Amidst a time marked by war and its challenges, French-Venezuelan producer STACY.O and Ukrainian poet Марія Степанюк have teamed up to share their collaborative EP “ОДИН”. The deeply personal and compelling collaboration between, STACY.O and Марія Степанюк, who is currently volunteering and writing poetry amidst the war in Ukraine, presents an introspective sonic exploration that bridges the gap between the past and the future. Creating an immersive soundscape with field recordings from Kyiv and Kharkiv, coupled with Maria’s fragmented and raw poetry, ‘ОДИН’ (“ONE” in English) seeks to evoke a sense of unity, resilience and longing for peace. The project takes you along on a journey with its slow, percussive sounds, leading to an intense interplay between dance and introspection.
Read our conversation with Tidiane and Maria below.
KALTBLUT: How did the collaboration come about?
Tidiane: It started in Kharkiv when I met Maria for the first time in 2021, but when we really finished something and published it was a few months after the russian invasion started, at a time when for me, music didn’t make sense any more, we started working together, it mainly helped our mental states. We continued this collaboration as a fundraising and also to stay mentally sane via being creative.
KALTBLUT: What aspects of each other’s work made both of you interested in working with each other?
Tidiane: Maria is open-minded musically, and her abstract poetry connects very well with the more experimental sound I started to create.
KALTBLUT: Could you describe the significance of the field recordings from Kyiv and Kharkiv in “ОДИН”, and how do they enhance the overall sonic experience and emotional depth of the project?
Tidiane: Some of the field recordings I did in Kyiv and Kharkiv have been recorded before the full scale invasion. I wanted sounds from there, the air, the metro, or some object sounds that I recorded at a time when things were nice… F.R always brings a lot of life to electronic music, and it was necessary for me to use them to build the atmosphere on this EP. Also, some material has been recorded in Kharkiv by Maria.
KALTBLUT: Mariia, how do you capture the emotions and traumatic feelings from the russian invasion in words?
Maria: In my writing, I do not directly convey the emotions and traumatic experiences from the Russian invasion. The invasion, which began in 2014, has transformed my initial pain into a state of disbelief at the absurdity of resolving internal conflicts through invasion, now escalated to a full-scale assault.
My focus is on capturing the spirit of Ukrainian freedom and my own battle for mental health. It’s about being honest with oneself, preserving the true meaning of words, and not succumbing to the overwhelming agony of the situation.
My work is more about maintaining humanity in the midst of war. This involves supporting my fellow citizens in their efforts to save, fight, and survive for a brighter, greener future, one filled with rights and opportunities. Our defenders are not only beautiful and educated but also progressive; they, along with our volunteers and diplomats, are the architects of our future. We continue to take to the streets, questioning our parliament about their actions.
In my writing, there are no direct expressions of emotions. All traumatic feelings are left for therapy sessions, while I use clear, precise language to convey the sense of living through these times.
Follow @stacy.o_music and Maria at @biomatter_txt on Instagram to keep up with their upcoming projects. Stream the EP on Bandcamp here, and watch the video for “Broken Space” here.
All photos provided by management.
You can revisit all Cultural Connection interviews at #TheCulturalConnection here.
