and remain positive.

In the spring of 2022, a russian rocket hit my family’s home, and almost the whole street was ruined. I’ve lost my home, my grandma and godfather passed away, and I lost almost all my musical stuff. Only the bass guitar flew out through the door after the explosion. My neighbor found it, and a luthier from Kharkiv repaired it later. So, I recorded it on my album. My 8-string guitar was at my parent’s home at that time, and that was the only instrument that was preserved.

I think despite all the circumstances that happened to us, we will always be musicians and always return to music. So, these events pushed me to seek help from a psychologist, and later I recorded an ambient track, “DEDISDEAD.” It is fun to compare the calm “DEDISDEAD” recorded during the period when I worked with a psychologist to the highly expressive “When You Find Out the Amount of Your Pension…” which I recorded much later after I finished the sessions.

In weird times like these, how can one make music, videos and memes that can still be seen as weird?

I call it harmony! Hahaha! Weird times – weird music. I think this is the honest reaction to a crazy thing that happened in the world. And more than that – the skill to sublimate your negative energy into activities like art and sports makes our community kinder and more comfortable to live in.

What can you tell us about the production process of your latest album “When you find out the amount of your pension and start thinking what to do with it” and how do you manage to make so much “noise” as a one-man band?

Sure! This is the first song ever that I started not with a melody or a riff. It started with drums. In the spring of 2023, I enjoyed playing drums while listening to the news. When I heard good news, I played slow swing-like stuff. And I played blasts when I heard something bad. So, I had an idea to record a session like that. Finally, I ended up with two hours of beats inspired by the news from this period. Mostly bad news, I would say. I layered it with four guitars’ noise and a bit later, I decided that a two-hour bass solo would fit as well. So, over one and a half years, I added different instruments to it. There were drymba, piano, saxophone—not just gentleman’s metal stuff. I cut a lot of noise parts but added funk, pop, shoegaze, and other styles. The main goal was to paint a picture of my emotions during this time. I tried to balance the mood, like a hot-cold shower – to show happiness, anger, fatigue, and high spirits – all the colors we feel now during the war.

How would you describe the music scene in Ivano-Frankivsk and would you say you feel part of its community?

Ivano-Frankivsk residents are very calm and friendly people. You can feel it in everything – the way they drive, how children communicate with each other, and how people help strangers. The same goes for the local music community.

At the beginning of the full-scale war, the music community warmly welcomed musicians from frontline cities. There were many gatherings, concerts, and jam sessions. I think this really helped me recover quickly after the tragedy of losing my home and loved ones.

As for myself, after arriving here from the Kharkiv region, I felt strong support, met many musicians, and we are currently preparing an interesting collaborative project.

Considering recent developments on the international stage, how do you manage to avoid the news and retain your mental health?

I had a lot of work as an Android developer. A hard and fast-paced project gave me no chance to think much about the news. Even more – on the day my home was bombed, I was heavily overloaded with ASAP tasks. I didn’t know whether my mom and dad were alive, as they were under the ruins at that moment. But I had to finish my work on time. And I finished. That’s insane. But work is not a healthy coping mechanism.

I had sessions with a psychologist for one year, learned meditation, breathing exercises, and practiced mindfulness. It made me much stronger and significantly increased my resilience.

What is your path to happiness considering current circumstances?

Support Ukraine in any way you can. We can be happy only in a world where Hobbitland can resist Mordor. In a world where people say “never again” to war – not in a world where they say “we can repeat.”

Family, friendship, and kindness are the key to a happy life.

 

Do you know what the place where we’ll end up looks like?

I used to think that I would be an old man, who lives in a village, has his own garden, grows potatoes, tomatoes, onions with my wife. A man who makes ambient music and listens to vinyl.

But nowadays everything is changing rapidly, so I prefer not to think about it much. I’d rather play music or read a book.

Has the role of music in Ukraine shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?

Yes, I believe that with the war, new meanings have layered onto music. Ukrainian music has always been valued for its melody, optimism, sincerity, and beauty. Now, it has also become a tool that helps us stay strong, pull ourselves together, and resist a very powerful dictator.

We are showing the world that, yes, we are fighting, it is incredibly difficult for us, and we need help. But at the same time, despite everything, Ukrainians have remained kind to each other, kind to the world, singing, creative, and constructive.

No matter how much pain we endure, we will always remain creators of beauty—whether in sports, art, science, or education. Anything. This is what Ukrainian identity is all about.

 

MARCH 12, 2025 – IVANO-FRANKIVSK

Benjamin WiSE

Hi, my name is Oleg, I am the founder of a promo group and label from Ivano-Frankivsk called Garden Xub. This is also the name of the space we rented, where in the spring of 2023 we held various events: musical, film screenings, poetry evenings, etc.; exhibitions and master classes were planned.

In 2023, I started creating my own music as a project Benjamin WiSE, and in early 2024, the first EP was released via Garden Xub. This release is part of my conceptual music series «Terraforming»: the story of Earth before the catastrophe, post-apocalypse, spaceship travel, and the terraforming of an exoplanet. The second release is due in April.

“Terraforming: Before the Storm” talks about feelings of anxiety, worry and panicky euphoria. It was a kind of consideration of the current accelerated negative socio-technological trends in the world. In turn, in the release of “Terraforming: AfterPast” everything turns into chaos, devastation and gradual purification through the search for new alternative views. I mean new views such as the digital afterlife, the cybernetic unconscious, posthumanism, (post)anthropocentrism, dark ecology, Sinofuturism, and the ethics of artificial intelligence.

For the tracks from this series, I write articles (small essays) in which I talk in detail about the concept, inspiration, references, and this is like a flight of thought. They are on my Medium; I plan to translate texts into English in the future.

Has the full-scale invasion changed the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your setup and playlist?

Definitely: I began to more actively follow Ukrainian sound producers and take an interest in music events in other cities, looking for interesting concepts, ideas, and artists.

As I wrote in my essay comparing globalism and localism in the context of Ukraine: “The war offers a new, but indeed deeply medieval, understanding of the metaphysics of cities. Along with the establishment of checkpoints, there was a kind of transformation into fortress cities, literally tiny countries with their own restrictions and rules. Fortress cities differ in the number of internal rules, even when there are not always objective reasons for this, and which, accordingly, limit their inhabitants to a greater or lesser extent”.

All of this greatly affects the context of individual cities, the musical environments there. For example, to hold a music event in Ivano-Frankivsk, you officially need to get permission from the local administration. This bureaucratized and delayed the already complicated process of preparing for the event. In Lviv, for example, there is no such rule.

You just released an eclectic compilation of music from artists based in Ivano-Frankivsk. How did this come about and how would you describe the music scene and music community in your hometown?

The idea of ​​the “NOT FRANKIVSK” compilation was to document the very existence of so many local music producers which many townspeople don’t even know about, even among the other participants in the compilation! So it’s hard to call it a scene yet. In fact, it’s “hidden” and “decentralized” in the sense that people just write something for themselves and therefore don’t share it with others publicly, but only with friends. Accordingly, only through mutual friends do you find out about their projects. But there are enough such bedroom producers for a small city.

I think the war also influenced this: writing music as a form of reflection, where the therapeutic process is more important than the result, i.e. publishing on streaming platforms.

On the other hand, for me the music scene is manifested, first of all, in its diversity, and not only in a similar sound, as if everyone uses the same sample packs, VST plugins, synth presets or analog gears. In this sense, an important component is the presence of producers who are more focused on experiments with sound: Ivan Turmenko, 5NONE5, Luk. A, 58918012, Yakovenko Ihor.

Also, in my opinion, the local scene is affected by the fact that there is no club as such in the city. That is, in the canonical sense, a socio-cultural place with weekly electronic music events. After all, there is a demand for this and it could better and more deeply represent the local scene, electronic producers, not only DJs. For example, as it was previously in the Module club in Dnipro, and later on this basis the Dnipropop label.

Big events in Frankivsk start with you looking for a vacant warehouse on a space rental website…

Your recent EP “Terraforming: Before the Storm” is inspired both by Cruelty Squad and Slavoj Žižek and could be labeled as Hauntology House music. What can you tell us about its production process and what role would you say hauntology holds in Ukraine under present circumstances?

Hauntology House is more of my own, “artificial” tag to describe a specific track “The Ghost of the Amusement Park”. I was trying to write something similar to an outsider (lo-fi) house, but instead of the characteristic melancholic melodies, the sounds of a music box and the addition of post-industrial textures were better suited. In general, there was a desire to create a weird nostalgic sound.

I was very inspired by a dream with childhood memories of a city amusement park. True, in the dream this park had liminal connotations: it was evening, completely empty, but everything was lit and working. When I looked closely, individual attractions worked at different speeds and in modes that were not typical for them.

My understanding of hauntology is based on Mark Fisher’s reading of Jacques Derrida’s concept. Speaking of Ukraine, the feeling of “ghosts of a lost future” sometimes really manifests itself. For example, through various cultural artifacts, as if taken from an alternative reality.

The compilation is just such an example – it shows many local producers that no one knew about, but who nevertheless exist, live, only separately, on their own. Ghosts of the local electronic scene.

Do you find the inclusion of air raid sirens and other war sounds in electronic music tracks triggering and can they ever be considered necessary to convey the war experience to an international audience?

Heh, that’s a really interesting question. You know, I’m reminded of the documentary “Sisters with Transistors”, – it’s about women in academic electronic music, their role and influence on the formation of contemporary sound, and experiments with it. In the film, Delia Derbyshire shared childhood memories related to World War II, yeah, about the sounds of air raid sirens, when she was walking on the street! This was in the context of a story about what influenced her avant-garde vision of sound, an approach to experimental music, which later expressed itself in compositions.

Also, thinking about this and similar questions back in 2022… it seemed hypothetically possible to me then that the revival of the genre as martial industrial would be from Ukrainian producers 🙂

And in general, if a certain element in a track reflects the emotional state of the musician at the time of writing, then it is a priori not speculative or simply demonstrative, or just to “attract attention”. Moreover, it’s necessary.

Which albums or tracks by Ukrainian artists have best managed to capture current events from the past three years for you?

Probably, for me the main track was and remains “Free Ukraine” by ARS WAS TAKEN. This track was published on his soundcloud after the first russian missiles hit residential high-rise buildings in Kyiv. A photo of a damaged building became the “cover” of the track. I listened to it on repeat for several evenings, this is the end of February 2022. For me, the track reflects the pain recorded in the moment, but this is not the “beauty of pain” in the sense of Bataille. This is absolute disorientation, uncertainty, a change in old paradigms in world perception.

This track is now a part of the “From Ukraine, For Ukraine” compilation from the Standard Deviation label, which was released in late 2022.

Also, I really love and want to highlight the song “Bejenec & Dorothea – Чари ночі”. It is about occupied Kherson in 2022. And the album “Kyiv Eternal” from Heinali. It’s like ambient memories based on field recordings from various places in pre-war Kyiv. You just have to experience it once.

Considering recent developments on the international stage, who do you retain your mental health?

All these situations are entirely within the paradigm of the era in which we now live and which my friends and I call “cringemodernism”.

In turn, difficult times are prompted to a contemplative experience that we call “riehling” – in honor of the lifestyle of local poet Taras Ril. It’s about measured and, at first glance, aimless evening walks around the city, but for us they have a deep therapeutic meaning. Heartfelt conversations help untangle the tangle of inner experiences and anxieties.

Yes, it is a somewhat reminiscent figure of the flâneur of the French in the middle of the 19th century, but here the context is much more complex. It is somewhat psychogeographical.

Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?

For me, it is now important and relevant to observe the writing of the fifth book by the aforementioned Taras Ril about Ivano-Frankivsk, drafts of which he publishes almost daily on his telegram channel.

This is a kind of semi-mythological cartography of the “alternative reality” of Ivano-Frankivsk, based on his real stories and unique analysis of life experience. As Taras himself says: “This is one of the most humane goals of art – to make life better by deceiving and exposing it, and thereby to teach people to love ordinary life, to perceive it, to accept it, despite everything”.

 

MARCH 13, 2025 – FRANCE

011010 – DiscoBorysko

Well, my real name is Oleksiy Borysko. I must be more of a dj rather than a music producer even though it was a “must” for me to make my own music since early days. I was born in 1986 in Khmelnytskiy city. I was heavily influenced by my father who was a dj in the region (animating student parties) and with his friends they were smuggling records outside of soviet union to copy them on tapes to sell them. The price of the tape was formed according to the number of times it was copied since the original record: the copy of the copy was cheaper. I can clearly remember his “home studio” with all the tape recorders, amplifiers and a huge number of tapes.

At some point I got my Sony Walkman and my first tape of Simply Red. I remember myself watching Deep Purple Come Hell or High Water in concert with him on VHS, Highway Star intro was amazing. I never learned to play a musical instrument or musical theory.

How did you get involved with ОЧІ and what can you tell us about the production process for your album 12 years after recorded under the moniker 011010?

ОЧІ drew my attention in 2023 when a collaboration of Flashe and CrystaLucifer (my friends from Khmelnytskiy) called “Detonation” appeared. The open call followed for the charity compilation in 2024 and I’ve sent 4 demo tracks, one of them was kindly approved by be_ca_di and I found myself instantly working on the EP 12 Years After. It was an instant session of 4 tracks you can hear on this EP. With a little post-production time the demo was sent quite quickly.

The first track is quite minimalistic with the main analog synth melody evolving through the track, it made me think alot about Robert’s Hood M-Plant early productions. Second track is embracing polyrhythm, proving that three steps is more than enough for the functional techno track. Third unit is the ultimate combo and the best track of the EP I think, here you can hear the influence of Stanislav Tolkachev and some dub chords I tried to create on my cheap broken volca bass (really powerful synth with 3 oscillators for the price). The last track is a dedication to FM synthesis in combination with 808, more in a post punk manner. 303 with a closed cutoff for the base lines is present on the first three tracks. Luckily be_ca_di got hooked on the idea and all four tracks saw the light of the day. Speaking about the production process, I feel obliged to mention Valeri who provided an extremely nice visual artwork for this release and Vlad Fisun for his masterful abstract description of the thing.

What unexpected results has listening to disco led you to?

Haha, nice question. Definitely more gigs, but there may be some more releases soon also 😉 Actually it was a kind of slogan I put on my instagram to fill out the missing line. But finally it is something to signify my change from techno only to the broader field of music. The idea came to me back in 2014 after some experiences with my friends, I suddenly realised that there is so much music around me and I can use it in a way. Quite obvious though.

You moved to France 10 years ago. What has it been like to witness the full-scale invasion from afar?

It was painful, frustrating, shocking, disorienting, scary and sad, very-very sad. I think I am still not able to fully process what happened because of the distance even though I keep the images of the events in my native city just before I left the country with my family (takeover of the SBU) and one thing I know for sure: I feel more connected to my homeland than ever before.

How aware and supportive would you say the international electronic music community (or at least the French one) is of Ukrainian artists?

Quite supportive I must say. Especially in the beginning of the full-scale invasion. I got a lot of messages from people I know asking me how they can help, what we need, where they can deposit humanitarian aid etc. Two weeks after full-scale invasion I was invited by my friend Clara to play a charity stream for Ukraine in the studio called SpaceDrive in Strasbourg, luckily my friends from Sympatia bar in Khmelnytskyi were pro-active and we were able to share our problem with the world on the short notice. I remember myself playing a gig in La Kulture, Strasbourg with some local guys during the first days of full-scale invasion, it is quite a challenging task for every dj I think to perform in such conditions. They were supporting me alot during the night, creating a friendly atmosphere and when I was payed at the end of the night the guy who gave me the money told me that like this, I can support my country. I think I will remember this for a long time. I even remember getting some DM at some point from Renaat Vandepapeliere (R&S records) asking about my project and how he can help.

Last year we managed to organise a charity event in collaboration with a booking agency in Strasbourg, with the support of the FM radio station Radio Bienvenu Strasbourg (RBS) (Thank you Pierre and Dimitri). I should not forget to mention another charity event for Ukraine that took place in 2023 in the orangery in Strasbourg, this time with Hyenah from Watergate, Berlin. And yes, we are getting quite used to seeing Ukrainian names all over the line ups and radio stations. I really appreciate people like you, Gianmarco, that are keeping a track on the events of our country and our people, I think it will not be forgotten. I would also like to say thank you to Heiko from Klikerklub, Berlin, who offered a great series of events in artspace in exile but also a wonderful charity release at the beginning of 2024. So, finally a lot of support I think, yes. We should multiply our contacts and collaborations, I believe this is the only right way. Would be nice getting more in touch with people, opening more doors and playing and releasing more music. Unfortunately, some places and parties in Strasbourg I never played and I don’t know if it will be possible in the future.

Living in France, what are the most common misconceptions about Ukraine you have had to counter and have these changed since the full-scale invasion?

I believe I can remember myself being called a russian one time, never happened again since a full-scale invasion.

Are there any Ukrainian albums from the past three years that have helped you make sense of current events or that have captured the war experience for you in any meaningful way?

I am sure that there were a lot of meaningful albums since the beginning of the war, unfortunately I was not able to listen to all of them, I’ve listened to some but I cannot really highlight any particular one. What is true for me, some old albums like Pink Floyd Animals or The Wall got some new shades considering recent events.

Many have told me that they’ve been rediscovering their Ukrainian musical heritage since the full-scale invasion. Has this been your case as well?

Yes, I like alot what guys like Seba and Macka from Vertuha were doing with their ukrainian-oriented mixes and edits. Also, I follow CJ Plus from Odesa who is living in Kyiv now. In 2024 I saw Mustache Funk, a movie dedicated to ukrainian music in the soviet era, by Vitalii Bardetskyi, it definitely had a “wow” effect on me.  At the same time, it’s nice to see a young generation creating ukrainian folk music. You are featuring Try kroky v nich (Ukrainian folk collective from Lviv) in your previous episode, my brother Danylo is playing with them, I was so happy to see him on your page and to so honored to share the same interview series with him even though the distance is separating us for three years easily.

• Film: Cossacks (cartoon series)
• Album: ‎Альбом «Пожежi мiста Вавiлон» — ТНМК— Apple Music
• Song: Скрябін & Ірина Білик — Мовчати [Official Video]
• Traditional dish: Borsch
• Podcast/Blog: (467) Thickets – YouTube
• Artwork: Metal Statue “Sad” by Mykola Mazur (in photos)
• Building: St George’s Cathedral, Kiev | Religiana
• Meme: Anton and Marichka by Prytula and Ternopilskiy Siryi (so funny)

 

 

MARCH 14, 2025 – UKRAINE

Merzotna Potvora – Oleksiy Pominchuk

Hello. I’m Oleksiy Pominchuk. I spent a lot of time making music without any purpose, just for fun. I didn’t release any records anywhere, I just put them on the shelf. In 2018, I decided to try to share my creativity. Together with Konstantin Orel, we created the band Merzotna Potvora. In 2019, our first EP was released on the Norwegian label Duplicate records. And after that, everything started to take off.

In addition to writing music, I also help other bands with mixing and mastering.

Has the full-scale invasion changed the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your setup and playlist?

I don’t think the war has affected my tastes in any way. In the last 3-4 years I have really started listening to different and calmer music but I think it came with age. Throughout my life my musical preferences have changed. I continue to listen to a lot of things even now. It all depends on my mood.

You do mastering jobs for metal and punk music. How would you position both genres within the Ukrainian music scene since independence and have they gained a more prominent role since the Russian full-scale invasion? Also, what strands of metal are you more interested in? And have there been any welcome surprises in the types of mastering jobs you’ve been asked to do recently?

After independence, these genres began active development almost from scratch. Everyone knows that during the Soviet era there was strict censorship, so there is almost nothing to boast about metal and punk during that period. During independence, bands were still oriented towards Moscow – most bands released albums in russia, most touring agencies were from russia. Recently, many Ukrainian labels have appeared. Also, many bands release their music on Western labels. The development is really noticeable. After 2014, many stopped collaborating with russians, and since 2022 it has been taboo. These events push musicians to develop their music promotion skills more in order to find a listener. Some really succeed and they achieve results that they did not expect before. As for the metal that interests me more, these genres are poorly developed in Ukraine. I love traditional heavy metal, speed metal, metal punk, black thrash metal, and raw black metal of the first wave. I want more of this kind of music from Ukraine. Partly because of the lack of it, I started making music.

As for surprises in mastering types, I can’t think of anything extraordinary. Many recording studios work with template methods. After mixing in these studios, different bands can sound almost the same. I try to give the tracks a unique sound.

How do you see the metal scene developing under present circumstances when many bands are currently on a hiatus due to their members joining the army or being mobilised?

Oddly enough, the metal scene has not died and is developing quite rapidly. Many bands with young members who are not subject to mobilization have appeared. And among those who are older but not involved in military affairs, there is also great activity. It seems to me that bands have even become more active in implementing their plans – they are recording new albums, creating new projects. At a time when you don’t know whether you have much time ahead of you, you want to do everything that you have previously put off for later as soon as possible.

You are also part of the band Mrzotna Potvora. What can you tell us about the production process for your latest album Poluvannia which also sees a number of guest appearances from colleagues from other metal bands?

The album Hunting was written in an unstable time – there were power outages and frequent airplane signals. But we still managed. The authors of the music are two permanent members of the band: myself and Kostyantyn Orel. Another member also appeared – drummer Petro Buday. There are also guests on the album. Usually everyone wants to invite some foreign star to be a guest, but we did it unconventionally. So on the album you can hear musicians from Ukrainian bands: Reabilitator, Zombie Attack, Tulpa, Terrorscum.

Some of the artists I have interviewed who are currently in the army seem to champion metal projects like Drudkh, who embrace epic folk-influenced melodies. Folk motifs have also appeared in a number of recent electronic works. This seems to be in line with a rediscovery of Ukraine’s music heritage by a younger generation after the full-scale invasion.

Judging by your Instagram account you have always been interested in vintage Ukrainian music, and not just Ukrainian. Do you see this a welcome step by younger artists and what would you say are the most interesting examples of works from different genres that use traditional music and instruments?

Indeed, elements of folklore are very often used in Ukrainian music of various genres. I myself used folklore in the band Merzotna Potvora, mostly in the lyrics, and a little in the music. Personally, I like to listen to older music. In the 70s, the Soviet Union somewhat relaxed censorship of creativity and then many performers appeared who used folk motifs in their songs. Now this wave is called mustachioed funk (вусатий фанк). You should listen to: Kobza (Кобза), Nazariy Yaremchuk (Назарій Яремчук), early songs by Sofia Rotaru (Софія Ротару), Smerichka (Смерічка), etc.

Do you find the inclusion of air raid sirens and other war sounds in electronic music tracks triggering and can they ever be considered necessary to convey the war experience to an international audience?

If these sounds are somehow separated, or sound at the beginning of the track, then it can sound quite impressive. But it happens that the siren sounds along with the music, and it bothers me. There have been several times when I had to take off my headphones to make sure that the air raid siren was really on, but it turned out that it sounded in the song. Several more times I was afraid of an explosion. Moreover, I have listened to this song a hundred times, but every time it scares me. I have not observed such a reaction in myself before. Such a reaction appeared after I heard real explosions. In any case, I am against censorship of music. If the author wants to use these sounds, he has every right to do so.

Which albums or tracks by Ukrainian artists have best managed to capture current events from the past three years for you?

SadSvit – “Cassette”. This song was used in a military video during the defense of Mariupol. There were many more videos depicting military events, with different musical accompaniment. But this one was remembered the most.

Where are you now and have you been displaced by war at any point?

Now I am in Kyiv, where I lived before. In February 2022, I went for a short time to a village 150km from the city. Outside Kyiv, in some directions, it was more dangerous to be there. You can remember the horrors that happened in Bucha. But in the place where we went, it was quiet.

Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?

Borsch is the number 1 dish in Ukraine. You can travel around the country and taste borscht in each region. It will be slightly different, different ingredients may be used, typical of the area. But it will all be the same dish.

Book. Here I would highlight two books. The first is Kobzar by Taras Shevchenko. It is almost like the Bible in Ukraine, it is in almost every house. The second book cannot even be read, since the whole point is in the title – “Ukraine – not Russia” by the second president Leonid Kuchma. There were many jokes and arguments about this book. But this name sounds like the motto of Ukrainians not only during the independence period, but also during the USSR, the Russian Empire, which included our country.

 

MARCH 17, 2025 – BERLIN

Triš

My name is Oleksandra, and my musical alias is Triš, a short form of my last name — Trishyna. I’m from Kyiv and have been living in Berlin for the past three years. I’ve always loved music and was a kinda musical child, because I trained professionally in ballet.

As a teenager, I went through a personal crisis that led me into club culture. At first, I went to clubs not just for the music but as a way to find personal space — I didn’t have my own room for a long time, and clubs became my escape. That’s how I developed a deep connection to electronic music; it helped me process my emotions and personal struggles.

After moving in with my future husband, who is a musician, I became interested in music production. He showed me that I didn’t need formal musical education to create music, which gave me the confidence to start. In 2020, I released my first album on streaming platforms and have been developing my sound ever since.

In 2023, I released a joint album “In Your Head” with Buttechno, where I did the vocals and he produced the music. This project was a turning point for me — it made me realize that I wanted to pursue music seriously. I also drew the album cover and shot a music video in Tokyo, which made the project feel visually and conceptually complete. After that, I started DJing more often because it was my way to perform and help people understand me better as a musician.

Recently, I released a new album “Songs” on a new label Kontext. I also started taking vocal lessons and want to move toward live performances.

You are currently based in Berlin. I don’t know when you moved there, but has the full-scale invasion changed the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your setup and playlist?

I used to sing and speak in Russian. In Ukraine, the language issue never really existed — it’s a narrative pushed by Russian propaganda, claiming that Russian speakers were oppressed and that this was one of the reasons for the full-scale invasion. That was never the case. Most Ukrainian artists sang in Russian, the majority of people spoke it, and there was no problem with that.

After the full scale war began, I made a personal decision to switch to Ukrainian and English and stop using Russian. This language now triggers deeply traumatic emotions for me. It brings pain and rejection because it’s the language of those who started this war — their voices and speech cause me real distress every day.

My choice may seem radical to some, but it’s the only way I can feel at least somewhat at peace right now. I have stopped listening to Russian music, watching Russian movies, and reading Russian literature. These were all part of my life and used to be inspiring for me, but now they simply make me feel uncomfortable because they evoke only negative emotions. I can no longer separate them from politics.

Also I am now deeply convinced that everything is political — even the porridge I eat in the morning, the sound I choose in my music, my voice — everything is infused with politics.

What can you tell us about the production process of your latest album Songs and how important was it for you to have lyrics both in Ukrainian and English?

The period of writing this album coincided with my integration into Germany. It was a difficult time, and it still is, but making music has always been my way of escaping from harsh reality. Creating some of these songs was literally a form of self-soothing for me — I would make music and then spend hours with a microphone, singing whatever came to mind, releasing energy in the process.

While working on the album, I also started collaborating as a content creator for the Ukrainian music school Module Exchange. Researching for making educational videos about production helped me learn new music production techniques, and I even developed some of my own methods along the way. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t have formal musical education, which honestly makes it quite challenging to write interesting melodies.

To overcome this, I found a fun technique that I used a lot in this album. I would look up piano tutorials of songs I liked on YouTube — many of them resemble Guitar Hero game, clearly showing which chords are being played. I would take the chords I liked, rearrange them, change their timing and structure, and use them for my own songs. I watched a lot of tutorials on Aphex Twin and Björk, analyzing the chord progressions they used and incorporating them into my music in my own way.

When it comes to language, I’ve never sung in Ukrainian before, and after researching new Ukrainian vocal music, I practically couldn’t find anything I felt compelled to add to my playlist. So, I decided to try creating Ukrainian music that I would enjoy if I had found it online.

I’ve always worked a bit in English since I grew up listening to English-language music. The phonetics of English are clearly well-suited for modern music, and it also helps me connect with like-minded people among foreigners. I truly enjoy connecting with new people through music.

You co-directed the video for the single LOVE’s Final Ballet. It is inspired by the film “Christiane F. – We Children from Bahnhof Zoo”,and shot in the same locations as the original movie. It also has a retro feel thanks to its vintage VHS images. Can one trace a direct line from early 80s Berlin and Ukrainian underground pop?

 

I actually fully directed and produced this music video and also worked as a DOP. The VHS footage was shot by my friend and Kontext label co-founder, Mykyta Korniienko. The video was inspired by the film Christiane F., especially in its aesthetics. It tells the love story of two girls — a narrative influenced by my life in Berlin.

Having grown up and lived in post-Soviet countries, where LGBTQ+ identities were stigmatized or even criminalized, moving to Europe was a turning point for me. It led to a deep reevaluation of my sexuality and personal freedom. The romance in the video symbolizes my own transformation. Also in music, I’ve felt freer here in Berlin.

In a way, this video became an ode to Berlin. Every corner here feels cinematic and rich in history. While filming, we shot a group of teenagers drinking and “misbehaving,” yet no one stopped us. In Ukraine and Russia, police would often intervene, restricting us even in nondescript locations. That kind of fear is limiting in every way.

Are you connected with the Ukrainian diaspora in Berlin and, if so, how supportive would you say the general music scene there is to the Ukrainian community? And what do you make of the “Kyiv is the new Berlin” cliché of pandemic times?

I am friends with many Ukrainians, including musicians. I’ve noticed that at the beginning of the war, the support from foreigners was much more active — people deeply felt our pain. But after three years, that empathy has faded, and in some cases, even turned into a kind of antipathy. People are tired of the negativity we share on social media. Some see us as nationalists simply because we refuse to be associated with Russian culture anymore, which might seem extreme to Europeans. Unfortunately, this has become part of our reality — existing as a kind of outsider.

MARCH 21, 2025 – KYIV

Vladyslav Deboshyr

I started my musical way in 2020 in Odesa, mainly played hardtechno on private parties, but later moved to the Kyiv, where i started professional activity.

You must be currently one of the hardest working guys in the business. You run two labels, Vortex with Rudni, as well as False Digital with esselfed. At the same time, you also run or co-run Kollectiv Sound. How do you manage this, and what can you tell us about the specifics of each project?

Basically all my labels are my personal creativity. Initially VORTEX combined all styles of electronic music, but in the end I decided that I wanted to separate each direction. VORTEX now is hypnotic/raw techno, False Digital is electro/breaks/experimental, Kollektiv Sound is groove/hardgroove techno.

Probably not fair to ask, but what releases are you most proud of?

First of all I am proud of the V/A compilations Whirlwind Pulses and Reincarnation Ability in which I invited some of my favorite artists like Stanislav Tolkachev, Phase87, Franz Jager. Each time these compilations gain more and more turnovers in the list of participants and the number of auditions around the world.

What can you tell us about the techno scene in Kyiv and Ukraine and how do you see its development over the course of the past three years since the full-scale invasion and what sub-genres of techno do you feel are currently the most popular and interesting?

The scene is very much evolving; we can say that every year launches a few new promotions with a new look. I can single out my favorite of the recently appeared subgenres – Techno Jazz. I have a special love for releases from Milan guys from the label Jazz-o-Tech.

How would you say the loss of the nightlife has affected parties in Ukraine and what impact would you say it has had on you personally and on DJs and producers in terms of having to adjust their sets to daytime and in some cases shorter time slots?

To be honest, I’ve already personally forgotten what night parties are. Everyone had to adapt. Now day parties have given people a development and a deeper understanding of electronic music and the scene. I think now people study more, listen more and before going to a party – they choose where and who to go to.

This might sound flippant, but how important is it to dance during wartime?

Dance helps people to distract themselves and express their sincere emotions, so I think it’s an integral part of the therapy process.

Are there any Ukrainian albums from the past three years that you feel have captured current events in a meaningful way?

Definitely Hanna Svirska – YANGOLA EP (Standard Deviation) and Native Outsider – Kōhai LP (Polygon Records).

Considering the mindfuck of current events, how do you preserve your mental health?

I mostly abstract everything in drawing and listening to different genres of music. Sometimes it’s nu-metal and shoegaze-rock, and other times it’s postclub and dark ambient. Also I am surrounded by my five lovely kitties, which always cheer me up.

Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?

• Song: Скрябін [Scriabin] – “Я Живу” [Ya Zhyvu – I live]
• Book: Kobzar
• Dish: Borsch with pampushkas
• A work of art: Ivan Marchuk’s painting “Requiem”

 

MARCH 21, 2025 – KYIV

Maksym Natalich

I am a multidisciplinary artist. I do visual and audio art. Also, my main job is psychological counsellor.

My background in music started in my childhood in my father’s car. We listened to lots of classic rock. That was the first moment when I realised that I am falling in love with the sound of electric guitar.

Has the full-scale invasion changed the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?

For sure it has changed. I tend to find peace in music now. Also, I found that a sense of highly possible death at any moment leads to big creative potential in the way that I want to create as much as possible while I am alive. I mean that I stopped caring about rules or forms of my art and focused more on the idea of trying and connecting to the raw source of my creativity. And experimenting is a really good tool to do this.

How did you get involved in the Noise Every Wednesday series at Otel’ and how do you prepare your live set?

I guess some of my friends told me about it. First time I played there was in July 2024. I played a completely improvised set. I had point A and point B, my current state. And the idea was to go from A to B and express myself at the moment.

You are also, or mostly an artist. Is there any cross-pollination between your visual arts and musical output?

Yeah, I combine different creative outputs. But in general, it’s the same. I paint almost the same way as I play my guitar. I think I have a similar approach to both processes. Expressing, experimenting, dissolving in process. I like to combine visual and audio art. I often play in galleries or painting sessions. Also, on the previous weekend I closed my personal exhibition of art “Instruction for survival” in the Flowerbed Gallery. The exhibition was dedicated to memories of a close friend of mine who got killed on the warfront not so long ago. I played a little guitar concert in honour of my friend.

As a certified counsellor psychologist, I expect you are quite busy considering most Ukrainians are suffering from PTSD on some level. How do you manage to preserve your own mental health and how effective would you say are both art and music therapy?

Yes, that’s a big problem and after war it will get even worse. I try to protect my mental health. I work with my own psychotherapist. Actually, creativity for me is a big source of energy and resources. It helps me to sublimate and cope with stress in a constructive way. And of course, good communication is important. Physical exercises, going to the gym, cycling. All this helps me to stay sane.

Have you seen an increase in interest in the arts in general over the past three years and has the engagement of the audience changed in any away?

Yes, I have. I think creating and reproducing are reactions to destroying. I think right now we have a big engagement of the audience to our culture.

On a general level, would you say that the role of music in Ukraine has shifted from one of entertainment to encompass the expression of identity, communication, and emotional and physical survival?

Hard to say. On one side we have a lot of marketing-propaganda bullshit like songs about “байрактар” [Bayraktar], “пес Патрон” [dog Patron], “Ванька Встанька” . Can you imagine eating pizza named “Джавелін” [Javelin] or “Байрактар” [Bayraktar]? Like that’s the popular marketing thing to hype on war and sell some food, music or anything else. But from another side we have lots of new musical projects which are conscious about war. They collect lots of donations for the army from their concerts. Big respect for them.

Are there any Ukrainian albums from the past three years that you feel have captured current events in a meaningful way?

Blooms Corda – Дощ іде, але сонце світить. Listen to it. It has lots of inner beauty, hope and love despite the dark external situation.

What would you say are the most persistent misconceptions about Ukraine?

That we are the same as russians.

Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Ukraine for you?

Explosions in the sky – The Earth is not a cold dead place. Just listen.

 

MARCH 21, 2025 – IVANO-FRANKIVSK

5NONE5

Yes, sure! I’m Ihor and have been making music for quite a while—about 10 years, I guess.

I tried my hand at founding My Sister Spectre with my bandmate Bohdan. It was a shoegaze band back in 2010–2012, though I can’t recall the exact chronology.

We also had a great-sounding noise band, Autowoman (around 2017), with Inga, Vova, Bohdan, and me. We recorded an album very quickly, and that record will be revised and properly released anytime soon.

We also had an electronic project, Karr, with my wife Ann, which is currently on hold.

Imagine all of that happening in the city of Zhytomyr—there was a diverse underground scene: metal, punk, hardcore, screamo, and some independent hip shit. Nostalgic times, and I regret nothing.

Has the full-scale invasion changed the way you think about music and sound in general, and has it had an impact on your setup and your playlist?

Not really, except for the fact that I’ve rekindled my interest in noise music. Discovering early Prurient, Pan Sonic, and listening to Kesto felt refreshing.

I want to distance my recordings from American musical influences as much as possible because the war has changed my perception of geopolitics in general. I’ve been revisiting the histories of modern wars and reflecting on my international relations studies from long ago.

What can you tell us about the production process for your album hell is now love and what can you tell us about the title?

Well, nobody will put it more spot-on than Olena (Buddhist Bubblegum). Here is an excerpt: “The sugary melodies of classic shoegaze fall apart across the album’s six tracks, but the process of self-destruction makes their subtle nature shine through. A minimalistic FKA twigs remix adds to the record’s vulnerability just as much as the cover: a shot of a crumbling audio tower from the movie Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 resembling both a cross and a sword.”

I have mostly used analog synthesizers, my own field recordings, and a basic looper to capture ideas quickly.

Lately, I’ve been layering it in Ableton with some decent hi-fi software. There are a lot of shitty plugins out there today—everyone’s an audio DSP engineer with a lack of hearing, I guess (haha).

You are currently residing in Ivano-Frankivsk. Its music scene there is vibrant but very diverse. Do you feel part of its community and how do you see the scene developing under present circumstances?

Well, there are a lot of active people here. I strongly encourage readers to spin this record. It’s a great compilation for getting a first taste of the local scene.

A lot of bands play in garages because gig venues or any kind of dedicated spaces are non-existent. The electronic scene was vibrant but has dwindled due to the war. Everything is in a state of “What comes next?” — everyone’s tired but holding on, over and over again.

It is said that most Ukrainians suffer from some form of PTSD. How do you personally preserve your mental health?

War has left its mark on every citizen of Ukraine, and it is not a blessing. It is impossible to erase, even if you travel to Australia. Wherever you go, you will carry the heaviest baggage with you — your heart and your mind. And both have been deeply poisoned by russia. I hope we survive these times because we have no other choice.

 

MARCH 23, 2025

Elvira Saryhalil

I was born in Uzbekistan. Like many of the grandchildren of those repressed Crimean Tatars who were expelled from their homeland of Crimea on May 18, 1944. I began to be interested in art early, first in drawing, and then after moving to Crimea I took up playing the piano, was a soloist in the choir and was engaged in solo singing. The return of the Crimean Tatars to their historical homeland is a separate story. So, my parents are returning to Crimea so that we (me, my brother and sister) could grow up on the land of our ancestors. Learned our native language and regained our culture. But then, I became a laureate of academic, folklore, pop competitions. And of course, I saw my future only with vocals.

I studied classical singing at the Kharkiv Conservatory. And as a student, I became interested in studying Crimean Tatar folklore. At first, there were no ambitions. There was love for my native Crimea and curiosity about how songs actually sounded from the lips of our grandparents. And later, I became sad that my culture was standing still. That despite the fact that there are many gifted people, we cannot bring culture to the world scale. I began to collect song folklore. Then I sang these songs and then projects began in which I and the groups of musicians with whom I collaborated, modernized this music. It was ethno-jazz, ethno-rock, hip-hop and rap.

I first came across your music as part of Vincent Moon’s Traces of Crimea. What can you tell us about that experience and the different artists he filmed from different musical traditions?

I was offered to sing in Vincent Moon’s film. I liked the idea, but despite the fact that at that time I was in an advanced stage of pregnancy, I came to the shooting. I invited two musicians. They were Nuri Sabalaev (a virtuoso accordionist) with whom we gave concerts and Rustem Bari (a popular percussionist). Vincent filmed us in a park near the Salgir River in Simferopol. I think it was an unusual decision to film me singing on a playground 🙂 the musicians were sitting and playing on a bench.

Vincent Moon has a distinctive filming style. Later I really liked the film. The sound was live, probably so as not to disturb the originality of the sound. There I also talked about my family and traditions. I combined the roots of my mother and father. Dad is a bearer of the culture of the southern coastal Crimea, the village of Tuvak (now Rybachye) in the Alushta district, and my mother is from the Bakhchasarai district. From there came the desire to sing exactly the way I do it. He also filmed several Crimean Tatar ensembles. I remember the video with the Crimean Tatar Roma, who performed everything in the film right in the field. I love authentic music performed by nuggets.

 

Crimean Tatar music is said to be the result of various cultural traditions of the peoples who inhabited Crimea in the past. That is why Crimean Tatar musical and song folklore is considered a completely unique cultural phenomenon of the modern world with the folklore component of Crimean Tatar musical heritage being multifaceted and complex due to the variety of forms, genres, melodic, modal and rhythmic richness. How have you been approaching your musical heritage and could you guide us through the main differences?

Crimean Tatar music is inseparable from history. And first of all, it is the formation of a people from various ethnic groups that inhabited Crimea at different periods of time. I would call it the “cream” of the history of music and traditions of the indigenous people. The most valuable, best, enriched heritage of ancestors. From tribes, principalities to empires that left a mark in Crimea: Taurians, Goths, Huns, Cimmerians, Genoese, Byzantine, Ottoman empires, the Crimean Khanate. After the arrival of the Russian Empire and the Soviet period, European culture began to be introduced through education. For example, in music schools they played the works of J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart. Many Crimean Tatars studied music. So this also influenced our vision of music. Because then, in the 60-70s, jazz began to sound. I would not separate any of the periods of the formation of national taste and the further development of our music. I worked with classical music and with Crimean folklore, even between them sometimes you can find similarities. It’s very interesting, but the topic is big)

You work on jazz and pop interpretations of folklore. There are those who argue for the purity of traditional music to be preserved, but isn’t its reinterpretation and “contamination” what keeps it alive?

Oh yes, preserving folklore is quite a topic 🙂 There are many critics and criticisms around it. The question is who to listen to? I chose to follow my heart. That is why I participated and now sing with musicians of different nationalities. Making many new versions of songs already familiar to everyone and old songs collected by me on expeditions. Then I see that “fresh blood” is poured into Crimean Tatar music. It acquires new colors. After all, wealth should not lie and gather dust in a chest for many years. It must be used: enrich yourself and enrich others, giving the opportunity to touch the history of the people through songs.

As for preserving purity. I also pursue this in my practice. Before singing a song in public, I go through its meaning, analyze the intonation, dialect. The vocal technical side of the performance is especially important for me. For me, each decoration – melisma is not just a set of small notes. It is an expression of emotions through the ability to work with the voice.

 

How aware would you say is the international audience of the Crimean Tatar musical heritage and can one best introduce younger generations to its traditions?

I noticed that among the adult intelligentsia in Europe they know a little about the Crimean Tatars. But people of middle and young age do not know. Our culture is a rarity outside of Crimea. Like exoticism. If it sounds, then little by little, in fragments or at concerts of the diaspora Crimean Tatars. The younger generation even knows little about the culture of their people now. They listen to pop music and only the elite listen to world music. I think everything takes time. Young people have their own stages of development and to expand their potential, you need to go through a path. Therefore, we need to conduct projects for them: films, cartoons, clips, applications. It would not hurt to include them in the educational school material. Because there are different types of youth. From intelligentsia to street. Conduct master classes, through them you can give the opportunity to try something from crafts, dance and music.

Which book / film / album / song / traditional dish / podcast / blog / artwork / building / meme best captures Crimea for you?

The painting by O. Aivazovsky “The Ninth Wave”. For me, this painting is about the deportation (repression) of the Crimean Tatars. About the entire history of my people in general. Each wave is an assimilation, a blow to identity, toponymy, religion, numbers and culture of the people. There is an opinion among sailors that the ninth wave is the most powerful. That is, the last wave in strength. So, I suppose that now for us this is that 9th wave. Either we exist as a strong, developed people, or we dissolve and remain on the pages of books and video and audio recordings.

 

 

NEW RELEASES

IOSONOUNCANE ~ Lirica Ucraina

After “Berlinguer – La Grande Ambizione”, IOSONOUNCANE presents “Lirica Ucraina”, the soundtrack of the homonymous documentary by Francesca Mannocchi. An opera that, through music, amplifies the emotions and truths told in the documentary, offering an intense and profound experience.

 

Lvcerate ~ Clouds of Sin & Terror

From the mind-bending allure of desire coursing through the bloodstream to the raw duality of pleasure and pain, this EP delivers an unsettling yet captivating experience quintessential to EBM. As his first complete solo release since 2021, it captures the relentless drive to explore the darkest corners.

The music is defined by heavy, pounding beats and distorted, resonant basslines that evoke an unyielding sense of urgency and tension. Haunting melodies draw the listener deeper into a shadowy world where every decision feels like a double-edged sword.

On the collaborative track with Ezekiel Gauthier, the vocals oscillate between hypnotic repetition and raw emotional outbursts, mirroring lyrical themes of pleasure, madness, and the metallic taste of blood.
Remixes by Revolt and Mova add their signature edge, amplifying the intensity and leaving an indelible mark.

 

Drone of War ~ Analog Dream, Digital Reality

Today is the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For three years, ruscists have been killing Ukrainians and destroying their homes…
For three years, I have been dreaming analog dreams and waking up in a distorted and perverted digital reality.

 

Poly Chain ~ Nemesis

Nemesis is a 15-track full-length spinner of experimental club sounds and post-ambient textures set to be released on the 25th of April 2025 on brand new label Lightronics. Even though the birth of the songs span a tweenager’s lifetime, they remain ever so coherent in their sonic qualities. A show of force and clear demonstration of artistic integrity from the Kyiv-born artist behind Poly Chain, Sasha Zakrevska, who describes the album as “a testament to my [her] musical journey up to this point”.

 

Roman Slavka ~ Семпли, Лупи, Шум’16

Recorded and sampled in 2016, this album takes you on a journey through raw, studio-based recordings that were later transformed into loops, layered with noise, and shaped by virtual synthesizers. Each track reflects the experimental process of capturing live instruments, manipulating them into new textures, and exploring sound beyond conventional boundaries. A true blend of analog roots and digital manipulation.

 

Shjva, Lostlojic, Saturated Color, Peshka, Yevhenii Loi ~ Make love, Dark-browed (Vinyl only)

The album from an association of Ukrainian artists called Noneside brought musicians and painters together under the famous words of the writer Taras Shevchenko and his poem «Make love, o dark-browed ones..». The painting «Holubka Dance» by contemporary figurative artist Iryna Maksymova frames the trance and tech house music of such performers as Shjva (Warning, Terra Magica, Viscera), Lostlojic (Secret Feta, Infinite Pleasure, Deeptrax), Saturated Color (Neptune Discs, Nerang), Peshka (Visionquest, Re.Face, Banoffee Pies) and Yevhenii Loi. Mastered by Taras Bril, also typefaces of Ivan Tsanko-Khlibovych used in design. First of all, this is the music of love and unity, wherever you are – at home in the kitchen or on the big festival dance floor – common feelings will unite you and spin you in a crazy rhythm, and will make you understand that we are not strangers. Together we dance for a better future! Outs on April 11th, distributed by KMA60 🇫🇷🤝🇺🇦

 

58918012 ~ Fighting Fears

Hello, my friends. This album is called “Fighting Fears” and its idea and concept are exactly what the name tells. I mean, I am pretty sure that everyone has their own deep fears. Even if the person looks like a superhero. You might think that he or she are fearless and much happier than you are… but you can’t see what’s hidden deep in their minds and bodies.

I have a few annoying phobias that make my life difficult in some aspects. I am trying to fight them every day. Sometimes I win. Sometimes not. But I think that those short moments of clarity are worth fighting hard. At the end of the day, I hope that my (and probably your) fight will bring us inner balance and peace (which is one of the most important things in our life).

Each track reflects my state and feelings during the “stages” of fight. From dark, apathetic, and depressive to soft, light, and warm. I hope this release will help you with your own fears. At least, to get rid of anxiety for some time and to reboot your system before the new fight.

King Imagine ~ Parallel Lines

I dedicate this album to the Kyiv of my childhood, exactly as I remember it, it is a source of strength and inspiration that I use in these difficult times. I was supported by friends from different parts of the world of our fragile and small planet. Thank you for your cooperation!!

King Imagine ~ Symphonic & Chamber Works (Vol.2) 

a selection of my works that I wrote at different times during 2018 – 2024,

 

NFNR ~ Dreams EP

It took me a little over a year to finally record the material I composed in October 2023 during a residency at the cultural center KonventZero in Cal Rosal, near Berga. Those two weeks felt like paradise—a stark contrast to the harsh reality of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine where I continue living and contrast to the madness of the world in general. I am deeply grateful to the communities that made this creative retreat possible: Musica Dispersa, KonventZero, and A Love Supreme festival. I’m also incredibly thankful to all the wonderful people I met there ❤

Dedicated to a pure bright soul, a deep, talented, magic artist Láwû Makuriye’nte dear Mango who enlightened us with their love and left this world so early

 

Valentina Goncharova ~ Campanelli

Valentina Goncharova’s work encapsulates a unique blend of innovation and tradition, providing audiences with an enthralling exploration of the vast possibilities within musical expression.

Drawing upon her compositional skills honed during her academic studies, Valentina expertly manipulates the violin, seamlessly integrating it with synthesizers and drum machines. The result is a mesmerizing fusion of organic and electronic elements, characterized by slow, pulsating drone soundscapes.

Andrey Kiritchenko ~ Ultra Marshes

In this tribute to one of London’s most beloved pieces of common land, Andrey Kiritchenko offers both an ode and a plea.

Initially inspired by the role the marshes played during the pandemic as a site of communal gathering and connection, Ultra Marshes celebrates the multiplicity of this parkland.

” It became very clear how essential it is for people to have shared experiences of music and how quickly we can lose what we take for granted,” he explains.

Listening deeply to the marshes over this period, Kiritchenko began to notice how present the sounds of human activities were in this patch of nature amid the city.

“You cannot entirely separate yourself from the sounds of the city and listen solely to the noises of nature,” Kiritchenko notes, so instead he resolved to explore the hybridity of co-existence at play in urban parklands.

The result is a collection of ultra-processed field recordings of helicopters, city traffic, sirens, passing trains, trees, logs and stems, grass, small insects, and birds—which frolic, mutate and co-mingle with the shimmering stabs and bifurcated burbles of synthesizers.

Ultra Marshes is a celebration of co-existence, where the boundaries between the organic and the mechanical dissolve into layers of noisy harmonies and the human emerges as an entity as fully ‘natural’ as birdsong and wind.

“I hope to invite listeners to re-imagine their relationship with their surroundings and discover beauty in the unexpected interplay of the everyday,” says Kiritchenko.

 

Katarina Gryvul ~ SPOMYN

Ukrainian composer Katarina Gryvul presents her third LP, SPOMYN, on Subtext.

SPOMYN (‘recollection’) is an exploration of memory’s fragile, fragmented nature, revealing how it shapes the core of who we are. Each track is a fragment — a flicker of something lost, distorted, or forgotten — brought to life through unmediated emotion, acting as an invocation of continuity, connecting us to those who came before us and the fleeting moments of their existence that still resonate within us, and become elements in the lattice of our own selves. Gryvul’s corrupted choral pop compositions, augmented with full frequency electronic and organic experimentation, characterize SPOMYN’s uncanny and chimeric sound. Much like the blurred edges of memory itself, SPOMYN resists resolution, inviting listeners to disintegrate into worlds that linger in shadow and evoke the beauty of the unknowable.

Following her last LP’ Tysha’ (‘silence’), released in early 2022 on the Ukrainian imprint Standard Deviation, SPOMYN finds itself in a changed and fractured world in which the urgency to maintain a clear remembrance of the past in the face of erasure and misinformation is ever increasing. Katarina Gryvul explores the simultaneously fixed and fluid nature of collective and personal narratives by filtering the remembrances of her cultural and musical experience through an idiosyncratic and intuitive approach to music production. The result is aggressively iconoclastic while holding dear the essence of the traditions she has inherited.

 

Lu Joyce ~ Mastermind

recordings during 2022-2024 (on Nagra with modular,guitar, analog drum machine)

 

Trinidad Shevron ~ Deeply Unforgiving

Greetings Human Species,
prepare to dive into a new sonic exploration: the EP by Trinidad Shevron, titled Deeply Unforgiving, marks the latest chapter released by our label Humanoid Gods as HGD19. A journey through 5 tracks blending techno atmospheres with deep reflections, weaving darkness, melancholy, and introspection that seems to converse with the unknown. The frequencies of Trinidad Shevron move like solar storms sweeping across the cosmos, pulling the listener into a vortex of hypnotic rhythms and soundscapes reminiscent of expanding nebulas. His harmonies echo like signals from abandoned satellites, while the basslines pulse with the relentless energy of a magnetar. Each track unfolds like a chapter in an interstellar story: moments of profound introspection alternate with robotic pulses, as if the human soul and machine precision were locked in an eternal dialogue.

 

DRUDKH ~ Shadow Play

DRUDKH is a venerated entity in the realm of atmospheric and pagan black metal. Renowned for their evocative storytelling and profound musical compositions, DRUDKH stands as a paragon of artistic depth, seamlessly melding the corporeal with the ethereal.

With ‘Shadow Play’, DRUDKH offers a mesmerizing odyssey through themes of exile, the cyclical dance of life and death, and a poignant yearning for one’s origins. An album which invites you into a realm where silence battles storm, and light intertwines with shadow. A 6-track journey – “Scattering the Ashes” stirs the soul with its introspective melancholy, while “April” envelops you in a meditative trance. The narrative evolves with “The Exile”, capturing the essence of displacement, and continues with the poignant echoes in “Fallen Blossom”. “The Eve” stands as a meditative contemplation on life’s fleeting beauty, and the expansive “The Thirst” culminates this exploration with a profound reflection on human yearning.

‘Shadow Play’ is an evocative experience that challenges you to confront your shadows and revel in the intricate dance of light and dark. Let DRUDKH’s newest release illuminate your path through the bleak human experience.

 

Cryptic Chorus ~ Secret Endless Journey

Chryptic Chorus is back with an EP celebrating the Spring Equinox. Sombre and hypnotic as befits keller synth, but with a lighter touch and a hopeful outlook in the closing track “Stars Have Finally Aligned”.

 

Dosenfett ~ Estonian Man

Debut release from Dosenfett, a kellersynth side project of Cryptic Chorus.

 

GEORGIAN FUNDRAISERS

VA – Sounds of Freedom ~ Support Georgia Compilation

A Global VA in Support of Georgian Club Culture

In the face of adversity, music unites us. Sounds of Freedom is a global VA (various artists) release born out of solidarity with Georgian club culture, which has been profoundly impacted by the challenges our country is facing.

This compilation is more than music; it is a movement. Featuring a diverse range of artists from around the world, Sounds of Freedom encapsulates the resilience, creativity, and passion that define the electronic music community.

All proceeds from this release will go directly to Georgian clubs, helping them recover and continue their essential role in fostering connection and creativity. Every track is a testament to the power of music to heal, inspire, and rebuild.

Sounds of Freedom will be available exclusively on Bandcamp. Join us in celebrating the unyielding spirit of freedom through sound and in supporting a cause that keeps the music alive.

A symphony of gratitude to the amazing artists who breathed life into this compilation with their incredible tracks. Your contributions are the heartbeat of this project, and we are endlessly thankful for your creativity and passion.

We extend a special thank you to Paul Mac for his unparalleled mastering expertise and steadfast support throughout this project. His contribution has been instrumental in shaping both the sound and the soul of this release. The magic he’s worked is felt in every beat.

This compilation is more than music—it’s a collective effort, a labor of love, and a symbol of unity. Thank you for being part of this journey and helping us create something truly special.

 

VA – Women Against the Oppresive Regime

After rigged elections, the illegitimate government of Georgia has resorted to unconstitutional actions, sparking a massive wave of civil resistance. In response, this regime is using every tool at its disposal to punish citizens. They’re silencing dissent, have taken over the media—including the public broadcaster, now a mouthpiece for propaganda—and are firing people from their jobs for having the “wrong” political opinions.
Since November 28, over 400 people, including journalists, have been detained. Many have been physically assaulted, with reports of torture and mistreatment not only during arrests but also in transport vehicles and police stations. Women have been threatened with rape and murder. Most detainees have needed hospitalization due to their injuries.

Not a single person responsible for these abuses has been held accountable. Instead, the system protects and encourages these violent tactics.

We refuse to accept injustice or a system that shields criminals
Justice and freedom are non-negotiable rights
Our solidarity and persistence will fuel real change
Freedom for those unjustly imprisoned by the regime
Solidarity with our fellow fighters
Punishment for all perpetrators of violence
The power is with the people

Funds raised will go directly toward supporting the protest movement.

 

MIXES

 

VIEWING ROOM

(Gianmarco Del Re)