Sit down with Bob Valentinov, the founder of Kultura Zvuku and Sexto, as he shares the inspiring journey of his team. From their beginnings in Kharkiv, Ukraine to their current success in Lisbon, Portugal.
What's the story and inspiration behind the creation of Kulturza Zvuka?
The history of Kultura Zvuku began in March 2017 with the opening of a record store and a Hi-Fi equipment and audio equipment salon. We started thinking about how to attract an audience and develop the project, which led to the idea of hosting small evening gatherings in the store every Sunday. This initiative attracted a group of music scene enthusiasts from the city, some of whom later became part of the Kultura Zvuku project team. We organized open Sunday events at the store, featuring various musicians playing live sessions and DJ sets.
(Kultura Zvuku Store, May 2017)
Very soon, the audience began to grow, and within just a few months, the Sunday gatherings evolved into events attracting more than 100 people in the evening to enjoy music, drink wine, and socialize. The street near the store's entrance was crowded with people, and the store itself started to run out of space. This realization prompted us to think about organizing larger music events.
(Kultura Zvuku Store, April 2019)
Our next step involved organizing a series of events across different clubs in Kharkiv. We rented venues and curated lineups that, at the time, consisted mainly of local artists. These parties gained significant popularity, with almost every event being a sell-out, marking another milestone towards the transformation of our project. We also started organising a series of urban open events with free admission called YAMA, which took place near the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater under the open sky and gathered around 500 people at each event. This success led us to consider opening our own club.
(YAMA, October 2017)
More than a year passed between the conception and the realisation of this idea. We found a premises, undertook a complete renovation and set up a Void Acoustic sound system there. On December 1, 2018, we opened the Kultura Zvuku club, which could host up to 400 guests and operated until the russian invasion of Ukraine and the beginning of a full-scale war on February 22, 2022.
(Kultura Zvuku Club, December 2018)
During the year we spent renovating the premises for the club, we also opened a DJ and music school, starting to teach mixing and music production, making Kultura Zvuku a multifaceted project.
(Kultura Zvuku Music School, June 2018)
Throughout this time, the Kultura Zvuku team grew, with some members joining and others leaving, but always retaining a core group of enthusiastic individuals dedicated to developing musical culture in Ukraine, and in Kharkiv in particular.
Over the five years of the project's existence, we hosted more than 150 parties, brought in numerous artists from Europe, invited significant figures from the Ukrainian music scene, developed a YouTube channel, and a SoundCloud platform, created a music production studio, label “Kultura Zvuka”, and released two vinyl releases.
(Kultura Zvuku Music Studio, May 2019)
We also opened a music school in Kyiv, held an open-air festival, several group showcases in Kyiv, organized annual vinyl fairs, and launched our own line of clothing and accessories for party-goers. Kultura Zvuku was a significant player on Ukraine's underground electronic music scene.
(Kultura Zvuku Team, June 2020)
My personal goals for this project were focused on developing the electronic scene in Kharkiv, driven by a desire to showcase my musical taste and that of the Kultura Zvuku team to the city's inhabitants. Additionally, I aimed to provide people with access to quality sound and high-level execution of underground electronic events.
Can you give us a brief introduction to the sexto team, including members' backgrounds, roles, and how the team was formed?
I'll start from the moment we moved to Lisbon to the present moment.
When the war started in Ukraine, the entire Kultura Zvuku team was in Kharkiv, and I was on vacation in Sri Lanka. It was a challenging time with very intense fighting around Kharkiv. The russian invaders were directly near the city's borders; it was frightening, and we had to decide how to act. Eventually, after a few days, the team gathered all the equipment, removed the sound system from the club, loaded everything into a Kultura Zvuku minivan, and left Kharkiv towards the western border of Ukraine. At that time, men were already prohibited from leaving Ukraine due to government decisions, and three girls from our team, in a van fully loaded with sound and DJ equipment, left Ukraine for Poland, where I flew from Sri Lanka on the same day. We met and went to Lisbon.
(Kultura Zvuku Mobile on the way to Lisbon, March 2022)
The first year in Lisbon, I didn't organise open parties, but we held five parties, which were only for our friends and their friends, at my friend's Misha wooden workshop located in the suburbs of Lisbon. This story is similar to the one I told about the Kultura Zvuku store in Kharkiv.
(Party in the Carpentry, June 2022)
Our parties in the workshop also quickly became popular, and the number of guests grew with each party. After hosting a New Year's party on December 31, 2022, my project and life partner, Svitlana, and I decided to start open parties in Lisbon under a new brand.
At that point, the team consisted of three people: me, Svitlana, and Hanna, who arrived on that very minibus with the equipment and had been the club manager at Kultura Zvuku. Now, she handles a multitude of tasks, from technical ones like preparing print materials for promotion to creative ones like decorating the space for events, etc. Anna is also the main tea master at our parties, as we always try to have a tea place at every party; it's our thing, and we love tea dearly.
We started thinking about naming and decided to call our series of parties “Sexto”, which means "sixth" in Portuguese. This is a nod to our Kharkiv club, which was located at Kharkiv Embankment, building 6. We also released a clothing line branded with the number 6, and the number 6 has always accompanied our project.
(Sexto poster, June 2023)
Shortly before the first party, Matvii, a music enthusiast and DJ from Kyiv who also moved to Lisbon because of the war, joined our project. Matvii is still on the team and helps with technical issues, lineups and tasks related to organising the parties we do.
(Sexto #001 party in Arroz Estúdios, 08 April 2023)
Not so long ago, Peter Kovarsky and Andriy Chakki – representatives of the Kharkiv music scene, both DJs with experience organizing parties in Kharkiv as part of various promo groups, moved to Lisbon. They are currently involved in technical tasks, participate in discussions on lineup formation, and support many common tasks necessary for the party to take place. And we also have Olha, a beauty with Ukrainian roots, who has lived in Portugal since childhood. Olha consistently takes the position of face control and organising the entrance to our parties.
Currently, our team consists of me, Svitlana, Hanna, Matvii, Olha, Peter, and Andriy.
But besides the main players, we also have our friends, enthusiasts, volunteers, and assistants who occasionally get involved and help us with some technical duties, posting flyers, promoting events on social networks. They are interested in our development and the development of the Sexto project, for which we are very grateful.
Why Lisbon?
There are many reasons. First, Portugal has very beautiful nature, cool weather, and the ocean. Second, the mentality of the people is very similar to Ukraine. Third, Portugal has a great community, with many Ukrainian friends who have moved here because of the war. I had been to Portugal as a tourist before and knew where I was going. I was choosing between Berlin and Lisbon but chose Lisbon, partly because Berlin is oversaturated with music events, and in my view, the audience is already tired. Lisbon seems to me like a place with space for activity where you can share your own experience, contribute something to the local scene, and become a part of it with benefits for this place.
How has your project been received in Portugal, and what were the challenges you faced?
I would say that our project was warmly received in Lisbon. I've heard many good reviews about our first party, as well as the subsequent ones. The sound quality, as we always powered our parties with a VOID Acoustic sound system, and the musical styling in the lineup selection and party concepts were particularly noted
At the same time, I've noticed that in Lisbon, there is a specific loyalty among the audience to certain promo groups, and it's quite challenging to attract an audience to something new.
I would like people to experiment more, attend different parties, find something new for themselves, and discover new styles in music and new artists. This is what motivates us in creating parties: to give people new experiences, the opportunity to hear artists new to them, and to expand their musical horizons.
What, in your opinion, are the most important factors for starting a party in a foreign country, such as marketing, sound, music concept, or venue choices?
Everything listed is important. We strive to perfect the sound at each of our parties, selecting the right running order and styling of the lineup.
Marketing is undoubtedly important to tell people about what we do and to attract an audience.
The location is also important, and I am grateful to Arroz Estúdios, Mirari, Late Night Shop, Cargo 111 and Aroeira Beach Club for their hospitality and for opening their doors to the our new to Lisbon promo group Sexto, allowing us to hold our parties at these venues.
What do you envision for your project in the near future?
I don't want to reveal all our cards right now, but we have many ideas and even specific plans for developing our project in Lisbon. I hope that in the near future, we will pleasantly surprise you both with our new initiatives and by continuing our path in event organisation.
What, in your opinion, are the essential qualities that make a good promoter?
For me, it's important to execute every aspect of an event at a high level. Paying attention to sound quality, being hospitable, creating a space where guests feel comfortable staying. Having your own understanding of the music and atmosphere you want to share, succinctly and accessibly presenting information about what to expect from the party, expressing the party's concept both visually and through textual or video information. Bringing people together and giving them the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a new project in this industry?
Be open, be professional, collaborate with other promo groups, and love the people for whom we do all this.
Follow:
.jpg)
.jpg)
