The Anti-DicKtators are a collaboration of likeminded musicians horrified at what’s going on in Ukraine at the moment, and wanting in their own small way to help contribute to raising awareness and money for a relief fund (new details below). After the success of their first release ‘Russian Warship (Go F**k Yourself!)’ they return with their follow up single ‘Home’. This time producer Phil Meadley (The Gaslight Troubadours), vocalist/songwriter Yuriy Gurzhy (RotFront – Emigrantski Raggamuffin Kollektiv/The Disorientalists), fiddle player Jon Sevink (Levellers), bassist Tom Robinson (Tom Robinson Band/BBC Radio 6Music presenter), and vocalist Katya Tasheva (RotFront) are joined by Afro-Celt Soundstem and Imagined Village founder Simon Emmerson on cittern, Richard Evans (Peter Gabriel/Birdy) on mandolin, Irish musician Lottie Cullen (Afro Celt Soundystem) on pipes and whistle and Ukrainian artist and activist Diana Berg. Yuriy, a Ukrainian musician, DJ, producer and author who’s recently been keeping a war diary for German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, once again wrote the song’s lyrics and explains “In a conversation with Ukrainians that you might meet almost everywhere in the Europe today, “home” would be a word that you’ll hear a number of times. Home is something they had to leave; home is what many of them lost because of the brutal full scale war started by Russia. And ‘Home’ is also the title of our new Anti-DicKtators track…”
* The track features a very special guest who recorded her spoken word part at Yuriy’s home studio in Berlin. “The mid-section of the song features the voice of Diana Berg, a Ukrainian artist, curator and activist,” Yuriy says. “She fled from Donetsk in 2014 to Mariupol, and that became her new home. There she created Platforma Tu, a place/venue that became a home for the city’s alternative scene, organising concerts, raves and demonstrations, hosting exhibitions, discussions and readings. In April 2022 she managed to flee from Mariupol, becoming homeless for the second time.” The specially commissioned artwork is by Levellers bassist and artist Jeremy Cunningham who’s created all of the band’s iconic folk punk art since their inception, plus the artwork for their long running UK festival Beautiful Days. It’s a lino print design that Jeremy felt would give the All proceeds for this release will go to Diana Berg’s Mariupol relief fund kind of emotional impact that was needed for the track’s lyrics. He is also joined on the cover of the ‘Standing For Ukraine Mix’ by legendary UK artist and anarchist Jamie Reid whose artwork defined the image of punk rock in the late 70s with his famous Sex Pistols covers (Never Mind The Bollocks, Anarchy In The UK, God Save The Queen to name but a few). Jamie heard about the project via Simon Emmerson and wanted to be involved, so offered his “Fuck Your Wars’ hand cut lettering to be included in the band’s artwork. Designer Guy Sexty added the final touches and is also responsible for the very powerful lyric video for ‘Home’ which features footage filmed by ordinary citizens on the streets of Mariupol this year.
All proceeds for this release will go to Diana Berg’s Mariupol relief fund: https://tu.org.ua/news/requisites-for… https://tu.org.ua/news/russian-war-ag… CREDITS: Music: Meadley/Gurzhy/Sevink/Robinson/Tasheva/Emmerson/Evans/Cullen * Lyrics: Yuriy Gurzhy/Katya Tasheva * Copyright: The Anti-DicKtators/Purblind Productions/Trikont * Publisher: On The Fiddle Publishing Vocals: Yuriy Gurzhy * Vocals: Katya Tasheva * Fiddle: Jon Sevink * Bass: Tom Robinson * Cittern – Simon Emmerson * Mandolin – Richard Evans * Whistle/Pipes – Lottie Cullen * Spoken Word: Diana Berg * Production/Producer: Phil Meadley Artwork: Jeremy Cunningham * Addition Artwork for the Standing With Ukraine Mix – Jamie Reid * Additional sleeve design and video: Guy Sexty * Mastering: Pete Maher