Artbat - Biography and discography, all albums and songs

ARTBAT is a Ukrainian electronic duo from Kyiv, formed by DJs and producers Artur Kryvenko and Vitaliy “Batish” Lymarenko. The project has become one of the most recognizable representatives of the contemporary Ukrainian electronic scene and has established a lasting position between melodic house & techno, progressive house, and large-scale festival techno.

ARTBAT’s music is built on contrast. It combines a heavy rhythmic foundation, extended tension-building, emotional synthesizer themes, and vocal fragments that function less like a traditional song part and more as elements of the overall dramaturgy. As a result, the duo’s compositions sound equally convincing in intimate clubs and at festival venues attended by tens of thousands of people.

ARTBAT’s international status was shaped not by a single viral track or a successful promotional campaign, but by a consistent discography: from the early Mandrake to Tabu, Atlas, Upperground, the remix of Return to Oz, Horizon, Best of Me, It’s Ours, In Your Arms, and later UPPERGROUND releases.

Formation of the Duo

Artur Kryvenko and Vitaliy Lymarenko met in Kyiv in late 2014. By that time, both already had experience as DJs and had been performing in Ukrainian clubs since the mid-2000s, although they belonged to different circles within the local scene.

Their shared understanding of electronic music became apparent almost immediately. In early 2015, the musicians played their first joint performance and began working in the studio. The name ARTBAT combined Artur’s name with Batish’s stage name.

Their creative roles, however, cannot be reduced to a simple formula in which one member handles the technical side while the other writes the melodies. ARTBAT work as a unified production project: they jointly select musical ideas, construct arrangements, test unfinished compositions during sets, and gradually develop them into release-ready versions.

Mandrake and the First Releases

ARTBAT’s first major release was the Mandrake EP, issued on August 31, 2015, through the Swiss label Definition.

The title track was built on a deep four-on-the-floor rhythm, extended synthesizer layers, and gradual development without an obvious pop structure. The track received support from Richie Hawtin, who regularly included it in his performances. Mandrake remained in the Beatport Top 100 for approximately a month and became one of Definition’s most successful releases of that period.

It was followed by Saltation, Chivvy/Momentum, Zing, Inside, and other early works. During this period, ARTBAT’s music was closer to tech house and minimal techno than to the broad melodic sound with which the duo would later become associated.

These early releases allowed the project to move beyond the Ukrainian scene and begin working with European labels including Suara, Sincopat, and Diynamic.

Diynamic and the Formation of Their Signature Sound

In 2017, ARTBAT released the composition Uplift through Diynamic Music, the label founded by Solomun. Their collaboration with Diynamic became one of the most important stages in the project’s international development.

The label issued the releases through which the duo’s recognizable style was fully established: extended compositions with dense bass, gradually unfolding synthesizer themes, and clearly defined emotional climaxes.

In 2018, ARTBAT released the Planeta EP, which included the tracks Planeta and Tabu. The latter became one of ARTBAT’s first major hits and strengthened their position among the leading producers of the emerging melodic house & techno movement.

The genre label does not fully describe the duo’s music. ARTBAT’s tracks contain elements of progressive house, techno, trance, and classic European club music. It was their melodic approach, however, that helped them stand out among the large number of functional dancefloor releases.

The Breakthrough Year of 2019

2019 became a turning point in ARTBAT’s career.

The Upperground EP was released through Diynamic, and its title track became Beatport’s best-selling track of the year. During the same period, Atlas ranked fourth among the platform’s best-selling releases.

The duo gained even wider recognition through their official remix of Return to Oz for German musician Monolink. ARTBAT preserved the vocal and compositional foundation of the original but completely rebuilt its club dynamics, adding heavy bass, a slow build, and one of the most recognizable synthesizer climaxes in melodic techno of the late 2010s.

The remix became Beatport’s second best-selling track of 2019. It developed into one of ARTBAT’s defining works and continues to occupy a central place in their live programs.

In September 2019, ARTBAT received the DJ Awards prize in the Breakthrough category. During the same period, the project was included among Mixmag’s artists of the year and became Beatport’s top-selling act.

Cercle in Rio de Janeiro

One of ARTBAT’s best-known video performances was their set for the Cercle project, recorded at Bondinho Pão de Açúcar on Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.

The performance is often mistakenly associated with Machu Picchu, although it took place in Brazil. The panoramic view of Rio, the transition from daylight to night, and the gradual dramaturgy of the set made the recording one of the duo’s most popular live videos.

This set played an important role in shaping ARTBAT’s international image. It demonstrated that the duo’s music was suitable not only for nightclubs: the extended compositions and slow development of the arrangements made it possible to construct a complete audiovisual performance.

ARTBAT later collaborated with Cercle again, performing as part of the large-scale Cercle Odyssey project in Paris.

Best of Me and For a Feeling

In 2020, ARTBAT released several notable vocal tracks.

The composition For a Feeling, created with CamelPhat and British singer RHODES, combined melodic techno with a complete song structure. The vocals do not dissolve into the arrangement but instead become the foundation of the track’s emotional development.

That same year, ARTBAT recorded Best of Me with Swedish musician Sailor & I. Sailor & I is the co-writer and vocalist of the composition; attributing it to the project Another Life is incorrect.

Both works demonstrated ARTBAT’s ability to move beyond instrumental club formats without turning their music into conventional dance-pop.

The Creation of UPPERGROUND

In August 2021, ARTBAT announced the launch of their own label, UPPERGROUND. Its first release was the composition Flame.

The label’s name refers to ARTBAT’s 2019 track of the same name, but it also expresses the concept behind the imprint. The musicians sought to move away from the rigid division between “underground” and “commercial” electronic music, focusing instead on music that retains artistic depth while remaining capable of working on a large stage.

UPPERGROUND became a platform for the duo’s own releases and for the work of other producers. The label’s catalog united artists from different generations working with melodic techno, progressive house, and contemporary festival sound.

Over time, UPPERGROUND developed from a music imprint into a complete event brand. Large-scale shows under this name began taking place in London, Madrid, Warsaw, Dubai, and other cities.

Horizon and the Expansion of Their Sound

The first stage of UPPERGROUND’s development included the releases Flame and Horizon.

On Horizon, ARTBAT strengthened the cinematic side of their sound: the composition is built around a broad synthesizer theme and an extended emotional rise, while retaining a hard rhythmic foundation.

In 2022, the duo joined Pete Tong to present a new version of the classic composition The Age of Love. The orchestral and club-oriented sides of the recording were combined in a large-scale arrangement that later received both concert and festival interpretations.

That same year, ARTBAT released:

• Origin with Shall Ocin and Braev;
• Tibet with Argy and Zafrir;
• It’s Ours with David Guetta and Idris Elba;
• Our Space and Fading with Dino Lenny.

These collaborations demonstrated that UPPERGROUND was not limited to a single version of melodic techno. ARTBAT’s catalog began incorporating elements of trance, progressive house, vocal electronic music, and more direct festival techno.

Another Life, John Martin, and New Vocal Works

In 2023, ARTBAT released the composition Breathe In with the project Another Life. That same year brought Remember, Dreamcatcher with Fred Lenix, and Coming Home featuring vocals by John Martin.

Coming Home became one of the duo’s most song-oriented works. John Martin’s recognizable voice, previously heard on major progressive-house releases, was combined with ARTBAT’s characteristic extended and dramatic arrangement.

In early 2024, the collaboration with Another Life continued with In Your Arms, also recorded with CAY (DE). Therefore, In Your Arms and Breathe In are indeed collaborations with Another Life, while Best of Me was created with Sailor & I.

Releases and Performances in 2024

In 2024, ARTBAT significantly expanded their circle of collaborators.

The period’s principal works included:

• Take Off with Armin van Buuren;
• Hollow with MORTEN and vocalist Bonn;
• The Ocean with Avalon Rockston;
• Pull Out with Losless and KAS;
• an official remix of Hey Boy Hey Girl by The Chemical Brothers;
• a remix of I Adore You for HUGEL, Topic, Arash, and Daecolm.

ARTBAT also performed at Coachella and continued their series of major UPPERGROUND shows. The project fully established itself in a format where music, lighting, and large-scale screen visuals are treated as a single performance.

Visual scale, however, does not replace musical structure. Even ARTBAT’s most festival-oriented compositions preserve gradual development and are designed for extended mixing rather than only for a short, dramatic drop.

The 2025–2026 Period

In 2025, ARTBAT released Afterparty, the Benny Benassi collaboration Love Is Gonna Save Us, and the compositions The Spot, Galaxy, and Dance. The duo also prepared remixes of The Temper Trap’s Sweet Disposition and CamelPhat and Elderbrook’s Cola.

That same year, ARTBAT entered the main DJ Mag Top 100 DJs ranking for the first time, placing at number 73. UPPERGROUND’s largest event was a show at Legia Warsaw Stadium in Warsaw, attended by approximately 22,000 people.

In 2026, the catalog was expanded with the tracks:

• Fight Machine with R3HAB, Stylo, Eli & Dani, and NAIIM;
• Break the Loop with Giuseppe Ottaviani and Conor Ross;
• Take You There with SIX40TWO.

SIX40TWO is the dance project of British singer John Newman. Take You There had appeared in ARTBAT’s sets for approximately two years before its official release and became one of the duo’s most anticipated live tracks. It was released through UPPERGROUND in summer 2026.

At present, there has been no confirmed announcement of a full-length ARTBAT studio album. The project continues to develop its catalog through singles, collaborative releases, remixes, and large-scale conceptual performances.

Musical Style

ARTBAT are generally classified as melodic house & techno, although their sound extends beyond a single genre definition.

The foundation of their tracks is often a deep bass line and a steady four-on-the-floor rhythm. Synthesizer themes, noise transitions, vocal phrases, and harmonic layers gradually develop above them.

ARTBAT rarely reveal the main melody in the opening seconds. Their compositions are constructed as a long arc: the initial rhythm creates stable movement, the arrangement then grows progressively more complex, and only after an extended development does it reach its climax.

This approach allows the music to function within a long DJ set. An individual track does not necessarily require traditional verses and choruses; its purpose is to manage tension and the emotional condition of the dancefloor.

Live Approach

ARTBAT’s sets differ from the prearranged playback of their own hits. The musicians combine original compositions, unreleased versions, UPPERGROUND tracks, and works by other producers, constructing the program according to the time, venue, and scale of the audience.

The duo have performed at Tomorrowland, Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, Awakenings, EXIT, EDC, Creamfields, and other international festivals. At the same time, ARTBAT retain a connection to the club scene where their career began.

In 2019 and 2023, the musicians presented guest editions of BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix. Describing this as a residency would be incorrect: these were separate artist mixes created for one of electronic music’s best-known radio programs.

Support for Ukraine

After the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, ARTBAT openly expressed their support for Ukraine and used international performances to draw attention to events in the country.

In August 2022, the duo participated in a charity event in Vilnius together with the Music Saves UA initiative. The funds raised were intended for evacuation efforts and humanitarian assistance for Ukrainians. The musicians also spoke about their own small fund, which provided direct help to people forced to leave their homes in eastern Ukraine.

For ARTBAT, their Ukrainian origin is not a decorative part of their image but an important component of the project’s public position. While performing on the world’s largest stages, the duo continue to identify themselves specifically as a Ukrainian electronic act.

Main Achievements

ARTBAT’s key professional achievements include:

• winning the Breakthrough category at the 2019 DJ Awards;
• being named Beatport’s best-selling artists of 2019;
• placing first, second, and fourth among Beatport’s best-selling tracks of 2019 with Upperground, the remix of Return to Oz, and Atlas;
• being included among Mixmag’s artists of the year;
• debuting at number 73 in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs ranking in 2025;
• creating the UPPERGROUND label and international event series.

Selected Discography

Main Releases

• Mandrake — 2015;
• Uplift — 2017;
• Tabu — 2018;
• Planeta — 2018;
• Upperground — 2019;
• Atlas — 2019;
• Return to Oz — ARTBAT Remix — 2019;
• For a Feeling — with CamelPhat and RHODES, 2020;
• Best of Me — with Sailor & I, 2020;
• Flame — 2021;
• Horizon — 2021;
• Origin — with Shall Ocin and Braev, 2022;
• Tibet — with Argy and Zafrir, 2022;
• It’s Ours — with David Guetta and Idris Elba, 2022;
• Breathe In — with Another Life, 2023;
• Coming Home — with John Martin, 2023;
• Remember — 2023;
• In Your Arms — with Another Life and CAY (DE), 2024;
• Take Off — with Armin van Buuren, 2024;
• Hollow — with MORTEN and Bonn, 2024;
• Love Is Gonna Save Us — with Benny Benassi, 2025;
• Afterparty — 2025;
• Break the Loop — with Giuseppe Ottaviani and Conor Ross, 2026;
• Take You There — with SIX40TWO, 2026.

ARTBAT are one of the leading Ukrainian electronic projects with an international profile. Their significance is determined not only by the popularity of Return to Oz or the scale of their festival performances.

The duo progressed from Kyiv’s club scene and small European labels to their own music brand, international stadium events, and collaborations with representatives of different generations of electronic music.

ARTBAT helped transform melodic house & techno from a relatively niche club style into music capable of occupying the main stages of major festivals. At the same time, the project has preserved the production discipline, extended dramaturgy, and attention to detail that distinguish its work from standard festival material.

The creation of UPPERGROUND allowed Artur Kryvenko and Vitaliy Lymarenko to move beyond the role of performers. Today, ARTBAT operate simultaneously as a production duo, a touring project, label curators, and organizers of their own international event series, while remaining one of the most visible forces in contemporary Ukrainian electronic music.