Ken=en’s простій (Simple) may bear a title whose translation means simple, yet nothing about the album is simple. The Kyiv producer Pavlo Okhrimchuk has crafted something that feels like a late-night radio show, packed with beats and samples, field recordings and enigmatic passages. The album draws from many electronic eras and genres, leaving the listener to translate, ponder, and enjoy. “Чорне молоко” (Black Milk) makes a strong start, showcasing scratches and hip-hop beats, a throwback piece that brings back memories of the early days of mix DJs. Chimes and vocal loops provide additional support, holding the fort until guitar and brass join the fray. The big beats draw the listener into the mix, leaving one slightly unprepared for the left turns that ken=en will make. простій by ken=en The first of these turns is “Зі сходу на захід” (From East to West), which shifts from ambient to trip-hop. We’ve moved forward a decade, as if the producer is traveling through time. The next piece is beatless for most of its span; “Амур” (Cupid) is entirely ambient, and the delightfully titled “У кавоварці була риба!” (There Was a Fish in the Coffee Maker!) is a conversation we wish we could understand. Where did this fish come from? Where did it go? Tiptoeing slowly out of this silence, ken=en introduces piano and textured synth, preparing for a powerful second half. The beats return in “Сутінь” (Twilight), vaulting from trip-hop to drum ‘n’ bass, another decade traversed, and the club kids spill their drinks and race back to the dance floor. “Немає кращого місця на землі ніж рідний дім” (There Is No Better Place on Earth Than Your Own Home) is downright euphoric, its bursts of percussion so energizing that one might almost—almost—forget that there’s a war going on. This is the constant tug of war in Ukraine’s electronic scene: to offer both recognition and respite, dancing between the bombs, a different, yet crucial form of victory. Ken=en’s простій is a masterclass in eclecticism, a journey through decades of electronic music compressed into a single listening experience. It’s a reminder that in the darkest times, music offers a way to transcend, to move, to feel alive.
