Hello, I’m Gene Sophia,
I’ve been making music for as long as I can remember, though I’ve never had any formal training. My parents come from a very working-class background, but our home was always filled with music. We had an old piano, an accordion, a seven-string guitar, and some vintage percussion instruments—all inherited from my grandfather. I was named after him, but I consider that a dead name, as I’m a gender-fluid person who refuses to conform to my assigned gender.
My first official public concert took place in March 2003. Since then, I’ve created, produced, and fronted several projects. Art has always been my way of coping with the suffocating grip of capitalist standards and a form of therapy to process my weird yet exciting life.
My first electropunk project, T-Lazarus, caught the attention of critics in 2003, earning praise for its melodic depth and provocative yet honest lyrics. Later, with my electro-rock project Gender ID, I had the opportunity to support Ladytron and Placebo, while also sharing stages with Sparks, She Wants Revenge, Apparat Band, Architecture in Helsinki, Editors, Gotan Project, and many more.
As ‘Gender ID’ we had released two albums – Home Kids & Bathroom Romance and Deviant Comedy
In 2013, I re-emerged as 1314—a stage persona bold enough to share my experiences of living with HIV, battling anxiety, and navigating the loneliness of being queer in a patriarchal society.
In 2017, my anti-Putin anthem Mother Russia sparked a wave of aggression from nationalist groups, forcing me to leave Russia and seek asylum in Berlin, Germany.
In 2021, I released my album Art Brut, followed by tours in Germany and the Netherlands.
In early February 2022, I began writing a new album called “Drama”, which is now almost fully recorded and just needs its final touches—mixing, mastering, and pressing on vinyl.
This album was recorded with my new live band: Volodymyr Nestryga, my longtime Ukrainian friend, and a drummer with whom I’ve shared many performances; Dimitri Klochkov, a friend and longtime collaborator from the 1314 live band; and of course, Diego Ferri—a dear friend I first met as the guitarist and producer for Michelle Gurevich, who later became my own guitarist and producer as well.
On September 4, 2024, I was proud to introduce our new lineup at our show at Kantine am Berghain. Also, it was the very first show where I performed sober and started to encourage fans to enjoy art with a clear mind.
