Vika Kuchak and FMSAO have released a striking new collaborative track called 'Voda', out now via Moscow-based independent label Fuselab. The record sits somewhere between warm house and soft IDM, wrapped in lo-fi textures and an ambient feel. Notably, it lands as one of the most quietly compelling underground releases of the summer.
The beat is slightly broken, but never overwhelming. Meanwhile, Vika Kuchak‘s vocal serves as the emotional anchor: warm, slightly fragile and dissolved into layered synths. As a result, the track can pull you onto the dancefloor or lull you into a headphone-only reverie. Crucially, that dual mode is the point.
FMSAO infuses ‘Voda’ with soft IDM textures and downtempo waves from the 2000s. Consequently, the arrangement feels spacious and atmospheric, with a real sense of air between the layers. By the closing minutes, those layers descend like a thick fog. In turn, the record works as both mood and rhythm.
“I’ve always been drawn to lo-fi techniques, tape emulators and vintage hardware synths,” FMSAO said. “There’s something alive in them, something that breathes and stays slightly imperfect in a way that feels right. Vika sings like she’s touching the most delicate strings, deeply felt, very precise, and genuinely moving.” He added: “We wanted to make a track where you could move and stay inside yourself at the same time. We built it slowly, layer by layer, leaving room for silence and a gentle unevenness.”
FMSAO, aka Evgeny Shchukin, co-founded Fuselab and has released across labels including Hyperboloid Records, Pingipung and Aisha Devi‘s Danse Noire. He also mastered acclaimed albums by Ishome, AL-90, Summer Of Haze, Vika Kuchak and Soft Blade. Beyond that, his 2024 album ‘Ultimae’ spanned 24 tracks across lo-fi ambient, IDM and acid territory. The release also sits alongside recent WRY-covered underground releases like Four Tet’s surprise Wingdings alias album. Follow Fuselab for the full catalogue. ‘Voda’ is streaming now on all platforms via Fuselab.
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