Slavic

Daab is a long-running Polish reggae band. Originally from Warsaw, the band formed in 1982 and still actively tours today, having reached something of a cult status in Poland. The band was originally named Daab—Muzyka serc (“music of the heart”). Daab’s original lineup consisted of Dariusz Gierszewski, Andrzej Zeńczewski, Artur Miłoszewski, and Piotr Strojnowski, who […]

2Tm2,3 (also known as Tymoteusz) is a Polish Christian metal band. Their name refers to the Bible, verse 2 of Timothy 2:3 (“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”). The band is made up of members of various top Polish heavy metal and alternative rock bands, including Acid Drinkers, Flapjack, Armia, […]

Luxtorpeda is a newly minted Polish rock band consisting of many veterans of Poland’s music scene. Hailing from Poznań, Luxtorpeda consists of Robert Drężek, Krzysztof Kmiecik, Tomasz Krzyżaniak, Przemysław Frencel, and Robert Friedrich (who was also the guitarist for Turbo, Kazik Na Żywo, Acid Drinkers, 2Tm2,3, and Arka Noego). The group has won a number of […]

Maciej Maleńczuk is a Polish singer and songwriter who has been active in a wide variety of bands in many different styles—rock, jazz, dance pop—since the 1980s. Maleńczuk grew up in Wojcieszów, Poland, where he attended a sports school and was apparently a far from stellar student. He spent more time listening to American rock […]

Dantes and Oleynik (Дантес и Олейник) were a Ukrainian dance-pop duo; they met in 2008 while competing on a reality TV/music competition in Ukraine called Star Factory 2 (Фабрика Звёзд–2). They quickly became friends on set and continued to collaborate beyond their television experience. In 2010, they recorded their one and only studio album, I’m Already […]

Boombox is a Ukrainian band from Kiev that mixes various musical styles, including rock, hip-hop, and funk. Formed in 2004 by vocalist Andrei Khlyvnyuk (Андрій Хливнюк) and guitarist Andrei Samoilo (Андрій Самойло), they have released a steady stream of albums and collaborative projects since their inception and built a loyal following throughout Ukraine, Russia, and […]

Yolka (Ёлка in Russian) is a Ukrainian pop star, actress, and television personality who sings in Russian. Born Yelizaveta Valdemarivna Ivantsiv (Єлизавета Вальдемарівна Іванців), she received the nickname Ёлка (“fir tree”) when a childhood friend mispronounced her name; it amused her, and the name stuck. She has gained wide popularity and critical acclaim for her […]

Gleb Samoyloff (Глеб Самойлоff, original name Gleb Samoylov, or Глеб Самойлов) and The MATRIXX—subsequently shortened to just The MATRIXX in 2013—is a Russian rock band with punk and goth influences. Rising from the ashes of Samoilov’s previous musical collaboration, Agata Kristi (Агата Кристи)—which he joined in 1987 but which fell apart in 2009—The MATRIXX has […]