You'll find community, resilience, and DJ sets to crank this weekend in the third and final piece in our partnership with Ukrainian music magazine Neformat...
Authors - Vadym Oliinykov, Yaryna Denysiuk | Ukrainian Version
Qki: and Rave Mysterio, co-founders of the ghetto-tech and ghetto-house event series Zdybanka, talk about carving out their own path in Kyiv’s dance party scene.
They emerged at a time when Kyiv’s club landscape was searching for new grounding points. Ghetto-house, ghetto-tech, breaks, house, electro - all of it sounds a bit different at Zdybanka: raw, melodic, joyful, and without pretence. They didn’t fit into any existing party format in the city - so they created their own. No targeted ads, no big-name headliners - just a packed-out club in the heart of Kyiv and a warm, instantly recognisable vibe.
We sat down with Qki: and Rave Mysterio - the duo behind Zdybanka and the Hurtok space - to talk about how it all started, the kind of crowd that comes to dance regardless of trends, throwing parties after missile attacks, and how music helps to keep the sense of togetherness alive - even in the darkest moments.
We’re not the kind of party that books a big-name headliner just to draw a crowd. What matters to us is that the DJ smashes it. That it’s real, that it’s fun, that people vibe with it.
The road to electronic music
A doctor and a lawyer by training, Qki: (Liuba) and Rave Mysterio (Andrii) had some musical background but eventually found themselves drawn to the electronic scene.
Qki: The turning point came during COVID. I was going through a mental breakdown, and I randomly came across a video of Peggy Gou playing at some wild festival. It really inspired me. I used to think girls couldn’t be part of the electronic music world but her set completely shifted something in me. I just knew I wanted to try it. I didn’t even know what exactly - DJing, production - it was all very intuitive. But I started.
Before that, I’d finished music school with good marks - I studied piano and sang in a choir. But honestly, it was a terrible experience. I wanted to play since I was six, but I wasn’t lucky with my teacher, she totally killed my interest. I hated music so much, I would literally hit the piano - that’s how frustrated I was. And still, after school, I kept coming back to it - sitting down to play, to sing. I just didn’t have the curiosity or encouragement to stick with it professionally.
RM: It wasn’t electronic music for me at first either. Back in the day, Buryi (he’s now also a Zdybanka resident) and I had a band - we played something like post-punk. There was a drummer too, but I think we only had one proper rehearsal. Mostly it was just the two of us. We called ourselves “Король Андерграуду” (meaning “King of the Underground”). It was an ironic name, kind of a meme band. No recordings survived.
Side by side since the first Zdybanka
The very first Zdybanka took place on 8 April 2023, organised by Liuba and Andrii at Kyiv’s Wild Stone Bar. After another 4–5 parties at that venue, the events moved in autumn to Otel`, a DIY club on Nyzhnoiurkivska Street.
Neformat: What came first - your relationship or Zdybanka?
RM: Our relationship. We started learning to DJ around the same time we got together. At first, we were self-taught, and then DJ Kyiv2c @kyiv2c invited me to take a few lessons. After a couple of sessions, we launched Zdybanka.
But before that, there was a party at Otel’ called 145bpm. Kyiv2c put together a special event for us called 135bpm Ghetto. That was the foundation for what would become Zdybanka. It was me and Liuba playing, then DJ Kadan, and Kyiv2c closed the night.
N: Have you two been doing Zdybanka together from the very start?
RM: Yes, from the very first Zdybanka.
N: How did it all begin? And why?
RM: We just didn’t fit the format of Kyiv’s scene. For the hard techno crowd, our music was too soft. For a place like Closer (ed. famous club in Kyiv) - too heavy. No one wanted to book us. So one day we decided to just invite all our friends and say: look, we have our own idea of what dance music should sound like, and what a rave should feel like.
N: How would you describe Zdybanka’s musical aesthetic?
Qki: At its core, it’s ghetto-tech and ghetto-house. When we were starting out, Partiboi69 (ed. Australian DJ, producer) was at the peak of his popularity - and we were massive fans. We were listening to everything he did.
RM: We went to see him live and were like, “Sick! So good!!”
Qki: He did so many fire b2b sets - with KETTAMA, with Mell G, loads of others. They all had this super fresh sound that you just couldn’t hear in Kyiv at the time. That’s basically what inspired us to start Zdybanka - to bring ghetto-house sounds into the city.
RM: Underground music that’s both energetic and melodic - that was something Kyiv really lacked.
N: The music also has a pretty gritty sound.
RM: Yeah, that’s kind of the point. The textures, the samples - they just pull you in and make you want to give it your all on the dancefloor.
N: How important is ghetto visual aesthetics to you? You started out at Wild Stone Bar and Otel’, which are very DIY spaces.
RM: We’d been in love with Otel’ for a long time - we used to go there a lot. The vibe just really spoke to us. So it felt natural to throw a party there. But we were also thinking - is this too big of a jump? Going from Wild Stone Bar, a 50-person space, to a big club like Otel’?
Qki: There weren’t loads of people at the first Otel’ night - but everyone on the dancefloor was giving it their all.
RM: Yeah, full energy. Exactly how it should be.
Qki: Compared to the next Zdybankas at Otel’, where the club was packed wall to wall - yeah, it was a smaller crowd. But the dancefloor still felt full.
On the crowd and the line-ups
You’ll never hear industrial techno, DnB, or anything like low BPM at Zdybanka. And if there’s house, it’s ghetto-house, electro-house, or hard house. No softness allowed!
N: Who comes to your parties? How would you describe your crowd?
Qki: First and foremost - our friends.
RM: And friends of friends. We’ve never used targeted ads to get random people in. It’s always been word of mouth - friends inviting friends - so the vibe stays familiar and friendly. At our parties, pretty much everyone knows each other. One or two handshakes away at most.
N: And that’s how you end up with 450 people in the club.
Qki: Pretty much, yeah.
N: Can you describe the “average” Zdybanka person? What kind of people show up?
Qki: I feel like Zdybanka brings together some kind of “middle layer.” But really, it’s a mixed crowd. It’s not hardcore ravers in full black and fishnet tops. But it’s not normies either. It’s people who are into underground music, and who are creatively active themselves - whether it’s a hobby or a full-time thing. Some of them make electronic music, some are into other stuff. We make sense to that kind of audience - and that’s why they’re with us.
N: How do you pick the artists? Do you have any criteria or just go with your gut?
RM: We’re not the kind of party that books a big-name headliner just to draw a crowd. What matters to us is that the DJ smashes it. That it’s real, that it’s fun, that people vibe with it. That I like it. That Liuba likes it.
Qki: One time I was DJing and played a track - later found out it was by a Ukrainian producer. He ended up messaging us about playing at Zdybanka - and when we realised it was actually him, we were like: no way! Of course, we invited him to play. Or sometimes we book artists whose sets we’ve seen or listened to and know they’ll bring the energy and get people dancing.
Qki: We do have a general idea of what Zdybanka should sound like. It’s a multi-genre party, but there are boundaries. If it’s four-on-the-floor, we lean toward hard groove or house.
RM: Or trance.
Qki: And if it’s not that, then breaks and electro make perfect sense - they fit the ghetto aesthetic. That’s basically how we go about it. (laughs)
From finding their footing to scaling up
Andrii and Liuba have brought Zdybanka to different locations in Kyiv - Otel’, Khvylovyi, Brukht, and Kultmotyv. As mentioned earlier, it all started at the small Wild Stone Bar - and just two years later, in 2025, they tested a larger-scale version of the party at ArtPrychal.
N: Which location has meant the most to you - and why?
Qki: I’d say Otel’, for sure. We always dreamed of playing there. And Zdybanka ran at Otel’ for a full year - we grew a lot during that time. That’s where our realisation process happened.
RM: That’s where we came into our own as DJs.
Qki: It was in Otel’ that we figured out what we want, who we want to see at our parties - and who we don’t. Who we want on the line-up, what the vibe should be, what it should all look and feel like.
RM: Otel’ is where I found my sound. At Wild Stone Bar, you can’t fully open up - people can’t properly dance, the sound system’s weak. You can’t really go full-on with high BPM and groove-heavy sets. But Otel’ - that’s a different atmosphere altogether. Different sound, different room, different crowd.
N: What’s been the riskiest or most pivotal moment in the project so far?
Qki: Probably our most recent party at ArtPrychal. We decided it was time to grow. We wanted to present ourselves independently - do a full-on rave that wasn’t tied to any particular venue. In April and May, we were hunting for the right space to throw a summer party. Nothing was quite working out - and then we came across ArtPrychal. It was beautiful. We just thought: that’s it, we’re doing it. It felt right - and we figured we’d deal with the rest later.
But the reality of organising it turned out to be really tough - and kind of sobering.
RM: Like a cold shower.
Qki: Yeah. On the one hand, the rose-tinted glasses came off. But on the other - we saw clearly how much work still lies ahead if we want to become the people we imagine ourselves to be. Because showing up to a club is one thing - everything’s already dialled in: the sound, the bar, the staff, the regulars.
RM: Plus, there’s the issue of people not knowing how to even get to a non-standard venue. That adds a whole new level of complexity. This was just the beginning of our scaling-up journey.
Hurtok: a space of their own
At some point, Zdybanka needed a home base - a cultural space of its own. That’s how Hurtok came to life, launched by Liuba and Andrii on the same Nyzhnoiurkivska Street. Now, as a more mature formation, they also have the space and resources to support younger entertainers just starting out.
RM: At first, we imagined Hurtok as just a studio - a place where we could hang out and practise. But then it grew into something more - a space where we could share our music and our vision of what parties can be. It’s a small venue where we host DJ workshops, art events, and intimate gatherings.
Qki: Hurtok hasn’t even been around for a full year. And it’s still hard to define it clearly. In the early months, I kept telling myself: wow, no one’s kicked us out yet, we can pay the rent - let’s keep going! We didn’t have some big step-by-step plan for the place.
Now that some time has passed and we’ve hosted a few events, a little community has started to grow around Hurtok. Right now, it’s a small space for small-scale happenings - it could be art practices, parties, tea gatherings, poetry nights, or pop-up showrooms.
RM: What I love is that we can offer a platform to new collectives who are just forming. They’re still testing things out, trying stuff - and here, they can bring their vision to life. Hurtok is the perfect launchpad for that.
Raving during the war
N: What does it mean to you - raving during wartime? How has it changed - emotionally, ethically, practically?
RM: It’s a way to disconnect from the war. To briefly escape harsh reality and catch a drop of dopamine. To feel that you’re enjoying life - not just surviving.
Qki: When the war started, Kyiv’s electronic scene kind of hit reset. A lot of people - both DJs and partygoers - left the country. It felt like everything was starting from scratch. And while before it was mostly about having fun and listening to good music, now every rave has a clear purpose: we’re raising funds.
RM: Raves have become anti-commercial again. No one’s doing it for profit. If there’s any extra money, it goes straight to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
N: What does it mean to be part of the Ukrainian club scene during the war? And do you feel international attention towards the scene - or towards Zdybanka specifically?
RM: These days, global interest in all things Ukrainian has cooled off. The hype’s faded. As for Zdybanka - there are some pretty well-known international DJs who’d love to play here. But they can’t - because of the war. Without the war, we could scale things up and do so much more.
Qki: Lately I’ve been feeling like we’re stuck in that “dog in a burning house” meme - this is fine. And at the same time, when you realise this is the Ukrainian club scene, these raves - it could all end at any moment. You don’t know when. That can be demotivating. You think: why am I even doing this? I’m pouring all my energy into something that might not lead anywhere, and sometimes it doesn’t even give anything back.
But at the same time - knowing it could all end any day, but hasn’t yet - that’s what keeps us going.
Loss, growth, and change
Over the two years that Zdybanka has been active, Liuba and Andrii have remained its core - the project’s driving force. Despite everything, they continue trying to build a team of like-minded people they can confidently delegate responsibilities to.
RM: Zdybanka changed after Vova Atmos moved to Berlin. He had lots of fresh, creative ideas around lighting. Many of his solutions were just impossible for other people to replicate. You could hand him all the technical questions - and he’d handle them. His departure shook us - but in a good way. It gave us a push. We had to adapt, find alternatives. It taught us how to stay flexible when organizing events.
N: But Zdybanka became a big event after Vova left, didn’t it?
Qki: Well… yeah. He left right at a turning point. It was our anniversary party - one of our most successful ones. The party with the boombox.
RM: We built this big plywood boombox as a stage prop - and projected visuals onto it.
Qki: That was Vova’s farewell Zdybanka. He left - and we, for the first time, completely packed Otel’. And we finally pulled together a strong team.
RM: Right now, people who do lighting in Kyiv - and do it creatively - are few and far between. We’re constantly searching for someone who can not only handle the basics, but bring real ideas.
N: Have you changed as people over these years? Has Zdybanka changed you?
Qki: Who I was before this project - and who I am now - are two completely different people. Zdybanka is like my child. I’ve poured so much of myself into it. I’d never had anything like this in my life before. And when it started working, when it became something people recognized - it changed me a lot.
I know our music isn’t for everyone. Not everyone gets it. But I do think we’re bringing something new to the Kyiv scene. I don’t want to use the word mission, because it sounds too grand - but we’re showing people that music can be different. That partying can be different.
And when you see that you’re giving people real emotion, something new - that it’s also a way to raise donations, send them to your friends who are serving - that gives you confidence. That feeling that you’re not here for nothing.
Who does what
N: Did you divide the responsibilities when you first started Zdybanka?
RM: It just kind of happened naturally.
Qki: Andrii’s the more social one, so he ended up handling all the people stuff. He was the one pulling the crowd to the parties, arranging things with DJs and the tech team.
Since I have some kind of creative thinking - and we had zero budget for poster design - I started drawing them myself. Then came the Instagram posts, the event blurbs, the ticket layouts. All the introvert tasks - that’s on me. (laughs)
N: Is there a question no one's ever asked you - but you wish they had?
Qki: (bursts out laughing)
RM: "How are you even pulling this off?" - that would be the one.
N: So… how are you pulling this off?
Qki: With mixed results. When everything works out - it feels amazing. You’re like, “Yes, we’ve got this. Life is good.”
And then another round of shelling happens, or one of the DJs or lighting techs gets drafted to the Armed Forces - and you’re sitting there thinking, “That’s it. Game over.”
RM: You’ve prepped a whole set of bangers, you’re thinking, “This night’s gonna slap, we’ve got this killer lighting idea…” And then the night before - full-on air raids. No one slept. And no one shows up. Because, well - who’s going out after a night like that?
You sit there like, “Why the hell are we even doing this?”
But it’s waves. (gestures like a wave) That’s how we ride it.
What’s next?
Despite all the struggles, Zdybanka’s small team isn’t planning to stop anytime soon. Quite the opposite - they say this is just the beginning.
N: You’re not planning to end this, are you?
Qki: Definitely not. I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else. I do think the form might evolve - everything has its own life cycle - but stopping? No way. Why would we even start if that was the plan?
N: Do you have any concrete plans?
RM: To release an album - some new tunes. To scale Zdybanka. We’ve already lifted this massive stone… now we’ve got to cut it into a diamond.
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Qki: We want to really get Zdybanka on its feet. Every party we’ve done so far has cost us a ton - nerves, money, energy.
In the future, I’d love to have a more solid core team. I want us to be good, self-sufficient, doing things our way - no compromises. And obviously, to see the results we’re aiming for.
RM: All our energy goes into Hurtok and Zdybanka. It’d be great to also have space for Qki: and Rave Mysterio projects - because right now, there’s barely any time for our own stuff.
To get people to hear you - you have to make Zdybanka.
And for people to hear Rave Mysterio on Zdybanka - that’s a whole other job in itself.
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We'd like to thank Music Export Ukraine, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, and the Aid for Artists Committee for backing this partnership and funding features like this. Massive thank you to the team at Neformat for working with us on this project.
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