Various Artists - Ukrainian Field Notes

A Closer Listen

Gianmarco Del Re‘s Ukrainian Field Notes began as a series of articles on our website, and then it became a 567-page book, and now, thanks to система|system, it’s an incredible 86-track album!  We are extremely proud of what Gianmarco has done, recording the real-time reactions of musicians to war.  The book came out beautifully, and is packed with photographs, a historic document of a harrowing situation, filled with every emotion that one can imagine, but landing – like the wider populace of Ukraine – on resilience.

We highly recommend the book, which chronicles the daily struggles of musicians to survive, as well as the challenges of recording under bombardment and the choices of what to record; most recently, artists have been asked about the incorporation of sirens in their recordings.  The artists are in shock, grieving, separated from loved ones, and trying to make sense of it all.  The tracks here were all recorded after the invasion, and serve as a sonic tapestry of the first year’s events.  Many familiar names are present, but there are other pleasures here as well: first, the recognition of many more names now than ever before, as we have become immersed in the Ukrainian music scene over the past 21 months; and second, the discovery of even more great music that we didn’t catch the first time around.  The artists appear in the order of the interviews, which means the genres expand as the series progresses; but the whole project is unified in tone.  Ironically, all this being said, the first track is still a number and the last artist’s last name starts with Z, so perhaps there was some divine intervention behind the sequencing as well.

The highlights will be different for everyone.  In a compilation this large, with so many genres represented, there are bound to be diverging opinions.  We’re looking at an incredible 8 hours, 9 minutes of music.  And so, while it is absolutely unfair not to cover every track, we’re going to refer readers back to the series, the book and the download for the complete story, and select some of our own favorites.  Myroslav Protsan‘s “Ravens on the Cemetery” may be a field recording, but it’s an absolutely chilling track, a reminder that many Ukrainian citizens were left lying in the streets or buried in the rubble, unable to receive a proper burial.  Hanna Svirska‘s “Echo” delves into folksong and tradition, the same tradition that the invaders have tried to eradicate.

We’ve always liked Endless Melancholy, and the tone and title of his track once again reflect that word, resilience.  Is it ever okay to feel hopeful or upbeat, even for a moment, during ongoing war?  Is there any way to survive without such moments?  In like fashion, many artists continue to make dance music even after the clubs have been bombed, a reminder that people fight to preserve the opportunity to do such things.  Nonsun contributes “Days of Thunder Bring New Wisdom” from their powerful 2022 album, Blood & Spirit, a battle cry arriving at just the right time.  Katarina Gryvul continues to astonish in the somber and distorted “Zemiya,” a reminder that Tysha was released 15 days before the invasion; in this track, one can sense a hardening of her sound.

Lvcerate‘s “Illusion of Free Will” is an industrial club track, followed instantly by r.roo‘s darker and more distorted “blya/nach.”  Industrial music is perfectly suited to a time of apocalyptic war, and we’re glad to hear its power being channeled for this purpose.  Many other artists across the set will take up this timbre, along with its less percussive sibling, dark ambience.  On “Zagreus,” hspd does a great job splitting the difference.

Reality hits hard in Fedir Tkachov‘s “Burial of a Friend;” even without the title, one can glean the sorrow in the elegiac nature of the piece.  The same holds true for Bejenec‘s “Mourning,” in which the sound of a hospital monitor dictates the tempo, a reminder that soldiers are not only fighting on the front lines, but thinking of people back home.  And Philipp Markovich‘s “Silence of Sirens – Sumy Oblast” puts the listener directly in the blast zone, producing a sense of abject terror.

One of the collection’s most distinct tracks is The House of the Hidden Light‘s” “Naloninochi’,” an ethereal/darkwave piece with a wordless lament.  Even the moniker is mysterious.  One of the few modern composition cuts, Nadia Shpachenko‘s “Invasion,” makes up for it with its twelve and a half minute length and bold attempt to translate the events of that horrific day into a dramatic orchestral framework.  We admire the positivity of Ptakh‘s “It’s Gonna Be Better, Soon,” although soon has passed and things haven’t gotten better.  This doesn’t mean we should stop saying such things.  The track is hopeful and uplifting, leading to a choir of birds in Mires‘ “Meanwhile.”

Techno, metal, synthwave, ambient, drone, field recording, dub & noise: all are represented here, and more.  Every corner of the scene continues to fight, and in many cases thrive, under the worst possible conditions.  Don’t listen to Ukrainian Field Notes as a regular compilation; listen to it as a cry of the creative spirit and an expression of grace under fire.  (Richard Allen)