Sub-Brain

Present yourself to the readers

Hi, I am Svetla V. and I make synthpop/electropop music when nobody’s watching. I’m Russian, but currently live in Bergen, Norway.

Your texts?.. What are they talking about?.. How does inspiration come?

I am a huge fan of languages, so my texts are in Russian, English, Norwegian and Danish, although I haven’t officially released anything in Danish yet. And the mood of the songs kind of depends on the language they are written in — more playful and gentle in Russian, while English is something rather cold and cynical in my music. The texts are mostly about things that didn’t actually happen, it is all my imagination and emotions I live through by accident. As for the inspirations, it is a blend of love and the north.

Are you day or night?

Svetla is short for Svetlana, which is my real name and which means «light» or «clear» in Russian, so I assume I am day.

What are your personal musical tastes and your influences?

Like most of us, I listen to anything, and it is often musicians that inspire me rather than their music. I love Grimes, she is so very DIY and grotesque in a pleasant way. I am in awe by how Jan Amit makes each of the sounds in his works crispy and crystal-clear. I admire Disasterpeace’s game soundtracks, how they can also be soundtracks to so many things in life. There are plenty.

In studio, what was the ambiance for the album MATTIAS?...etc.…

Oh, this one is tough. I have been making music for it for three years, and until the last year I had no idea I was even going to release an LP, so each of the songs was its own adventure, spread out in time and space.

How does it work for the design of the CD? and why this title?

The cover art for «Mattias» was an almost unconscious collaboration between photographer Henrik Eikefjord, designer and calligrapher Nikita Goroshevskiy and me — each did their own part, and we got this one in the end. As for the name, the album is called after the main character of the book by the Norwegian author Johan Harstad «Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in All the Confusion?». He was never a hero, quite the opposite, he always wanted to be number two, to be unseen. I like to think that all the songs on the album are about him, although it is not true — it is only «Где ты теперь?» (What happened to you?) where I say his hame.

What are your projects?

Svetla V. is the only one.

What do you expect from the future?

Some good avocados and more live shows.

What's your motto?

Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light, surrender now, or prepare to fight! OK, that motto wasn’t really mine.

Website to remember

Here’s my Facebook and Bandcamp. Or check out my music on other streaming platforms!

What would you like to say to the readers?

Thank you for reading and don’t surf alone.