With Zenit, Ukrainian-born, Prague-based composer and opera vocalist Liza Liakh presents an EP that fuses folklore and electronics with a clear sense of purpose. Originally composed for a dance performance, the four-track release is structured around the themes and symbols of Ivana Kupala, the Ukrainian midsummer celebration rooted in ritual and transformation.
Each piece in Zenit is tied to a different element of that tradition. The opening track reflects the ritual of floating flower wreaths, a symbolic gesture often tied to fate and love. The second track, Marena, centers around an abstracted spiritual tree and themes of internal change. The title track, Zenit, shifts the energy into celebration, invoking fire and movement. The EP closes in solitude, with a metamorphosis into a mermaid – a figure tied to longing and letting go.
While Liakh’s voice remains central to her identity as an artist, this project leans more into her compositional side. The electronic elements carry the ritual forward, connecting ancient symbolism with contemporary mood. Nothing feels decorative – the sounds serve the concept without needing to embellish it.
Having also composed for video games like Arma Reforger, Liakh brings a cinematic sensibility that would suit visual media with folkloric or mythic undercurrents. Zenit would work in projects that explore identity, loss, or the merging of past and present without relying on traditional scoring. It resonates because it doesn’t push to explain itself – it simply stands in its own atmosphere.
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