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While the current lineup works beautifully, going back to 2000, there are a couple of members who are no longer around. In fact, only Alex (Sasha) has been around since the group’s inception. He, along with Alla Moskovka (commonly known as DJ Allois from the Gorchitza Live Project), were the ones that shined up the tomato to begin with, and releasing their first album Tomato Jaws back in 2004, they really set themselves a task in trying to create a different style of music.
Coming Up From the Underground
It wouldn’t be until years later that sister Nata would get an invite, but with family ties bound tight around this group, both brother and sister have a good connection with Pavel (Playone) as well. He’s someone who has become an essential part in this music making vegetable team and says, “We always knew that we were moving in the right direction. Our recent concert in Crystal Hall, where we got a standing ovation, has proved it once again.”
But taking notice of this group today isn’t really that hard, as Nata admits their band does have a funky name that “catches people’s attention. It wasn’t always easy, however, as we were brought up in an era where Soviet pop ruled and electro was not that commonplace. And while there were a few people who supported the underground culture, they had no money to be coming to clubs and buying a cocktail or two. Today, those same people into the electro sound those few years ago, have found themselves on the radio or TV, or they’re working in the entertainment sector and they’re finally able to do something real. Electro is coming out of the shadows – finally” both Nata and Playrone exclaim together.
One of the topics that is very relevant today, and seems to be on the lips of everyone in the entertainment industry, has to do with format. Which, put simply, means that radio stations and TV channels will air only those projects that cater to the taste of the masses. Today, that tends to be pop music, “So it’s a challenge to find somewhere we might be able to fit in; especially beside all of those one-hit wonders and beautiful bombshells. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only design in show biz today: eye-catching looks, hot bodies with a meaningless song. And if you’re not in the game, you really need to try hard to make it big,” says Sasha rather disheartened.
And Staying On Top
Over the last couple of years, however, electro has started to gain momentum. Take The Maneken for instance. Regardless of the fact that he was recognised in Europe and Japan first, the guy found popularity in his native Ukraine. And while Tomato Jaws obviously like his music too, this has nothing to do with the fact that Eugene Filatov aka The Maneken has been in a long-term relationship with Nata. She says, “I’ve been never jealous of the success he’s achieved. Everything that’s happened to him is due to his work and talent.”
By the way, these three are not lagging that far behind him, having recently collaborated with Dub Taylor; a top producer of deep-house, owner of the Organic Domain label, and whose track, I Can’t No More sold millions of copies in the States. “We’d heard his tracks before and knew that he was huge, and at the same event one evening, when we were told that we were standing right next to Dub Taylor, we were pretty excited,” they all chime in. Out of that introduction came the remix for the single Be With Me which ended up being a real hit for Tomato Jaws.
Whether they can be called trendsetters or not, they are really “into making this part of the world not just the geographical centre of Europe, but its heart,” as well. And judging by the never-ending queue that appeared just outside of the Sky Art Cafe (the spot they held their brand-new album Feel Me presentation), Tomato Jaws is starting to make a statement, and sending all of those Soviet musical hit-parades into oblivion.
Ksenia Karpenko
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Being witness to the crazy sounds coming from the I Am Techno party held out at the Kyiv Expo Plaza last weekend, What’s On spotted a highly professional young man behind the turntable. Going in for a closer look, turns out that DJ Sender’s real name is Eugene Evtukhov, and getting him over on the sofa for a little R&R, we get the goods on all of the messages DJ Sender is sending out to his fans.
Comprised of three – sister and brother Nata and Sasha Zhyzhchenko along with friend Pavlo Lenchenko aka Playone – they are Tomato Jaws and they play some exquisite electro. While the band has been around for ten years already, they’ve only just managed to come up from the underground, and with their most recent album Feel Me released just last month, What’s On caught up with this soon-to-turn instrumental band to talk music and talk shop.
