A name we’ve seen more often in the Vital Weekly is that of Dmytro Fedorenko. He is a Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist and one of the most prolific pioneers of Ukrainian experimental electronic music. Kotra is just one of his projects next to Variát and is part of Cluster Lizard, Their Divine Nerve, Critikal and Z.E.T. But I first heard of him as the ‘guy behind’ the excellent Kvitnu label, which had over 70 releases until it stopped in 2020. I also just found out (long live the interweb) that his first output was released on Nexsound, run by Andrey Kiritchenko, with whom I was in contact before Y2K. So yeah, it’s a small world if you look at it through the eyes of art.
‘Grit Light’ is a 62-minute journey through the mind of Dmytro, and he shows us a few dark places, but weirdly enough, I can only describe it as an incredible and cheerful journey. Eight tracks are filled with beats and patterns the way one would expect to hear from acts like Vromb or Orphx. The clarity of sounds like Vromb uses isn’t there, but a lot of the complexity is. Soundwise, you can hear the crunch you hear often in Orphx tracks. Still, the combination of it all reminded me the most of that first Orphx album ‘Vita Mediativa’ which was their first on Hands Productions after that beautiful transparent 10″ from ’98.
There is only one track on “Grit Light” shorter then 6 minutes, resulting in a pleasant listening album with a certain consistency. I mean, it’s not going all over the place. You get a track, you get the time to get into it, and the next track is a perfect follow-up. It just fits. Nice harsh analogue sounds are all over, just about no pumping 4/4, which you all know I love (bleargh, not!), but the pace is there, no rest for the wicked! So to listen to this in the background is excellent, it gives you a drive. Playing it while you’re doin chores or working or writing, it all goes without effort, but this album contains some danceable stuff also! Sure, not for your general dance or disco party, but DJs who spin at parties where rhythmic noise is not a bad word; feel free to listen to lend your ears to this one.
So yeah, fantastic stuff! And a ticket to the 2024 top list for me. My favourite track is the eclectic ‘Over The Threshold’, and I will close this review by mentioning that this is a co-release of Prostir and I Shall Sing Until My Land Is Free. Feel free to browse the ‘I Shall Sing …’ To support a good cause.
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