Dronny Darko interview: ‘Subtle, restrained, but constantly on the edge of unraveling’
Dronny Darko
Over the past few years, Ukrainian artist Dronny Darko has become a familiar name within the Drone, Cinematic, and Dark-Ambient landscape. Better known under his alias Dronny Darko, one has to go back to 2012 to find his very first release. Since then, he has evolved into an exceptionally prolific artist, unveiling countless albums, including a wide range of collaborations. His sonic universe serves as a platform where darkness, introspection, and existential unrest take center stage.
Dronny Darko’s latest album, “Dark Shadows Across A Disordered Mind”, released through Cryo Chamber, feels like an intense descent into the depths of a fractured mind: claustrophobic, emotionally charged, and at the same time hypnotically beautiful. With icy drones, distorted textures, and an almost Cinematic build-up of tension, he conjures an auditory nightmare that continues to resonate long after the final note has faded. As far as I am concerned, this is not only one of his darkest works to date, but perhaps also his most personal. What follows is the account of our conversation. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Dronny Darko interview
Q: As a Ukrainian artist, it feels only natural to begin by addressing the impact the war has had on you personally. To what extent has this situation influenced your music—perhaps even turning it into a form of emotional outlet? And what role have music and the act of creation come to play for you in times of war?
Oleh: Sound has always been an essential part of my life—it’s not something that emerged in response to circumstances, but rather something constant that I return to regardless of what is happening around me. The war didn’t fundamentally change my relationship with sound, but it did influence my internal state.
It introduced a certain weight, grounding me in a more immediate, physical reality. At times, it felt as though my perspective narrowed, becoming more focused and restrained. However, I see this not as a loss, but as a phase of recalibration. I’m currently working toward reconnecting with that broader, more intuitive ‘antenna’—that sense of openness and sensitivity that allows me to translate abstract emotional states into sound.
Q: Since your first release in 2012, you have built an incredibly prolific body of work, including numerous collaborations. Where do you situate your latest album, “Dark Shadows Across A Disordered Mind”, within this extensive discography, and what were you aiming to express or achieve with this new opus?
Oleh: Yes, there is a deeper personal connection in this work. While much of my previous material has been more focused on abstract or environmental landscapes, this album leans more into internal space. Perhaps aside from “Outer Tehom”, this is one of the few releases where inner emotional states played a more direct role in shaping the sound.
Current events inevitably left their imprint, and for once, I felt compelled to express something more introspective. Still, I tend to avoid over-defining these inner worlds—the listener should have space to interpret and experience them individually.
Q: The album title suggests something deeply introspective and psychologically charged. What is the underlying meaning behind it, and how closely is it connected to your own inner state during the composition process?
Oleh: Yes, there is a deeper personal connection in this work. While much of my previous material has been more focused on abstract or environmental landscapes, this album leans more into internal space. Perhaps aside from “Outer Tehom”, this is one of the few releases where inner emotional states played a more direct role in shaping the sound.
Current events inevitably left their imprint, and for once, I felt compelled to express something more introspective. Still, I tend to avoid over-defining these inner worlds—the listener should have space to interpret and experience them individually.
Q: To my ears, “Dark Shadows Across A Disordered Mind” feels like one of your darkest—if not the darkest—albums to date. How do you perceive this yourself, and how strongly is the atmosphere tied to the themes you explore?
Oleh: I believe the title reflects the sonic character of the album quite accurately. To me, it evokes the sensation of moving through an empty hospital corridor—sterile, quiet, yet charged with an underlying tension. Every small sound becomes amplified in that environment. There’s a sense of systems being overloaded, of something not functioning as it should, and that creates a kind of internal disorientation. The music mirrors that feeling: subtle, restrained, but constantly on the edge of unraveling.
Q: Did this album mark any significant evolutions or innovations in your creative process or sound? More broadly, how does the transition from one release to the next unfold for you? To what extent does innovation play a role—whether in terms of concept, thematic focus, or the use of new techniques and instruments?
Oleh: With each new album, I try to introduce some form of evolution—whether subtle or more pronounced. Experimentation is a core part of why I continue creating. For this release, I was particularly interested in working with tape-based processes. I had been wanting to explore that medium for some time, and conceptually, this project felt like the right space to do so. Tape introduces its own imperfections and textures, which aligned naturally with the themes of distortion, memory, and psychological fragmentation present in the album.
Q: You have collaborated with a wide range of artists over the years. What do you seek in a collaboration that differs from your solo work? And, picking up on the idea of evolution, are there specific collaborators who have pushed you artistically in new directions?
Oleh: Collaboration offers a completely different creative dynamic. It allows you to observe how another artist thinks, how they approach sound, and what techniques they rely on. For a collaboration to be meaningful, there needs to be a sense of complementarity—if both artists are doing the same thing, there’s little room for growth.
I tend to gravitate toward working with people who challenge me, often those I perceive as more skilled or experienced in certain areas. It’s less about being ‘pushed’ in a direct sense, and more about a mutual shaping of each other’s sonic environments. Through that interaction, new directions emerge naturally.
Q: I imagine you are already working on new material. Can you share anything about what’s ahead, and what other plans you have for the remainder of the year?
Oleh: At the moment, I’m working on a collaboration with my wife, Sasha, under her project ProtoU. This material is quite different from my usual work—we’re focusing more on acoustic elements and organic sound sources. The thematic direction is centered around Ukraine, which brings a different kind of emotional and cultural depth to the project.
We’ve also recently connected with a craftsman and musician who builds and plays traditional ethnic instruments. He shared a range of recordings with us, and we’re now in the process of integrating these sounds into a cohesive musical narrative. It’s an ongoing exploration—figuring out how to shape these raw elements into something that feels both authentic and meaningful.
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