Luci, however, took things slowly, sporadically releasing new singles and collaborations, including the one with a young Russian electro collective Elektroforez titled “Прощатися назавжди” (“Saying Goodbye Forever”) – a roaring farewell letter full of passion. The singles kept on coming – and yet there was no news on the potential album. And then, like a thunder from the clear sky, in early July 2019, Luci released a single titled “Мало” (“Little”) announcing that she expects to release her new album in the upcoming month of August. September came – and still no sign of the album. Luci was starting to become a Ukrainian Jai Paul – artist of enormous talent and influence who is yet to release a proper LP record.

March 2020 – the day finally comes and we see a picture of Luci riding a horse at local Kyiv hippodrome. On the cover of her debut album, she looks reluctantly into the camera – as if she herself does not believe that the record is finally ready. On a short, 9-track record Luci explores various electronic and popular music palettes and blends them sometimes unexpectedly. She is not alone, however – she is accompanied by some of the brightest names on the Ukrainian electronic scene including Bejenec, Pahatam and Koloah. With sprinkles of future bass, jungle and hip-hop vibrations, the record sounds avant-garde and yet it stays relatively radio-friendly – a unique combination in today’s world. Thematically, it is a concept record dedicated to various initiations we come across in our lifetime. It is full of Biblical allusions with tracks titled “Марія Магдалина” (“Mary Magdalene”), “Ной” (“Noah”), “Енігма” (“Enigma”) and “Пекло” (“Hell”). The album sounds very cinematic with a consistent atmosphere and imagery throughout. Luci, however, is not afraid to experiment – and yet these experiments, such as the Ukrainian folk singing elements in tracks “Ворота” (“The Gates”) and “Край” (“The Land”) do not distract and only enhance the overall experience.

The album ends with “На дні” (“On the Bottom”) – a track full of throbbing rhythms and gothic guitars which create a holistic vibe of despair and movement only strengthened by a neon-colored music video. Despite the title of the track that suggests that we reached the end of the journey, something tells me that it’s only the beginning and that it’s immensely important for music lovers throughout Ukraine and the world to keep an eye on this young woman. We are not “on the bottom”, no – we barely scratched the surface