Introducing: INVISIBLE KIDS

Making music in Ukraine, with the ongoing conflict started by Russia, is one of the most severe challenges we can imagine. But Ukrainian solo artist INVISIBLE KIDS is delivering great new music while providing critical support to the Ukrainian armed forces. In doing so, he offers up a raw and grungey metal sound that’s big on experimentation, and he describes as “atmosphere, concept, and groove.”

The INVISIBLE KIDS story began in the early 2010s when childhood friends Vladyslav Koshyl and Dima moved to the big city of Kharkiv for university and started a metal band. The name intended to highlight the experiences of young people who felt lonely, misunderstood and rejected in a huge and hostile world. But, due to lineup changes, financial issues and a lack of motivation, it never quite achieved its goals.

Dima soon moved to France while Vlad settled down in the country’s capital Kyiv, and decided to revive the band with a new approach and sound. Now, INVISIBLE KIDS is Vlad’s multi-instrumental solo project, under the pseudonym Mr. Sad Vlad, experimenting with unusual sounds, distorted cellos, electronic elements, synthwave and alternative metal. He also occasionally collaborates with Dima and other electronic and metal musicians.

As Vlad tells us: “The music of INVISIBLE KIDS is diverse since Mr. Sad Vlad experimented with synthwave and techno before returning to his metal roots. The metal tracks sound raw and grunge-like, yet alive and energetic. This is atmospheric, melodic, often sad, melancholic, and even depressive music, but always with powerful and driving riffs and breakdowns.”

To give us a taste for this, Vlad sent us DANS CE SILENCE, which was released in March in collaboration with Canadian vocalist Yellowithnavy. The track is more sombre and lighter than most of his music, probably reflecting the theme and time in which it was written. It opens up with a stabbing faux telephone error noise and a pulsing synth sound, which are joined by a cool little cello lick and light drums. Yellowithnavy’s delicate vocals take over with light instrumental support, and the intensity gradually builds into a dark and moody chorus. It drops into a light atmospheric section as the cello returns with heavier guitars creeping in.

On the track, Vlad told us: “DANS CE SILENCE is a dark track released in March 2024, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reflecting my depression and self-reflection. The song is about how often we waste our lives on completely unimportant things, actions, or people and how the realization of lost time always comes too late. This track was created in collaboration with the Canadian singer Yellowithnavy and gained significant attention and new listeners due to its lighter sound and increased electronic elements compared to my usual music.”

More recently, INVISIBLE KIDS released five-track EP THE STORY OF ONE MAN, which is a conceptual autobiographical story of love, mistakes and self-destruction during the 2010s. The EP contains heavier tracks like the opener TWE1VE, DISORDER IN THE MIND AND HEART, and big final track AWAITING… AND STILL ALIVE!.

On the record, Vlad told us: “The recording process lasted from 2021 to 2024 at Lipky Zvukozapys Studio in Kyiv and was interrupted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but the album was finally completed. All the music except two riffs in the first and in the last songs was created by me, as well as recording all parts (cellos, bass and keys). Only drums and vocals parts were recorded by session musicians Dmytro (drums) from Dice & The Acid Warrior Lord and Vlad (vocals) from Recone.

“The first track is called TWE1VE and starts the story, that (spoiler!) will return to the same questions in the last song. The main riff of this song was written by my bro ohai.aux when we were schoolmates. The second track is the song that started it all. It was created in 2016 after a painful breakup and called ONE MORE DAY WITHOUT YOU. And that’s when the idea to create a conceptual album came up. The third track was written after that, during self-righteous exile in another city, in a period full of loneliness, drugs, self-destruction, and dark thoughts. It’s the most depressive and wicked song of the album, such a turning point, so the name DISORDER IN THE MIND AND HEART describes it perfectly.

“The music for the last two tracks was partially created before 2016, so these songs, as well as the music, became a reinterpretation and self-reflection of the past life and relationships. DRƎ4MiNG is just a story about a magical time of getting in love from the distant 2015, which turned out to be just a dream. And AWAITING… AND STILL ALIVE! continues the previous idea and shows what happens when we create an unattainable image for ourselves. Also, the last song on the album returns to TWE1VE with the question: ‘What’s wrong with me?’ and the circle is closing. The cover art was designed by artist Daria Ozerova, who managed to convey the unstable psychological state and depression expressed in the music through an irregular, broken composition and dark colors.” You can watch a lyric video for the entire EP here:

As mentioned, Vlad lives in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, which remains locked in the ongoing conflict with Russia. On that situation, Vlad explained: “I live in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, a large metropolis, so I am relatively safe, thank you. The full-scale war that Russia started against our country has been ongoing for three years now. In fact, Russia began its war against us in 2014 when it occupied Crimea and part of the eastern regions, but back then, it wasn’t as large-scale – with daily missile strikes, destroyed cities, major battles, and losses.

“Besides music and my main work as a programmer, I organized volunteer activities in early 2022 to support our armed forces. Soon, it will be three years since our volunteer organization has been helping Ukraine’s defenders. Of course, this takes up a lot of resources, making it harder to create music. Emotionally, it has become much more challenging – being constantly surrounded by war, death and human grief and living with the thought that at any moment a Russian missile could come and kill you in your own home, as well as watching the front gradually moving West, makes it difficult to find inspiration.

“However, at the same time, now more than ever, many new Ukrainian bands are emerging because the demand for Ukrainian music is higher than ever. Hard themes inspire many people (including me) to create. Ukrainian music is currently experiencing a renaissance, supported both by listeners and at the national level. Unfortunately, all of this is happening because of the war.”

The INVISIBLE KIDS sound has been influenced by a wide range of music, from Sepultura to Fever Ray. Vlad also calls out the likes of Puscifer, People in Plane, Gotye, No Doubt, The Knife and Health, as well as Dave Mustaine, “who has always been an example of a brilliant musician and an incredibly strong personality, relentlessly and stubbornly pursuing his goal despite all obstacles.” And Vlad lists his (very diverse) top eight albums as following: Apocalyptica – Cult; Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power; Tool – Lateralus; Okean Elzy – Model (“the best Ukrainian album ever”); Megadeth – So Far, So Good… So What!; HIM – Venus Doom; and The Cardigans – Gran Turismo.

On what inspires his music, Vlad explained: “I create music primarily because music is my life, and I simply cannot live without it. My own experiences, emotions, life events, love, and breakups inspire me to write music and lyrics. For the past three years, Ukraine has been at war with Russian occupiers who invaded in 2022, and this has significantly influenced the mood of my music. Composing has become much harder, and the music has become darker. I have several tracks dedicated to our fight against the occupiers (INTO THE DARK, IF YOU STOP FIGHTING YOU WILL DIE).”

There’s plenty more to come from INVISIBLE KIDS and you shouldn’t be surprised to learn it’ll be quite experimental. Vlad is currently working on an “unusual collaboration” with his girlfriend, electronic artist TĒMNA RÁDIST, which will be an atmospheric trip-hop EP that features synths, hurdy-gurdy and other interesting elements. Vlad’s also working on a new progressive post-metal album and looking to turn his projects into a live show.

You can follow INVISIBLE KIDS on Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, YouTube Music and YouTube.