Hyphen Dash

Hyphen Dash
Background information
OriginKyiv, Ukraine
GenresInstrumental hip hop, jazz fusion, nu jazz, jazz rock, electronica, post-rock, ambient
Years active2019–present
MembersMykhailo Birchenko
Yevhen Puhachov
Polina Maiboroda
Dmytro Startsev
Past membersDaniil Zubkov

Hyphen Dash is a Ukrainian band formed in 2019 in Kyiv. Its music combines instrumental hip hop, jazz fusion, nu jazz, jazz rock, electronica, post-rock and ambient. The band gained international attention in 2025 with Basement 626, an album recorded some 15 kilometres from the front line. In 2026, the band won the Grand Prix of the first Ukrainian Jazz Prize, being named the best Ukrainian jazz band of 2025.

History

The band was founded by Mykhailo Birchenko and Daniil Zubkov in 2019. They presented their earliest material at Fusion Jams events, a Kyiv community of contemporary jazz. Yevhen Puhachov and Polina Maiboroda later joined the band.

In 2021, Hyphen Dash took part in the "ZMOVA" project run by kontrabass promo and performed their music at the National Art Museum of Ukraine. The project set out to draw attention to historic sites in Kyiv and to raise funds for their restoration. The recording of that performance, Live at NAMU, became Hyphen Dash's first official release.

Between 2022 and 2024, the band played at the festivals XJAZZ! [de] (Germany), Flaam (Slovakia), Reeperbahn Festival (Germany), Inne Brzmienia [pl] (Poland), MENT Ljubljana [sl] (Slovenia) and the Sharpe Festival (Slovakia).

In March 2025, the band released the album Basement 626, which they recorded that January in a basement in Kramatorsk, 15 kilometres from the front line. According to the members of Hyphen Dash, they wanted to make music "in contact with the reality of war" and to show that "everyone can be involved with the army as much as they wish". On 11 June, the band released a documentary, The Making of Basement 626, about the making of the album (directed by Vadym Piniahin). The film was presented at the Ukrainian House.

We were simply driving out to see our friends in the military, to spend some time together and maybe record some music. We had no plan or concept — we just sat down and started playing. It is our way of capturing reality and passing on the feeling of the moment.

— Mykhailo Birchenko

In October 2025, Hyphen Dash released the studio album LATE, which brought together music written between 2019 and 2024: both early recordings of jam sessions in a basement in Pechersk and pieces about the experience of living through the war. On 23 October, Hyphen Dash opened the Slovak festival Jazz Prešov with their performance.

In April 2026, the band won the Grand Prix of the first Ukrainian Jazz Prize and was invited by the Europe Jazz Network to tour Europe, including a performance at the European Jazz Conference in Cologne.

Members

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Music videos

Notes

  1. ↑ Original Ukrainian: «Ми просто їхали до друзів-військових, щоб провести час разом і, можливо, записати музику. Ми не мали плану чи концепції — просто сідали й починали грати. Це наш спосіб зафіксувати реальність і передати відчуття моменту.»

References

  1. ↑ Browne, David (4 April 2025). "A Ukrainian Fusion Band Made an Album During the War — On the Frontlines". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Svyrydiuk, Yurii (17 April 2026). "Переможці першої Української джазової премії: кого нагородили" [Winners of the first Ukrainian Jazz Prize: who was awarded]. Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Tkachuk, Yuliia (13 October 2025). "Інтерв'ю з Hyphen Dash про альбом Late, що підсумовує 5 років роботи" [Interview with Hyphen Dash about the album Late, which sums up five years of work]. Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Del Re, Gianmarco (8 October 2022). "Ukrainian Field Notes XIV". A Closer Listen. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Українські гурти зіграли наживо на культурних локаціях, щоб допомогти їм" [Ukrainian bands played live at cultural sites to help them]. Platfor.ma (in Ukrainian). 19 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "ZMOVA: Hyphen Dash у Національному художньому музеї України" [ZMOVA: Hyphen Dash at the National Art Museum of Ukraine] (in Ukrainian). National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "XJAZZ! Weekender @ Zenner – 20./21. August". XJAZZ!. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "Hyphen Dash at Flaam 22!". flaamfest. 26 July 2022 – via Instagram.
  9. ↑ Karpiuk, Yelyzaveta (18 November 2022). "Pilgrim: Гурт Hyphen Dash випустив трек з попспівачкою Тамарою Крамар" [Pilgrim: Hyphen Dash release a track with pop singer Tamara Kramar]. DTF Magazine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 "23 жовтня гурт Hyphen Dash своїм виступом відкрив словацький фестиваль Jazz Prešov" [On 23 October, Hyphen Dash opened the Slovak festival Jazz Prešov with their performance]. Facebook (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Institute. 5 November 2025.
  11. ↑ Małgorzata (17 May 2023). "Ukrainian artists at East of Culture – Different Sounds 2023". Warsztaty Kultury. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  12. ↑ Browne, David (4 April 2025). "A Ukrainian Fusion Band Made an Album During the War — On the Frontlines". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  13. ↑ Yakovenko, Iryna (14 March 2025). "Hyphen Dash випустили новий альбом, який записали в підвалі в Краматорську" [Hyphen Dash release a new album recorded in a basement in Kramatorsk]. The Village Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  14. ↑ Tkachuk, Yuliia (12 June 2025). "Як гурт Hyphen Dash зробив фільм про альбом, написаний за 15 км від фронту" [How Hyphen Dash made a film about an album written 15 km from the front]. Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  15. ↑ Maksymets, Marichka (14 March 2025). "Пісня за піснею: Hyphen Dash про альбом «Basement 626»" [Song by song: Hyphen Dash on the album Basement 626]. LiRoom (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  16. ↑ Morozov, Oleksii (1 December 2025). "«Мій ідеальний день – сьогодні»: Hyphen Dash представили дебютник Late на Кирилівській. Як це було" ['My perfect day is today': Hyphen Dash present their debut Late at Kyrylivska]. The Village Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "First Ukrainian Jazz Prize Winners: Hyphen Dash to Tour Europe with EJN". Europe Jazz Network. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.