A Closer Listen
Here’s something unique: a magazine with its own multi-sensory score. Maksym Zoloyedov, Creative Director of Forbes Ukraine, writes, “We strive to transform reading Forbes Ukraine into intellectual ecstasy.” This first-of-its-kind experiment, in which “business journalism becomes art,” is something we’d love to see repeated in international publications, but as pioneers, Forbes Ukraine now has bragging rights. The experiment itself is newsworthy, but the success can be credited to the musicians, whose collective efforts are fascinating.
The most obvious form of reference is film scores, but music is also used to set the tone in restaurants and stores, at sporting events and at home. We create personalized playlists for parties and for commutes, and play music while cooking, reading and working out. This is the next natural step. Music of Data includes three types of tracks: ambient soundscapes to be played in the background while reading, interludes between content sections and graphic scores, defined as “data visualization brought to life through sound”.
Oleksiy Shmurak‘s “The Growing Edge” is the graphic score for the article “30Under30.” The music turns “dry data” into an immersive, intriguing experience. One can hear the growing edge through the electronic surges as they bubble from a quiet base. Yuriy Bulychov (also known as Monotonne) contributes “Timeline” to accompany the article “Work for Veterans,” and one needs no bilingual skills to intuit the twin aspects of melancholy and resolve. The changing work force provides a unique set of challenges, but the first ~ which Bulychov helps to tackle ~ is to feel the emotions of the veterans as if they were one’s own.
Yevhen Filatov‘s transitional tracks “Ranok,” “Obid” and “Vechir” accompany morning, afternoon and evening. The first extends gradually from a soft drone, a peaceful way to start the day, as one peruses the page of a magazine, enjoying a morning cup. The finale of the track brightens like the sun. By afternoon, the percussion is fully caffeinated, chimes and drums sparkling with life. And as evening begins to fall, the mood turns contemplative, solo piano backed by a peaceful ambient swirl. Maryana Klochko‘s “Glow” is placed between morning and lunch, an ebullient electronic piece that uplifts the spirit, the artist’s wordless voice wafting over club-friendly patterns.
And now to the bookends, or in this case, magazine ends. We can think of no better composer to launch the project than Katarina Gryvul, one of the most creative artists around. “V zahubleni vesni” (which Google translates as “In the thin spring”) rustles and roils, its crunchy percussive textures offset by Gryvul’s crystalline voice. Polje closes the set with “Pere” (“Family”), a warm ending rife with watery tones. While bringing the written materials to life, Forbes Ukraine also offers another reminder of the vibrancy of Ukrainian music. We can only hope that this bold experiment is the beginning of a trend. (Richard Allen)
Forbes Ukraine Release Page
Fri Oct 03 00:01:27 GMT 2025