Russian-born, London-based artist Ушко (Ushko) developed an interest in music from a young age. As a child, she moved to Moscow with her mother and, at just six years old, began performing in the United Choir of Russia, listening to both opera singers and pop stars perform on Red Square. It wasn't until she got her hands on a copy of FL Studio as a teenager that Ushko began working on her own songs, blending elements of pop, UK bass, and deconstructed club music into a framework of post-Soviet trance and drum and bass. Seeking to escape the drug abuse, poverty, and political unrest in her homeland, Ushko turned to her music as a form of personal release, emphasizing raw emotion in her work and simultaneously establishing herself as a fixture on the European club scene. Then the pandemic struck and war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, forcing Ushko to flee to London with her partner and collaborator Moa Pilar to escape the violence and chaos. Now, with a new lease on life, Ushko finds herself in a state of reconciliation with her nostalgia for the music she grew up with and the unbearable political climate that drove her from her homeland. The artist's second album, "Wet Hits," released in 2023, is influenced by Russian trance and drum and bass of the '90s and early '00s, follows 2020's "Silver Hits" and is her first release since leaving her homeland. The eight-track album explores the sounds of the pre- and post-Soviet club scene and follows Ushko—who recently signed to New York-based label Club Cringe—as she escaped her homeland's tense political climate and began anew in the UK. "In music, I just do what feels right and try to convey all the emotions and style. So the most beautiful thing is when someone understands it without words," she explains. "For me, it's hard to express feelings and emotions in real life, but in music, it's so natural—it gives me a sense of freedom." With themes of revolt and liberation, Ushko's tracks exude a rawness that feels both dark and transcendent. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/ushko">Read more on Last.fm</a>. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.