Andrey Melnikov

Want it to be loud. See you this summer on Nova Rock. @zaschamadeitout @mexicoman223 @mazz.ive @novarockfestival

This is our first vinyl. Why does it matter so much to me, even though my mixes and production work have been pressed on vinyl before? Because this is the first real release of our project. Zascha started his journey alone, but the artist you hear now - and the one you can see live today - is the result of a long road we’ve walked together. I want to tell a very long story, briefly: I started music when I was 7. By 12 or 13, I already knew this was my life. When I was hurt as a kid - by strangers, friends, even people close to me - I always found refuge in music. Maybe it was my form of escape. I played in many bands on drums, guitar, bass, even vocals, but what I loved most was writing music. Eventually, I started doing it alone. It felt easier that way. I’ve lost count of how many times people laughed at me, said my music was trash, or that I was wasting my time. It hurt. It made me angry. But even with tears in my eyes, I kept coming back, trying to make it better. There were many moments when I almost quit: when my ex cheated on me with the vocalist of my band, when I had no money and no strength left to continue, when my country, and my way back to it, was taken from me. But somehow, I always return to music. And everything I’ve been through: pain, anger, love, joy - you can hear it in what we create. There’s a piece of me in it. I’m endlessly grateful to everyone who listens us. Every time I hear kind words about our music, I still feel shy, and it’s hard to believe (but maybe now you understand why). Today, we work with a great team, and I’ve learned that doing everything alone isn’t the answer. I’m thankful to everyone who’s been part of this journey, past or present. But most of all, I’m grateful to Zascha. He’s my brother, not by blood, but by life. He believed in me once, and I believe in him. We’ve been through a lot, and it brought us here. We’re moving forward. The best is still ahead.

Making it loud. Possessed. 📸 @markus_fanninger

Romes 🇨🇦 in Dornbirn 07.02.26

Savoring a quiet Christmas morning in Barcelona couple days ago, now wrapping up the last work tasks of the year back home in Vienna, it suddenly hits me how fast this year flew by. This time, instead of just complaining that the year disappeared, I scrolled through my entire camera roll and realized something important: this has probably been my most travel‑filled year so far. I moved a lot, discovered new places, met a bunch of incredible people, and collected the kind of conversations and moments that stay with you much longer than the trips themselves. There were also some tough lessons and unpleasant discoveries along the way, but those are the parts I prefer to keep off the internet and process quietly. What I understood about myself this year is simple: as long as I am moving, learning, and evolving, I feel genuinely happy. I am not made for staying in one place - in any sense - and all these trips were just a reflection of that inner movement. Looking back at the goals I set for this year, I can honestly say I went beyond what I had planned twelve months ago. So now it feels like 2025 was a bridge year - a transition between who I was and who I want to become next. The only logical next step is to set bigger, bolder goals for the coming year and see where this new bridge will take me.

@impoppy Bratislava 10.06.25

Long time no see here. To be honest, I’m not even sure anymore if the original idea I had for this page still makes sense. I never wanted to do that “infobiz” kind of content, so at some point I just stopped. But the urge to share things never really went away - so here I am again. Call it a revelation or just something I need to say out loud. A lot has changed in my life recently. And no, it didn’t just happen - I made those changes very consciously. One of them: I took a long break from music - creatively at least. I spent that time learning. Not just sound-related stuff, but much more. But let’s keep it sound for now, right? Why the break? Honestly, I felt like our profession is slowly dying. And no, I don’t want to start a debate about whether I’m wrong or right — it’s just how I felt. So what do you do when it feels like your career path is sinking? Drop it all and work at a factory? Well, maybe yes. Or something similar. That’s basically what I did. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up your creative work. Let’s be real: if you don’t have rich parents and you’re not willing to live in poverty, don’t make your passion your main job. Because when times get rough, you might start hating what you once loved, just because it doesn’t pay your rent. That happened to me. Luckily, I didn’t fall into a spiral of booze or drugs. Instead, I remembered that I actually have a technical background. So I got back to studying - harder than ever before - and tried to build something stable. And guess what? That’s totally fine. There’s no shame in admitting your creative thing isn’t working out yet. Art is subjective. Maybe you’re not doing anything wrong - maybe you’re just not in that 1% who make it. Don’t believe me? Do the research. So here’s the point: don’t quit what you love. But don’t go full delusional either, thinking it’ll definitely work out. Be smart about it. If it works - amazing, you won. If it doesn’t - you’ve got a real backup. And don’t say you don’t have time - you do. If you stop wasting it on bullshit, you’ll find time for both. You might even discover something new about yourself. Don’t cling to one thing too hard. Try different stuff.

@first__hate Vienna 12.04

It was an honor to work with @thisiswargasmuk . Thanks for this opportunity. 📷 @jesssierosee

News Alert (1) Since I’ve already started talking about this a lot in person, I think it’s the right time to share it here as well. After many discussions and careful consideration, we’ve finally decided to change my role in Zascha’s Band/Crew. I’ll be playing bass one more time this month, but after that, I’ll be focusing solely on FOH sound. It’s a bit hard, cause I still would like to hit the stages with my boys, but our main goal as a team is to provide the audience with the sound they deserve to hear. (2) Now that I have my own digital console and other necessary equipment for live shows, if you or your band need an audio engineer, feel free to DM me. (3) I’m still available to work as a session bass/guitar player. If you or your band need a musician, feel free to DM me.

Long time no see… That was @heavy_club 📷 @nachtfrostvisuals

Drum and bass… 📸 @joes.raw