Yours Eternally

ANTYTILA returns with a story born from silence. “Vidkoly” is a song written last winter, when the cold outside strangely coincided with the cold inside. It’s about a moment when words are powerless, and warmth has to be sought in memories.

The video is like a pause between heartbeats: slow-motion scenes, kisses in peace and war, the fragility of a moment that slips away. The band among white eustoma, sakura as a reminder of the transience of beauty – all this creates a space where even silence sounds.

“Dyvysʹ u miy ekran” — is a remake of our song “Look at Me,” which was created a long time ago. We didn’t have a consensus within the band about whether or not to translate the song. I was rather not a fan, but a lot of fans of our work came to us and let the music of ANTITELA into their lives after the song “Look at me”. And a lot of our fans were waiting for a remake of this song, because they loved it, because it gave them the drama and energy that inspired them.

The soul of a human is the entire world inside which there can also rage hurricanes and break out wars. Sometimes they are caused by external circumstances, sometimes they aren’t. But there’s no relief from that. Such world needs specific support. The song «Поламані» (‘Polamani’) is both about those who need such support and those who is ready to give it. Even when it’s unbearably hard, when all your will and temper are chained – don’t be afraid to ask for help. And vice versa, if it seems to you that nothing depends on you, still respond to the call of the one in need of your shoulder. With the small steps and actions, we’re changing the reality. Remember that. ‘This song is, of course, a self-reflection as well. We’re telling about ourselves through a story of one weird man, the story of all of us, those feeling ‘a bit broken’ among tremendous upheavals even if we don’t realize that staying invincible at the same time. We can’t make it in a different way; even when we incredibly need assistance and support ourselves, we primarily go to save the others, to save their souls, to heal their wounds, to give something away, and fight for someone!’ Taras Topolia.

Metaphoric and vivid visuals on how a small human can start fire with their love and give warmth to billions of others within the infinity of cold space and the Universe.

This song is devotion to not only the beloved ones, but also to the Motherland common for everyone: exactly the one we are to hold the skies for and sing circle-wise that we love.

As usual, ANTYTILA do not betray their traditions: the video of the band is full of references and hidden senses. Every video is a small movie related to the lives of the band and the country via which ANTYTILA convey important things, give warnings, experience, love, and talk to their listener.

The musical style of the song “Death from Above”, in Ukrainian – “My Falcon” is different from the previous compositions of the band Antytila and is one of the heaviest in their repertoire. It conveys the tense atmosphere of the game, transfers listeners to the world of combat operations and danger.

‘When an IT company from Germany asked us to create a song for a game – we were interested, because we like computer games.
When we were told that players would transform into Ukrainian pilots – drone operators and destroy the enemy from above, when we learned that 70% of the income would go to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, we had no doubts about whether to participate in this project.

Death from above (My falcon in Ukrainian) is probably the most heavy song in our discography from now on. But it very much relevant to the mood of the gameplay.
We are sure that all players will be treated to a perfect mix of interesting gameplay, a powerful soundtrack and a good deed in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for Victory’, – tells Taras Topolia.

In the video clips for both versions of the songs, the musicians show warfare, situations that our military actually faces on the front lines, but in an animated form. Enemies are depicted as orcs, pigs and in fact non-human creatures, which in fact they are, and which gave the name to a new phenomenon in world history – rashism. This symbolism emphasizes the deep meaning of the video, where the Ukrainian pilot and drone operator destroys the enemy, who represents a threat to freedom and independence.

“In the video, we wanted to convey the atmosphere of the game, this dynamic, character, as well as recreate the characters and once again show and emphasize to everyone who or what the army of the aggressor country really is. These are creatures that have a minimum of human traits and qualities,” Taras Topolia shares.

“Mykola Leontovych created Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells), which became the symbol of Christmas love and warmth of hugs all over the world. Today Ukrainians sang this carol with words that the war created. We were working on it with legendary Veryovka Ensemble and also with children that despite the enemy’s attacks, all air strikes and blackouts are still in Ukraine and continue to do what they love – sing. This is the children’s choir ensemble “Zernyatko”. Listen to, shazam this song and donate for Ukrainian Victory to bring closer not miliatry Christmas, but peacful Christmas to Ukraine with children’s laugh and spirit of holiday”, – says Taras Topolia.

The song “Carol for the Charity” is an updated version of the world-famous “Shchedryk”, also known as “Carol of the Bells”. “Carol for the Charity” was performed by the “Antytila” band, Veryovka Ensemble and the children’s choir ensemble “Zernyatko” supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

The English version of the song Hello was created at the same time with Ukrainian. It was created with our foreign friends and colleagues Piotr “Dziki” Hancewicz, Łukasz Rychlicki, Grzegorz Stech, Oles Kalmuk. At first the main idea was about the planet Earth. This is our home and we need to protect it. But new reality gave us new senses. And through the war we changed the lyrics, right on the frontline where we have lived all emotions of this period.

And now the song and the music video take on completely different meanings, which we want to share with the world. This song should say the loudest words about peace, and about the irreversible consequences that war will cause if humanity does not stop it. With the deep conviction that this experience is close to every person on our planet, to every person who wants life to overcome death. We’ve written this song as an appeal to humanity. And we are sure that humanity will hear it.

In August 2022, the song will feature in BBC International Service documentary about ANTYTILA and the war in Ukraine “Frontline – Frontman”. The film will be released on the special iPlayer platform, as well as on the BBC News channel.

«Ed’s offer to work together is the expression of that real support to Ukraine being demonstrated by the people of Great Britain during this war. Millions of people show how it is to stand for your principles, democracy and freedom for real not only with words but with exact actions and give their shoulder to those who need it for sure. It would seem a simple collaboration, but it’s so symbolically.

It appeared to be quite difficult to compose and record the Ukrainian lyrics to Ed’s song in those circumstances we experienced then. Beyond that, the Bobina Records studio where we usually recorded our own songs was under occupation of russian freaks. But thanks to Maksym Syvolap, a friend of ours and an unchangeable co-author and arranger of many songs, we coped with our part», tells Taras Topolia.

All the funds received from monetization of the video on YouTube as well as royalties will be given for the charity project Music Saves UA, the project of All-Ukrainian Association of Music Events: https://musicsavesua.com/uk

ANTYTILA mention that they devote this video to the memory of a Ukrainian director Dmytro Manifest whose life was cut short too early.

The video was directed and produced by a friend of Dmytro Manifest Dmytro Shmurak. Together with his team, he managed to realize everything being supposed to in the shortest possible time, professionally and faultlessly, understanding that the ANTYTILA band wouldn’t be able to join the shooting fully.

«There are people eager to follow you through hell and high water. It was exactly my friendship with Manifest having helped me understand that doing anything with half efforts is senseless. Life is very rebellious, and that’s why when ANTYTILA had asked me to support them and actually be a producer and shoot the video on my own, I agreed immediately, though I understood it was a very complicated task. Together with my team we tried to do our best so that the work would be successful. If Dima were alive, he would have definitely been together with us at the filming location. There’s the only thing I’d like to address to the guys: come back alive!» shares his thoughts Dmytro Shmurak.

ANTYTILA and Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk have lived a lifetime in shot.
The song about the path of life and internal power to fulfil your dreams with a motivational name «Стань» (‘And You Start’).

The ANTYTILA band and one of the world’s strongest athletes – Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk – are in shot.

«The song was created more than a year ago, it was recorded at the studio quite long ago, but we needed some more time for video-realization of the idea underlying in this song. When writing the song we were inspired by the atmosphere of school prom nights when boys and girls confess their love to each other, swear to be friends for eternity, set goals, and believe in their dreams, when all this is sincere, with no falsehood. Later the idea of the video emerged. The running tracks were appearing in thoughts displaying the road of life, a large space where every single person is running along their track to their goals. In the course of getting ready, we understood that we needed a massive view where it would be possible to depict the flow of life and people in it with their own desires, dreams, and «crosses that some of them carry on their shoulders». We’re sure, everyone will be able to recognize themselves or somebody from their surrounding in particular frames. The video has also got quite an unexpected ending: actually, the story of the video begins in its end. And if you drown into the video even more, you understand that it has neither the beginning nor the ending. And, as usual, there are some hidden secrets, Easter eggs, from ANTYTILA», tells Taras Topolia.

«Стань» (‘And You Start’) is the third song from the upcoming album, the premiere of which ANTYTILA have planned for the beginning of the year 2022. After releasing the album, ANTYTILA are going to set off to stadium tour being about to present an absolutely new show and a new album. The first gig has been planned for May 2022 in Dnipro city. The musicians have also finished the Hello tour successfully that was started as far ago as the year 2020.

ANTYTILA and Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk have lived a lifetime in shot.
The song about the path of life and internal power to fulfil your dreams with a motivational name «Стань» (‘And You Start’).

The ANTYTILA band and one of the world’s strongest athletes – Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk – are in shot.

«The song was created more than a year ago, it was recorded at the studio quite long ago, but we needed some more time for video-realization of the idea underlying in this song. When writing the song we were inspired by the atmosphere of school prom nights when boys and girls confess their love to each other, swear to be friends for eternity, set goals, and believe in their dreams, when all this is sincere, with no falsehood. Later the idea of the video emerged. The running tracks were appearing in thoughts displaying the road of life, a large space where every single person is running along their track to their goals. In the course of getting ready, we understood that we needed a massive view where it would be possible to depict the flow of life and people in it with their own desires, dreams, and «crosses that some of them carry on their shoulders». We’re sure, everyone will be able to recognize themselves or somebody from their surrounding in particular frames. The video has also got quite an unexpected ending: actually, the story of the video begins in its end. And if you drown into the video even more, you understand that it has neither the beginning nor the ending. And, as usual, there are some hidden secrets, Easter eggs, from ANTYTILA», tells Taras Topolia.

«Стань» (‘And You Start’) is the third song from the upcoming album, the premiere of which ANTYTILA have planned for the beginning of the year 2022. After releasing the album, ANTYTILA are going to set off to stadium tour being about to present an absolutely new show and a new album. The first gig has been planned for May 2022 in Dnipro city. The musicians have also finished the Hello tour successfully that was started as far ago as the year 2020.

ANTYTILA present a new large-scale video clip!
Possibly with a new Ukrainian record for the simultaneous number of actors in a music video. More than five hundred people dressed as zombies, hundreds of costumes, kilograms of makeup and professional dancing. In the lead roles: Taras Topolya, musicians of the Antytila band and People’s Artist of Ukraine Nazar Zadniprovsky.

The production of the shooting took only one week. However, during this time the actors and location were chosen, the costumes were created, and the shooting crew gathered together. Preparing the location itself took 24 hours. The shooting process took 23 hours, and a part of the crew and actors spent awake 2 days. On the location, mostly worked the same crew as with the video “Кіно”. Among the main zombie-characters a people’s artist of Ukraine Nazar Zadniprovskyi could also be seen; he’s also a sincere fan of the band. «After a small pause in the course of which we have almost finished studio work with our new album, we present a new song and a new video.

“Маскарад” (‘Masquerade’) is a farcical play and irony towards ourselves and what’s happening around us. Musicians have an opportunity to talk to people using metaphors and images and convey senses at the level of perception. This song is exactly such case, and as it always happens with ANTYTILA, it’s not without sense. I’m sure, the track will become the adornment of the summer season, Ukraine’s gonna sing and dance to it” – says Taras Topolia.

For taking part in extras, there were professional actors, fans coming from different parts of Ukraine, responding to the band’s call, and a people’s artist of Ukraine Nazar Zadniprovskyi had changed his shooting schedule on purpose to play the main part. «I’m patriotic to the ANTYTILA band. For them and for this song I wasn’t sorry to postpone the other shootings.
I had listened to the song carefully, I pondered upon the lyrics, and I sincerely wish the guys a good premiere and ratings, because the song is wise, it’s critical, and it’s topical more than ever now. Somebody’s going to perceive it just as a cool dancelike song, and somebody’s gonna have a deeper understanding», tells a people’s artist of Ukraine Nazar Zadniprovskyi.

The artists share with us that it had taken them very long to choose the track for release. After numerous discussions in the studio, chats, and on tour, the decision was made in favor of the song «Маскарад», because there is everything in it being important to be told and sung to people exactly today. The song “Маскарад” is going to sound live exclusively for the first time at the main stage of the Atlas Weekend festival July 9.

ANTYTILA have sung in honor of Dania Didik.

A special premiere.
Within the project «Так працює пам‘ять» (‘Tak pratsiuie pamiat’ / ‘This is how memory works’) the band have presented a remake of the song «Птаха» (‘Ptakha’ / ‘Birdie’) from their first album.

An artistic initiative has already lasted for more than 25 weeks, its aim is to eternize the honor of a small but very courageous Ukrainian Danylo Didik having died from terrorist attack through songs, pictures, prose, and poetry.

Let us remind you that February 22, 2015, on the second year of war, on the anniversary of the vicrory of the Revolution of Dignity in Kharkiv there was a walk devoted to the unity of Ukraine.

Danylo Didik was also taking part in it. The walk began by the Palace of Sports, the activists have gathered into a column, and went towards the Svobody square, but they managed to walk only 100 meters when the explosion was fired. The boy was walking in the head of the column, he was close to the explosion epicenter, and got a severe craniocerebral trauma. The trauma led to the coma. The next day, February 23, 2015, Danylo died without regaining consciousness. The child’s life has ended up at the age of fifteen. On that day, the explosion of the mine having been put by pro-Russian terrorists three more participants of the walk were killed:
Mykola Melnychuk (18 years old), Vadym Rybalchenko (37 years old), and Ihor Tolmachov (52 years old).

The initiator of the project Ruslan Horovyi comments:
«There aren’t, and there can’t ever be such words that would calm Dania’s parents’ pain. When a child is killed for the freedom and independence, it always means that some of us, adults, has not worked, anticipated or protected enough. Dania’s death is a reminding that we are responsible for our every step. And not only before ourselves».
ANTYTILA have completed their music release with Live-video, having been shot in the studio of Bobina Records.

«The song «Птаха» (‘Ptakha’ / ‘Birdie’) has received its new life because another life, the life of the child, was taken away by the undeclared war. We can’t understand the only thing: why the school where Dania used to study is still not named in his honor?» comments the lead singer of the band Taras Topolia.

ANTYTILA HAVE SHOT THE MOVIE!

A story being light at first sight has a deep meaning. The story it was set upon repeats from generation to generation, through thousands of years. The whole spectrum of people’s feelings: mercy and hatred, betrayal and self-sacrifice, good and evil, rapture and contempt — everything’s like in our lives. The video is full of metaphors, allegories and symbols being always inherent for ANTYTILA’s creativity.

ANTYTILA are the first artists in Ukraine having dared to massively implement the stylistics of the Steampunk genre in a music video. About one hundred costumes, perfected up; a multi-ton circus decoration in the desert built from the ground; Taras Topolia’s drastic transformation; real tricks from Magic Five – you’ll see all these in our new video.

«I lack words to give thanks to everyone having been shot in this video. It was a small feat of every participant. 71 out of 72 scenes had been shot just during 1 day. I’d like to mark the following supporting actors especially: Mikael Avoian, Serhii Trush, Oleksandr Yudin, Nataliia Andrieieva and the extras, among which there were a lot of friends of ours and true Ukrainian steampunkers, elderly people and children having arrived from all over the country. We spent 25 hours in the desert from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. of the next day having had almost no sleep beforehand, under the burning sun. Nobody gave up, everyone completed the way from the first second to the final, there were many of those for whom the shooting experience was the first, but they did their best. During the lunch break the people were falling asleep right in the sun, and went on shooting in half an hour demonstrating no sign of fatigue. In such moments, you feel the people’s love and a greater responsibility for where you bring them. It was a pleasure for us to work with the Magic Five team. They were showing so realistic and cool tricks that detracted the whole group from the shooting process», Taras Topolia.

The team presented a new clip with an exclusive archival video of the family of Taras and Elena Topoli.

A month before the final gigs of the first part of the Hello tour which are going to take place in the Palace of Sports of the capital citythe ANTYTILA band have presented the new video. This time ANTYTILA have filmed the most romantic song – «Буде син» (‘Gonna Have a Son’ / ‘Bude syn’). It is the fifth track from the «Hello» album having received video support.

The song «Буде син» has become a record holder by the number of playbacks since the LP was released. On ANTYTILA’S YouTube channel it has got more than half a million of views. And the fans have named it «the main soundtrack to the first dance of the married, 2019». During six months ANTYTILA have received a great amount of videos where the married are dancing their first dance exactly to «Буде син». These home videos have inspired ANTYTILA for an idea to the official video being familiar to many people: birth of a new family, procreation, and, of course, cooperation in work and sincere cheerful emotions from the opportunity to be together.

The work «Буде син» is based on two real stories of the Topolia and Shneideris families. It’s the Shneideris family having given their family wine making property and vineyards to film the video. The shooting was taking place at Beikush vinery in Mykolaiv oblast. This was the place where father Yevhen has made up his hobby into the work of life, and made it familiar with his closest people – his beloved woman and his children. It was a small idea which realized into a big dream of a couple in love: a big happy family and a successful business. In the video, Taras Topolia together with his wife, a famous singer Alyosha and two sons, Roman and Mark, have played themselves, shown the story of their relationships, and lifted the veil of their private lives a bit. At the same time with the main plot, the documentary shots of Taras Topolia’s family appear which haven’t been demonstrated before: birth of the first child, the ANTYTILA lead singer’s wedding, narrative of how the sons were growing up, and the ways the married couple spends their free time. It’s worth mentioning that in the video «Буде син» Roman and Mark have had their debut as actors and done well. Before it was a rare thing to observe the whole Topolia celebrity family in media space.

The members of the ANTYTILA band, Taras Topolia and Serhii Vusyk, have directed the video.

«Вірила» is the fourth single from the new album. Its release is going to take place in late Fabruary, 2019. ANTYTILA always surprise everyone with their video works full with senses and symbols. The video «Вірила» is not an exception. The video is set upon the idea resonating in every person. In order to bring their ideas to life, ANTYTILA have covered the way of ten thousand kilometers. The shooting took place in Ukraine and Portugal, not far from Lisbon, and in the municipality Cabeceiras de Basto near Fafe. One of the locations of the scene drawing attention to it is a stone house Casa do Penedo, or «Flinstones’ House». It is one of the top-10 most extraordinary buildings of the world. Its uniqueness consists in the fact that the house looks like a rock on the top of a desolate hill. Enormous boulders serve a few walls of the house. In Ukraine, the scenes in the carpentry unit were filmed. The scene designer Viktor Buchkovskyi had made this location intentionally for shooting the video.

Another object deserving attention in the video work «Вірила» is a hangglider as a symbol of realizing the dreams. ANTYTILA had brought a real training hangglider «УТ» created as far as in 1978 to Portugal. It was decorated with wood for filming. It’s worth noting that such hanggliders had never flown in this area – over the Atlantic. ANTYTILA dared to do this. The main hero’s stand-in Dmytro Khaiit took the risk of completing a few flights without a parachute thanks to which the spectators will be able to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of lovely frames and scenes.

It’s worth noting that the syncs in the video «Вірила» are one of the key elements. As planned by the frontman of the band Taras Topolia, it was the first time when the band members weren’t playing the instruments but walking as a team and singing to the camera. As the song «Вірила» is a man’s dedication to a woman.

«The idea of the song emerged about one year ago when we had finished our work at the song «Лови момент» in the studio, entered the new fall music season and gathered yet again in the studio to create the upcoming album. We went back to the demo version of this song. I had got a few melodies in my head, and we’d recorded one of them, but there hadn’t been any lyrics yet. That was the period when we went on working at the Polish studio adapting our Ukrainian songs to Polish and English as part of our movement towards Poland. And so, in the train to Warsaw I had listened to an upcoming song probably one hundred times, there were plenty of ideas and metaphors. But the most powerful one was about a woman’s trust in her man: of a beloved woman in her beloved man, of a mum in her son. That’s why this topic had become crucial. It’s one of the most man’s songs in the repertoir of the ANTYTILA band. It’s an appeal from us as men musicians to our wives, it’s an appeal from us as sons to our mums, and it’s an appeal to all women of Ukraine with one simple message: we men can do incredible things, we can overcome obstacles, we can get off our knees and move forward, and move mountains if we know that there’s a woman walking by our side believing in us, and this message concerns not only the musicians of the ANTYTILA band, but, I’m sure, all the men of the country», shares his thoughts Taras Topolia.

Serhii Vusyk, Yurii Aleksieienko, and Taras Topolia were the directors of the video.

ANTYTILA have presented their work in collaboration with a famous British band Clean Bandit.

The video and song created in collaboration with the Grammy owner – the Clean Bandit band. The representatives of the British band contacted ANTYTILA and offered to join the International project within which they had to create their own version of a famous song in Ukrainian. ANTYTILA have accepted, and the two bands have united for a music experiment in Ukraine.

It should be noted that ANTYTILA’S fans were the first to observe the video and song «Symphony» (TBRG Open x Clean Bandit – Official Cover) on May 25, during a massive gig at Lviv Arena having started the stadium tour «Hello» across the cities of Ukraine. Almost 20 000 people having gathered at the stadium appreciated the work with tremendous applause.

The ANTYTILA band have brought national colours with their arrangement having added Ukrainian music instruments and Ukrainian lyrics to the song by Clean Bandit.

«It was an interesting experience of working with a world level artist for us. There were some kind of difficult details as we’re divided by a great distance, and sometimes it was hard to communicate quickly. The main thing is that we’ve always made all our creative decisions by ourselves, and this time we needed to coordinate everything with our creative partners. But in the end everything was okay. I’m sure that our version of the song will be liked by millions of fans,» – gave his comment the leader of the band Taras Topolia.

ANTYTILA have presented the video on the song «LEGO», the main official soundtrack for the new movie by «Квартал 95» studio «Я, ти, він, вона» (‘Me, You, Him, Her”), planned to be released on New Year’s Eve 2019. After the successful short-length videos «TDME» and «Лови момент» (‘Lovy moment’ / ‘Seize the moment’) with strong sense, the ANTYTILA band have presented their fans a dynamic and bright work «LEGO». The band’s creative work is closely related to cinematography. Most tracks have become soundtracks to movies or TV series. The new song «LEGO» is one of such tracks.

«I can give plenty of details and tell of how we had been inventing and building decorations for the video, of how we had been threading our way through ship staging to get a friend of ours, a gaffer Rostyslav from another shooting inside a rusty ship to urgently discuss the scheme of locating lighting equipment at our filming set. But all these stories pale in comparison to how passionately Zelenskyi was spinning the wheel just in the frame! In that moment, I realized that he really liked the song much. I’d also like to add from myself that the song “Lego” is not just a soundtrack to the comedy drama «Я, Ти, Він, Вона». This song is about our country going through its likely the most dramatic period of its history. Close your eyes and imagine the people from east and west of it keep singing it to each other. And somewhere inside their hearts, despite all the quarrels each one’s eager to build our common broken construction set the way it would bring peace and calmness..» commented the frontman of the band Taras Topolia.

Another fact is that it was the first time when the sixth member of the ANTYTILA band Maksym Syvolap, a composer, a co-author, and a friend of ours, took part in the shooting.

After the success of the song and videos (official and lyric ones) «TDME» the ANTYTILA band present the second work from the upcoming album «Hello» – «Лови момент (‘Lovy moment’ / ‘Seize the moment’)».
The video «Seize the moment» is based on sincerity and from the beginning till the end is soaked with metaphors – in the manner of ANTYTILA. Human relations became the main message of the video – wholeness and unity – what humans can’t survive on the Earth without.
This time there are no actors or performances. The musicians have presented their families to the wide audience for the first time. The leader Taras Topolia has appeared on the screens with his wife Olena (a famous singer Alyosha) as well as all the other members of the band with their relatives.
«This time we thought it could possibly be something ordinary, shot in the studio during one or two days, but the answer was No. We were talking a lot about how we could come across the idea of the song through the video, so that we wouldn’t fail, and during these discussions the idea of trek appeared. It became clear at once that this story would depict the real human relations. Because no one goes trekking with dastards, we go trekking with those we can lean on, especially if it is a hard trek», Taras Topolia said.
The musicians marked this video as technically difficult and the most expensive of all times of ANTYTILA. The shooting was taking place for 10 days. The members of the band have completed the most difficult walking tourist route of Ukraine, moreover, when it was raining a lot. The shooting crew of twenty people have walked up along the river Chornyi Cheremosh – these are the wilds of the Carpathians, the Chyvchynski mountains located near the frontier zone of Romania. It’s worth mentioning that because of the weather the crew had to set for the shooting to the remote area twice.