Ukraine shares the honor of being the focus country of Waves Vienna 2020. The host country will present their music scene and market unique to this year both online and in Vienna, Austria in September 10-12th 2020. Ukraine is presented by music professionals, conference content and six showcase acts of their newest top exportables of whom we are inviting you to get to know below.
The Ukrainian showcases are executed as pre-recorded video streams exclusive to Waves Vienna. You can access the showcases via Waves Vienna's Pay as you wish function that allows a very flexible entry barrier.
Ukrainian acts
The Ukrainian pack of acts are a distinctive compilation, unless you're used to listening to social rave music before your daily dose of avant-pop and freak cabare. Experience a journey within a journey to Ukraine through our dedicated Spotify list, or a Youtube playlist of the acts in action.
Dakh Daughters | FO SHO | Krapka;KOMA | The Castle | Tik Tu | TseSho
Dakh Daughters | Freak cabare Website | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube Fri Sep 11, 20:35 - 21:05, Channel Lichtenthal
Seven Dakh Theatre actresses took musical instruments into their hands in order to create life-affirming performance about love, freedom and beauty which at the end of the day – will save the world.
Song lyrics are based on classical Ukrainian poetry, Nobel-prize winners and their own works. The band demonstrates the desire not only to find new forms of popular music but also to develop the context needed for today’s world, being one with the rhythm of time, enjoying the creative moment, and accumulating their own energy.
Looking for: Label, live opportunities (EU), PR agency (EU)
FO SHO | Hip hop Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube Sat Sep 12, 23:15 - 23:45, Channel Lichtenthal
FO SHO is an African Ukrainian hip hop project created in early 2019 consisting of 3 sisters Betty, Miriam and Siona Endale. They show their unique cultural background in their songs, style and, most importantly, in their energetic, lively performances. Their music is a symbiosis of modern genres from trap to hip hop. They also like to quote other styles, from R’n’b to rock, which represent their history and cultural traditions, which they are very proud of. Now the artists are preparing a record of their debut album and a tour of the big cities of Ukraine in the spring of 2020.
Looking for: Booking agents (EU), festival opportunities (EU), PR opportunities (EU)
Krapka;KOMA | Electronic Website | Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube Fri Sep 11, 18:35 - 19:05, Channel Lichtenthal
Multi-instrumentalist electronic girl group based in Lviv, Ukraine. Ira Lobanok and Alona Kovalenko produce and perform music together, creating a fusion of electronic soundscapes and acoustic instruments such as trumpet and guitar. After releasing their first music video "Asylum" back in September 2019, they had 14 performances in Ukraine, the Netherlands and Spain. They have a rescheduled tour ahead in Germany and the UK.
During lockdown they've created an original soundtrack for a computer game "Titan Chaser" which was released in May. In June, krapka;KOMA is releasing two collaborations with Ukrainian musicians NUMO and with an Irish singer-songwriter Pixi Ink. They support telling their story through visual art: Currently there are 8 comics-like mini stories which are published biannually, and they will later be compiled in a printed collection.
Looking for: Booking agents (EU), live opportunities (EU)
The Castle | Indie pop / Avant-pop Spotify | Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube Thu Sep 10, 18:05 - 18:35, Public Viewing @ WUK Hof & Channel Thurygrund
The Castle is a music group based in Lviv. But in case of The Castle, the main question isn't where but when. Replete with 60’s vibe, its music takes listeners to a place before hip hop and synthesizers. Songs are usually born in a home studio, inspired by the music of David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis.
In 2015, The Castle released its debut single "Water Guns", a dreamy ballad with psychedelic sound. The release gained appreciation from the Ukrainian press and the music video reached over 30,000 views on YouTube. That same year the band performed at Atlas Weekend Festival. In November 2019, Juvenile EP came out, whose surreal aesthetics drew attention of the Ukrainian, French, Italian and Japan press. The album was released alongside two music videos directed by Max Blagov. In May 2020, The Castle performed at Intercity Live 2.0 and at Lito music channel.
Looking for: Live opportunities (EU)
Tik Tu | Psychedelic Spotify | Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube Fri Sep 11, 23:25 - 23:55, Channel Thurygrund
Tik Tu is a band formed in 2014 that brings an eclectic mix of electronic and live sound, using samplers, flute, violin, drums and guitars during live performances. Their vocalist Natalie gives a delicate performance with lyrics in English, Ukrainian and Lithuanian. Their song "All My Gods" has been mentioned as one of the best tracks of the US charts in 2015, with a special shoutout to their drummer Omodada. Their first LP Shuma was critically acknowledged as one of the best albums of 2016 in Ukraine. 2019 consisted of a few tours and lots of concerts to support of their album "Ulitakis". Now they are releasing new material with a Madalitso Band from Malawi - in their home studio during the covid lockdown.
Looking for: Live opportunities, sync, artistic collaboration
TseSho | Experimental rave Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube Sat Sep 12, 21:55 - 22:25, Channel Lichtenthal Sat Sep 12, 22:05 - 22:35, Public Viewing
TseSho is an Ukrainian social rave band that explores the problems and challenges of human in modern society. Through music they ask questions and encourage thought and actions.
TseSho combines electronic and acoustic music, theatre and video art. The composite of text and music includes folk songs, children’s rhymes, traditional and contemporary poetry, the ensemble’s own texts, world news, Facebook contributions, memories and dreams – in Ukrainian and English.
Looking for: live opportunities (EU), label cooperation (EU)
Conference highlights
THU 10th Sep 2020
11.00-11.45 Meet the Ukraine (Speed Meeting)
Closed meeting for selected applicants only.
FRI 11th Sep 2020
12.00-13.00 Focus Country Ukraine
Each year true to the motto of the festival “East meets West”, Waves invites two focus countries for the festival and the conference. Find out more about the rich and lively Ukrainian music
scene. Networking opportunity with key players of the Ukrainian music market, facts & figures, country presentation. Here you will get to know:
Sergii Maletskyi (promoter) - is a founder and CEO of the Ukrainian concert agency H2D. Company was founded in 2014 and was responsible for bringing to Ukraine such artists as LP, Moderat, Nicolas Jaar, Benjamin
Clementine, GusGus, Oxxxymiron, David August, Tom Odell, Disturbed, Evanescence and many others.
Grigoriy Fatianov (label representative) - Managing director of "House of Culture" Masterskaya - a record label, creative space & music hub founded by Ivan Dorn and located in the heart of Ukraine - Kyiv. Grigoriy is responsible for business
development, artist roster extension and 360-degrees services for its artists. Among others, they work with YUKO (folk/contemporary electronics), Gurt [O] (future pop, funk), другдиджея (hip-hop)
etc.
Ivan Talaychuk (music start-up representative) - CEO of Pibox, a Ukrainian-based online music collaboration platform
for music creators that allows sharing, discussing, and organizing tracks all in one secured place. Pibox is built to abstract away a world of complexity for the user while providing a rock-solid
platform across which music industry professionals can communicate about their product and work together to perfect it.
Valeriia Parkova (Managing partner) - Managing partner of independent Media Studio Aristocrats.fm. Valeriia has been managing professionally radio since 2000 as a program director, producer, project manager and presenter. In 2014, along with three partners, she created a well-known new Ukrainian digital Media - Aristocrats Family which covers 250 000 listeners every month and around the Globe. For six years Valeriia carried on the production of the Ukrainian version of the worldwide spread showcase The Selector for the British Council. Her recent activities include program consulting for the educational music forum Selector PRO for future cultural managers in the field of music. Cultivation of the new Musical Prize for the best Ukrainian Album – (A) PRIZE.
Katherine Maliukova (artist manager) - concert director of Ukrainian pop sensation Ivan Dorn from 2011 and hip-hop band Kalush from 2020. She was in charge of 3 tours in Ukraine, 3 tours in the US, numerous concerts in Germany, the Netherlands, UK, and CIS countries. She is an international booking manager of Ukrainian music label Masterkskaya.
If you're interested in interviews, being connected with Ukrainians at Waves Vienna, or have further questions about acts, we're here to help and happy to introduce you further. Reach out to Ida: saellinen@factory92.eu.
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