A Closer Listen
For over three years, Gianmarco Del Re has been chronicling the creation of music under fire in two books and forty episodes of Ukrainian Field Notes to date. Few had imagined the war would go on for so long, with no end in sight. Del Re’s willingness to travel to Ukraine to report on-site has won our universal admiration.
Richard Allen teamed up with Gianmarco to choose the releases for this article, each suggesting five. We continue to be stunned at the breadth and vitality of Ukrainian music under siege. After enjoying these releases, we recommend listening to our Ukrainian Field Notes podcasts to receive real-time, on scene reports from the front lines.
Alexander Stratonov ~ West of East (Self-Released)
If you’ve seen a Ukrainian documentary since the invasion began, you’ve likely heard the music of Alexander Stranonov. This tireless composer is responsible for some of the finest music released during the war, accompanying vital documentary coverage of tragedy, atrocity and evil. West of East is our favorite Stratanov release of 2025, but we recommend them all.
Ukrainian Field Notes XLVII
Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko ~ Atlantis (Original Theatre Soundtrack)
Atlantis is the year’s most poignant Ukrainian release, and given the circumstances, that’s saying quite a lot. This theatre production is a “fantasy about returning home,” and drips with yearning and grace. The album’s bittersweet vocals convey a sense of deep loss, harrowing to the bones, a universe of candles snuffed out. And yet, impossibly, there is hope.
Original Review
DZ’OB ~The Playground (Self-Released)
DZ’OB’s album may be called The Playground, but it’s not a very safe playground, as one can see in the cover art. Smoke is rising in the background, and the child is running toward the foreground with what looks like a bouquet of flames. The Dnipro band paints its dance music with foreboding, yet it’s incredibly irresistible, with organic brass and strings lending the music a cinematic sheen.
Ukrainian Field Notes XLIV
Hanna Svirska ~ Dreams of Trees | Сни Дерев (Standard Deviation)
Dreams of Trees is a vocal album, but it is not traditional in any sense. The album traces the time before the invasion and the horror of the invasion before imagining a more peaceful future. The striking use of field recordings anchors the set in time and place, the sound of Ukrainian children particularly poignant. Who will survive, and what will be left of them?
Ukrainian Field Notes XLVII
Katarina Gryvul ~ SPOMYN (Subtext)
Katarina Gryvul is one of the most creative composers in any land. 2022’s Tysha established her reputation, and SPOMYN cements it. The artist is not afraid to take risks, blending styles to come up with something altogether new. She is also unafraid of the darkness, and on this album, whose title means recollection, she tackles the insidious forces that threaten to rewrite history.
Original Review
Poly Chain ~ Nemesis (Lightronics)
Nemesis operates as a sonic diary, including tracks written both before and after the invasion of Ukraine. The artist shifts comfortably from ambient to electronic and back again, using her music to instill hope in herself and others, resisting any impulse to cave in. The one-two punch of “Salt” and “Sunflower” yields the album’s most transcendent moments.
Original Review
Ugif_notfound ~ Postulate (I Shall Sing Until My Land Is Free)
Postulate is one of the year’s most aggressive releases, but Ugif_found has good reason to be angry. The combination of harsh drums and aggressive guitars is a release of pent-up energy, directed at the invaders and the war machine. At the same time, this is the sound of resistance and resolve, a heavy metal grenade lobbed in sonic form.
Ukrainian Field Notes XLVI
ummsbiaus ~ Hydroelectric Suite No. 4, Op. 9 (Self-Released)
ummsbiaus has been on a tear this year, releasing a steady stream of singles and EPs leading up to the album FLORA. Of all ummsbiaus’ releases in 2025, this one is the most topical and immediate, including a duo between organ and electric transformer, samples of meters and museums, and a track memorializing the heartless russian destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.
Original Review
Various Artists ~ Blackout Tape (20ft Records)
How does one make music when the power keeps going out? Ten electronic musicians were invited to create music without electrical power, but their tracks surge with personal and spiritual power. They continue to play through thunder and rain, artillery and alarms, any illusion of protection stripped away, for themselves and for their listeners.
Original Review
Various Artists ~ Home (KLIKERKLUB)
Featuring an incredible 45 previously unreleased tracks from Ukrainian artists, including Polychain, ummsbiaus and dozens more familiar to our readers, Home is a snapshot of the industry and a statement of strength. There’s plenty to dig into here, especially for fans of electronic music. Extra credit is given to the Sgt. Pepper-like collage and the internal art.
Ukrainian Field Notes XLVII
Richard Allen
Sat Dec 06 00:01:45 GMT 2025