OBIYMY DOSCHU
Frontman Vladimir Agafonkin reveals what’s been driving the Ukrainian band since their creation in 2004.
The Ukraine is better known for its borscht than its progressive music scene but Obiymy Doschu could be about to change that. The collective, part of a very small underground scene which includes the likes of Karfagen, Sunchild and A Noend Of Mine, have just released their hugely ambitious second album Son. It’s been mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord and is quite unlike anything that’s come from the region before.
“What we’ve been trying to do,” says singer-guitarist Vladimir Agafonkin, “is blend the best elements of modern progressive rock with more accessible genres – such as Ukrainian folk, acoustic, contemporary classical and pop music – with beautiful melodies and touching, emotional lyrics anyone could understand. This way, our music can appeal to a broad audience, often hooking people who never listened to progressive rock before.”
The album has been influenced by the darker side of progressive music, in particular Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Anathema, and has taken eight years to complete. During that time the six-piece expanded to 15 musicians and spent around 200 hours recording the material across seven different studios with 10 sound engineers. Although that might make them sound like perfectionists, the expansion of the project was also down to its fragmented nature. Line-up changes, babies being born and career opportunities have all played their part in delaying the creation of their 11-track behemoth, but Agafonkin believes the result is worth the wait.
“Our vision was to make something extraordinary, an album that could stand among the best Ukrainian rock releases of all time. So we obsessed over little arrangement details for years, and hesitated to commit to recording. We won’t make this mistake again though. After finding a productive pace, we want to keep going, making more frequent releases.”
And work has already begun on its follow-up, which he hopes will be out next year, although he’s keeping the exact details under wraps.
Now Son is out, the band want to reach a wider audience. They recently performed their first live show in five years in Kiev, and hope to play some summer festivals too. Watch this space! NRS
For more, see www.rain.in.ua.
“Our vision was to make something extraordinary.”