Dreamdrift: A Journey of Healing Through Personal Expansion
Dreamdrift: A Journey of Healing Through Personal Expansion
by dreamdrift, Hanna Aleksieieva (UA)
This project is a 40-minute immersive album that combines music and video to explore the process of overcoming trauma through personal growth and self-expansion. By blending evocative soundscapes with captivating visuals, it invites the audience to engage deeply with the themes of resilience, transformation, and the human capacity to rebuild from within. The work serves as both a meditative experience and an artistic narrative, guiding the viewer on a journey of emotional healing and self-discovery.
(This is the second time Hanna makes a piece in her dreamdrift series for WORM. for more information about the first piece, Survivor Syndrome Symphony & Hanna; scroll down)
About dreamdrift
dreamdrift is a music and audiovisual project launched in 2013 by Ukrainian multimedia artist Hanna Alekseieiva.
The author herself describes dreamdrift as an art medium that combines music and video. The audiovisual experience is intertwined with verbal narratives, be it singing or reading. Her latest work is the album installation Survivor Syndrome Symphony, which deals with the devastating issues brought about by the war in Ukraine, but does not attempt to provide answers, but rather lights up questions, fears and hopes.
dreamdrift is shaped by the author’s everyday experiences, as her own life has been shaped by Russian aggression. Born in Sevastopol, Crimea, Hanna was forced to leave her hometown after the Russian annexation of the peninsula. History repeated itself in 2022, when Hanna left her newfound home in the suburbs of Kiev following the full-scale invasion. She currently lives in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Hanna received a grant for Ukrainian artists from the Dutch government and works with WORM.
For dreamdrift, Hanna creates electronic music featuring flute and voice recordings, while also doing the filming and videoediting part. Her atmospheric works offer a glimpse into the harsh reality of people balancing hope and sadness, anger and compassion. As she documents her personal experiences and acquaintances, she samples the surrounding context and wraps it in music, making it more evocative and immersive. The result can be trippy, intense or dreamy, surreal or straightforward. Dreamdrift is native to many genres, from classic to eclectic, from trip-hop to prog-pop.
The author’s previous works include two conceptual albums: once (2020) and .doc (2022). The first album was intended as an experiment and consists of tracks created in one day. The second album, released in January 2022, just one month before the full-scale invasion begins, is a collaboration with a group of contemporary Ukrainian poets, whose verses were set to music by dreamdrift.
About Survivor Syndrome Symphony
Survivor Syndrome Symphony is a multimedia album-installation created by Ukrainian composer and videoartist Hanna Aleksieieva under her ongoing project dreamdrift.
The album was created at the WORM studio. This collaboration became possible due to the support from the Dutch government, which is providing grants for Ukrainian artists.
Watch the Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfFybMDz-jk