Tonka
Year of foundation – 2018
City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
Language – Ukrainian
Genre – pop, electronica, indie pop
Composition:
- Olena Karas (vocals);
- Yaroslav Tatarchenko (keyboards, sound producer);
- Oleksandr Yavdyk (drums).
Former members: Denys Shvets (drums).
Band history
Tonka is a Kyiv-based musical group consisting of vocalist Olena Karas, sound producer Yaroslav Tatarchenko, and drummer Oleksandr Yavdyk. In their compositions, the group combines indie pop with shades of electronic music. In 2018, Olena Karas became a quarter-finalist in the eighth season of the show “Voice of the Country” and met Yaroslav Tatarchenko, sound producer and leader of the band MAiAK. The creative collaboration of the tandem was embodied in the Tonka project. Later, drummer Denis Shvets joined the group.
Olena Karas has a jazz background. The singer studied at the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music named after R. Glier. And the artist's musical taste was formed in her teens under the influence of jazz. Yaroslav Tatarchenko, forming as a musician, was most influenced by such artists as James Blake, Sevdaliza, FKA Twigs, Hainbach. In his youth, he listened to The Mars Volta, The Dillinger Escape Plan. Rave culture also played an important role in Tatarchenko's creative development. It is known that the sound producer is also developing the BUNHT project, with which he performed at dance parties, experimenting with industrial IDM, techno and breakbeat. It was this experience that was reflected in such tracks of the Tonka band as "Ryativnyk", "Zagublena vesna" and "Kryvava luna".
Creative path
On April 12, 2019, Tonka made their debut - they released the single "Choboty" and presented a video clip for the composition. On April 26, the first mini-album "Tak treba" was released, consisting of four original tracks. In 2020, the band released the mini-album "Taemna stroja", which in sound was closer to IDM. The musicians note that the album is dedicated to the inner search, self-identification. The tracks reflect the cyclical nature of preferences and losses, which have a direct impact on the formation of a unique life path. The band's singer Olena Karas explains that with their music, the band seeks to appeal to everyone who is bound by routine, who is lost in their own inner world and has lost touch with their true selves.
In 2021, the Masterskaya label released the EP "Plach". The focus track of the album was the song "Plach", which was born under the influence of inspiration from the work of Mykola Vingranovsky. In November 2021, the band released a dance track - the single "Dance with Me". The composition united two voices for the first time - Olena Karas and Yaroslav Tatarchenko. Poems by Ukrainian poets Oleksandr Oles and Mykola Khvylyov formed the basis of the EP "There Will Be No Youth Again". The record was released in February 2022. A lyric video was also shot for the hit "Ryativnyk". And in March 2023, Tonka presented a new mini-album "Lost Spring", which was timed to coincide with the next anniversary of the group's creation. The album was recorded in collaboration with the famous Ukrainian saxophonist Andriy Barmaly.
Style and project development
The musicians define their style as “intelligent pop.” The band members experimented with sound, adapting classical Ukrainian poetry to modern arrangements long before it became popular. The band members believe that music should be a reflection of the artists’ inner state. Tonka tries not to set any restrictions or prohibitions for themselves, allowing themselves to freely express themselves through their creativity. Vocalist Olena believes that it is important to allow people to perceive music the way they feel it. You shouldn’t try to force the audience to hear something specific, because everyone has their own vision.
Social activity
Musicians understand that the cultural front is of great importance. The Tonka participants believe that the awareness of what is behind them gives a powerful impetus to the formation of identity. It unites, inspires, and inspires many. Creativity and music are important tools, because through art and culture, artists nurture Ukraine within themselves. And people who listen to the project's songs also feel this connection.
Awards and honors
Today, popularity and recognition from fans go hand in hand with Tonko's creativity. The project is waiting for large festival stages and large-scale tours. There has already been a big solo concert at the Maly Opera in Kyiv. By the way, a successful performance at the German Reeperbahn Showcase Festival in Hamburg is also in the group's credit. Among the group's achievements:
- first place according to the LiRoom editorial team in the ranking of the 10 best Ukrainian mini-albums of 2021 (album "Plach");
- fifth place in the Top 22 best Ukrainian albums of 2022 (EP "There Will Be No Youth Again");
- nominations for the Young Blood Jager Music Awards and the "Discovery of the Year Aprize" from Aristocrats radio.
Interesting facts about the band:
- Vocalist Olena comes from Crimea, where schools devoted about two hours a week to Ukrainian language and literature. Therefore, the rapprochement and deep interest in the work of domestic authors occurred while studying in Kyiv;
- Sound producer Yaroslav grew up in Kryvyi Rih. In his youth, he joined a group of people who shared an interest in Ukrainian culture. The first author whose work greatly influenced the young man was the contemporary writer Yurko Pokalchuk.
- Olena distinguished herself in a successful collaboration with ROXOLANA, KRUTЬ and Sasha Koltsova in the format of the women's manifesto "You are a great force." The release was timed to coincide with the UN conference "Women in Ukraine." Yaroslav Tatarchenko became the producer.
