The debut self-titled EP by the Ukrainian outfit Bez Gruntu (Without Soil) just makes sense. Their bleak fusion of darkwave and electroclash with haunting vocals and pulsing beats works smoothly throughout all four songs. From the opening track, “Symvol”, the duo establishes a hypnotic groove that carries through the entire release.
What is important — there is a lot of meaning, emotions and actual pain behind the album. Vadym Oliynykov and Kseniia Yanus from the duo had been compelled to leave their hometown of Donetsk in 2014 due to the Russian invasion. Since then they have been living in different cities of Ukraine. Bez Gruntu captures the spirit of pre-war Donetsk, and the creation of the release coincided with the full-scale invasion started by Russia last year.
Acute Pop 