Photo by Danya Pryvit
There’s a lingering moment of reckoning when you step across a border, suitcase in hand, and exchange the comfort of your homeland for a shimmer of promised fortune. Is it a genuine Eldorado or merely a mirage, a mythic quest that erodes childhood Eden into distant memories? As John Steinbeck mused in Travels with Charley, “You can’t go home again because home has ceased to exist except in the mothballs of memory.” For those who abandon the familiar, nostalgia lingers like a bittersweet echo—often revealing that the treasure you sought might not be what it seemed. Yet this disillusionment does nothing to diminish the boldness or necessity of the journey itself. It’s precisely this tension that Ukrainian post-punk act Small Depo captures with their new single, “ЕМІГРАНТ” (Emigrant).
Formed in Kyiv in 2014, Small Depo marries the eerie resonance of ’80s goth rock and post-punk with a modern sensibility, creating a melancholic yet energizing sound that has echoed from their home city to the broader gaming world (notably, their tracks appear in the iconic Game OST S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2). Their newest release, “ЕМІГРАНТ,” emerges from the just-launched EP КАРНАВАЛ, and stands as its most pulsating and dance-driven track. Frontman Maksym Ishchenko explains that the song took shape after thoughtful conversations with friends and family who, years ago, left Ukraine in pursuit of better prospects—a pursuit that can prove both exhilarating and haunting.
Anchored by a thick, brooding bass line and pounding drum rhythms, «ЕМІГРАНТ» envelops the listener in a moody sonic tapestry. The guitar riff, tinged with an old-school gothic rock edge, snakes through layers of icy synth drones, while the band’s powerful, chant-like vocals channel both determination and longing. Each note seems to throb with the duality of promise and apprehension: the illusions of greener pastures abroad may fade, but for many, the call to leave remains a necessary leap of faith.
Lyrically, “ЕМІГРАНТ” delves into the protagonist’s quest for a personal Eldorado, a dream that quickly collides with the harshness of reality. The rose-tinted glasses shatter when faced with an indifferent foreign shore. Nostalgia gnaws at the edges of the mind, reminiscing about the comforts and connections left behind. And yet, the hero presses on—the very act of leaving is as defiant as it is sorrowful, proving that no matter how much longing may weigh you down, sometimes departure is the only way forward.
“ЕМІГРАНТ” is available on all streaming platforms. Purchase the track and the rest of the “КАРНАВАЛ” here.
With “КАРНАВАЛ” now out and available for the world to discover, Small Depo continues to channel existential themes into their sonic palette. And “ЕМІГРАНТ” thus resonates as an anthem for anyone who has ever wrestled with the pull of elsewhere, recognizing that fortune may not glimmer as brightly as you’d hoped—but heading into the unknown is an act of courage in itself.
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