Diana Burkot

Diana Burkot is a Russia-born Icelandic musician, composer, performer and interdisciplinary artist. Since 2011 she has been a member of Pussy Riot. In her solo work she seeks her own voice at the intersection of experimental electronic pop, performance and contemporary art.

With Sweat and Blood, Burkot presents her first full solo project. The album is personal and political in nature, exploring freedom, oppression and personal and collective trauma. Rather than direct statements, she opts for abstract lyrics, images and stories about ordinary people - emotion is the primary connection with the listener.

Musically, Sweat and Blood is raw and electronic: breakbeats, dark synths and heavily processed vocals alternate with ambient and abstract passages. Her voice moves between clarity and electronic distortion while maintaining a sense of intimacy. The album was created in collaboration with Icelandic sound designer Ronja Jóhannsdóttir and Swiss producer and engineer Kurt Uenala, known for his work with Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan, Moby, The Kills and Woodkid.

Burkot's years of involvement with Pussy Riot and her activism around human rights, feminism and political repression form the background of this project - though Sweat and Blood is not a farewell to Pussy Riot, but a search for her own artistic identity. Live, music, voice and body come together in a performance where confrontation and vulnerability coexist.