“Alexis Kochan is a Winnipeg musician steeped in the musical traditions of Ukraine. Variances is her third recording, her second under the Paris To Kyiv moniker— and it’s undoubtedly her best. Essentially, Kochan and musical partner Julian Kytasty take traditional melodies and songs and rearrange them— envigorating them along the way by bringing to the mix such exotic (to Ukrainian tradition, anyway) instruments as Northumbrian pipes, udu drum, djembe, buffalo drum and the viola of Richard Moody.

The result is often enthralling, always pleasing and certainly no less than fascinating. If you're a fan of traditional Ukrainian music— or even Loreena McKennitt and Enya— give this a try.

John Kendle
Winnipeg Sun
Friday, December 6, 1996

“…one of the best independent albums in Manitoba history”

Bartley Kives
Winnipeg Free Press
Friday, August 13, 1999

Question de poursuivre l’exploration et l’ouverture, Paris To Kyiv (orthographe originelle) est d’esormais devenu le nom qui désigne la formation d’Alexis, qui nous livre aujourd’hui le magistral Variances (Olesia Production, BP 2877, Winnipeg), où alto, percussions, cornemuse (qui n’est pas le monopole des Celtes!) et bandura (la version ukrainienne du zither qu’on retrouve à peu près partout en Europe de l’Est) composent une palette clair-obsure grâce à laquelle Alexis investit cantiques, berceuses et kolomeykas d’un souffle nouveau et pourtant intemporel. Fascinant.

Dominique Denis
L’Express
13 Janvier 1997

Description
Songs