_mediaklub (Ukraine)

​The _mediaklub group is based on the idea of an open visual and sound environment, the creation of which, at any stage, can be joined by members of the Ukrainian community of new media — Photinus. Thus, at different times musicians, artists, programmers, and, by way of exception, the robot GAIA joined the group. This principle of openness determines the use of different media during the performances, from the sound itself to video mapping, and also became the key to sustainability — the constant interaction between the participants, which does not depend on external circumstances. 

The format of online meetings that allowed us to stick together, work together and think about our common future, which was relevant during the lockdown, has moved on to wartime. Online meetings still allow us to be close when one of the regular members of _mediaklub — Max Robotov — is at the front in the Ukrainian Army and the others are separated by countries and time zones. But technology still loses out to time. Acceptable during zoom lectures, friendly meetings and, even most online broadcasts, pauses, seconds delays, destroyed all our attempts to create music together, but led to a new idea, an understanding of the need for structure. 

By building on the foundation of our reality — war, on the primary military vertical — the army, we closed the new form of _mediaklub on a single military member of our collective. Now we still play — each in a different city, not always seeing and hearing each other — but listening for amidst the interference and glitches to Max’s voice, to his commands from the front line: “Dima, not enough bass,” “Anya, the strings are missing,” “Liera, Sasha, many high,” “Ivan, all knobs to the right”.