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OFFSPRING

by EYIBRA

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1.
Weep 04:28
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2.
Gnaw 02:47
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3.
Martyr 02:25
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4.
Hutsul 02:51
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5.
Mirrors 03:11
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6.
Mavka 02:09
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7.
Anthem 02:09
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8.
Aracne 03:13
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9.
Ukana 02:54
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10.
Mavka (BEAT VERSION) 02:09
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about

Standard Deviation proudly presents EYIBRA's latest album, OFFSPRING. Merging muscular physicality with classical vocal prowess and global polyrhythms, OFFSPRING reimagines traditional Ukrainian myths, reflecting on themes of witchcraft, war, and the quest for cultural preservation through a queer lens. EYIBRA's music weaves songwriting and folklore with contemporary electronic music, embodying angst, rebirth, and renewal. With their Ukrainian roots, EYIBRA channels an existential crisis into a quest to reconnect with and reinvent their ancestral heritage amid the invasion of Ukraine. “After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, I experienced an identity crisis,” says EYIBRA. “As a child of the Ukrainian diaspora and a queer contemporary artist, I questioned how I fit into Ukrainian culture. I felt an existential fear of losing my culture, losing a connection to a place and a language I always felt guilty for not knowing more about.”

After traveling through the Carpathian mountains and learning the local traditions and myths, EYIBRA engages deeply with Hutsul culture, an ethnicity whoise myths, religious beliefs, and everyday practices are tied to nature and celebrations are rich in music, singing, and dancing. The region also appears to be one of Ukraine's most conventional areas, which works well for preserving traditions but isn’t always great for innovation and open-minded ideas.

EYIBRA's songs blend English and Ukrainian lyrics and bridge musical tradition and novelty to call upon ancestors, evoking lucid dreams of the vanished past. 'Martyr' moves from the delicate to the harshest ends, asking for forgiveness. 'Mavka' lures the lost travelers into the foggy woods and ancient mountains. 'Hutsul' stands as a memorial anthem, escorting both offsprings and warriors on their last journey. Accompanied by polyphonic vocals and ancestral chants, EYIBRA's intimate sonic reflections are pierced by the ice-cold synth blades taken up by the rhythms foreign to the region.

EYIBRA and their collaborator Oliver Torr masterfully blend traditional folk melodies with dance-inflected arrangements. At times, it feels as if a sample from Arca's KICK ii might slip into a Carpathian hutsulka. In EYIBRA's sonic woods, a reggaeton diva might appear as Mavka transformed from the drowned maiden's soul, enticing a dulcimer player into the Carpathian mists, making sure he never comes back the same.

“My mother's family comes from the Carpathian Mountains —a mystical and isolated land,” EYIBRA reflects on the origin of the album. “This album emerged from a desire to connect with and reinvent my roots. It explores themes of witchcraft, incantations, war, patriarchy, gender and sexuality dynamics, rebirth, and renewal.” OFFSPRING serves as a lens into the diasporic child's yearning to belong to a centuries-old culture currently threatened by the invasion.

Previously, EYIBRA collaborated with renowned artists such as Marina Abramovic and performed at venues like LACMA Los Angeles, Barbican Centre London, Kennedy Center Washington D.C., and many more. EYIBRAʼs work has been recognised by publications such as Harper's Bazaar, NPR, and the New Yorker Magazine.

credits

released April 12, 2024

Written and produced by EYIBRA and Oliver Torr
Mixed by EYIBRA and Oliver Torr
Original tracks mastered by UTC+16, Kyiv
Artwork by Oldo Erréve
Published by Standard Deviation, 2024

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Standard Deviation Kyiv, Ukraine

Established in 2020, Standard Deviation is a multidisciplinary label platform, working on the intersection of music, art and publishing. We aim to foster creative collaborative exchange between an aspiring Ukrainian scene and a global community.

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