A Closer Listen
ummsibiaus‘ career continues to develop at an astonishing rate. Metro Suite No. 3, Op. 7 is the Kyiv composer’s third suite in a year, each one sonically distinct. In the interim, she also published Divonia, the first single from the upcoming album Favna that “celebrates female power through myths of the old Ukrainian goddesses.” While the album showcases vocals and myths, the suite uses field recordings to weave its own contemporary tale.
Metro Suite plunges into the heart of the Kyiv metro system, “the biggest and safest shelter in the city.” The ability to escape is crucial in light of constant threats. Street musicians perform as passengers embark and disembark: a microsystem of protected humanity. The comforting bustle is heard in the opening moments: slowing wheels, electronic announcements, a low, soft drone. The trains have their own rhythms, echoed by the artist. In “Zoloti Vorova –> Lucianivska,” a beat develops and disappears, allowing space for the doors to open and close; as the train speeds off, the tempo increases, yielding a sense of accumulated energy. We are acclimating to the sonic atmosphere, a co-mingling of sounds akin to that of foods at an international market. The next track starts slower, allowing travelers to roam the stalls, to hear the hopeful musicians. Arturia Microfreak adds atmospheric synths. Again the tempo increases like a parting train; the closing minute is packed with puff and chuff.
There may be commentary embedded in the title of the closing track, “No Exit.” Viewed from one angle, the title references Sartre; from another, it underlines the continued resolve of the Ukrainian people. They will remain in this battle until it ends. A filiment-thin vocal and exciting synths pulse with life. The track twists and turns like underground subway tracks, transforming into a stormer with powerful drums. One might say the same about ummsibiaus, or about Ukraine. The country has given their invaders much more than they bargained for, and the war has only increased the strength of its composers. What higher themes can one tackle than life and death, connection and community, the unstable beauty of the everyday? This composer continues to go from strength to strength, the new suite a deepening of her already impressive oeuvre. (Richard Allen)
Mon Aug 19 00:01:05 GMT 2024