Muscovite Moa Pillar, aka Fedor Pereverzev, came up on the Russian beats scene in the late-aughts when he was still a teenager. His sound, which leans as much on sound art as club-ready production, brings strands of Russian folk, electronic abstractions and dark techno into an evocative, sonic amalgam that feels elemental in texture but agile in mood.
This art-led, detail-driven approach correlates with Pereverzev’s work beyond Moa Pillar. One of Russia’s leading sound designers, he earned plaudits for his movie Bonfires and Stars which follows him to the Caucasus where he collaborated with local folk musicians. Still, it’s as Moa Pillar that he seems to be unfolding the strangest corners of his sound – his second album Hymns lands on 26 July on Karelian label Full of Nothing and builds on the unyielding techno foundations laid down on debut album, the tape release Humanity.
This video premiere, spotlighting the widescreen Sun Stood Still, is a excellent entry point his sonic universe. Directed by Russian director Alina Fillippova, the visual makes explicit themes embedded into the sound – vastness, isolation, alienation. It also stars Fedor Pereverzev, just FYI. Watch it above.
Hymns is released on 26 July via Full of Nothing.