#difference machine

artwork by Mariia Prymachenko The last UFN episode for 2025 is also our 50th, this would be cause for celebration, but truth be told, we’d rather we didn’t have to keep reporting from Ukraine. As Lawrence Freedman argues, a strong narrative has taken hold in “Western” discourse portraying Russia’s victory in Ukraine as inevitable because of its numerical advantages and willingness to absorb heavy…

Artwork by Mariia Prymachenko Nowadays, an increasing percentage of musicians I get in touch with are currently serving in the army. This month we meet Cryptic Chorus, who found the time to talk to us about his debut solo album from an undisclosed location on the frontline. We also get to talk field recordings with Volyn Field in Lutsk and orfin in Kremenchuk, while Bedroom Talks introduces us to…

May I Give This Ukrainian Bread to All People in This Big Wide World (1982) – Mariia Primachenko Coming up to the second anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion, we are back with a new episode of Ukrainian Field Notes. Vlad Yakovlev talks to us about Ukrainian folk from the 90s, while Paloven introduces the first Regular Disco compilation. We then look at sound and the visual arts with…