In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a small record label based in the Caucasus region has become a powerful voice in the fight against cultural erasure. Ored Recordings, founded by musicians Bulat Khalilov and Timur Kodzoko, is on a mission to document the rich and diverse musical traditions of the Caucasus, which have long been threatened by Russian dominance.
The label’s “punk ethnography” approach has seen the duo travel across the region, recording religious chants, laments, and displacement songs at family gatherings, local festivals, and in people’s homes. These recordings, which are released annually around the Circassian Day of Mourning on May 21st, serve as a powerful testament to the resilience and continuity of Caucasian culture in the face of genocide, displacement, and language loss.
“Circassian culture was often exoticized within Russia, and we carried a kind of internalized self-doubt, shaped by Soviet and post-Soviet attitudes that framed local culture as backward,” explains Khalilov, who was born in Nalchik in 1987 and is of Circassian ancestry. “The goal isn’t revenge or replacing one form of domination with another, but imagining a future where different communities can coexist safely and freely.”
Ored Recordings’ work has not gone unnoticed, even by the authorities. During a demonstration in Nalchik in 2022, Khalilov was approached by a police officer who recognized the label and praised their efforts. While the gathering still had to be dispersed, the officer’s enthusiasm speaks volumes about the power of Ored’s “punk ethnography” to inspire and resonate with the local community.
The label’s move to Germany in the wake of the Ukraine invasion has also reshaped its relationship with the Circassian diaspora, opening up new experimental directions and collaborations. This month, the Düsseldorf-based label TAL will release “Music from the Caucasus – The Archive of Ored Recordings 2013–2023,” a compilation that showcases the label’s decade-long commitment to preserving the region’s rich musical heritage.
“Over time, we realised that it’s not trauma or a victim narrative that gives value to the music – it’s the stories behind it,” says Khalilov. “These songs are not just abstract sadness; they are tied to genocide, displacement, language loss, and everyday colonial conditions that still exist. Historical problems continue to shape the present. If we want anything to change, we must speak about it.”
As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to cast a shadow over the region, the work of Ored Recordings has never been more urgent. By amplifying the voices of the Caucasus and resisting the forces of cultural erasure, the label is playing a vital role in shaping a future where diverse communities can thrive and coexist freely.
