The alchemy by which history becomes myth is mysterious. Much is lost to time and reinterpretation, but the result is something more universal, a symbol. All artistic practice, in this sense, is a practice of myth-making, an experience rendered universal through abstraction. Russian musician and producer Yana Kedrina, who goes by the stage name Kedr Livanskiy, is intimately familiar with this process, having crafted ethereal, far-flung dance tracks for the better part of a decade. On her fourth studio album Myrtus Myth, she draws on mythologies both public and personal to craft an expansive experimental pop album and Dante-esque journey through the self.
There is always been an element of esotericism to Kedr s music, from the slow-burning choral synths that anchored her debut EP January Sun to the delicate strings and churchlike harmonies of 2021 s Liminal Soul. Even her clubbier releases, 2019 s Your Need and 2023 s K-Notes, depict mysterious forests, enveloping clouds, and foreboding winters. Of all her discography, though, Myrtus Myth seems to gesture most directly towards Ariadna, her far-reaching but understated first album, wherein she fused William Blake poetry with skittering lo-fi techno and minimalist ambient soundscapes. The same reverberating synths, echoing vocals and innovative song structure that punctuated Ariadna fuel Myrtus Myth, but this time the scope has broadened. This is due in part to the work of producer and visual artist Flaty, known for his experimental, futuristic releases on labels such as Gost Zvuk and his own imprint ANWO. Though he and Kedr have worked together frequently in the past (both as co-producers on Your Need and in their band, Kosaya Gora), Myrtus Myth represents a deeper collaboration, with Flaty producing and writing the entire record for the first time. Together, the two artists transcend dance structure completely, incorporating live instruments and new vocal techniques to bridge influences from vaporwave to Kate Bush to Phil Collins.
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