Gasoline Radio released a documentary film about the music of the Hutsul region and a thematic album

The independent Ukrainian radio station, Gasoline, conducted an ethno-geographical expedition in the Carpathian Mountains, exploring the folklore of the Hutsul region. As a result, the team released a documentary film titled “Spadok” (“Heritage”) about local traditions and music, as well as an album with a library of melodies and sounds – during the filming, the project’s authors recorded not only music but also ambient sounds. All together, it essentially documents the sound landscape of the Carpathians.

Samples of these sounds were used by Ukrainian artists in their original tracks. A compilation featuring their compositions is also available for listening. It includes works by Hanna Svirska, Mires, Symonenko, Andriy Sirotkin, Vlad Suppish, Ocheret, Lostlojic, and other artists.

“We recorded a dozen diverse compositions in which fragments of traditional instruments and vocals undergo transformations, being processed to the point of unrecognizability, immersed in streams of synthesized waves, or layered with percussions. They also become fragments of tomorrow’s music – from meditative and reflective ambient tracks to material for packed dancefloors,” the authors of “Spadok” describe their work on the compilation.

Thus, according to the team, they managed to establish and capture a dialogue between the younger generation of artists and those who shaped traditional Ukrainian music.

Last year, Gasoline Radio was launched by the Kharkiv art platform Kultura Zvuku. The project focuses on Ukrainian culture, and therefore, the thematic shows and musical selections on the radio are dedicated to various aspects and periods of Ukrainian music, contemporary local artists, and heritage.

Photo: Yevhen Tsap, Sasha Ushenko