Kyiv-based producer Paloven is reminding you that dark synth-pop is Queer — and its ours!

Synth-pop has a steady presence at the very top of the global music scene. Thankfully there are artists like Paloven that remind us that synth is not just a tool for commercial success, but it is an integral part of underground queer identity.

Based in Kyiv, Kirill Potapkin is a producer who uses music as a form of self-expression. In his four track EP 'Crisis Academy,' you can expect glossy textures of late 80's inspired "retro-futuristic synth pop."

"I'm mostly inspired by the music that I grew up listening to in my formative years. I exist somewhere on the outskirts of pop, and have developed a special fondness for FM synthesis, velvety pads, thunderous baselines, and infectious vocal hooks."

Paloven is a musician with a message: "I believe queer culture is seeing a renaissance in Kyiv, with more queer spaces emerging every year. Queer artists are given a platform to share their art and stories, and people are willing to listen and educate themselves on pressing topics of gender and sexual identity."

It is refreshing to see a young queer artist who openly share their pain and struggles: "This is both exciting and encouraging, especially given how the younger generation now have automatic access to to these queer spaces and resources. I certainly didn't. And as a result, I've been dealing with unresolved trauma for years."

"I'm still coming to groups with my queer identity, and I'm using music to push me into more assertive self-expression. Accepting darkness is, in my opinion, a necessary component of the queer 'experience'. And if you can turn it into something beautiful, I think that's a risk worth taking."

Follow Kirill here

Listen to our stand out track 'Beautiful' on our #TheNewEastisQueer Spotify playlist