Western DJs criticised for performing at Russian techno festival Outline
nme.comThe Guardian, Ukrainian activist Maya Baklanova said: “All Western artists who perform there are normalising the war and the Russian regime.”Baklanova – who worked in the Kyiv music scene for years – added: “For the Kremlin, it is important to show to its own audience that Western artists are still ready to travel to Moscow and play as if nothing is going on and Russia is not isolated.”She also added that the participation of the artists helps fund the Russian economy, leading them to contribute to the country’s military budget. “I see a total lack of awareness, ignorance and greed among some in the electronic scene,” she added.German DJ AtomTM, who headlined this year’s festival, shared a statement on his official website claiming that the criticism of his performance was a “smear campaign” and added “I consider myself a profoundly non- or rather trans-political person.
Unlike politics, which is the mode of separation, I had chosen music, which is the mode of unification.”The festival was cancelled in 2016 and made its controversial return last year.
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