ILYICH is a musician and artist from Kherson, Ukraine.

Their work moves between live performance across solo and ensemble formats and vinyl releases, grounded in jazz, electronics and spoken word. It extends into radio, scoring and theatre through performances, installations and commissioned formats developed for specific sites, contexts and collaborations.

After seeking asylum in Germany in 2000, the middle name Ilyich was erased during the migration process and later reclaimed, shaping a practice grounded in displacement. Spanning sonic experimentation and genre-based forms, ILYICH’s work explores intention and agency through Sonic Antifascism, a term they articulate as antifascist cultural work grounded in sound and listening.

Work has been presented at documenta14, Haus der Kulturen der Welt and SAVVY Contemporary, as well as Sonic Acts and Roskilde Festival. On Refuge Worldwide, ILYICH hosts Listening Hymns, a performative spoken word archive and live performance series developed across radio, stage and site specific contexts. They founded Grounded Outer Space People, a nomadic music ensemble and artist residency working between cities through site specific collaborations. 

“ILYICH … addresses themes of community and resistance through music … capable of both … a worthwhile listen.” — The Wire (UK)

Anton ILYICH Kats is Associate Professor for Sonic and Listening Practices at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts.

Selected Interviews and Press:
Sonic Acts – Resonances of Hope
springering – Sonic Antifascism oder Avant-Pop?
Artlink Berlin – On Sonic Antifascism
Deutschlandfunk Kultur – On Sonic Antifascism
The Wire – Sudnozavod Soundcheck
Metal Magazine – ILYICH: What is Sonic Antifascism

JOIN ILYICH’s MAILINGLIST:

TRANSMISSION CHANNELS:

Management -> mngmnt@ilyich.net

Booking -> book@ilyich.net

Press -> press@ilyich.net

General enquiries -> now@ilyich.net