DZ'OB

DZ'OB is an electro-acoustic ensemble from the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, founded in 2014. The central idea behind the ensemble is to bring together genres that, at first glance, seem unconnected—classical music, jazz, and electronic genres like techno and IDM. In their music, the ensemble aims to break down the barriers between these styles and their listeners. It’s rare to hear IDM in a philharmonic hall, just as it is unusual to hear a bassoon or oboe in a nightclub. This is one of the unique aspects of the ensemble—bringing together audiences that rarely intersect and introducing them to genres they might never have encountered before. In the Baroque era, which greatly inspired Oleksii Badin, the ensemble's artistic director, there was less distinction between "high" style music (court music composed by professionals, which we now call classical) and "low" style music (folk music or music not written by professional composers). Classical composers often drew inspiration from folk traditions. For example, Baroque suites incorporated dances like the Sarabande and Gigue, which were not considered high style. Today, the classical world feels quite distant from non-academic music scenes, which are vibrant and diverse. The ensemble’s goal is to bridge these worlds. Just as Baroque suites were composed of the popular dances of their time, our suite includes the dances of today—techno, dubstep, IDM, and more.