Sirens is the new EP from Russian producer and musician Maxim Popov who performs as A Model Kit. Written in the wake of Putin’s war on Ukraine, it’s an exploration of traditions, particularly those upheld by smaller cultures that are often at risk of being lost.

By Graeme Smith

Like many, Maxim’s conscience led him to leaving Russia in protest after Putin’s war started. In exile, he’s spent time considering the Russian idea of multi-culturalism, often used in propaganda while government policy excludes the traditions of “smaller nations” ultimately leaving the whole country culturally poorer. These meditations play out across the five tracks of Sirens.

The EP opens with Chrysanthemum, an atmospherically percussive piece that combines organic and electronic instrumentals. It slowly builds with an urgent tempo reaching a trance-like arrangement that loops blissfully. There are dark undercurrents and snatches of speech that provide some wonderful textures. It’s a great start.

Nostos gives us glitched choral notes and provocative experimentation. Unmoor is lively and soulful, rich with smooth traditional chanting and jagged instrumental edges. Afternoon of a Faun continues in the same regard, adding an eerie, unsettling atmosphere with its arrangement. Circe’s Song then closes the EP in a brooding, contemplative style. Its melancholic bass layers are tempered by lighter electronic moments providing a final flourishing highlight.

A Model Kit is an act that has a lot to say and is thoughtful in the way he says it. Sirens is a challenging yet rewarding collection that draws on unusual influences and educates as much as it entertains. It’s also worth noting that 50% of sales will go to Emigration For Action, a non-profit helping Ukrainian refugees in Georgia. If you’re looking for something different today then you need look no further. You can listen to the EP below.