Angst

Angst is the pseudonym of Arnošt Šťáva, a Prague poet, songwriter and visual artist who has moved quietly through the Czech independent underground for several years. This year he released two albums, NYE 2024 with donaumarina followed by Peace of Hollows. NYE 2024 was recorded with the producer Gregory Maliukov and has Ukraine as its central motif; its sound leans toward Hyperdub and world music. It pushed him toward the far more guitar-based Peace of Hollows, which sits closer to experiment and neofolk than to traditional Czech songwriting. That album came out on 5 April 2026 through the Prague collective 6000 oveček. His folk lullabies offer comfort to an uneasy world through narrative lyrics. Live, he has performed with a violinist adding a second line and vocals, once with a backing band drawn from Vellocet Roll and Svaz.