Yasha 96 + Ashen Foals

Jáchym Kovář, a Czech musician and producer based in Berlin, isn’t afraid to break down genre boundaries. He blends indie pop with the nostalgia of ’90s singer-songwriters, post-punk, shoegaze, and straightforward club electronica. He first drew attention with his debut album *The Boy Who Came Here From The Dust* and his subsequent concept album *FILIP*, which *Headliner* magazine ranked among the 100 best Czech albums of the 21st century. Over the years, he has managed to crystallize his own musical style into a blend of melancholy and club energy.

“Yasha 96’s music is tender yet danceable… songs that lift you up and carry you away,” said Christoph Scharag of RBB Radio Fritz. The project has received support from playlists such as New Music Friday CZ/SK and Neon, as well as from Czech radio stations Express and Radio 1 and Fenne Lily’s podcast *Apathy Hour*. This year, she received an Anděl Award in the Best Music Video category. Yasha96 will perform at ARCHA+ with his band.

Ashen Foals

is a solo music project by Prague-based filmmaker and music producer Eliška Lubojatzká, operating at the intersection of avant-pop, ambient, and experimental electronic music. It combines elements of instrumental sound collages and synthesizer melodies accompanied by ethereal vocals. She draws inspiration from, among other things, Baroque musical forms and club music rhythms, which merge into immersive, mythical soundscapes.

The debut EP *Splendour* introduces the artist’s alter ego, Ashen Foals, in the form of a character wearing a mask made of chains—a symbol of the desire to transform feelings of personal insecurity and pain into a source of inner strength. Six captivating tracks interwoven with ambient textures, rhythmic passages, and layered vocals reflect a journey from vulnerability to self-acceptance and explore themes of shame, desire, and the fear of abandonment.