The Russian duo Love Cult comes from Petrozavodsk, Karelia. Anya Kuts and Ivan Zoloto are aficionados of the tumultuous and gloomy—northern technology; dark electronica; obsessive techno; militant house; noise pop; goth jungle.
Love Cult's murky, erosive sound explicitly presents an alternative to the cleanliness of overproduction and audibly bears the weight of a pained Russia. Anya and Ivan’s unique sonic signature, which synthesizes cut-up vocals, throbbing bass, mangled drum machine beats, unpasteurized noise injections, and decomposed Russian TV and VHS samples, mesmerizes in art galleries and club spaces alike. They are tastemakers in a flourishing Russian music underground marked by preposterous, hyped scene parties like VV17CH0U7 or movements like hard bass and concerned with giving voice to angsty, prolific youth cultures in urban and remote locations alike. The duo has released the LP Fingers Crossed (2012) and the EP Know (2014) as well as several singles, cassette productions, and compilation appearances. Their latest EP, Wonderland, incorporates sounds re-amped through empty corridors, metal tubes, and other analogue equipment. Love Cult have toured Russia and Europe and played at festivals like Sonar, Flow, and Manifesta. Anya Kuts represented Russia at the Red Bull Music Academy 2013 in New York.
Love Cult have found a kindred spirit in young film director Alina Filippova, who seeks out truth in cold landscapes and in stories of painful youth or forbidden love. Alina shares Anya and Ivan’s interest in the dark, complex underbelly of daily life in Russia.