€

Vinyl, CD & Tape 36417 Items

Name: V.A. - Even The Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996
Brand: Light In The Attic
SKU: 1168352v1
Price: 55.99 EUR
Availability: InStock

Show Filter & Categories

Filter Results

Artist

2 Flying Stones

38 Spesh

883

A Certain Ratio

A Place To Bury Strangers

ABBA

AC/DC

Adam F

Adriano Celentano

Aivvass

Akae Beka

Alex Puddu

Amorphis

Amyl And The Sniffers

Andreas Dorau

Andrés

Andrew Jeremy

Aquasky

Aretha Franklin

Armored Saint

ASC

Ashley Ninelives

Assassin

Atmosphere

Atree

Audio88 & Yassin

B.B. King

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band

Balance And Composure

BALTHVS

BAP

BBNG (BadBadNotGood)

Beatconductor

Ben Howard

Benny The Butcher

Beth Hart

Beyonce

Big Sean

Bill Evans

Billie Eilish

Billie Holiday

Billy F Gibbons

Black Sabbath

Blackberry Smoke

Blanck Mass

Blu

Blue Öyster Cult

Blur

BMX Bandits

Bob Dylan

Bob Marley

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Bombus

Bongzilla

Boo Williams

Boogiemonsters

Boris Brejcha

Bozack Morris

Brainstory

Bright Eyes

Broilers

Bruce Springsteen

Bush Babees

BVA

Byron The Aquarius

Calibre

Can

Capcom Sound Team

Caserta

Cassandra Jenkins

Cat Stevens

Celine Dion

Channel Live

Charlotte De Witte

Chet Baker

Chinese Man

Cigarettes After Sex

Cloud Nothings

Clueso

Coalesce

Coldplay

Colin Stetson

Color Green

Conway The Machine

Cool Million

Crimeapple

Cult Of Luna

Daddy Yankee

Dan Piu

Dana And Alden

Darkthrone

Dave Guy

David Bowie

Dean Martin

DEAS

Death Is Not The End

Deep Purple

Deerhoof

Degiheugi

Deicide

Denzel Curry

Depeche Mode

Devin Townsend

Dexter Gordon

Die Drei ???

Dinosaur Jr

Dizzee Rascal

DJ Muggs

DJ Sneak

DMX Krew

Doro

Dota

Drahdiwaberl

Dream Theater

Drive-By Truckers

Dua Lipa

Duel

Duran Duran

Durand Jones & The Indications

Duster

Dwight Yoakam

Eagles

Ed Sheeran

Eddie Vedder

Eevee

El Michels Affair

Elbow

Elvis Presley

Eminem

Ennio Morricone

Erasure

Eric Clapton

Eric Hilton Of Thievery Corporation

Eusebeia

Eva Cassidy

Exodus

Explosions In The Sky

Fairport Convention

Fantômas

Fargo

Father John Misty

Faye Webster

Fela Kuti

Felipe Gordon

Fink

Fleet Foxes

Fleetwood Mac

Fliptrix

Foghat

Foreigner

Franck Roger

Frank Sinatra

Frank Zappa

Fulci

Future & Metro Boomin

Future Palace

Gabriels

Garbage

Gehenna

Ghost

Ghostface Killah

Gimp Fist

Ginger Root

Glenn Davis

Goat

Godfather Don

Grandaddy

Grateful Dead

Gratts

Green Day

Gregory Isaacs

Hans Zimmer

Harleckinz

Harrison BDP

Hawkwind

Helene Fischer

Helloween

Herbie Hancock

Hiatus Kaiyote

Hippo Campus

Holy Hive

Homeboy Sandman

Homer

Hus Kingpin

Ian Hunter

Iced Earth

IDLES

Iggy Pop

Ihsahn

Imagine Dragons

Indigesti

Ino Hidefumi

Inquisition

Iron Maiden

Isolation Berlin

Isotonik

Ist Ist

Ja, Panik

Jade Bird

Jag Panzer

Jamal

James Alexander Bright

James Arthur

James Brown

Jan Delay

Jane Weaver

Janis Joplin

Jean-Louis Murat

Jeffery Scott Greer

Jethro Tull

Jimi Tenor

Joao Gilberto

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Hisaishi

John Carpenter

John Carpenter / Cody Carpenter / Daniel Davis

John Coltrane

John Lee Hooker

John Reed & The Automatics

John Tejada

John Williams

Johnny Cash

Johnny Hallyday

Jon Hopkins

Joni Mitchell

Jordan Rakei

Joy Division

JPEGMAFIA

Judas Priest

Justice

Justin Timberlake

K.I.Z.

Kacey Musgraves

Kate Bush

Kehlani

Kelly Finnigan

Khruangbin

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Kite

Knocked Loose

Konerytmi

Kurious

Kylie Minogue

Lainey Wilson

Lambchop

Lawrence

Led Zeppelin

Leo Nocentelli

Lewis Parker

Lightning Seeds

Lil Peep

Linkin Park

Liquid Tension Experiment

Little Richard

Loc Saint

Lou Reed

Louie Vega

Louis Armstrong

Lucinda Williams

Lupe Fiasco

Madlib

Marcos Valle

Marillion

Markus Suckut

Marvin Gaye

Mastodon

Mathematik

Max Richter

MC Bomber

Melvins

Men I Trust

Metallica

MGMT

Michael Giacchino

Miles Davis

Mina

Ministry

Molchat Doma

Mono

Moomin

Morcheeba

Mork

Moses Sumney

Motörhead

Mr. G

Mr. K

Münchener Freiheit

Murcof

Muslimgauze

Mustafa

My Morning Jacket

Nail

Nas

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Nautilus

Neil Young

Neil Young with Crazy Horse

New Order

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Nick Oliveri

Nifelheim

Nightmares On Wax

Nightwish

Nina Kraviz

Nina Simone

NOFX

Norah Jones

Nubya Garcia

Nxworries (Anderson.Paak & Knxwledge)

O.B.F X Iration Steppas

Oasis

Ol' Burger Beats

Olivia Rodrigo

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez

Opeth

Orgone

Orlando Voorn

Orquesta Akokan

Oscar Peterson

Osees (Thee Oh Sees)

Oxo 86

Pale Jay

Parquet Courts

Pat Benatar

Pat Metheny

Patricia Kaas

Paul McCartney

Paul Weller

Pearl Jam

Peggy Gou

Pestilence

Pet Shop Boys

Piero Piccioni

Pixies

PJ Harvey

Poison

Pom Pom Squad

Pop Smoke

Portico Quartet

Post Malone

Primal Fear

Primal Scream

Prince

Pseudo Intellectuals

Purple Disco Machine

Qrixkuor

Queen

Radiohead

Rag'n'Bone Man

Rage

Rahaan

Ramin Djawadi

Ramones

Ratt

Ray Charles

Reagan Youth

Real Estate

Recognize Ali

Regent

Remco Beekwilder

Renato Zero

Rhymester

Rico Friebe

Rico Puestel

Rise Against

Rival Sons

Roc Marciano

Rockabye Baby!

Roosevelt

Rory Gallagher

Rotting Christ

Royal Blood

RVDS

S.T.S.

Saga

Santana

Sarah Davachi

Sasha

Savatage

Serj Tankian

Serpentwithfeet

Shabazz Palaces

Shame

Shining

Sido

Skinshape

Snail Mail

SND & RTN

SNK Neo Sound Orchestra

Sodom

Sonic Youth

Soul Glo

Soul Jazz Records presents

Sound Synthesis

Spiritualized

Squarepusher

SS-20

St. Vincent

Stan Rogers

Status Quo

Stereolab

Steve Gunn

Steve Hackett

Steve O'Sullivan

Steven Wilson

Still Corners

Sting

Stone Temple Pilots

Stoner

Suede

Sun Ra

Systems In Blue

T. Rex

Talking Heads

Tangerine Dream

Taylor Swift

Tears For Fears

Teenage Fanclub

Tensal

Termanology

The Beatles

The Black Dog

The Black Keys

The Brkn Record

The Clash

The Corrs

The Courettes

The Cure

The Doors

The Fall

The Flaming Sideburns

The Last Dinner Party

The Nonce

The Offspring

The Pineapple Thief

The Pro-Teens

The Residents

The Rolling Stones

The Telescopes

The The

The Unknown Artist

The Who

Thee Heart Tones

Thee Sinseers

Theo Parrish

Thunder

Thy Catafalque

Tina Turner

Tindersticks

Tom Holkenborg

Tom Waits

Tommy Guerrero

Tommy Vicari Jnr

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Tool

Toro Y Moi

Travis

Trees Speak

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts

Tune-Yards

Ty Segall

Tycho

Tyler The Creator

Ufo

UK Subs

Ulrich Troyer

Ultimo

Ulver

Unanimated

Unknown Artist

V.A

V.A.

Van Halen

Van Morrison

Vick Lavender

Vil

Villagers

Vola

Von Spar / Eiko Ishibashi / Joe Talia / Tatsuhiro Yamamoto

Walkin' Large

War

Wardruna

Warlord

Weather Report

Weezer

Weldon Irvine

Westernhagen

While She Sleeps

Whitesnake

Whitney Houston

William Fitzsimmons

Willie Nelson

Wintersun

Wormwood

Yall So Stupid

Yan Cook

Yes

Your Old Droog

Zoviet France

Label

!K7

100% Electronica

1332

20 Buck Spin

20/20 Vision

4AD

90's Tapes

A Strangely Isolated Place

Ace

Acid Jazz

Acrobat

Act Music

ADA

Afm

Agitated

Agonia

Air Vinyl

Akuphone

Alive

American Dreams

Amplified Media Services

AMS

Anti

AOP

Apollon

April

Argonauta

Arising Empire

Arts

Athens Of The North

Atlantic

ATO

Atomic Fire

Audiolith

Aufnahme + Wiedergabe

Avantgarde

Backatcha

Batov

Bayonet

BBE Music

Beast

Because Music

Bella Union

BFD

Big Crown

Big Scary Monsters

Black Buffalo

Black Lodge

Black Screen

Black Truffle

Blind Rope

Bloodshot

Blue Note

Blues Funeral

BMG

BMG Rights Management

Bordello A Parigi

Born Bad

Brainfeeder

Brave Wave

Brownswood

Brutal Panda

Bureau B

Burning Anger

Burning Sole

Burning Sounds

Cadiz Music

Candid

Capitol

Capri

Captured Tracks

Carpark

Castle Face

Century Media

Century Media Catalog

Charly

Cherry Red

Chiwax

Chopped Herring

Chrysalis

City Slang

Cleopatra

Clouds Hill

Code 7

Cold Busted

Cold Transmission Music

Colemine

Columbia

Columbia International

Compost

Concord

Consouling Sounds

Constellation

Cooking Vinyl

Craft

Croatia

Crosstown Rebels

Culture Factory

Dais

Damaged Goods

Daptone

Dark Entries

Darkness Shall Rise

Darkness Shall Rise Production

De W.E.R.F.

De:tuned

Dead Oceans

Dear Boss

Decca

Def Jam

Delusions Of Grandeur

Demon

Denovali

Deutsche Grammophon

Dezi-Belle

Diggers Factory

Discrepant

Domino

Don Giovanni

Drag City

Drumcode

Dying Victims Productions

Dynamite Cuts

Earache

Earmusic

Earth Libraries

Easy Action

ECM

Edged Circle

Edition

El Toro

Electric Valley

Embassy Of Music

EMI

Empire

Enjoy The Ride

Epic

Epic International

Epitaph

Epitaph Europe

Erased Tapes

Erste Theke

Europa/Sony Music Family Entertainment

Exhibition

Expansion

F.O.A.D.

Far Out

Fat Beats

Fat Possum

Fat Wreck

Favorite

Feeding Tube

Feel It

Fire

Fire Talk

Four Flies

Frontiers

Fruits

Full Time Hobby

Fun In The Church

Funk Night

Futura Resistenza

Fuzz Club

Gearbox

Ghostly International

Glitterbeat

Glitterhouse

Gm & Publishing

Goldencore

Gondwana

Grand Hotel Van Cleef

Grönland

Gunner

Hammerheart Rec.

Hardly Art

Harthouse

Heavenly

Heavenly Sweetness

Heavy Psych Sounds

Hell Yeah

Hells Headbangers

HHV Records

High Fashion Music

High Focus

High Moon

High Roller

Hip Hop Enterprise

Honest Jon's

Hopeless

Hot Creations

Housewax

Hyperdub

Iam8bit

Ilian Tape

Improved Sequence

In The Red

Indecision

Indie

Infine

Insideoutmusic

Insideoutmusic Catalog

International Anthem

Interscope

Interstellar Smoke

Invada

Invictus Productions

Ipecac

Irma

Iron Lung

Island

Izipho Soul

Jagjaguwar

Jakarta

Jet Set

Joyful Noise

Karisma

Karma Chief

Kidnap Music

Kill Rock Stars

KingUnderground

Kit

Knekelhuis

Kniteforce

Kompakt

Kontakt

Kscope

L.M.L.R.

La Pochette Surprise

La Vida Es Un Mus

Laced

Lakeshore

Laser Media

Lawson

Leaf

Legacy

Les Disques Bongo Joe

Lewis

Lex

Light In The Attic

Listenable

Live At Robert Johnson

Lobster Theremin

Lofi

Loma Vista

London

Lucky Number

M-Theory Audio

Magnetic Eye

Major Label

Many Hats

Mascot Label Group

Massacre

Masterworks

Matador

Mayway

Mello Music Group

Memphis Industries

Mercury

Merge

Metal Blade

Metalville

Microids

Milan

Mind Control

Mississippi

Mnrk Music Group

Modern Harmonic

Mom+Pop

Mondo

Mord

Morr Music

Mr Bongo

Munster

Music From Memory

Music On CD

Music On Vinyl

Musik Produktion Schwarzwald

Mute

Napalm

Nature Sounds

Needlejuice

Nervous

Nettwerk

Neue Meister

New West

Newretrowave

Ninja Tune

Nippon Columbia

No Remorse

Nonesuch

Nordvis

Norske Albumklassikere

Northern Spy

Not Now

Nous Klaer Audio

Now

Now-Again

Nu Groove

Nuclear Blast

Numero Group

One Little Independent

Oraculo

ORG Music

Original Gravity

Outsider

Outta Sight

P-Vine

Pan

Parlophone

Parlophone Label Group

Partial

Partisan

Past Inside The Present

Peaceville

Pelagic

Peoples Potential Unlimited

Phameless

Phantom

Phobia

Phonogramme

Pias

Pingipung

Pirates Press

Planet Mu

Planet Rhythm

Play It Again Sam

PNKSLM

Polydor

Profound Lore

Project: Mooncircle

Proper

Prophecy

Prophecy Productions

Prosthetic

Public Possession

Pure Noise

Rad Girlfriend

Radiation Reissues

Rawax

Razor-N-Tape Reserve

RCA

RCA International

Real Gone Music

Reaper Entertainment Europe

Record Kicks

RecordJet

Reigning Phoenix Music

Rekids

Relapse

Renaissance

Reprise

Reptilian

Republic

Revelation

Rhino

Rhymesayers

Riding Easy

Ripple

Ripple Music

Rockabye Baby!

Rocket

Rookie

Room In The Sky

Rotorelief

Rough Trade

Rrc Music

Rum Bar

Run For Cover

Running Back

Rush Hour

Rvng Intl.

Sacred Bones

Sbäm

Sdban Ultra

Season Of Mist

Second

Secret

Secretly Canadian

Sedsoulciety

Sentient Ruin Laboratories

Shall Not Fade

Sic

Siluh

Silva Screen

Silver Current

Skylax

SK_Eleven

Slovenly

Smith And Miller

Sony

Sony Classical

Sony Legacy

Sony Music

Sony Music Catalog

Sony Music Japan

Sony Music/Metal Blade

Sorry State

Soul Jazz

Sound Pollution

Sound Pollution / Black Lodge

Sound Signature

Soundflat

Sounds Of Subterrania

Spinefarm

Spinout Nuggets

Staatsakt

Star Creature

Static Shock

Steamhammer

Stickman

Stones Throw

Strange Mono

Stroom

Strut

Studio Barnhus

Sub Pop

Subsound

Suburban

Sundazed

Sunny Bastards

Svart

Sweat It Out

Syncrophone

Tapete

Target

Telephone Explosion

Temporary Residence

Terminal M

Testimony

The Circle Music

The Flenser

The Get Down

The Sign

Third Man

This Charming Man

Thrill Jockey

Time Is Now

Time To Kill

Timmion

Tokuma

Tonzonen

Toolroom

Topshelf

Tough Love

Toy Tonics

Tramp

Transgressive

Trikont

Trouble In Mind

Tuff Kong

Unique Leader

Universal

Universal Music

Universal Music Japan

Upset The Rhythm

Urban

Urban Discos

Vampisoul

Vendetta

Vertigo Berlin

Verve

Vibez '93

Vinyl Magic

Vinyl Me, Please

Vinyl Passion

Virgin

Virgin Music Las

Voodoo Rhythm

Wagram

Warner

Warner Classics

Warner Music

Warner Music International

Warp

Waxtime

Waxwork

Wayo

We Are Busy Bodies

We Jazz

Weltschmerzen

Western Vinyl

Wewantsounds

Whirlwind

White Peach

Wicked Cool

Wild Honey

Winspear

Wolf Music

X-Ray Production

Yep Roc

You've Changed

ZYX

ZYX Music

Reset all Filters 2011 2021 2024

...

4 5 6

...

380

...

380

...

380

V.A.

Even The Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996

2LP | 2024 | US | Original (Light In The Attic)

55,99 €*

Incl. VAT plus Shipping Costs

Release: 2024 / US – Original

Genre: Rock & Indie

Add to Cart Coming Soon Sold out Currently not available Not Enough Coins

Light in the Attic Records proudly presents Even the Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996—the first comprehensive collection of Ukrainian music recorded prior to, and immediately following, the Ussr’s collapse. From subtly dissenting Soviet-era singles to DIY recordings from Kyiv’s vibrant underground scene, the compilation chronicles the development of Ukraine’s rich musical landscape through rare folk, rock, jazz, and electronic recordings.

“This record is a labor of love and a long time coming,” says label owner Matt Sullivan. Over the course of the last five years, Sullivan, alongside producers David Mas ("dbgo”), Mark “Frosty” McNeill, and Ukrainian label Shukai Records worked tirelessly to compile a carefully curated, chronological playlist. But behind the scenes, ongoing war & politics would shape the evolution of the tracklist, which originally featured both Ukrainian and Russian artists. “We found ourselves in the midst of a larger political issue; what began as a broader overview of a sonically underrepresented region suddenly became quite the controversial project,” Sullivan continues, “so we decided to pivot and focus only on Ukrainian music. There were times when it felt impossible to bring this project to fruition, so to be sharing it with the world today is truly humbling and long overdue.”

Guiding listeners through the physical editions of the album are insightful liner notes and track-by-track details by Vitalii “Bard” Bardetskyi—a Kyiv-based filmmaker, DJ, and writer. The 2xLP is housed in a beautiful gatefold package showcasing Ukrainian artist Maria Prymachenko’s beloved and iconic folk paintings. The vinyl edition features a 20-page booklet with artist photos & liner notes in both English and Ukrainian, pressed on Clear Blue Sky & Sunflower Yellow wax; the CD edition features bonus content housed in a deluxe, 64-page hardbound book.

Light in the Attic will donate a portion of proceeds directly to Livyj Bereh, a Kyiv-based volunteer group working to rebuild in the regions affected by ongoing war in Ukraine.

“Music has always pulled Ukrainians out of the abyss,” writes Vitalii “Bard” Bardetskyi in his liner notes for Even the Forest Hums: Ukrainian Sonic Archives 1971-1996. “When there is no hope for the future, there is still music. At such moments, the whole nation resonates under a groove. Music, breaking through the concrete of various colonial systems, is an incredible, often illogical, way to preserve dignity.”

While the songs collected in Even the Forest Hums were recorded during periods of immense societal and political upheaval—and certainly reflect the resilience of the Ukrainian people—they are rooted in the universal spirit of exploration: from post-war teenagers seeking fresh rhythms and artists experimenting with DIY recording technologies to an entire nation being introduced to decades-worth of previously-embargoed albums. Yet, until now, it has been nearly impossible for anyone outside Ukraine to explore the country’s flourishing music scene for themselves.

Much of this can be attributed to Soviet-era restrictions. Music, much like any other commodity, was tightly controlled before the fall of communism. “Only state-authorized performers who had gone through hellish rounds of the permit system could record at the few monopolistic, state-run studios,” explains Bardetskyi. While many of these compositions were released and performed to mass audiences, however, they weren’t necessarily what they seemed. “Some of the artists managed, even under difficult ideological circumstances, to build a whole aesthetic platform which was essentially anti-Soviet.”

Bands could slide under the radar by changing the lyrics of rock songs to reflect Soviet ideals or by performing traditional folk music with subtle outside influences. “This resulted in a whole scene that combined central-eastern Ukrainian vocal polyphony, Carpathian rhythms, and overseas grooves,” writes Bardetskyi, who refers to this era of music as “Mustache Funk.”

Examples featured in Even the Forest Hums... include 1971’s “Bunny” by Kobza. While the folk-rock group was known for their polyphonic vocals, this particular composition is an instrumental waltz, which blends elements of traditional Ukrainian music with progressive rock, British beat, and jazz-rock. Another example of “Mustache Funk” comes from the latter half of the decade, with the Caribbean-influenced “Remembrance” by Vodohrai. While the group—which included some of the best jazz musicians in the country—had a multitude of traditional hits, inspired jams like this one could, for a lucky few, occasionally be heard live.

While the 70s proved to be a golden age for Ukrainian music (complete with pop stars, large-scale tours, and legions of adoring fans), the excitement was short-lived. “The Soviet system finally understood that funkified beats quite strongly contradict[ed] [its] principles,” notes Bardetskyi, who adds that by the 80s, “The once prolific scene was almost completely colonized, appropriated, and largely Russified; the state radio and TV waves were occupied by banal VIAs and cheezy schlager singers.”

With tighter restrictions, however, came the rise of the underground. While the decade leading up to Ukraine’s independence was marked by great turmoil—including the political reform of Perestroika in the Ussr and the Chernobyl disaster—it also marked a time of incredible creativity.

Mirroring global trends, the first half of the decade found many composers and producers experimenting with electronic music. Among them was Vadym Khrapachov, whose scores have appeared in over 100 films. His moody, Moroder-esque “Dance” (written for Roman Balaian’s iconic 1983 film, Flights in Dreams and Reality) is notable in that it was recorded on the Ussr’s only existing British EMS Synthi 100 synthesizer.

Producer Kyrylo Stetsenko, meanwhile, was reimagining traditional songs for the dancefloor. Among them is 1980’s “Play, the Violin, Play,” by Ukrainian pop star Tetiana Kocherhina. Stetsenko, who produced the album for Kocherhina, created a hypnotic remix of the folk tune that was fit for a disco. Stetsenko is also featured here with 1987’s “Oh, how, how?,” in which he transforms a melancholic ballad by Natalia Gura into a synth-forward, breakbeat jam.

As the fall of communism approached, the scene continued to diversify—particularly as music from around the world became increasingly available. Kyiv, in particular, became an epicenter of creativity. In the early days, bands like Krok offered a preview of what was to come. Described by Bardetskyi as “The first real Kyiv supergroup,” Krok was led by guitarist Volodymyr Khodzytskyi and featured musicians from local Beat bands. In addition to backing the biggest pop acts of the day, the versatile collective explored a spectrum of styles in their own recordings, including fusion and electro-funk. They are represented here with the mellow “Breath of Night Kyiv.”

By the late 80s, Kyiv “was buzzing like a beehive,” recalls Bardetskyi. “It was a period of very active socialization and exchange of musical information and ideas; local musicians evolved with supersonic speed, absorbing decades of the world's musical background and transforming it into their sound.” While rock bands comprised much of this era’s first wave, artists continued to expand their repertoire as new influences pervaded the scene. The global rise of DIY recording technology and electronic instrumentation, meanwhile, also contributed to the growing sonic landscape.

Highlights from this period include the avant-garde improvisations of violinist Valentina Goncharova. Recordings like 1989’s “Silence” were created by a series of layered tracks and custom pickups. Similarly, composer Iury Lech paints a warm ambient soundscape with 1990’s “Barreras.” On the other end of the spectrum is the industrial “90” by Radiodelo (the project of Ivan Moskalenko—aka DJ Derbastler), which combines frenetic drum machine beats and haunting, reverb-soaked instrumentation. Post-punk was also thriving, with acts like Yarn (a large, loosely based collective) dominating the scene. “The interests of [Yarn’s] members extended all the way to medieval chamber music, which would clearly be noticeable in ‘Viella,’” writes Bardetskyi. The track features two of Yarn’s co-founding members: multi-instrumentalist and graphic designer Oleksander Yurchenko (who became a significant figure in modern Ukrainian music) and Ivan Moskalenko. Yurchenko is also represented here as part of Omi, a parallel project by the chart-topping electronic group, Blemish. 1994’s dramatic “Transference” (which features contributions by legendary Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto and American singer-songwriter Diamanda Galas) serves up horror-movie-soundtrack vibes, particularly with the addition of eerie vocalizations.

Cukor Bila Smert’ (which translates to “Sugar White Death”) were also major players in the Kyiv underground. Interestingly, Bardetskyi notes, “In the reality of the general dominance of post-punk, the aesthetic message of Cukor Bila Smert’ was countercultural to the countercultural process itself.” For their contribution to the compilation, the experimental quartet provides 1995’s “Cool, Shining.”

In the years following Ukraine’s independence, Kyiv’s underground scene continued to flourish, particularly as Western trends became more accessible and Ukrainians found themselves at the forefront of their own cultural output. While the country’s music would largely evolve in new directions throughout the 90s, the final entry on Even the Forest Hums... provides a glimpse at what the future held. The album closes with 1996’s “Lion,” by Belarusian transplant German Popov, whose project, Marble Sleeves, was “one of the few Kyiv formations that tried to master jungle/drum-n-bass,” per Bardetskyi.

Though this compilation only scratches the surface of Ukraine’s vast and diverse music scene, Even the Forest Hums offers an in-depth overview of a significant period in the country’s cultural history and unites a number of influential figures in the same collection for the first time. As Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Schegel writes in the foreword, “This is our Ukrainian treasure. It is impossible to lose and impossible to win.”