Genre/Influences: Industrial, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Ukrainian Dmytro Fedorenko has been active for numerous years now. He has been involved with different projects -you for sure know Cluster Lizard but is mainly releasing his work under the Kotra moniker. This new work is inspired by ‘ancient ideas of ritual drum music and rhythmic meditation techniques’.

Content: Kotra deals with a very personal sound which is mixing Industrial influences together with icy, electronic sound treatments. The coldness of the sound has something remixing me to The Klinik. I also noticed a few Experimental aspects. All tracks are instrumentals.

+ + + : The album reveals 7 songs which is a magical number in alchemy. And this work has something of alchemy in the way Fedorenko manipulates sounds and noises creating an incredibly unique, icy sound. The sounds have something metallic on top which makes it only sound colder. The Industrial rhythms inject power while accentuating the global darkness of the production. I like the minimalism of this production resulting in brilliant songs. I also have to say a word about the sober but intriguing artwork which is totally matching with the music.

– – – : The Experimental touch isn’t my favorite element of the work but it sounds in the background of the total production.

Conclusion: Kotra is based in Berlin (Germany) which remains a visionary city when it comes to music and that’s an aspect -next to the artist’s talent, you simply feel emerging at this work.

Best songs: “Phase Transitions”, “Assemblage Tremor”, “The Virtue Of Consistency” “Quantum Presence”.  

Rate: 8.

Artist: https://kotra.org.ua / www.facebook.com/kotra.artist

Label: https://prostir.art / www.facebook.com/prostir.art

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Soundtrack, Cinematographic, Ambient-Techno.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: “Star Corsair” is the third album by the Ukrainian duo –based in Berlin, Dmytro Fedorenko – Kateryna Zavoloka. After the previous work they were considering how their next album should sound-like and started listening to their favorite Soundtracks. It brought them to the idea of writing an imaginary soundtrack for the “Star Corsair”-book written by Ukrainian sci/fi writer, philosopher, and dissident Oles Berdnyk.

Content: Cluster Lizard took some distance with previous works, leaving the Industrial influence away and focusing on a pure Soundtrack approach. It resulted in a fusion between darker Electronic sounds and pure space-like Ambient reverie with some Technoid elements on top. Rhythms are regularly joining in to get the Ambient side a bit danceable. 

+ + + : Cluster Lizard doesn’t exactly repeat themselves and that’s an aspect I always highly appreciate. A Soundtrack isn’t always the most accessible format to conquer a wider audience, but this duo always has an intelligent writing and approach. The mix of influences makes the album more accessible, creating a feeling of dark reverie. The concept is great and has been transposed into alluring sound treatments revealing the magic of good-old analog effects and overwhelming sound blasts. I also like the spooky sphere hanging over the work.

– – – : The album is missing a true climax, which isn’t easy to reach with this kind of concept. The concept has maybe reduced the talented duo to do something different from their previous productions –and side-projects, so in the end it all sounds like a true challenge.

Conclusion: “Star Corsair” sounds like an ode to a book, which had a deep impact on both protagonists; Ambient music for further generations!

Best songs: “Free Will And Command”, “Multibalance And Immensity”, “The Drop Reflects The Ocean Itself”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: https://clusterlizard.com / www.facebook.com/cluster.lizard

Label: https://prostir.art / www.facebook.com/prostir.art

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, electronic.

Background/Info: Ukrainian duo Dmytro Fedorenko – Kateryna Zavoloka released their debut album “Edge Of The Universe” in vinyl format on Le Cabanon Records. This production was released in 2017 and revealed an interesting sound approach created by those familiar artists from the Ukrainian underground scene. Dmytro Fedorenko is known as the owner from Kvitnu and Kateryna Zavoloka is doing the design for the label while she also has her own solo-project called Zavoloka. Notice by the way Prostir is a label that has been set up by both protagonists to release the material of Cluster Lizard.

Content: Just like on the previous work, Cluster Lizard explores the wider fields of experimental- and industrial music. The atmospheres hanging over the work are quite essential while the industrial sound treatments inject a rough and harsh touch to the work. I also got the impression there’s a part of improvisation running in their work. But some passages are also more elaborated and feature subtle sound arrangements.

Notice by the way the track titles are directly taken from poetry by William Blake, Lesya Ukrainka, Lex Gigeroff, Arthur Rimbaud and Lord Byron.

+ + + : I like the artwork of this album, which has been designed by Kateryna Zavoloka. It’s simple, but really original. Sound-wise Cluster Lizard aren’t repeating themselves although they hold on to similar influences as on their debut work. It’s an original opus with great sound atmospheres and noticeable cold sound treatments. “This Has Happened Before And It Will Happen Again” is a well-crafted cut revealing an intelligent sound format.

– – – : This album reveals more experimental passages than its predecessor and it’s not exactly the strongest part of this project.

Conclusion: Cluster Lizard confirms their potential and appears to be a creative and efficient alternative to the familiar industrial standards.

Best songs: “This Has Happened Before And It Will Happen Again”, Fighters Of The Fight, For Their Home And Their Heart”.

Rate: (7).

Artist & Label: http://clusterlizard.com / www.facebook.com/cluster.lizard

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Kateryna Zavoloka is an Ukrainian female musician, sound artist, performer and graphic designer. She’s involved with different music projects, Zavoloka being her solo-work where she explores digital- and analogue sound synthesis combined with Ukrainian ancient folk songs and traditional instruments. Zavoloka is already active for several years now and has released a respectable number of productions. Her latest album entitled “Promeni” is part of a conceptual series around the purification by four universe elements.  The work sounds as a mix between experimental-, industrial- and ambient music, but still reveals some IDM influences. “Promeni” has been released on Kvitnu for which, Kateryna Zavoloka is also doing the graphic design.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed you’re artistically involved with different projects. Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us all projects you’re dealing with?

Kateryna: Hello! I am Zavoloka, a sound and visual artist, composer and performer from Kyiv, Ukraine. I often collaborate with Dmytro Fedorenko a.k.a Kotra. Together we’re running the label Kvitnu where we recently have released the new split-EP “XII”, and my latest solo-album “Promeni”. We our project Cluster Lizard we also released a new album entitled “Prophecy”, which has been released on Prostir.

Q: Let’s talk about your music project Zavoloka. What means music to you and what do you try to express by this project?

Kateryna: Music is my freedom, an alchemical creativity that enhances vibrations, transformational force and my very own way to have a dialogue with the Universe.

Q: Your newest album “Promeni” is a conceptual work, which is part of a series dedicated to the purification by four universe elements. How did you get the idea of this concept and what did you try to accentuate on the newest album, which is dedicated to the element of ‘fire’?

Kateryna: I have started the series many years ago and this series is my exploration of purification by four universe elements, a kind of spiritual practice. I started with the air element –“Viter”, then water the element –“Vedana”, later the earth element –“Syngonia” and the  final chapter is dedicated to the fire element –“Promeni”.

The Ukrainian word ‘промінь’ can be translated as ‘ray’. Lesya Ukrainka who’s the most famous- and my favorite Ukrainian poetess, has the authorship of this word. She introduced it into the Ukrainian language by the end of the 19th century, and this word has several meanings –as rays, light waves, or verb ‘променію’ – a manifestation of happiness.

Q: I experienced your music as a mix between different influences (industrial, dark-ambient, IDM…), which is perfectly representing the concept featuring different ‘elements’. What are your personal influences and references when it comes to composition?

Katya: I want to make a timeless art and can’t affirm that only some music styles influence it; it can be a book I read, good films, just a deep meditation or a heavy experimental techno party. I think everyone should explore their own way of creativity and integrate it into life on many levels. It just simply makes you bloom from inside. I love to explore various digital synthesis, analogue bass errors, experiment with different sound sources like lo-fi recordings of ancient Ukrainian songs in a village or dirty noises on the streets with riots, or just to have a very clean record of a voice or an instrument in the studio. It is interesting to me to combine various sounds –tune flows from one to another and transforms during a time travel.

Q: I’m always fascinated by concepts and the way artists put it into sounds and songs. What has been the main focus when working on these albums and what makes “Promeni” maybe different from the other releases? What can you tell us about sound creation?  

Kateryna: “Promeni” is a very personal album, it is an audiovisual map and history of metaphysical transformations and inspirations throughout my whole life; from strong personalities that influenced me with their powerful inner fire or significant events that ignited my flame from within. For example the track “Sontse | Сонце”, which can be translated as ‘Sun”, is dedicated to ancient Slavic polytheistic religion. During one of my expeditions to the Polissya region in the North of Ukraine I have met an old woman, Dominika Chekun, who has a very beautiful and powerful vibrato voice and has an amazing knowledge of hundreds of traditional Ukrainian pre-Christian songs.

The track “Gromovytsia / Громовиця”, which can be translated as  “Thunderbolt”, is a tree that has been struck by lightning and in the Carpathian mountains “громовиця” has been used by Molfars, Ukrainian Hutsul shamans to create magical artifacts. The most famous Carpathian musical instrument Trembita, sounds at its best when it has been made out of it.

The track “Fire Consecration | Вогнехреще” is inspired by Maidan revolution of 2013-2014. On January 19th in Ukraine it is a holiday called Водохреще and then people follow a ritual by sinking into the Holy water. But during that day the Hrushevskogo street in Kyiv turned into the first fires, molotov cocktails and exploding fireworks from protestors against the riot police forces. Back then I have been so amazed by very young and brave kids, that had this strong fire from within and courage to fight for their future.

Or the track “Inhale The Light | Вдихай Світло” is about a powerful and harmonious meditation, when you have to visualize inhaling and exhaling the light, and become the light.

Another track entitled “Iskra  |  Іскра”, which you can translate as  “Spark”, is devoted to contemporary magicians.

Q: The artwork of the album is definitely artistic, but still somewhat cryptic and mysterious. What did you try to express and what’s the link with the music?

Kateryna: I designed the artwork, made the graphics and visuals for “Promeni”. There are nine tracks connected to nine visual symbolic cards; it is like an audiovisual psychotronic art, or an abstract sonic sacred geometry that has transformational influence with conscious intention.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, IDM.

Background/Info: Hailing from Ukraine, but based in Vienna (Austria) “Edge Of The Universe” is the official debut work of Dmytro Fedorenko and Kateryna Zavoloka. This vinyl is the first chapter of the French label’s “Stand-Alone”-series. The album features 6 cuts and looks like what we in the past commonly called a mini-album.

Content: Cluster Lizard brings different elements together. From background drones to pure experimental sound treatments to industrial noises to ambient atmospheres to minimal- and intelligent electronics this work sounds as a sonic bridge between different genres.

+ + + : The rhythmic is an essential and important aspect of this work. But it’s just a part of the global production, which reveals impressive noise manipulations and great electronic treatments. Cluster Lizard in a way excels in industrial-minimalism. The global approach of this record is original and definitely composed by creative musicians. I also enjoyed the progression of the tracklist featuring the best cuts in the last part.

– – – : I regret this work doesn’t feature spoken samplings and/or a few spoken vocal parts.

Conclusion: This vinyl is a nice discovery from a less familiar, but definitely talented formation. I like the sound intelligence and global minimalism running through their work.

Best songs: “Stellar”, “Being Alive Isn’t Everything”, “The End Of Time”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.clusterlizard.com / www.facebook.com/cluster.lizard

Label: www.facebook.com/lecabanoncrew / www.lecabanonrecords.com

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com