Standard Deviation: It’s crucial to consider the social impact of what you’re doing
On April 21 Ankali welcomes Standard Deviation, Kyiv-based multi-disciplinary platform and label that fostered collaborative exchange between Ukrainian scene and the global community, now focusing on highlighting Ukrainian (not only) musical talent. Our upcoming clubnight will bring together a group of international label affiliates, including experimental club legend M.E.S.H., Ukrainian Chaosy & Costa or now Prague-based Andriy Kostyukov.
Artwork by Empty Land.
When the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began, I recall quite vividly how frozen and numb everything felt, how everyone around was scared and particularly how empty and powerless I felt. The horrific level of violence and the ongoing uncovering of war crimes stripped us collectively off our idea of what humanity actually is.
I remember how I read the diaries of art historian Asia Bazdyrieva or experimental musician John Object’s reports from the frontline. I listened to the tracks of many many directly affected artists who composed them right in bomb shelters. I remember how stunned and – in fact – shocked I was by the way the brutal urgency is being translated with such breathtaking poetic qualities. As if one’s personal poetry is the very last thing that remains, the last thing no one can take away from you, the last thing you can linger on even in the darkest hour. Perhaps the last thing that still makes you human.
Thanks to these moments and my digging in the Ukrainian musical scene that followed I also came across Standard Deviation, which immediately caught my attention. Its unconventional direction ranges from purebred techno of D.Dan and Nene H through brilliant emotional soundscapes of Katarina Gryvul to glitchy dark ambient cassettes. Plus they are even releasing zines, making audiovisual artistic collaborations and first and foremost – immediately after the Russian invasion they were able to use all their powers to help those in need, and continue doing Community Events and parties in the sister-club ∄ in Kyiv.
Dancing is resisting death after all.
I had a chance to talk to Nastya, one of the people behind the label over Telegram.
Audiovisual project RIDNE featuring experimental electronic music and POV shots from around Ukraine during war.
Adina: My first question is where are you right now and if we are gonna meet each other, here in Prague?
Nastya: Right now I’m in Kyiv. I’ve been based in Berlin for the last year and this is my third trip to Kyiv during this period. I’m coming back to Berlin and then taking the train to Prague so, yes we will see each other.
I read that your main aim as a music label is to foster collaborative exchange between the Ukrainian scene and the global community. How would you describe the sound of Standard Deviation and what is the key for you in finding your artists?
Yes, this was our approach since the beginning, however, since the full scale invasion of Ukraine, we changed our approach somewhat. Now we focus on spotlighting Ukrainian artists and platforming their voices and stories. We also try to convey the experience of war that Ukrainians are facing right now. We focus way less on international artists and want to give all the attention to Ukrainian artists right now. It’s the least we can do…
The sound of Standard Deviation has come together as quite diverse, even eclectic. We try not to attach ourselves to specific genres and are on a look out for talents regardless of style or medium. Our last release is electro post punk (Chaosy), we also recently premiered an audiovisual project RIDNE which I’m very proud of. It features experimental electronic music and POV shots from around Ukraine. Our next release is going to be experimental folk… so yeah it’s all quite different. I guess we’re looking for artists who are conceptual and unique in what they do.
[STDEV009] Tysha by Katarina Gryvul
[STDEV005] Anastrophe by Diana Azzuz
Yes, that definitely makes sense! It also partly answers my next question which goes back down in history a bit: what was the first impulse to found a music label and how it became a multi-disciplinary platform as it is?
The label was started as a more creative and experimental outlet for the club, as a platform for Ukrainian artists and arts of all kinds, rather than just club context music. It also started as a multimedia project, again with the idea in mind to not limit our output and the artists we work with. I see STDEV as a platform spotlighting Ukrainian talent and also as a community, and I am very happy with the direction we have now. The team is me and Paul. He actually started the label and I joined about a year and half later.
I love to see you are publishing zines, educating your crowd. It is IMO a very warm and accommodating action. People can sometimes feel “not worthy”, because there’s this belief you have to be “super relevant” to enter certain spaces, or to even talk about music, if you know what I mean. I find it really scary, so this approach of sharing knowledge is just so good.
Yes totally! We really try to step away from this gatekeeping mentality and to be welcoming of all audiences. I really think art (however experimental) doesn’t have to be an exclusive thing for the elites anymore. At times like this it’s crucial to consider the social impact of what you’re doing.
We can say that STDEV’s existence is framed by really traumatic events. The label started shortly after the pandemic shook the whole globe and then – as you said before – the label temporarily suspended its activities after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began last year and you started to focus on helping people affected by this horrendous attack. Please, can you tell me more about the ways you try to help e.g. your work with the K41 community fund?
Yes, it’s been a very difficult period for us. We quickly came to realise that the only thing for us to do is to put all our efforts into helping people and to use our privileges for good. We started the fund in the first weeks of the full scale invasion. As an institution both the club and the label had quite a strong community and many followers. We used this leverage to raise awareness of the international music community about the war and to raise funds to help those in need.
We are still running the fund and we’ve been able to help many individual initiatives, volunteers, military units etc.. The club now does Community Events in Kyiv every Saturday. It’s a name-your-price entry and all the money from the door goes to the fund. We are also supported by our international community and individual donations. Without this support we wouldn’t be able to keep doing our work.
'Intermission' book.
Book "Intermission".
Your initiative is painfully important and I really admire that you could find ways to continue in your work and on top of that to provide such great support to your community. I just can’t imagine. Now I think that the buzzword “safe space” regained its true meaning. Thank you for that and I encourage everyone who reads this to donate.
If I had to pick my favs from your portfolio, I love Katarina Gryvul, Voin Oruwu’s clubby productions and that super intimate cassette by Emil Asadow … Also all the compilations you put together brought so much talent and supercool collabs to light. In December 2022, in really extreme circumstances, your label released “From Ukraine, For Ukraine”, a very powerful 20-track compilation featuring DJ Stingray, Italian Heith or my personal hero M.E.S.H.. I was wondering if y’all are friends IRL or what are the connections between you?
As I said, STDEV and the club are really about community for us. It’s a bit off topic, but I used to live in the Netherlands for quite some time before coming back to Kyiv (which is my hometown). I was really impressed by the sense of openness, togetherness and kindness in the Ukrainian club community. It felt like something very pure and special is happening here, and I really fell in love with the city all over again. And so the community around the label is no different. It’s a tight knit system. I am very close friends with many of our artists but I feel a connection to all of them.
Since the war, there has been some tensions and disagreements in the scene. It is understandable as the time itself is very tense. I really admire how a majority of the Ukrainian music scene has a very strong political stance and awareness right now. DJs are at the frontline, promoters have turned volunteers…
With M.E.S.H., it’s actually a cool story, he’s such an incredible artist and human. He has been our friend and supporter for a long time, and remained extremely supportive since the war started. M.E.S.H. was the first foreign artist to come play at the club after the invasion. He came for the club’s birthday and that was truly one of the most beautiful and special moments of my life.
We had several power outages due to shelling during the party, but the atmosphere in the club was just unlike anything I ever experienced. I think I even shed a tear during Jamie’s set. And even now I’m remembering it like :,))) But I’m just an emotional person haha…
OMG I am tearing too now.
Emotional club here.
As fuck.
Learn more about the k41community.fund. Follow Standard Deviation on Bandcamp & Instagram.
Standard Deviation is taking over Ankali & Planeta Za on Friday, April 21. 1€ of each ticket sold will be donated to the fund.
