Тљрђр—рђтљрёрђ Р–рђтўрђ Әрќр”р•р 2022 | Рљрђр—рђрґрўрљр˜р• Рџр•рўрќр˜ 2022 | Рњрјр—р«рљрђ Рљрђр—рђрљрёрђ 2022 (#65) -

When the compilation dropped, track #65—titled Uly Dala (The Great Steppe)—didn't just trend in Almaty. It was played in cars speeding through the Caspian oil fields, in cafes in Astana, and by students in Paris missing the smell of wormwood.

Alisher was a producer for "Qazaq Indie," and he was stuck. He had a deadline for the Best of 2022 compilation, but the lead track felt hollow. It had the heavy bass of a London club and the sleek synths of Seoul, but it didn’t sound like home . When the compilation dropped, track #65—titled Uly Dala

It was the sound of 2022: a year where Kazakhstan looked at the rest of the world, then looked at itself, and finally decided to sing its own song. When the compilation dropped