Art Electronix are from the Ukrainian industrial city of Kryvyi Rih. A recent podcast dedicated entirely to this Slavic duo (known simply as Katya and Zhenya) was introduced by the musicians themselves as "a collection of various [segued] tracks. Between them, they share a non-nonsense kick drum and some classic techno percussion. Our fundamental emphasis across these compositions is on 'His Majesty Minimalism.' [Thanks to that constant reduction,] your consciousness will be carried off to a trance-like state. You won't even notice..." The rhythmic, regular, and insistent metrics of techno bring a meditative benefit. The newest Art Electronix EP champions the same minimalist cause by using a Roland ТR-707, which is older still than the Akai S3000XL by roughly a decade. Associated nowadays with the earliest house recordings in the West, the S3000XL appeared on the Slavic or late socialist market while Ukraine and Russia were together experiencing the rigors of perestroika, as one socioeconomic system lurched awkwardly towards another. Our Kryvyi Rih musicians are equally keen to use that Korg MS10, produced while Brezhnev was still in office. The older and less reliable the better. "It's our favorite broken synthesizer. It generates great drum tracks and sketches simple, acid, hypnotic patterns." Something is made from almost nothing. "Everything began with our love for video game consoles, magnetic tape, and science fiction. Later on we'd discover an additional passion for DJ-ing, sampling, and hip-hop. The fundamental concepts for music-making grew from our childhood - and all its related objects. After all, we were raised in an industrial city, full of mechanical rumbling sounds. Those noises surrounded us all. Hence our interest in electronica, robots, futurism, and - ultimately - dadaism." The logic of civic planning, especially in Kryvyi Rih and the late Soviet Union overall, would soon be devoid of all logic. It simply broke down. "There was a dadaist aspect to all that industrialization. In other words, all the factories and awful working conditions. Together with ecological problems, it led us to ponder the likelihood of an apocalyptic future [here at home]." The Art Electronix soundtracks to an industrialized past and possibly disastrous future are found in "domestic technology, tape loops, DIY noise-boxes, and broken synthesizers." There's considerable sympathy for mistreated, malfunctioning spare parts. There's an enduring love for malfunctioning systems that nonetheless - somehow - manage to keep working, come what may.