As part of her recently premiered full-length album Nemesis, the third one of her career, the Ukrainian composer, DJ and designer Sasha Zakrevska, under the name of Poly Chain, delivers a minimalist yet poignant visual piece to accompany Salt, the second of the fifteen tracks of her new production. The music video shows us precisely what the name suggests, but in a metaphorical way: a salt lake that flows slowly and hypnotically, with an almost eerie peace that hides the pain and the horror Ukraine has experienced ever since the start of the Russian invasion. “We are all tired, but there's no other option,” reads one of the quotes in the video, showing how there's no need for dramatic visuals when the reality of words is strong enough.
The video for Salt unfolds as an almost still image that softly flows and moves across the haunting waters of Lake Lemuria near Ukraine’s Syvash Bay — now under Russian occupation. As the camera drifts slowly over ice formations resembling crystallised salt with the sound of the post-trance song that is the second track on Nemesis, a series of harrowing messages emerge at the screen’s edge, almost like lyrics of the voiceless instrumental. One line pierces deeply: “Which salt is stronger? That of the earth, or that of human tears shed while burying loved ones in fragments?” With quiet power, the piece serves as a meditation on grief and resilience, particularly in the context of the harshness and cruelty Ukraine has been experiencing.
Aside from the new video and new album, this new era also marks the birth of her new experimental platform, Lightronics. This cross-disciplinary label reflects the Kyiv-born artist’s evolving role within the music world, shaped by over a decade of creative exploration. Since 2013, she’s made her presence felt across European club circuits and on releases from labels like Die Orakel, Mystictrax, Standard Deviation, and Funclab Records. With multiple compilation features and consistent support from international outlets, Poly Chain is stepping into a new chapter — this time curating as well as creating.