{"id":5237,"date":"2023-02-26T18:23:17","date_gmt":"2023-02-26T18:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/?p=5237"},"modified":"2023-02-26T18:23:18","modified_gmt":"2023-02-26T18:23:18","slug":"single-review-my-revolution-red-bird-rising-words-sammy-stein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/2023\/02\/26\/single-review-my-revolution-red-bird-rising-words-sammy-stein\/","title":{"rendered":"Single Review: &#8220;My Revolution&#8221; &#8211; Red Bird Rising. Words: Sammy Stein"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Red Bird Rising - My Revolution ft. Taras Kuznetsov\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Sq4qx2xZ9bU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: My Revolution\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/7AeifFnCf7qylZZdkSrp0t?si=r_B87JfLStOHijv4gjB9Jw&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>\u2018My Revolution\u2019 is a powerful release from Red Bird Rising and features Ukrainian musicians Taras Kuznetzov and Ana Pshokina. It was written by Diedrich Donald Weiss and the story behind the release is profound and moving, demonstrating the power of music and a bit of determination.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Composer Diedrich Donald Weiss\u00a0wanted to do something, in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. You might consider an artist from Minneapolis, MN living in Colombia, South America has little influence in Ukraine but Weiss wrote \u2018My Revolution\u2019 and shared it with producer, musician and mixing engineer\u00a0Mariano Cukierman, an Argentinian whose studio is in Buenos Aires. He agreed it would be right to find an artist in Ukraine to sing it.<br \/><br \/>Weiss discovered\u00a0Taras Kuznetsov\u2019s profile on SoundBetter. He liked Kuzentsov\u2019s vocal and found out he and his wife\u00a0Ana Pshokina\u00a0are experienced live performers and studio recording artists. There was just the issue of recording during a war. Weiss contacted Kuzentsov to learn that his studio was accessible and Kuzentsov felt the music fit his voice and taste and that the lyrics of\u00a0\u2018My Revolution\u2019\u00a0authentically expressed his experience. The project gained momentum.<br \/><br \/>Back in Buenos Aires, Cukierman took Weiss\u2019 demo of\u00a0\u2018My Revolution\u2019\u00a0and recorded rhythm guitars, organ, electric piano, and scratch bass guitar. He added fellow Argentinian\u00a0Fernando Moreno\u00a0on drums while keeping Weiss\u2019 electric guitar riffs, electric piano intro melody and backing vocals. Cukierman created a polyrhythmic rock groove with uniquely voiced guitar parts in a version that elevated the core of the track\u2019s rhythm bed.<br \/><br \/>\u2018My Revolution\u2019\u00a0came to realisation in Odesa as Kuznetsov recorded lead vocals with Ana Pshokina recording bass guitar. Kuznetsov also recorded a demo string arrangement to augment the dramatic movements of the track.<br \/><br \/>Violinist\u00a0Megan Gould,\u00a0who lives in New York, wrote the string arrangement, performing on violin and viola with session musician\u00a0Eleanor Norton\u00a0on cello. Cukierman mixed the song over four sessions with Weiss participating over video chat with notes he and Kuznetsov prepared. Cukierman in real-time executed the vision they together had evolved.<br \/><br \/>Weis decided early on that a video could serve to express Kuzentsov\u2019s experience and shared his idea with Cukierman who connected Weiss to filmmaker\u00a0Flor Giardino\u00a0in Buenos Aires. Giardino had recently made a short film with dancer and choreographer\u00a0Melina Ascune\u00a0called\u00a0\u2018Exclama\u2019. When Weiss viewed this film on Giardino\u2019s website, the connection between the dance and the song\u2019s lyrics was uncannily synchronistic. Giardino and Ascune gave Weiss permission to use the \u2018Exclama\u2019 shots in the video.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>Kuznetsov and Weiss then collaborated on the story for the video. Kuznetsov and Pshokina shot in multiple locations in Odesa. From here, Weiss edited the video using the \u2018Exclama\u2019 dance shots, the Odesa shots from Kuznetsov and Pshokina, and footage found from sites such as Dattalion, which is an archive of video stories documenting the invasion, and Ukraine Today on Telegram, the frequently used social media site for people sharing about the invasion. Giardino then completed the final master of the video.<\/p>\n<p>It is difficult to imagine shooting film and recording music during the war in Ukraine, but that is just what these incredible musicians did. The video production in Odesa called for the video to be shot in public, both during the day and at night. The bombings by Russian missiles to Odesa\u2019s energy infrastructure after the explosion on the Crimea Bridge made collaboration on the video more difficult with Kuznetsov having less access to electricity and the internet. But in the times when there was both electricity and the internet, Kuznetsov and Diedrich fulfilled the visual story that they felt needed to be told.<br \/><br \/>What is striking about this video and music is how artists from across the globe, given a unifying cause and a profound connection through war, found a way to collaborate and produce something deeply moving.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Weiss says, \u201c I have a world-worn faith in the power of music to affect people\u2019s lives positively. It\u2019s this that inspired me to write\u00a0\u2018My Revolution\u2019\u00a0in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It may be naive to think a song could in any way substantially affect something as dominating as this horror, yet it was my answer to the inner question,\u00a0\u2018what can I do?\u2019\u2026\u2026<br \/>\u2018My Revolution\u2019 is about a man stuck against a force dominating his life, and his dreams, and adapting his mundane but simple comforts into necessities to cope. And this man is not fictional. He is Taras Kuznetsov, a 32-year-old full-time remote freelance vocalist, producer, arranger, audio engineer, drummer, and pianist. The time of the scene of the song is March 2022, about 6 weeks after the first Russian military intrusion of sovereignty. The location is Odessa, the port city crucial to access to import and export of vital goods and the artistic soul of Ukraine.<br \/><br \/>\u201cBecause Kuznetsov is the subject of \u2018My Revolution\u2019\u00a0and the lead vocalist, I wrote the lyrics as if I were him, using factual information of what he is contending with in this invasion. The chorus which sings,\u00a0\u2018my revolution begins in my world within\u2019\u00a0is anthemic and specifically an answer to the question,\u00a0\u201cwhat can I do?\u201d. The external world is much beyond his control. But Kuznetsov\u2019s inner world is where he can find stability and strength to contend and keep moving forward in his life and as a person. He can change, adapt, resist, and grow. He sings in the second verse,\u00a0\u2018good, good they haven\u2019t yet bombed my home, but I cannot go out, so I rule my own house, work like a bee in honeycomb\u2019\u2026\u2026.\u201d<br \/><br \/>The song is very powerful, and the accompanying video makes it more so. From the darkness of the opening to the shouting people on the streets and the burning images of a country under attack to a shot of the moon, implying there is beauty even among the destruction. People in underground shelters, tanks, missiles, rockets, and explosions, the senses are overwhelmed by what war does to a country and its people. The contrasts between brief images of a couple enjoying a peaceful time to the fiery explosions of battle are profound. The beautiful dance of Malena Ascune is emotional and creates a sense of reaching, hoping, and expressing the desire for peace.<\/p>\n<p>For Kuznetsov, music is his way to express awareness of what is happening \u2013 battles, rapes, torture, and tension. He needs to respond and does this through music. Acune expresses the tension exquisitely in her dance sequences, where she struggles and leans into the fight. Pshokina supports on bass and morally \u2013 she is with her husband and they remain together through these awful times.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth reading the lyrics to understand where these musicians are coming from:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There are days I dream of leaving for good<br \/>Passport be damned, take all I can<br \/>Get out now like I should<br \/>Poor me, my life is stuck underground<br \/>Well I was given a gun, I can take out some Russian<br \/>Bring those reptiles down<br \/>My revolution, My revolution begins<br \/>My revolution, My revolution begins in my world within<br \/>There are times you know we all need a rest<br \/>Can\u2019t lose my mind, checking the headlines<br \/>Play my piano instead<br \/>Good good, they haven\u2019t yet bombed my home<br \/>But I cannot go out, so I rule my own house<br \/>Work like a bee in honeycomb<br \/>My revolution, My revolution begins<br \/>My revolution, My revolution begins in my world within<br \/>If it wasn\u2019t for you, you are enough, my love<br \/>If it wasn\u2019t for you, you are enough, my love<br \/>I can\u2019t just go along, I can\u2019t just sing this song<br \/>My revolution, My revolution begins<br \/>My revolution, My revolution begins in my world within<\/p>\n<p>There is magic about this recording \u2013 it is neither exceptional vocally nor musically and yet it is so very exceptional because it came about from the almost impossible. One man in Columbia had a vision and people from several different countries found a channel to express their feelings about war. Two musicians at the heart of the war connected with the group and somehow managed to shoot video, and record music, and the serendipity of internet connections, electricity, and everyone involved being available at similar times cannot be ignored \u2013 it is as if this was meant to happen.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The techniques had to be adapted, and the way the music was recorded and video shot had to be done in the moment and somehow it came together and worked. Knowing the background makes this single special and allows it to reach deep into the hearts of those who will listen.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Weiss says, \u201c I was fortunate to find\u00a0Taras Kuznetsov\u00a0to sing and guide me on creating something authentically his story inside both the audio track and video. To have even found him speaks to the inception of the magic that can happen in collaboration.\u00a0\u201c<\/p>\n<p>If you want to know more about\u00a0Taras Kuznetsov, you can find all his profiles and music here\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/taraskuznetsov\">https:\/\/linktr.ee\/taraskuznetsov<\/a><br \/><br \/>If you want to know more about\u00a0Ana Pshokina, you can find all her profiles and music at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/ana.pshokina\">https:\/\/linktr.ee\/ana.pshokina<\/a><br \/>Both Taras and Ana are available for interviews.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><br \/>Taras Kuznetsov \u2013 lead vocals<br \/>Ana Pshokina- bass guitar<br \/>Diedrich Donald Weiss \u2013 Electric guitar, backing vocals<\/p>\n<p>Mariano Cukierman \u2013 Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, synth keyboard, electric piano, organ<\/p>\n<p>Fernando Moreno- drums<br \/>Megan Gould- string arrangement, violin and viola<br \/>Eleanor Norton- \u2018cello<br \/><br \/>Label: Independent<br \/><br \/><br \/>Websites:<br \/>Instagram: @<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/redbirdrisingmusic\/\">Redbirdrisingmusic<\/a><br \/>Spotify:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/7AeifFnCf7qylZZdkSrp0t?si=sZhJ3juLQ5qNH70XKhqXDA\">Red Bird Rising<\/a><br \/>Youtube Channel:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@redbirdrisingvevo5645\">Red Bird Rising<\/a>\u00a0@redbirdrising5734<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-435x435.jpg 435w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/RBR.jpg 1700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2018My Revolution\u2019 is a powerful release from Red Bird Rising and features Ukrainian musicians Taras Kuznetzov and Ana Pshokina. It was written by Diedrich Donald Weiss and the story behind the release is profound and moving, demonstrating the power of music and a bit of determination.\u00a0 Composer Diedrich Donald Weiss\u00a0wanted to do something, in response &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[191,42,118,129,52,31,132,30,142,177,227,150,126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alternative","category-band","category-bass","category-drums","category-guitar","category-keyboards","category-lyricist","category-music","category-producer","category-rock","category-sammy-stein","category-songwriter","category-vocals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5237"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5239,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5237\/revisions\/5239"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}