We have had the unique opportunity to interview over email Gravitsapa, a Ukrainian band whose music has evolved from humble math rock origins to improvised, ambient avant-metal pure expression amid the turmoil surrounding their lives today.
Gravitsapa is fronted by Sasha Jabovsky, who also releases solo work under the pseudonym Jabo Kritsky. His guitar contributions originally constituted precise, angular riffs reminiscent of King Crimson at their most surgical. Now, his guitar is a vessel for spontaneous expression, sparing yet impactful, like his vocal contributions.
During the early math rock period, Gravitsapa included bassist Andrey Pechatkin, drummer Nazar Vasko, and another guitarist/singer named Taras Lavriv. Recent iterations of the band have included Hulurlaid Dral on drums.
Taras Lavriv died defending Ukraine against the Russian siege of Mariupol. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, whom you can support via PayPal donation to julijalavriv [at] gmail.com.
Jellybones: Can you tell us about your memories of Taras? What did he bring to the band?
Sasha Jabovsky: Taras and I formed an effective tandem. Sometimes, I wonder how it happened that two such different personalities came together. I am inherently gentle and loyal, while Taras was radical and blunt in many situations. Typically, the 'bad guys' disdain the 'soft nerds,' but for some reason, he respected me. He treated Gravitsapa as his family, sacrificing his last penny for the group's needs. Throughout the band's history, many people played with us (about 20), but Taras and Eugene (Gravitsapa's current members) are the key figures in the group's story.
I met him through his future wife, Yulia, who came to me with him, asking if I knew any bands looking for a guitarist. Of course, she meant Gravitsapa, which was then in search of a guitarist. Taras looked like a typical metalhead back then, and I gave him a little test, playing the math-rock composition “Raped Europe-U” written in Guitar Pro. To my surprise, Taras said the track was cool and that he would play such music. That's how our adventures began. Knowing him, he wouldn't want all these sad and lyrical memories about him, so I'll just say to him here: “Taras, hello! I'm glad I knew you in this life!”
Jellybones: You’re from Lviv, an artistic metropolis in western Ukraine. What was it like to grow up in Lviv? How have your lives changed since the invasion?
Sasha: The locals of Lviv see their city as a provincial town, where not many artistic and historical events take place, and not many historical figures are born. However, Lviv has somewhat strengthened its status as a local capital, as many artists have gathered here, escaping the war in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, creating a synergistic effect, I hope.
Jellybones: What has the underground music scene in Ukraine looked like for the last few years? Who are the most legendary alternative artists in Ukrainian history?
Sasha: I find the Ukrainian alternative scene quite conservative. In the 2000s, Nu-metal dominated; around 2010 – Stoner. Bands mostly stuck to specific trends. Currently, there's some trend towards experimental music, even in commercial projects. The question of legendary figures is a tough one. Perhaps they have to pass away to be recognized as such here… Right now, I can only point out three individuals.
The first is Oleg Skrypka from the band Vopli Vidoplyasova (Воплі Відоплясова), who played art rock since the 80s. By the way, in 1989, they played together with Sonic Youth during their controversial tour in the Soviet Union. The second person is Andriy Kuzma from the band Skryabin (Скрябін). Skryabin (not to be confused with the composer Alexander Scriabin) started in the 90s with underground musical directions but later shifted more towards mainstream pop. However, Skryabin's early albums are considered classics of Ukrainian post-punk. Andriy Kuzma also has explicit solo albums, showing that he hasn't lost his rebellious creative streak in recent years.
The third person I'll mention is Vasil Prozorow from the band Tol (ТОЛ), which in the 2000s oriented its creativity towards the band Korn, but at the same time had a unique touch, unfortunately not noticeable to everyone through this loud label — “another Korn clone.” Then the band changed its direction to mathcore. Now, Prozorow has his acoustic project PND. It should be mentioned that he started his musical career in the equally cult Ukrainian rap group Vkhid U Zminnomu Vzutti (Вхід у змінному взутті) which could be translated as “Entrance in Indoor Footwear Only.”
Jellybones: How has the war impacted musicians and the music being made?
Sasha: Many musicians have stopped composing music, while for others, the war has acted as a stimulus for a new creative phase. Even groups with highly nihilistic and marginal styles have started creating more constructive and nationally unifying music. Prior to the war, there was a stark divide between right and left ideological currents in the underground scene. It's important to note that the left-wing movement in Ukraine differed from its European counterpart and was more aligned with pro-Russian, or rather, anti-Ukrainian sentiments. Many of these individuals are now consciously shifting to the Ukrainian language or altering their ideologies, as seen with the band Jinjer, who openly supported the annexation of Donbas (eastern territories of Ukraine under Russian occupation) before 2014 and currently raise funds for the Ukrainian army during their concerts.
Jellybones: Before proceeding, I want to acknowledge that we at Jellybones support Ukrainians in the defense of your sovereignty.
At the same time, we suspect that our leaders in the United States are complicit in fomenting this war, through a quarter century of NATO expansionism and the covert training of separatist paramilitaries since 2014. It has become clear that they never intended on entering a military alliance with Ukraine. They are eager to sit back and watch as Ukrainians sacrifice their lives fighting an American geopolitical rival.
A recent Time Magazine profile of Volodymyr Zelenskyy cites an aide close to the president who describes Zelenskyy’s belief in Ukrainian victory as “immovable, verging on the messianic,” even as the path to victory grows murkier.
Your perspective as a Ukrainian is valuable to our readers. How is the morale in your country today? Is there a conversation about reaching an agreement with Russia? Or is the resolve steadfast in defending your lands against occupation?
Sasha: Thank you for the support! I agree that the entire world is responsible for this war, and it's not the time for countries to exploit it for their gain. Such thinking will inevitably lead us to collapse. However, it appears that humanity has long been heading in the wrong direction, and a 'small local war' won't alter this trajectory. A stronger impact is needed to make humanity pause and reflect on the direction it's moving in. Regarding the agreement with Russia. Not only our territories are under threat but also our existence as a nation. History teaches us that fair agreements with Russia are impossible. An agreement for them is the same as war, just in a different format. We can no longer afford tolerant expressions, so I'll say what I believe: Russia is a sick country that needs to be treated, as was done with Germany after its defeat in WW2. You can love Russia, but only if you're not its immediate neighbor. For countries far from it, there might still be an image of a nation with great cultural heritage and all that blah-blah-blah, but neighboring countries have always seen its true face.
Jellybones: I appreciate your willingness to answer these difficult questions. Now, I want to discuss music — this year, Gravitsapa released Concert No1 ‘2.23’ (For chamber duo with looper and Polivox), a haunting set of four pieces. The music touches on ambient, metal, drone, and darkwave, but overall, it’s like nothing I’ve heard before. For me, it is an unsettling but gripping trip into the mind of someone who is experiencing the absurd dislocation of postmodern violence.
How would you describe this project? What is the significance to you of the Polivox, a vintage Soviet era analog synthesizer?
Sasha: You described our album very accurately in one sentence! :) Initially, we had the reflex to take the usual path to depict war from the standpoint of destructiveness and agony, but we thought it wouldn't be our personal path of self-expression. We depicted war through the prism of a character who, under the pressure of war, found the strength to become stronger. For us, the Polivoks is not a Soviet synthesizer but rather a machine of chaos that cannot produce a single predictable sound. The mention of Polivoks and Looper in the album title is more of a tribute to classical work titles, like “Concerto Arvo Pärt No. 1 for Chamber Orchestra with Harp and Duduk.”
Jellybones: Based solely on the title of the album, one can tell that Gravitsapa takes inspiration from classical music, an artform for which Lviv is world-renowned, with numerous symphonies, operas, and conservatories. How does classical music inform your songwriting today? Which composers are most influential to you?
Sasha: Despite classical music appearing more reserved in conveying emotions, it harbors a wealth of diverse and fresh compositional solutions. Presently, my favorites include Morton Feldman, Olivier Messiaen, Harry Partch, and John Cage. I distinctly remember my first impression of John Cage: “What is this boring and primitive music?” Yet, even after re-listening to it two years later, I encountered the same disappointment. Thankfully, on the third try, my ears opened, and enlightenment ensued. All these composers radically broaden my compositional horizons, enhancing my understanding of what music can be.
Jellybones: One of the most remarkable aspects of Gravitsapa is the diversity of your catalog. The first two EPs, 2009’s Free Radio Albemuth (originally titled Free Radio Taxipod) and 2013’s Vulgata, draw from highly technical avant-prog and math rock. When you were young, which Western bands were you and your friends listening to?
Sasha: In the early days of our Math-rock period, we were fans of Fantômas (particularly their first self-titled album) [editor's note: experimental metal outfit featuring a couple of the Mr. Bungle guys, Mike Patton & Trevor Dunn, along with Dave Lombardo of Slayer and Buzz Osborn of Melvins], Hella (especially The Devil Isn't Red album). I'd also like to mention Unwound and Ahleuchatistas [editor's note: also featuring Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle]. My fascination with math music began with the track “hulk organ” by the band Milgram.
Jellybones: There is a strong tradition of heavy music, like post-punk and metal, in Eastern Europe. Why do you think people gravitate towards that sound?
Sasha: I don't have specific statistical data, but post-punk is quite melancholic and resonates well with the backdrop of post-Soviet panel buildings. Metal, on the other hand, is a highly diverse genre. However, in a recent conversation with a friend, we joked that metalheads in Ukraine are a dying breed and need to be preserved from complete extinction. Hence, I am skeptical about the widespread popularity of metal in our region. Perhaps in Poland and the Czech Republic…
Jellybones: What’s next for Gravitsapa and you personally?
Sasha: For the past 5 years, we've been renting a semi-ruined cottage for rehearsals, and this place has greatly influenced our creativity. Our time in this space is drawing to a close, signaling the end of our current musical period. Meanwhile, uncertainty and prospects of radical changes fill the air throughout Ukraine, so anything is possible with our band. We have plans to release some of the recordings accumulated on the studio computer or bring certain concepts to life, such as simulating playing post-apocalyptic music by people degraded after a nuclear war, lacking full musical literacy. We might also want to incorporate primitive MIDI sounds, for example, from Guitar Pro, to create music for meditation or induce hypnotic states. However, as we've seen from past experience, plans often don't materialize in our group. The Flow decides everything.
Additionally, I currently have 2.5 of my unreleased solo albums at home. I've entrusted them to a reliable person, and in case something happens to me, she will release them posthumously if I'm unable to do so during my lifetime.
As I mentioned, there's complete uncertainty and chaos here now, but we hope it will have a constructive effect on our band and our country!