Interview: Tonka - Ukrainian IDM band
Tonka is a Ukrainian intelligent dance music project (IDM) consisting of vocalist Olena Karas, sound producer, and keyboard player Yaroslav Tatarchenko and drummer Denys Shvets. The band features minimalism in music and visual images, trying to emphasize dynamic rhythm and vocals. The band often put their sounds to lyrics of famous Ukrainian poets, which empowers Ukrainian society to be strong, especially nowadays.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine into Russia, they have been actively participating in charity concerts throughout Europe. Today, in our interview, we talk to their vocalist, Olena Karas, about their music style, inspirations, and transformation of Ukrainian music during the war.
RINARO: There's a great variety of vocal sounds and rhythms in your music. Do you use any techniques to process your vocal material?
TONKA: We are supporters of the aesthetics of minimalism. Therefore, we usually hardly use vocal processing. We like the purity and openness of the sound as if you are talking to your listener and nothing makes this conversation false. Honesty is our foundation.
RINARO: At the heart of your electronic music are a dynamic rhythm and fresh, modern experiments with vocals. Where do you get the inspiration to create your sound?
TONKA: I have always been surrounded by inspiration, ideas, and my wish to create music. I can find unique inspiration in the eyes of a stranger or even go deep inside myself. And I, as an artist, try to educate myself so that my mental door is always open to new things, experiments, and interactions with my creative inner self.
RINARO: Can you let us know what was the key point in the creation of your music style?
TONKA: The key point in creating Tonka’s music style is frank communication between two people. Together with my musical colleague Yaroslav Tatarchenko, we always try to be frank with each other, look for better musical solutions, and to nurture courage in each other, strive for progress. This cooperation is what makes us “Tonka”.
RINARO: We know that you are currently traveling around Europe with charity concerts to help Ukraine. Please tell us about this experience. What is the main message you try to convey to the world at these concerts?
TONKA: Right. Since the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine started, we have been actively participating in charity concerts in Europe, and sharing Ukrainian music with European listeners at different music festivals. Moreover, we always report on this horror that our country is experiencing.
During the first few concerts, it was excruciatingly painful to sing, but I was never embarrassed. From the deep of my soul, I have the honor to be a part of Ukrainian culture.
Now my voice belongs not only to me, our music sounds for all Ukraine of all times, for all artists, for all cultural figures who are inconvenient to the system, for all people - killed, tortured, starved, for all those who died in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Nowadays, at every concert in Europe, we see our people with Ukrainian flags and try to give them all our love so that they feel at home at least for that moment.
We appeal to the European community not to get used to war, to continue to support us with donations, and to continue to do everything to finally end this war with our victory. Despite all the pain, we urge Ukrainians to believe in a blooming future.
Tonka band - archival photo
RINARO: Your latest album is called Youth Never Happen Again, released on the poems of famous Ukrainian poets of the Executed Renaissance*, Oleksandr Oles and Mykola Khvylovyi. Why were these poets chosen for the album?
*Executed Renaissance - is a term used to describe the generation of Ukrainian language poets, writers, and artists of the 1920s and early 1930s who lived in the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic and were subsequently persecuted, denied work, imprisoned and, in dozens of cases, shot during the Great Terror (August 1937 – November 1938).
Source: Wikipedia
TONKA: When my eyes read Oleksandr Oles's "Charms of the Night"*, I felt a strong resonance.
* “How the spark still burns in you
And it had no time to burn out, -
Glow! Life is a single moment
When for death there is a whole eternity.”
TONKA: Musicians are always a mirror of the mood of society and are able to reflect what is relevant today. We think this album is so pertinent, we feel it. Upon finishing the album, we realized the value of this work, applying the poems of the great artists of the Ukrainian Executed Renaissance decade. They inspire us to be culturally richer, stronger, wiser, and more conscious.
RINARO: What is the most important thing for Ukrainians at the moment, what kind of music do you think they want to hear?
TONKA: In recent decades, music was perceived as an entertainment genre, all charts were saturated with danceable, sometimes frivolous songs in Ukraine.
Now for all of us, music is an amazing thing that has the ability to uplift, heal, distract, console, and empathize. Music is an instrument through which a person can cope with his emotions. That's why Ukrainians need this kind of music right now.
RINARO: How do you think the war has affected Ukrainian music, including your band?
TONKA: As a matter of course, we couldn’t be not affected by the war. And there are songs in our compilation that are a pure reflection of these terrible events.
But also, we understand that music can incredibly inspire and support, it can be a great educator for generations. Therefore, we will continue to try to enrich ourselves culturally in order to convey this to our audience. Indeed, we plan to continue creating music in the direction of IDM, we hope that everyone will be able to hear our new material already in the autumn.
Ukrainian music now has a new powerful wave, many new names are appearing. It is noticeable that the lyrics are now only on the war subject, it is something natural. This is the truth, that is widely broadcasted by Ukrainian musicians.
Lately, a lot of songs in Ukraine were composed and performed in russian to get more listeners and broaden the audience. However now a historical event and a cultural rebirth are happening and there is no place for vulgar russian language.
Tonka band - archival photo
RINARO: What is next for you as a band?
TONKA: Right now we believe in the future where we can sing without pain. A future, where we, as representatives of the independent Ukrainian music scene, sound loudly and powerfully for years to come.
Globally, we really want to get to more people, who are passionate about IDM, both in Ukraine and abroad.
RINARO: Thanks for taking the time to talk today. The last question is: what streaming platforms can you be found on?
TONKA: Our music can be found on all streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and more. On our Instagram, we share our latest releases and announce news about the next concerts.
