BASS RESISTANCE — Professionalism and competence of the Ukrainian scene — Interview with the bRAVEs

For many Ukrainians today, there are only two options: either you are on the front lines or you invest your time in various campaigns to raise as much money as possible to make life at least a little easier for those on the front. the bRAVEs talked (first published
on Apr 25, 2024) to the Bass Resistance (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) Collective about its tour through 8 European cities with a mission to raise € 12000 for 3 buggies, (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) which can quickly evacuate the wounded in the combat zones, but also about its story and the B A S S!

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the bRAVEs: You are now ten people in total. Could you briefly introduce the team?

Bass Resistance: Our team consists of experienced music industry professionals, DJs and producers.

We are an actionable coalition to represent Ukraine on a global scale.

the bRAVEs: The first event you organized in Berlin was a livestream. How did that happen and how did the idea come about?

Bass Resistance: It was designed as a media activation for the bigger campaign “Power Life in Ukraine (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)” by Vitsche (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) and United24 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). We made a very strong PR showcase (international media such as RA, Groove, Vice DE, and DJMag participated in a charity livestream — editor’s note) and raised € 8000 from the activation.

the bRAVEs: At that time, the project was implemented with only three members. Did you all meet in Berlin or do you already know each other from Ukraine?

Bass Resistance: Roman (Habitat Shaking (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) — editor’s note) has been residing in Berlin for 8 years, while Daria (Dasha Atom (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) — editor’s note) and Andy (Passionfruit (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) — editor’s note) arrived in 2022. We knew each other before through multiple common connections, but have got to know each other in Berlin.

the bRAVEs: In July 2023 there was a fundraising event at the Berlin club Else (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), where you and Vitsche Culture (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) (the cultural branch of Vitsche e.V. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)) collected €12600. This is a large amount for a music event of this size. What factors must be in place for such a sum to be raised?

Bass Resistance: Our event was co-founded by Kultursommer, so we were able to cover the location and booking expenses. Nevertheless, we did a benchmark promo campaign to attract about 3000 visitors to the location. This combination contributed to the overall success.

the bRAVEs: You held other events in Berlin, also under the name Amplifier. How is this different from your Bass Resistance events?

Bass Resistance: Amplifier is a series of collaborative events with local promo groups. We’ll have another one on 21st of June (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), stay tuned!

the bRAVEs: The big tour through 8 European cities starts on April 26th with a finale in Kyiv. A big project! Did you receive any funding for this?

Bass Resistance: No, despite grant applications and sourcing e-mails we haven’t managed to get funding for this project. That’s why, we have started a crowdfunding campaign (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) to cover at least logistics costs. It appears to be very hard to raise funds as a young DIY collective. We’ll have to find creative sources of funding on the road and try to sell more of our crowdfunding items.

the bRAVEs: Then you basically bear the entire risk yourself?

Bass Resistance: Yes, we take all the risks, as

we believe it can be a breakthrough project for our mission.

the bRAVEs: Who will be on the road? Do you all drive by car?

Bass Resistance: We have a team van and extra car joining us on the road, some team members will be joining us by taking flights to some specific cities.

the bRAVEs: How do you feel about the helpfulness of the clubs in Europe? Was it easy to find locations for your project with this special mission?

Bass Resistance: It was relatively easy to find venues in every city we targeted, some clubs and DJs offered us special conditions.

the bRAVEs: The goal is 3 buggies for € 3000 each. How can you decide on a goal these days when you know that help is needed everywhere in Ukraine?

Bass Resistance: That’s what needed on the frontline in the current state of resistance against russian aggression.

We wanted to find a goal that is clear to Europeans, but still helpful on the frontline.

the bRAVEs: In addition, together with the Ukrainian record label ANKLAV (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), you are planning to release a sampler on a USB stick and have started an open call (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) for music producers. The stick should already be sold on your tour. Does that mean the sampler will be ready by the time the tour starts?

Bass Resistance: At the moment the compilation is still in development but we have many high-quality submissions. We will be preselling the USB stick via our crowdfunding campaign (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) and releasing it by the end of the tour due to the track mastering process.

the bRAVEs: When will the sampler go online? Could you already reveal a few names that will be featured on it?

Bass Resistance: Work in Progress:)

the bRAVEs: At the Berlin events you worked with other collectives such as Repair.Together (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) and coppi (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). During the tour there are other collaborations, such as with LAYERS (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) from Berlin, Real Rite from Barcelona, Pata Negra (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) in Marseille. How important is it to do collaborations?

Bass Resistance: One of the key objectives of our collective is to open up the Ukrainian music bubble and build a global subjectivity of Ukrainian artists. We believe that we can reach it through a collaboration strategy, as

we’re providing additional value to our partners and presenting the professionalism and competence of the Ukrainian scene.

the bRAVEs: You describe your sound as “Sound of Ukrainian Underground” — Can you describe it?

Bass Resistance: We are just playing the music that was popular in Ukraine for years and now is getting to the main stage in Berlin. Despite our name, our residents are genre-non-confirming artists with a good taste for an experimental fresh sound.

the bRAVEs: How would you say the bass community in Ukraine and Europe, especially in Germany and Berlin, differs in terms of size, quality and frequency of bass-focused events?

Bass Resistance: It’s still small in comparison to techno or house, but we already see that Bass Artists are getting international recognition and are invited to the biggest venues and festivals.

Bass is a genre with tradition and established community, which has recently become a new spin in popularity. Mostly because of the high sound design potential and oversaturation of the younger clubbers generation with the Four to the Floor approach.

the bRAVEs: Your graphic design consists of inflatable objects, such as boxes, but also letters. What significance does it have?

Bass Resistance: This is just our style, which was suggested by our Art Director Andy, who was keen to try our latest Photoshop functions. It also represents the high potential of what’s inside of our music. At this point, we see many Berlin formations starting using the same approach in 2024. So, we are very happy to become trendsetters in Berlin poster design.

the bRAVEs: How can I best support your project if I cannot attend your events?

Bass Resistance: Donate to our Fundraising campaign (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) and our Crowdfounder (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

the bRAVEs: Any plans after the end of the tour?

Bass Resistance: We have to do 4 more events, the summer will be very busy for our crew.

the bRAVEs: Thanks so much for your time and a successful mission!

BASS RESISTANCE
Instagram (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) I RA.co (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

BASS RESISTANCE ON TOUR CAMPAIGN
Startnext (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

3 BUGGIES CAMPAIGN
https://readymag.website/u3638018003/4732857 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

the bRAVEs — Electronic Music Berlin
linktr.ee (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) I Instagram (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) I Telegram (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) I Facebook (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) I Soundcloud (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)