The music scene has become a resistance movement in wartime Ukraine

It's been more than a decade since electronic music entered the Ukrainian music scene.

The Berlin scene had stagnated, instead Kiev rose to the rescue, with a freshness that attracted fans from all over Europe.

Hence the cliché about Kiev as the new Berlin.

A cliché that DJ and music producer Vladyslav Yaremchuk takes with a pinch of salt.   

He is the director of the electro festival "Atlas", which has now taken a break due to the war, but now works mainly with the organization Music Saves Ukraine, which collects money for the military and those in need of help in the war-torn Ukraine.  

When we reach him, he is in Finland at a conference where he is one of the main speakers. 

Discerning audience 

Yeremchuk recounts a scene that completely exploded.

Suddenly everyone wanted to make electronic music.

But over time, the audience has also become more discerning and demands originality from the artists. 

- I think the scene has become more diversified, the hyper-fixation on techno is gone and has left room for a new generation of young and hungry music creators who have brought in other influences - garage, drum 'n' bass for example.  

Many have also begun to integrate the Ukrainian folk and musical traditions.

This as a direct consequence of the war. 

- Our culture has found its way into electro music in a very interesting way, says Yeremchuk.  

A good example is the artist "Zavaloka" with his reinterpretation of Ukrainian folk music.

Another example is "The Lazy Jesus" who with his project "UA Tribal" mixes African rhythms with Ukrainian folk motifs. 

Lives on on the dance floor 

The electro scene has had to adapt to the prevailing circumstances, with power outages, movement restrictions at night, aircraft alarms, etc.

But despite this, the music has not stopped completely.

There are clubs that are still open.

In addition, many concerts are live streamed.

Then there is the radio, of course, which also plays a lot of electronic music. 

- None of this is normal, but you have to remember that many artists donate large parts of the income to charity, explains Vladyslav Yaremchuk. 

- There is a moral dilemma associated with this.

Is it ok to have fun?, he asks rhetorically and continues:

- Yes, it's important, not least because these concerts can help us process emotions we otherwise wouldn't be able to deal with.

You are there to try to maintain some kind of normality.