Into the Ukrainian Underground: Music’s Revolution

Ukraine’s 2014 revolution brought chaos, uncertainty and unparalleled misery. The Revolution of Dignity, also known as The Maiden Revolution, came into effect after President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a free trade agreement and political alliance with the European Union. Instead, he opted for closer ties with the Eurasian Economic Union and Russia. This resulted in widespread discontent among the Ukrainian people, as corruption and abuse of power were viewed as the main forces of the government’s sudden decision.

People took their anger out to the streets, which caused destructive and fatal riots in the capital of Kyiv. Eventually, Russia’s military intervened and annexed Crimea, sparking the Donbas War.

Ukrainians were, thus, left in a state of void: unknown of their now, unknown of their tomorrow. And in these dreadful and sorrowful moments, music bloomed.

Music had already been influential prior to 2014, of course. As Ukrainian folk and classical music were outlawed during the times of the USSR, the years after 1991 focused on the revitalization and reconstruction of the Ukrainian sound. Along with this renaissance, the sounds of techno, metal, electronica, DIY-pop, deep house, post-punk and hip-hop flourished. The chaos of 2014 was, thus, an incredible threat to Ukraine’s developed music scene. People decided to take matters into their own hands.

And, this way, CXEMA was born.

CXEMA, pronounced SCH-eH-mAh, was created out of the need to party. Founder Slava Lepsheev had recently lost his job because of the ongoing crisis; a switch that pushed him to dedicate his time to music. He started out by throwing some small scale events, so that his friends could DJ and have fun. The parties eventually grew in size: no longer tiny get-togethers for close friends, but enormous hardcore raves in abandoned warehouses and buildings throughout Kyiv. Poly Chain, known for her ambient, electro, and acidic mixes, is one of the favorite local creatives from Kyiv that have performed at CXEMA. She is also among the millions of Ukrainians who are now fleeing the country for safety. This is her Spotify. Kyiv-based Borys Stepanenko (who I believe is still located in the capital) is a thrilling techno artist who creates funky, fuzzed out bass lines and has also DJ’d at the famed parties. About four months ago, he actually released his debut EP Voice in My Head, which you can listen to here. In his Instagram you can find him posting detailed descriptions and pictures of the current state of Kyiv; once again, the people and the music are under attack by war.

Before the on-going Russian invasion, though, many other cities in Ukraine had burgeoning, subculture music scenes. Lviv, a city located on the western side, had almost secret society-like music collectives. Dzvin, created in 2017 by DJs Lstn and Nani, is made for the people that want to dig up good music, basically, they have to put in the work to find the scene. With no social media presence, no photo policy, and almost no promo - the collective is for those that actually want to keep the culture underground. Deep house, industrial beats and techno EDM are the pushers of this musical landscape.

Beyond hidden DJ raves and the heavy techno house spectacles, bands like Milktuth, an all women indie dreamy rock band, do smaller, intimate shows for the fans that don’t want to party for twelve hours straight. Their melodic, soft vocals and badass guitar riffs make for the perfect combination of a sweet, yet dynamic listening experience. No doubt in my mind that fans must have intense auditory pleasure while watching them perform live. Their sound draws comparisons to Slow Pulp, Hannah Jadagu, spill tab and Lunar Vacation. You can listen to Milktuth’s stuff here on Spotify.

Another cool all girl group is FO SHO, an Ethiopian-Ukrainian hip-hop sister trio that combine their cultural heritage with sticky, distorted techno sounds, profound basslines, and even electric guitar solos. The girls scream smooth, rap verses about freedom, self-respect and being extra as fuck - they can also beautifully harmonize à la jazzy R&B. Bangers include Boom Boom, XTRA and Божевільні. Find them here on Spotify.

Kharkiv, one of Ukraine’s most brutally hit cities on behalf of the Russian military, was the spot for emerging rock and rap artists during the 2000’s and even more after the 2014 Maiden Revolution. Outstanding Sekunda Kota is a head banging rock band that experiments with art rock, 90’s grunge, metal and gritty drum sets. A personal favorite of mine, the band is relatively hard to find and their social media presence is not very well known. Nonetheless, they rock out to the point that you can engage in steadfast moshing or just jump up and down as if you were in a The Strokes concert. Find them on Bandcamp or Spotify if you want to scream, cry, laugh and dance all at the same time.

There are lots of other artists and bands I would’ve loved to include in this article, so below I include some playlists and other musicians I became obsessed with while writing this piece. Support them however you can, many of them have been misplaced and separated from their families. Ukraine has been through so much in recent years - the country and its people could really use our help and assistance. Enjoy these artists, share them with your friends and fuck Vladimir Putin!

Ukraine Aid: Artists and Labels you can support

Support: Ukrainian DIY artists and labels

Stand With Ukraine Playlist by Music Latvia

Support Ukrainian Underground Playlist

Music of Ukraine Playlist

Ukrainian Artists I love:

Signals Feed the Void: Goth Rock

Plaaaato: Indie, Lo-Fi

Povod: Post-Punk

DakhaBrakha: “Ethnic Chaos,” Avant Garde

Oh Deer!: Experimental Rock and Screamo

Neyemia Grue: Soft Shoegaze, Grunge