Back in 2021, when Volodymyr Gnatenko agreed to work on his debut album, none of us could have predicted it would be released, post-pandemic, against the backdrop of war. At the time, the 23-year-old producer from Lutsk was riding high on a string of well-received 12s for labels such as Where We Met and Animals On Psychedelics, besides local Ukraine labels such as LSS557 and Rhythm Buro. He was, between covid closures, playing live at Kyiv clubs such as Closer and Kureni, looking to tour in Europe, and spending every spare second making music.
How things change. When missiles began to rain on Kyiv, Gnatenko, alongside a few friends from Closer, hid in his studio. For a while, the bombings did not stop. But for the producer, neither did the music-making. Choosing to stay in the city, he continues to make beats, managing only to mix down between bombing raids. He changed his first name to match that of his president, ditching the previous spelling of his name because it was the same as the aggressor, “[the same as] my worst enemy, I am ashamed and disgusted that I started my career with it”.
The album speaks of softer, easier times. A combination of rich ambience, and laidback breaks alongside loose progressive and trance-fused dancefloor tracks, this debut brings together all the strands that Gnatenko plays with. The process, he says, was exhausting and long. Yet the results are lighter, fresher. Maybe because, he says, “it is dedicated to my future wife. All the tracks are my words of love for her". Deeply hypnotic and freely moving between ideas, it feels like it was made a lifetime ago, not a matter of months. Now, it resonates with a new defiance. It is a debut with an extra layer of meaning.
Volodymyr Gnatenko - Rainalice [Import]
Label: Kalahari Oyster Cult
Cat No: OYSTER38
Format: 2x12" Vinyl
Release Date: 27th May 2022
Genre: Techno / Trance
Price: $40
a1. Rainalice
https://d778008a60e856cc9716-de7a668058c1db97713a59708a969f8c.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com
A lot has happened since Fixate released his last full length record, ‘What Goes Around’, on Exit Records in 2017. After putting out two Bandcamp EPs (‘Glare’ & ‘Confusion’) and several remixes—including his ‘Ripgroove Refix’, which famously went viral on Sherelle’s 2019 Boiler Room set and was eventually released as official remix on Ice Cream Records—he now presents his self-titled debut album ‘Fixate’.
Developed over five years, the project showcases Fixate’s sound palette in all its variety, a diversity of taste that’s reflected in his supporters: he’s garnered attention from icons like Andy C, Goldie, and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, as well as underground tastemakers like Call Super, Toddla T, and Skee Mask. Ross From Friends closed off his 2020 Room Isolation set with Fixate’s breaky acid number ‘On Edge’; Sicaria Sound spun the dub-influenced album opener ‘Ruminate’ in their sets; and Madam X had sub-heavy track ‘Gristle’ doing the rounds.
The LP also sees several collaborations: Fixate worked with DnB legend DRS on ‘Down’, pairing his dark instrumental with equally dark subjects. On percussive hard-hitter ‘Backpedal’, he experiments with halftime grooves alongside fellow Exit artist Itoa. Dubstep producer Cimm makes an appearance on eski-influenced ‘Back to BC’. Finally, ‘Programmed To Fail’ sees the artist teaming up with label boss dBridge to create a soundtrack for AI world domination.
Fixate - Fixate LP
Label: Exit Records
Cat No: EXITLP022
Format: 2x12" Clear Vinyl LP
Release Date: 20th May 2022
Genre: Drum & Bass / Jungle / Bass
Price: $40
a1. Fixate - Ruminate
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a2. Fixate - Down ft DRS
https://d778008a60e856cc9716-de7a668058c1db97713a59708a969f8c.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/exitlp022a2.mp3?mc_cid=ab4ed28215&mc_eid=8b5b3b0236
b1. Fixate - Programmed T
