Ukraine-based electronic producer 6TH CROWD (a.k.a. Dari Maksymova) presents her new single ‘Sokolonko’, inspired by an old harvest song. This is the first offering from the album ‘Step’ (the Ukrainian word for ‘Steppe’), which she was working on when Russia invaded Ukraine, turning the country into a war zone. She has provided information on various ways that it is possible to help Ukraine now https://bit.ly/36V7Ff6. You may also find more options in support of humanitarian aid efforts at https://bit.ly/35weaog
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We will let Dari Maksymova explain the background to this song in her own words:
“A week ago Russia invaded Ukraine, shelling cities and killing hundreds of civilians. The Russian president calls it a “special operation” for “saving Russian-speaking people.” A more accurate term for it is “war.” And even more accurately is the intention behind this war: Russification. Russification is… the best way to think of it is that Russification is cultural genocide. It’s clear that the ancient Greeks don’t exist but we know of them because their cultural artifacts have been preserved. In the absence of their books, literature, artwork we wouldn’t know anything about them as a people. Their history would simply cease to exist. That’s the goal of Russification, to remove all of the distinct and unique ethnic histories and merge them into one.
When Communists gathered different nations under the umbrella of the USSR they desperately needed to rewrite history. They needed everyone to share the same bland fake ethnicity, they needed people to forget their roots. So people would never get second thoughts about belonging to ‘the great empire”, never question orders and the party line. While in newly built cities their program of Russification was going pretty well, people in villages stayed a real pain in the ass. They lived and worked far from centralized sources of information, relied on the government very little… and didn’t rush to become soviet people. Yes, they lived in the Soviet Union, and yes they worked in Soviet fields, but one thing they did that drove the Russians crazy: the villagers spoke Ukrainian and sang their own songs.
Singing is a very basic form of communication. Before people had Spotify, they sang to themselves. They sang while working in fields, while fighting, getting married… They sang all the time. And those songs passed from one to another, along with very important information about people. What language they spoke, what they believed, what they hoped, who their heroes were. Songs from people are also songs about people.
Since the Soviets couldn’t forbid singing songs they decided to change them. They installed “soviet people’s choirs” in every tiny village and community. And as every part of a centralized soviet culture, choirs existed to make sure people “sing the right ideas.” Slowly, but surely, original melodies and ideas were dissolved in standardized “soviet folk songs”. About standardized soviet people without their own history and territory. If people don’t remember their own history, someone can rewrite it for them. And then come with guns to “defend” Russian people in Ukraine, Moldova, or Serbia…
The Russification of the Donbas affects me personally. Honestly, a lot of my friends from this region are almost embarrassed, because our culture and history seem to represent nothing except a war zone. So it’s important to me, and us personally, to realize and remember that we do contribute culturally, and that we are more than just a talking point in a war. In my research, as I learned more about folk Ukrainian music, I noticed that modern culture has plenty of references to music from western and central parts of my country, but nothing from the east. Nothing from my home. Culturally it simply didn’t exist. So I decided I wanted to change that balance and bring songs from East Ukraine back to life, to remind myself and everyone that Donbas is a historical part of Ukraine, no matter how badly Putin wants to destroy it.”
In 2020, 6th Crowd emerged on the electronic music scene with her debut ‘Avoid The Void’ EP, which addressed certain issues regarding the newfound COVID-19 situation, social distancing, lockdown and quarantines. In 2021, she released the ‘What Happened’ EP via French label 50 Degrees North Recordings on the trail of 2020 singles 1312′ and ‘Не вивожу (Ne Vyvozhu)’.
You can support 6th Crowd by downloading this single, available via Bandcamp and Apple Music. Playlist it onSpotify. But the most important thing right now is to support Ukraine. You can donate money to humanitarian missions, directly to the army, simply spread awareness about the truth of this ugly war, or join demonstrations in your city. Here’s a link with helpful resources in order to help Ukraine now https://bit.ly/36V7Ff6 and more humanitarian aid options at https://bit.ly/35weaog
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Note: yesterday we also featured the new single from UK-based artist Nick Hudson, with all proceeds going to humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Read it here: https://amplifymusicmag.com/premiere-nick-hudson-releases-lights-svoboda-funds-to-support-ukraine/
DEBUT EP
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