Kuok is a musician who in the 2010s, as a teenager, wrote electronic songs in Prague and at the age of 14 ended up on the Mujuice label. In 2022, The Flow and Afisha Daily named his album “Imago” as the release of the year. Now the performer releases the single “Una”, which speaks honestly about unfulfilled love and a broken heart. Especially for BURO. Kuok talked about what music inspires him throughout his career.
Quok – “Eat”
“Coma” is an old song I wrote at the age of 19 during a depressive craze for electronic music: dark and rave. I wanted to capture as much as possible the effect that sound had on me. And now, after a while, to somehow contrast that mood, I went back to my old job and decided that it would be great to take references from past jobs.
Skrillex, Boys Noize, Opus III – “Fine Day Anthem”
I remember the original song when I was little, I think my father listened to it in the car. When I found out that Skrillex sampled this song, he really surprised me. I liked that he brought back the 2000s trend of voice blocking. So it seemed that since such people use such tricks, why not take inspiration from this and use a similar technique in their music?
Virtual Self: “Ghost Voices” and “Angel Voices”
Porter Robinson is a genius. I am very inspired by him, and as for Virtual Self, “Ghost Voices” and “Angel Voices”, these are songs from the same release that surprised me in 2018. I always left them as references and as ideal for the composition of electronic music. And Porter for me, in principle, is one of the most outstanding artists on stage, that’s why I have always tried to transmit some of his techniques in music.
Kuok – “Under the Roof”
“Una” was released immediately after the “Jungle” album and was an absolute contrast in mood and meaning, continuing the story in the same universe. By the way, on June 8 at the Green Theater in Gorky Park we will present the old program for the last time.
Exodia – “Lumina” and “825 CV”
I continue with the theme of cyberpunk and references to the beginning of the last decade. These songs hooked me immediately, because it sounds like the music of my childhood and, at the same time, music that I never heard when I was a child. As for my reference point for “Una”, it is a sublimated 2000s sound reworked by someone already living in the 20s. The effect these tracks create really excites me, as it sounds like the perfect soundtrack for a racing game that came out for the PlayStation 1.
Mnogoznaal – “Minus 40”
Next up is Mnogoznaal. I couldn’t highlight just one track, because now we are no longer talking about the effect that music creates, nor about the instrumental, but about the way of transmitting information through words and the way of interpreting it. He was probably the first Russian rapper that really impacted me. When he was 14 or 15, Yung Russia was just getting started. The reading of it, languid, in several layers, rhythmic and with a tonality mismatch that was not entirely correct, but very sensual, hooked me then.
Complex B – “Beautiful lies”
A good drum and bass hit from 2011 that I heard when I was very little. At that time I liked this genre and that vocal cut and, in principle, the entire harmony of the song is impressive. Whenever I write in a similar genre, I often turn it on to get inspiration and remember what this type of music should sound like.
Aphex Twin – “Vordhosbn”
Well, the last track is an eternal reference point for the ideal electronic track. I heard it when I was six years old. This is the first time music gives me goosebumps. I started bothering my brother, harassing him with questions about how the tracks were written in general, and I remember that at some point I came across a video analysis of the synths of this composition, which were written by Richard David James himself, also known as Affex Twin. . I was able to hear moments that I still use periodically as a reference for synth and harmonic content.
Kuok – “UNA”
Well, playlist sublimation is my single, which became the beginning of a new story, which you will see in my next releases. This is, first of all, a song about failed relationships, failed loves and a broken heart, which is an incredible contrast to what I wrote before. A rave composition that makes me want to tear my soul out, cry, laugh at how everything didn’t go as planned, but also that it turned out that way.
