Comments:

A month before the war began, but with a building sense of apprehension, the Ukrainian psychedelic art rock band La Horsa Bianca recorded a Grateful Dead cover. Today we release an audio version of this track.

* * *

Words by the band:

Our home Ukraine is kept alive by fundraising today. All proceeds from this album will be directed to Dopomoha.Kharkiv, a local relief organisation run by friends on the ground. Olga (keyboards at LHB) works as one of their coordinators.

* * *

Recorded a month before the war began, but with a great sense of apprehension.

A Grateful Dead cover made for #deadcoversproject2022, China Cat Sunflower had followed La Horsa Bianca throughout their history, the lyrics a translation of Hunter's poetry into Ukrainian, the arrangement a snapshot of how the song evolved together with this band, as Dead music does.

On their Youtube post in January, the band promised more music this year. That promise is now a reminder of the world before it was upended.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kUb5ODAo_A

China Cat Sunflower: music by Jerry Garcia, lyrics by Robert Hunter
I Know You Rider (coda): traditional
Translated/adapted into Ukrainian by Eugene Manko
Arranged by La Horsa Bianca
Sound recorded and mixed by Eugene Manko

Eugene Manko: flute, bass, vox
Olga Ksendzovska: piano
Kirill Gonchar: guitar
Andrew Brahin: guitar
Igor Avdeyev: drums, vox

Recorded live at the Digout Studio, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 2022

* * *

Track Art Context:

In a burnt down house, a decorative dinner plate falls off the soot-stained wall. The circle of white plaster left beneath: a memory of stolen life.
(Photography by: [1] Kirill, city of Irpin, 2022; [2] Eugene, River Vorskla, 2017)

* * *

Video Credits:

Video directed and edited by Kirill Gonchar
Cameras by Dmytro Oriabinsky and Andrii Mynko
Technical support by Kukuruza Production