СОЮЗ (SOYUZ) is a creative collective originally from Minsk, Belarus, founded by multiinstrumentalists Alex Chumak and Mikita Arlou. After relocating to Warsaw in 2022, the band was joined by Polish musicians Albert Karch (drums) and Igor Wiśniewski (guitar). The name, which means “union”, reflects both the collaboration between its members and the project’s dual identity. SOYUZ is, in fact, two bands in one. In the studio, Alex Chumak serves as the composer, arranger, and artistic director, shaping meticulously crafted recordings that draw from jazz, folk, global pop traditions, and lush orchestration. On stage, however, SOYUZ becomes a different entity: the live quartet reimagines the music collectively, where improvisation and each member’s individual voice reshape the songs, often surprising both audience and band alike. The band’s earlier albums “Это всё совсем не то” (2018) and “II” (2019) re-examined the legacy of jazz-oriented Eastern European pop. Their breakthrough came with “Force of the Wind”, the band’s first album released by Mr Bongo, strongly influenced by Música Popular Brasileira, featuring Kate NV and Sessa. The record was named one of Bandcamp’s Best Albums of 2022, praised by KEXP, and received airplay on BBC Radio, Radio FIP, NTS, and Worldwide FM. SOYUZ has since performed at major festivals like Primavera Sound, XJAZZ, Überjazz, OFF Festival, ESNS, and Bad Bonn Kilbi, as well as headline shows across Europe. In 2024, SOYUZ released two international collaborations: “Spring has sprung” with Indian-American icon Asha Puthli and Swedish composer Sven Wunder, and “Калі ты запытаеш (If You Ask)”, a dreamy pop single with a music video shot and edited by Brazilian director and analog enthusiast Gabriel Rolim. Their fourth album, “KROK” (meaning “step” in Belarusian), arrives on October 24, 2025 via Mr Bongo. It is the first SOYUZ record written almost entirely in Belarusian, and was recorded between São Paulo, Stockholm, and Warsaw with contributions from Tim Bernardes and Manami Kakudo. Though primarily recorded in Brazil, KROK is not a Brazilian or MPB album. It blends the bands' Eastern European roots with jazz, folk and global influences. The genre of the music is hardly identifiable: there are folk ballads and jazz-driven pop compositions covered in lush and often dissonant string and woodwind arrangements where each note is placed with care and meaning behind it.