Viktor Konstantinov, aka Polje, has been publishing music and performing—both as a DJ and in DAW-less electronic live formats—since 2017. A self-taught musician, he combines elements from a wide range of genres, including kraut rock, jazz, hip-hop, ambient, post-punk and more. He considers himself a member of the Odesa electronic music scene. His working environment is a home studio in Odesa, where he works with a groovebox, sampler, synthesisers, guitars, clarinet, vocals, field recordings, fragments of audiobooks, among others. In the fall of 2022, he founded the label Liky Pid Nohamy.
You are a self-taught musician. How and why did you teach yourself to play and perform music?
As a child, my older brother Hlib, an outstanding multi-instrumentalist, helped me get started on guitar. I never took formal lessons, so my theoretical knowledge is basic, and my performance skills are average. In the early 2010s, we played in a local post-punk band—I was on bass, he was on drums—and our rehearsal space brought me into contact with members of the Odesa music scene, Oleksii Volusunov and Konstantin Karpin, aka the band Fleischesmarkt. Around the same period, I got a computer with GarageBand on it and began my first attempts at recording music. It’s hard to say exactly why I started, but perhaps it was a form of mimesis: I listened to a lot of different music, trying to imitate or parody it, and I was surrounded by musicians and passionate music lovers alike.
You combine various music genres and styles, including kraut rock, jazz, hip hop, ambient and others. What are your influences?
My first recording ever was a cover of ‘Vacation’ by Beach Fossils. Over time, I discovered new artists, genres, and styles, some of which are listed in your question. I would particularly highlight the 1980s Manchester scene around Factory Records; ghetto-house as my favourite dance music; vaporwave when it gets contemporary, and vice versa; Alan Vega; John Maus; David Lynch, his music and speech; The Caretaker; and Cæcilie Trier aka CTM.
Among Ukrainian influences, I would mention: Skryabin—the band, not the composer; Valentin Silvestrov; the (formerly Kyiv-, now Berlin-based) Worn Pop vampires, like Aircraft; Kyiv-based 20ft Radio diggers, like tofudj; and the broader Odesa cultural context and music scene.
You use various instruments—including a groovebox, sampler, synthesisers, guitars, and clarinet—but also field recordings and audiobooks. Can you talk about how you incorporate all of this into your sound?
The main techniques of my workflow are repetition, layering, muting, (re)sampling, and looping. I see a piece of music as an act of coexistence between different sonic layers. I developed this approach as a solution to the multi-genre problem I have—the music I make is sometimes too diverse. While recording my album “Kombinezon”, I defined a set of instruments and performing techniques that fit together well: all kinds of dry, unprocessed electric guitar manipulations; non-usage of bass guitar; beginner-level clarinet performance with multiphonics; occasional synthesised grooves; and simple synth sounds with a ring modulator effect. So even though the genre of tracks on the album varies, they all share a common sound. Also, I’m a lo-fi person, so I like all kinds of atonal episodes, noisy artefacts and asymmetric compositions.
In the autumn of 2022, you founded a label called Liky Pid Nohamy. Can you say something about it?
Sure, at some point I realised that I wanted to have a platform where I could quickly release music made by my friends, myself, or any other musician with the idea of focusing on “intermediate results of audio research and the aesthetics of side creative practices”. This is a place for music that doesn’t fit neatly into any genre. Now that we have 15 releases, I can say that ambient music dominates, but we also have other music styles represented in the catalogue—including neofolk, shoegaze, psychedelic rock, IDM and others. I like the fact that each of our releases has a unique artistic vision behind it.
The name of the label translates as “the cure beneath our feet” and refers to a handbook of medical plants of the same written by Yurii Lypa. In May, we had our debut showcase in Kyiv, on 20ft Radio (Kyrylivska Street, Community Garden), featuring performances by Andrii Kunin, Tongi Joi and myself.
You are from Odesa and part of the city’s rich music scene (for instance, let’s mention SHAPE alumni Bryozone/Chillera). Can you talk about the city’s music scene and its specific sonics—that airy, dubby vibe that can also be felt from your sets and mixtapes.
I think “airy” is the best word to describe not just the music but also the visual art created by artists from Odesa—sorry for such a generalisation. This “airiness” may feel or look different in each case, but it’s always present. Another thing that makes the local scene special is the attitude toward music as art, first and foremost. Being here has had a huge influence on my understanding of music and live performance. I consider Bryozone a close friend of mine and a truly magical, genius figure. It’s actually easier for me to share my mix about the scene and its tracklist rather than to talk about it:
1. Bryozone — Eye of Delirious
2. P. M. — Parkovoe
3. Herbalaxes — 宇宙の秘密
4. Sasha meets Vova — South Sick Sound (ft lala.plan)
5. Kirk Blunder — Old Club
6. Konstantin Karpin — Squeaky
7. Bryozone — Drizzle
8. Fleischesmarkt — Tonight I Feel Like Whore
9. Fleischesmarkt — Back to Ibiza
10. INDIRECY II — Spies’ Rock (Ozone)
11. Black Sea Dub Creators — Seagull Dub
12. Potreba — Snowflake
13. undo despot — bad place to die
14. Knappy Kaisernappy — B2
15. Emil Asadow — Anamnesis: Robot
16. Polje — Hadzhybej
The city has been heavily affected by the invasion and war—just recently, a Russian drone hit a shipping container. How has this ongoing situation affected you and your music-making, as well as the local scene in general?
The local scene has suffered significantly. Many people, both artists and audience, have left the country or joined the Armed Forces. However, the scene is still somewhat alive: we had a small concert in August at the Poruch festival with performances by Bryozone, Sasha Meets Vova and me. Don’t get me wrong—Odesa is a big city and there are many other active communities connected to all kinds of music.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, my inner singer-songwriter has gone on vacation, so I’ve shifted toward instrumental music. For the past three and a half years, I’ve mostly been working in the “track for compilation” genre since there are so many fundraising compilations now that you need to have a track ready or be able to record a new one quickly. I’ve now compiled these tracks into an album called “Incomplete”, which I plan to release this November on my label.
Interview Lucia Udvardyova
Photo Oleksandr Naselenko