Pavel Niakhayeu

Belarusian sound studies and music sociology researcher living in exile in Kraków. Formerly an electronic musician and A/V artist (pavel ambiont / nieviadomy artyst) with a long history of working with Unsound in Kraków, Minsk and NYC.

Co-founder of Mental Force Festival (Minsk) and head of Force Carriers techno label. Co-editor of ‘P.S.Soundscapes’ (2018) and contributor to various academic journals, music and cultural media. In 2008–2022 was teaching the course ‘Sound, Music, and Audio Technologies’ at the European Humanities University in Vilnius, LT.

Niakhayeu paused music activities in 2020 and focused on studying political soundscape, sonic violence and resistance in Belarus, as well as transformations of its music scenes due to repressions and mass emigration. Other fields of his interests include oral and digital history of music communities, community archives.