Album Notes

Like a phoenix, Goodswan first rose from the ashes of a post-Chernobyl Ukraine, many, many years ago. Its original incarnation was Sergey Popovich, a Ukrainian guitarist and musician who found a willing muse in the raw energy and distorted thinking that washed over the psyche of a nation. Popovich let these feelings seep deep into his soul, where it fused with a musical passion and took the form of countless instrumental, avant-garde rock pieces. But he soon realized that he held the key to something larger…and brought this dangerous yet intoxicating musical mix to the shores of America. Brooklyn, New York, to be exact.

You could call it chance…yet there is truly no chance in this world. Random events happen for a reason, long before they can be fully analyzed and discovered. The single random act of Popovich signing up for a local mixing and engineering workshop in Brooklyn would prove just that. For there, he was introduced to Ray Mancini, another Brooklyn resident attending the same event. Mancini was a vocalist and musician, as well as a visual designer and artist. He too was infused with the same desire to create and manipulate music, and looking for a new project. After realizing the position fate had dropped them into, they decided to pursue one vision – a vision that combined both of their pasts into the goal of achieving a new musical future.

The “future” they seek is now the present incarnation of Goodswan. The duo began to write music together in early 2009, drawing from old and new inspirations. They bent and combined genres, twisting them into accessible yet unclassifiable songs. And while Mancini brought strong vocal dynamics and a “pop-sensibility”, Popovich brought his experimental tendencies and attention to musical detail. The result is music that is artistic, avant-garde, and even sonically challenging…but with a strong foundation of melody and an “ear for the mainstream”. This is Goodswan…the mutant-child of rock, pop, and electronic music.

In 2009, Mancini and Popovich began to perform live as this new unit, adding in bassist Andry Melnyk to join them. Melnyk, an established musician in his own right, adds a dynamic energy and personality to their live shows. The band continues to write and is currently finishing up a short EP for release later this year, and plans to return to live playing shortly thereafter.