Kedr Livanskiy

Kedr Livanskiy (Russian for "Lebanese Cedar") is the moniker of Yana Kedrina, a Moscow-born singer and producer whose brand of electronic pop draws on '90s techno and jungle influences. Her early releases, such as the 2016 EP January Sun, sounded as frozen and wintry as her surroundings yet contained a hopeful, longing quality. Her sophomore full-length, 2019's Your Need, though just as haunting as her prior work, was much brighter and more energetic. 2021's Liminal Soul recalled her earlier sound while also incorporating acoustic instruments and featuring one of her first English-language songs. She moved further away from club influences with 2025's Myrtus Myth.

Born in 1990, a year before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kedrina started out as a punk musician before becoming enamored with electronic music while a college student. Inspired by international artists such as Inga Copeland, <a href="spotify:artist:0sRVVDpgF2sKzPBkDszzUl">Laurel Halo</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5nChWRbqHpDiwZcs4ZoKCV">Florian Kupfer</a>, Kedrina and her friends started a label/collective called Johns' Kingdom, which quickly became one of Moscow's premier outlets for underground electronic music. After posting a few tracks to SoundCloud, Kedr Livanskiy was signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%222MR%22">2MR</a>, a New Jersey-based electronic label co-founded by <a href="spotify:artist:39DBlSB32DrnRrqM6UUUsm">Mike Simonetti</a> (founder of <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Troubleman+Unlimited%22">Troubleman Unlimited</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Italians+Do+It+Better%22">Italians Do It Better</a>) and Mike Sniper (<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Captured+Tracks%22">Captured Tracks</a>). Her single "Sgoraet" appeared in late 2015, followed by the January Sun EP in early 2016. Kedr Livanskiy's debut full-length, Ariadna, was released in September 2017; the CD edition included the entirety of January Sun. Her second album, Your Need, a more vibrant mixture of dub and deep house influences, was issued in 2019.

Liminal Soul, a darker, moodier record featuring guest appearances by Flaty and Synecdoche Montauk, arrived in 2021. K-Notes, a five-song EP influenced by jungle and garage, was released in 2023. With 2025's Myrtus Myth, Kedr Livanskiy focused more on pop songwriting, ending up closer to ambient and dream pop than dance music. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi