Founded by Nastya Kreslina and Nikolay Kostylev, Moscow-based goths IC3PEAK emerged from the ashes of Russia’s 2014 witch house revival, and have since been making a name for themselves with their industrial, electronic noise pop and warped, horror-tinged visuals – just take the moment in “Death No More” when they sit down to feast on a hunk of raw, bloody meat with a fork and knife in the shadow of the Kremlin, for example.
With tracks tackling issues including social injustice, corruption, oppression, and human rights violations at the hands of the Russian government, it’s probably not surprising that, like a number of other popular groups, the pair have come up against some serious opposition in their home country: “We finished our tour of Russia while being chased by the FSB (Federal Security Service). Having had most of our concerts cancelled, we performed in secret locations and sometimes on the streets.”
Things are going decidedly better for the band outside of Russia. Following a tour that saw them land in the US, Europe, and China, IC3PEAK track “Take My Hand” became the soundtrack to Rick Owens’ monumental SS19 show, after Kreslina and Kostylev called the designer out for previously using another track – without authorisation – at an earlier presentation. Next up? “A lot of new music, new videos, and more worldwide dates.”
Emma Elizabeth Davidson