ШЩЦ, the label born in Kyiv and raised in London, is now touring to Berlin and Prague. It’s a perfect time to visit some of the rich ambient sounds they’ve been exploring. Both labels promise to develop the underappreciated leftfield music of Ukraine and its diaspora, forming tighter collaborations with a growing network of like-minded internationals.
CDM has been following ШЩЦ for some time, ever since their braindance-focused debut compilation. This year, they’ve been plumbing the icy depths of some gorgeous ambient sounds. And they’ve been busy filling London with events like this:
They’re touring for August. In Prague, ШЩЦ joins up with Motsion, an interdisciplinary Ukrainian collective that’s been active all over the continent. For Berlin on Sunday, some of the same configuration will join up with various international local talent and help launch the new label Kontext. It’s a double debut, as it will inaugurate a new, water-surrounded Inselgarten stage. (The site was the former Ipse before it was destroyed in an arson attack.)
That lineup Sunday is packed solid across Ukrainians and allies (including, for instance, Buttechno, who has been outspoken about collective responsibility and calling out pro-regime, pro-war Russian artists):
Buttechno
Minor Science
Special Guest DJ
Sasha Zlykh
Konakov
Windowseeker
Andriy K.
Nefo
Triš
Neue Medecina
Exthract
DJ Manager
Max Svitlo
One highlight – Nefo Zhang, aka @_stellar_crust_, is contributing both a modular set and this alien-looking sculpture:
But let’s listen in on some of the music the label has been putting out. neue medecina is one of the founding artist of Kontext – so while we don’t know yet what that label will be doing, we at least get a taste. With Exthract, we get this gorgeous ambient outing, due out in October officially but available now:
ШЩЦ co-founder Bodya Konakov put out this minimalistic beauty, which takes turns between introspection and whimsy – and yes, the “Boards of Canada” track sounds like Boards of Canada:
Today is Ukrainian Flag Day, so I’ll close with the complete notes on Max Svitlo’s Dereva Moi Rakety from April. Mixing text and musical journeys, it unfolds into a journey through the personal saga of coping with Ukraine’s fight for its survival.
And it’s a reminder that – as with this accordion player – many of our own friends from the Ukrainian scene are out on the front lines.
Max Svitlo, a Ukrainian visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker, explores the uncharted territories of the subconscious, navigating through his personal tapestry of melancholy and darkness. From this experience of darkness, he begins to see light and love, which then becomes the essence of his media project, Svitlo (Ukrainian for “The Light”).
In this album, Max Svitlo unveils an expedition of improvisational music rituals birthed in the serene isolation of a village nestled within the heart of Ukraine. Svitlo’s music is an odyssey from the depths of despair to the peaks of hope, from the resilience found in loss to the serene beauty of eternal melodies and the abyssal echoes of dark realms. It features drone soundscapes, noise textures, poignant poetry, and spontaneous improvisations across an array of instruments, among these an accordion, played by a friend who currently stands on the front lines in defense of Ukraine.
In his poetry, you can hear “Dereva Moi Rakety” [ukr. “Trees are my rockets”]. It truly feels like experiencing a sound world reminiscent of Paradzhanov in the dark woods and endless fields of Ukraine, where spirits call for battle. It is an awakening flow that instills a sense of freedom slowly exploding from within. After listening to this album, your thoughts become brighter and clearer in some way, serving as a hymn for those battling their inner demons. It’s akin to an orchestra of angels flying above us, with blood-stained wings and tears in their eyes.
There’s not a lot to say after that. All I will say is that as we have this privilege to hear music in Berlin this week, I’m thinking of those in war zones who I know long to get back to music.