An interview taken from our new digital issue. Next to Berlin, Kyiv is seen as one of the hubs for nightlife and underground electronic music. Due to russia’s full-scale invasion over two and a half years ago, the nightlife is slowly recovering again with collectives and clubs putting on events to collect money for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But how has the war changed the electronic music scene, and is it really possible to separate the art from the artist? Maya Baklanova tells me that it’s definitely not possible. Alongside the communications manager of Cxema, Amina Akhmed, she shared an open letter signed by almost all representatives of the Ukrainian scene aimed at the international scene demanding decisive action against the russian imperialism machine, against the war and against the disregard of Ukrainian values. “It’s a call to support those who are fighting at the forefront for these values right now”, the letter concludes.
I spoke to Maya, who calls herself a Cultural front fighter working in the Ukrainian electronic music scene. Based in Kyiv, she is using her social media account to inform the international community of the cultural connections in russia to the war, such as her post on russia’s Outline festival showing a military conscription tent just outside the festival grounds. Her call out has reached international media organisations, such as Deutschlandfunk, and reached several thousand people on social media. Of course, this brings along troll accounts that are designed to bully and harass. KALTBLUT had a chat with Maya asking her about her role as a digital activist and the state of the Ukrainian electronic music scene.
KALTBLUT: How has the war changed your view on the national and international electronic music scene and industry?
Maya: The war has definitely changed my perspective on both the national and international electronic music scenes. Personally, it led to a big shift in my life – I switched my professional area from working in communications at K41 club to focusing on mental health issues among Ukrainian youth through an NGO.
This change reflects the changing priorities we’ve all had to face during these times. Firstly, the Ukrainian electronic music scene has undergone a significant transformation. It’s no longer holding onto any connections with the russian scene. We’ve all finally realised that there’s no room for illusions. Also, the Ukrainian scene went back to its roots, rediscovering and drawing inspiration from our own musical, and cultural heritage, as well as reflections on the ongoing war.
When it comes to the international music scene, I’ve taken a step back. The international music scene can sometimes feel like this massive corporate machine where ‘business as usual’ seems to be the motto. Regardless of what’s happening in the world, ‘the scene’ continues to celebrate life with russian money and pro-putin artists, prioritising life celebration over the values upon which minority communities are built.
But I still have some great artists from around the world who’ve been a part of my journey over the years. They continue to show interest in Ukraine and what we are doing here, support us, and even come to play for us. Among them such collectives like Mala Hunta – they’ve always been politically active and have stayed connected.
KALTBLUT: Do you find there’s a stronger unity in the Ukrainian electronic music scene?
Maya: For sure, the Ukrainian electronic music scene is more united than ever. We all understand our responsibility. There are some tensions, though, especially between those who left Ukraine and those who stay here. Plus, there’s a strong push to distance ourselves from Ukrainian artists who collaborate with russians. But when it comes to the great danger to our freedom, culture, and its existence, unity is paramount.
Read the full interview here:
Photos by Anton Orehov @oorehov
Maya can be found on Instagram at @mayabaklanova.
You might have noticed that russia isn’t capitalised in this text. Since the full scale invasion on February 24, 2022, several media outlets and organisations have adopted the convention of writing “putin,” “moscow,” “russia,” and “russian federation” with lowercase letters as a sign of contempt.
