In the world of electronic music, 2021 will be remembered as a year of contradictory, ever-shifting trends – evoking carefree images of the past, escapist visions of the future, and the ever-mutating shape of the present. It was a time of hyperpop, nostalgia for ’90s European raves, a renewed interest in “African” beats, and a renaissance of cross-platform collaborations. Two thousand twenty-one marked the peak of instant career ascents – from DIY musicians recording in rented bedrooms to electronic music stadium stars. It seems this year became a pivotal moment in the evolution of electronic music. For many people locked in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, music became a substitute for life itself. But perhaps the most important cultural achievement of 2021 was the emergence of several key musicians and singles – artists creating top-class music not by blindly following trends but by forging unique, self-defined creative paths.

 

One of the brightest electronic singles of 2021 was “Ulybki” by Igguana, a London-based musician whose real name is Timur Gurbanov. “Ulybki” is a slightly melancholic sonic canvas that blends an obsessive, rain-fading rhythm; a deliberately detached male spoken-word vocal; and a carefully constructed atmosphere of thick urban spleen – an impending end to a carefree summer. The track begins like a hungover monologue into the void – powerless, yet defiant. And as the minutes pass, it grows increasingly impersonal and meditative, as if words begin to lose their direct meaning. It dissolves into rhythm, becoming a pure play of overtones and consonants. Iguana offers a unique musical experience. On one hand, he seamlessly merges hip-hop, funk, rock, and dance electronics; on the other, he fully harnesses the impressionistic potential of these traditionally expressionistic genres.