REYNARUM: I Believe The Highest Purpose Of Any Art Is Healing

REYNARUM is a Ukrainian composer who trusts his own feelings and creates music, beginning his journey by experimenting with layers and textures that resonated in his heart.

His first serious work was an eco-lounge album dedicated to certain objects of the solar system.

This year, REYNARUM joined the creation of the compilation "24.2.25," made for the anniversary of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Two of his tracks were included in the compilation.

REYNARUM shared with Drive Music Media about the beginning of his musical path, his participation in the charity compilation from the label "OCHI," and his personal mission in music.

Interviewer: What were your first steps in music? Why did you choose the path of a composer?

REYNARUM: I I believe that people who devote their lives to music don’t really choose it — it’s more like music chooses you. And nothing else feels right anymore.

The first instrument I got interested in was drums. When I was 13, I managed to convince two older guys at school to let me crash their metal practice — on the condition that I’d come up with a part for their rough demo.

That’s how I got my first chance to play the drum kit… luckily, the guys never found out about it.

So my first experience with music already involved making up my own parts. I thought: maybe it sounded pretty simple, but it felt so cool to be doing my own thing.

At the beginning of my journey, I was mainly drawn to the rhythmic side — the drive that percussion instruments bring you. Later, that passion led me into the world of electronic music.

As I grew more conscious, I started wondering how music is actually made — what software, gear, and skills people use to write and record it.

My first independent works were kind of ambient — I didn’t worry about structure, just picked sounds I liked and arranged them the way I felt, experimenting with layers and textures that fascinated me and continuing to learn more complex techniques and genres.

My first serious release was an eco-lounge album.

I dedicated the album to certain objects in the solar system, using data from various space probes to create musical interpretations of them.

Based on what we know about their temperatures, pressure, mass, atmospheres, and distance from the sun, I focused on telling their ancient stories, imagining what it would feel like to be there.

 

 

Interviewer: Tell us about the name of your solo project — what meanings are hidden behind it? Why REYNARUM?

REYNARUM: It took me a while to figure out how to describe myself and my creative path.

As a teenager, I thought the best solution was to invent a word of my own.

A word with its unique energy — something that would carry meaning just for me.

I started gathering pieces — words, sounds, and combinations of letters I liked from different languages.

I kept mixing and reshaping them, just trying things until something clicked.

And then, that quiet inner certainty: this is the one.

I didn’t try to explain it or analyze it too much.

I just followed that feeling — like, yeah, this is how my path sounds.

REYNARUM — that’s me.

Interviewer: Tell us about your participation in the charity compilation “24.2.25”, dedicated to the third anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. How long did you work on your compositions, and what emotions did you pour into them?

REYNARUM: After I posted some parts of my live performance, Dmytro Svitlov — aka be_ca_di and founder of the OCHI label — got in touch and proposed submitting my work for their open call for the V/A fundraiser compilation. We talked through the concept a little, and I later prepared the material.

Interestingly, the final version of the compilation included completely different works. We made the change right before the release.

A Closer Listen described my tracks this way: “In ‘Crystal Plate’ and ‘It’s Time to Wake Up,’ REYNARUM’s choral elements suggest a funeral service.” And I’d say that’s a pretty fair interpretation.

In “Crystal Plate,” I aimed to create an oppressive, heavy atmosphere, with shades of metallic resonance. The piece reflects on the irreversibility of time — on things that cannot be changed or fixed.

“It’s Time to Wake Up” looks back on a fleeting, joyful past — a life that once felt full of happiness before the full-scale invasion. It captures a realization that comes only now: those times feel like a beautiful dream you’ll never see again.

These two works came together really effortlessly and in almost record time. I hardly had to make any significant edits — the compositions seemed to shape themselves naturally. 

It was an amazing experience! 68 tracks from 57 artists. Being part of such a big project is really cool!

And of course, huge thanks and respect to Dmytro for putting together and running such a massive project! He and his team really did a tremendous job.

I’d really like to see more projects in this format — using music to reflect and share our culture with the world.

Interviewer: Tell us about your composition process. What do you draw from, and what does your creative workflow look like?

REYNARUM: In my work, I primarily rely on the emotional core. For me, it’s important to maintain a balance between aesthetic desires and emotional depth. The composing process depends on the type of piece.

On one hand, using orchestral elements allows creating a vast space for complex emotions — it really helps to convey a large scale. On the other hand, the charm and futurism brought by electronic sounds remain irreplaceable.

I haven’t really put my work into any single genre. Defining genre positioning has always been a bit complex for me. So, I often blend all sorts of things and create based on how it feels.

Usually, it starts with a rough sketch of a general idea, then new instruments are gradually added. You begin writing parts for each one and slowly give the composition its shape. Once you define the form, you start working on the details: selecting additional accents, articulations, adding effects, humanizing the notes, editing automation for smoothness, and carefully panning instruments for clarity and separation.

Orchestral music especially relies on balance and layering, so the usual mixing tasks like EQ and compression often take a backseat.

Everything depends on the idea: do you record the instruments live or not — composing can be much simpler if the piece doesn’t require complexity. Everyone works a bit differently: some start with rhythm, some with melody — whatever matches the mood.

It also depends on how the idea comes to you — whether you’re trying to recreate a melody from your head, building around a sound that inspired you, or just played something — and then it hit you.

One of the most interesting parts of composing is the internal resistance to letting it become a routine or fall into fixed patterns. But in terms of structure, it’s really hard to create something large without some kind of system.

Which is why so many artists have their own little rituals — both to stay true to themselves and to help their ideas develop. For me, the right balance is what holds everything together, because too much control can make the process feel forced.

Having a system helps bring a project to life — but it’s not what sparks creativity. I always try to leave space for a connection to something unseen — because we are not simply our thoughts. Music often reveals the story it wants to tell on its own.

As a composer, my role isn’t to get in the way, but to guide the listener inward to their own perception.

Working with emotion has always mattered most to me. How each person uniquely experiences music is what makes it so special. We’ll never really be able to step inside someone else’s mind — or see the worlds they carry within. That’s what makes music so powerful.

If it truly speaks to you, the form it takes comes second — choir, strings, synths, an industrial kick, or all of them together — it doesn’t matter if it works.

Interviewer: Tell us about your recent re-release Demon Dance. Why that title?

REYNARUM: Technically, it’s a re-release — a new version of the old concept.

The original piece was created for the V/A album "NECRONOM1." A close friend of mine and a really talented soul, aka Mara Angmas, invited me to compose the opening track for the first V/A album released on his independent label, NECROMECHANICA — which is now known as nm Culture.

Our goal was to create a wide, dark atmosphere to bring out the backstory and ideas running through the album.

To me, the title "Demon Dance" perfectly captures this vibe — a space where inner conflicts collide, where your demons begin to play with you. Mara liked the idea too, and after going over it, we decided to keep the name.

Both the old and new versions of this track share the same purpose, but their approach is quite different.

The original version of the track was released on tape as part of the limited-edition "NECRONOM1" album. The current version remains the main one and is available on the label’s Bandcamp and SoundCloud, as well as on all major streaming platforms.

Interviewer: How difficult is it to make music in the conditions of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine? Where do you find inspiration?

REYNARUM: The war has changed everything. Everything being written, painted, filmed or created in Ukraine now — it all feels different.

Over time, it seems we’re starting to look back at our “previous” lives as something distant, almost artificial.

I don’t think we’ve fully realized yet what kind of cultural impact and national self-reflection still lie ahead.

But I do know, for so many artists — and for me personally — music, and many other forms of art, has become almost the only way to stay emotionally grounded and maintain inner clarity.

It’s a strange feeling to put into words, but it really does seem like art today is shaping the emotional portrait of our country.

The struggles that previous generations of Ukrainians endured. And the ones we might still face ahead.

Just being a part of that — already gives you a sense of purpose, inspiration.

It feels like a way to connect to our shared cultural memory. Through books, films, paintings, performances, comedy, poetry, music — to document and preserve the truth of how it really was. How it felt.

That’s why I wouldn’t say anything is preventing me from composing. I’m relatively safe.

If anything, I feel a stronger sense of responsibility for what I create while I’m here.

In the fourth year of the full-scale invasion, russian missile and drone attacks have sadly become part of our daily lives — and that’s terrifying in itself.

But somehow, by the end of the day, you catch yourself thinking: so what? If tomorrow doesn’t come — all the more reason to do something today.

To make someone smile. Or let yourself cry. To donate to the army. To fall in love. To create beauty. To remember someone who’s no longer with us.

And to just keep living.

If people are wondering what it’s like — maybe it seems like pain, laughter, injustice, love, and vengeance all at once.

That’s the emotional mix the average Ukrainian falls asleep with every single day.

Interviewer: What projects are you working on right now?

REYNARUM: On June 27th, a new track "Ethereal Garden" comes out.

The strings helped create an almost hypnotic atmosphere. The story behind the track invites the listener into an enchanted garden with no way out.

I’ve just finished new material for my next live performance, which will take place on June 25th at the Otel’ club in Kyiv during Noise Every Wednesday (ed. —Noiz Shchoseredy). It’s going to be something special. I want to take a moment to sincerely thank the creators of the event series, Vadym Oliinykov and Kseniia Yanus, for their trust and support.

On July 11th, the tracks I created for the V/A Fundraiser Compilation "24.2.25" will also be released on streaming platforms under the title "TWINSEPARATE."

I can’t say much yet, but there are a few more interesting projects I’d love to bring to life. So yeah — we’ll see where it leads.

Interviewer: What advice would you like to hear at the start of your journey? Why that advice?

REYNARUM: I wish someone had told me that nothing external can truly bring you happiness.

All those social ambitions — believing that once you master this, or get that, then finally you’ll be satisfied with your life.

But in truth, neither recognition, nor success, nor any type of material wealth can make you happy if you’re not complete within.

And realizing that truly takes time.

I wish someone had told me that your real path begins the moment you start truly discovering yourself — gaining a deeper understanding of who you really are.

Because that, I believe, might be the best thing you can do for your art.

Interviewer: What word do you associate with your own music? Why that word?

REYNARUM: II guess "thread" fits well.

Thread — something thin, barely perceptible.

A connection between what surrounds me and what lives within. Between what we know and what we only feel.

Interviewer: What is your mission as a Ukrainian composer? Why that mission?

REYNARUM: I believe that when music becomes a part of who you are, your nature, you no longer have a choice. You kind of turn into a channel, letting things happen through you that you can’t always explain — as you keep searching for meaning, or until it breaks you.

Composing, for me, is the only way to communicate with the universe. Especially in such dark days, when life feels so fragile all around.

I think the highest purpose of any art is to heal. To connect with something greater than ourselves. And if what I create helps even one other person get through a tough time, helps them feel, process, or get closer to understanding themselves — that would be the greatest reward I could ask for.

Pictures were provided by REYNARUM