Gene Sophia Bogolepov
GENE SOPHIA BOGOLEPOV
Gene Sophia is an art-pop shapeshifter whose music pulses at the intersection of defiance, vulnerability, and transformation. Raised in a working-class household in Saint Petersburg surrounded by family instruments, they forged a deeply instinctive relationship with sound from an early age, and music became both refuge and rebellion.
Emerging onstage in 2003, Gene quickly established a voice that was as confrontational as it was melodic. The early electropunk project T-Lazarus drew attention for its raw emotional charge, while electro-rock outfit Gender ID propelled them onto international stages alongside Ladytron, Placebo, Editors, Sparks, and Apparat Band across Russia and Europe. Side projects along the way – Dukes of Betelgeuse, Ego Collider – evidence of a practice that has never stayed still.
In 2013, under the moniker 1314, Gene’s artistry took a more exposed and radical turn – channeling personal narratives of living with HIV, anxiety, and queer isolation into stark, unfiltered soundscapes. Unafraid of political confrontation, the 2017 anti-authoritarian anthem “Mother Russia” ignited backlash that ultimately forced them into exile. Relocating to Berlin, they alchemised displacement into fuel for reinvention. Art Brut (2021) marked a new unapologetically intimate chapter.
Then on February 20, 2022 – four days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – Gene was in the studio with Scout Hansen, trying to work while buzzing with anxiety. “Serpent Song” came out of trying to inhabit the mind of a psychopath. The rest of Dråma grew from that session – an album about faith, justice, violence, and what happens when catastrophe becomes ordinary. Dråma is Gene Sophia’s attempt to keep it registering as horror.
The record was built with a close-knit group: Diego Ferri (guitars, production, engineering), Volodymyr Nestryga (drums, percussion), Dimitri Klochkov (guitars, bass, synths), Scout Hansen (co-writing), and with piano contributions from Andrian Lebedev, who passed away in 2021.
Onstage, Gene is both presence and provocation – a gender-fluid storyteller reclaiming difficult narratives. Live, they perform with Diego Ferri, formerly guitarist and producer for Michelle Gurevich, whose other credits include BBC Radio 1 and work with Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans). Past shows include Ms Artville Festival (2021), Noorderzon Festival, WORM Rotterdam (2022), Berghain (2024), and LARK Berlin (2025).
“Slow Down Your Burning” is out September 3, 2026, with the album Dråma following November 11 via MYCELM – available on Bandcamp, Qobuz, and the MYCELM platform. Due to the artist’s ideological beliefs, the full album is not available on Spotify.
Official Website: https://gene-sophia.com
Label: https://mycelm.com
Art Pop / Indietronica
