NFNR - Fragility

A Closer Listen

Fragilty is one of the strongest musical statements to emerge from Ukraine this year; it is also surprisingly tender.  Kyiv’s NFNR (Olesia Onykiienko) was tired of being dominated by the “anger, hatred and despair” brought on by the russian invasion, and while these emotions still haunt the artist, they do not dominate.  Instead, she writes of a deeper appreciation of life, love, family and community: the reasons why one fights in the first place.

The tensions of an ongoing occupation are difficult to comprehend.  Any moment a bomb could fall, a school might be wiped out, a museum or library destroyed, a family lost, whether at the front lines or in civilian territory.  The rest of humanity remembers its fragility only in times of immediate loss: the death of a loved one, a natural disaster, an act of terrorism ~ and then returns to its pre-traumatic bubble.  Ukraine has no such luxury, and has been plunged into a state of seemingly unending fragility.  NFNR sees this as a potential asset, in that it can also spark a corresponding sense of unending gratitude for the ephemeral.  The title track places bright, sparkling chords atop dark, swirling undercurrents, highlighting the contrast.  This is dance music, but it is also thought music.

“Sprotyv (Resistance)” is the most compelling and immediate piece, as it contains recordings of an unarmed protest in the city of Kherson.  The courage is palpable, and NFNR channels this courage into her electronic framework.  This is the sound of resolve, the beating heart of a populace.  There is no capitulation in the music, which is assertive without being aggressive. Consistent beats march forward, pushing the enemy back.

“Our Hearts” is a softer piece, like an inventory.  NFNR writes, “No one knows how long our hearts have left to beat. Every moment of our life is now filled with the most sincere tenderness and love.”  For the length of the track a heartbeat is heard, strong to the end.  The feeling extends to “Ardor,” which is about seizing every moment, especially in the most dire conditions, so that the invaders, who have stolen land and life and property, are unable to steal the spirit and soul.  This distillation of the national character, present in every drum beat and synth line, is NFNR’s declaration, not of war but of love: love for all that remains, that those who listen may hang on all the more.  While moving the body, Onykiienko also succeeds in moving the heart.  (Richard Allen)