Russian Warship
This aggression will not stand! It has been one day and a month sind Putin launched the unlawful and utterly senseless Russian attack on Ukraine. Yet despite Ukraine's valiant resistance, the war machine keeps churning. In all its wanton horror, however, war can also have a unifying effect and forge new alliances amidst its inherent drive to total destruction. Subsequently, a wave of disbelief and solidarity has swept across many parts of this world to reveal that humanity is alive and there are still many, many people out there willing to raise a voice and take a stand against this grave injustice.
Berlin's The Anti-DicKtators are a prime example of a group of like-minded artists getting together to spread the right message through their art and try to use their respective platforms to get the point across. Horrified by the ongoing situation in Ukraine, producer Phil Meadley (The Gaslight Troubadours), vocalist/songwriter Yuriy Gurzhy (RotFront/Shtetl Superstars), fiddle player Jon Sevink (Levellers), bassist/presenter Tom Robinson (Tom Robinson Band/BBC Radio 6 Music) and vocalist Katya Tasheva (RotFront) recently joined musical forces to not just send a crystal-clear message to the Russian regime, but also help raise some awareness and money for a Ukrainian relief fund, with their latest single release.
“Russian Warship (Go F**k Yourself)” alludes to the story of a small group of Ukrainian soldiers posted on Zmiinyi Island ('Snake Island'), who boldly told a Russian warship to “go f**k yourself" after being ordered to surrender during the early days of the Russian invasion. The account has since gone viral and, more importantly, “become a rallying cry for Ukrainians,” while the Ukrainian postal service even issued a special stamp of the slogan “to commemorate their bravery.”
The iconic rebuttal also inspired the defiant leitmotif to this fiercely empowering new tune by The Anti-DicKtators. Frenetic strings disrupt the airwaves as a thumping beat and rolling bassline lead the righteous charge and the track's outspoken lyrics take center stage: "The Russian monster has a plan to destroy the human race / A superheroe's on his way to send him to the outer space / And as long as you can't hit him and spit him in the face / I suggest we use this tune to learn the simple phrase..." That said, for anyone still at a loss for words, this is a great opportunity to learn some Russian and give the invaders a piece of your mind.
“We are shocked and hurt to see what's been happening in Ukraine,” says Berlin-based Ukrainian musician, DJ, producer and author Yuriy Gurzhy. “And how brutally Russia is wiping out its cities, towns and villages. Ukrainians are fighting back like superheroes, but even if this unjust, cruel war will be over soon, it'll need every pound or dollar of what's been donated so far. So we join those who've been raising money and ask you to donate for the Ukraine Trust Chain (who are bringing aid and evacuation to Ukrainians in the active war zone) by purchasing a song that in three minutes teaches you the main sentence in Russian that you need to know at the moment,” he adds.
To support the cause you can now buy the track in its original as well as in a more radio friendly version on the group's Bandcamp page. The poignant artwork to this single was created by Kyiv-based illustrator Nataliia Shulga.
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