azh

AZh is a Russian electronic music project founded in Saint Petersburg in 2014 by producers Alexei Zavodny and Dmitri Horvat. The duo combines elements of synth‑pop, ambient, and industrial soundscapes, drawing inspiration from early 1990s rave culture and contemporary avant‑garde composers. Their name is a stylised abbreviation of the founders’ initials and the Cyrillic letter “ж”, symbolising a forward‑looking artistic direction.

The first release, the EP *Neon Pulse* (2015), received modest airplay on independent radio stations and introduced the project’s characteristic blend of melodic synth lines with heavily processed vocal samples. Following the EP, AZh signed with the independent label RedWave Records, issuing their debut full‑length album *Synthetic Horizons* in 2017. The album was noted for its thematic focus on urban alienation and featured collaborations with visual artists who provided accompanying projection work for live performances.

AZh has performed at several European electronic festivals, including Tallinn’s Audio Night and Berlin’s Club der Visionäre, often integrating live‑sequencing and improvisational elements into their sets. In 2020 the group released a second album, *Quantum Echoes*, which expanded their palette with modular synthesizer textures and field recordings from Russian industrial sites. Critics highlighted the album’s nuanced production and its reflection of post‑industrial aesthetics.

As of 2024, AZh continues to produce music and multimedia projects, contributing to the development of the Russian underground electronic scene while maintaining a low‑profile public presence. Their work is archived in several independent music libraries and cited in academic studies on contemporary electronic composition in Eastern Europe.