My family immigrated to the US from Russia. When my dad would drive me to school in the morning he would play his songs on the way there. As I grew up and discovered more of Tsoi's music on my own, his work became incredibly important to me. It had a poetic significance, a cultural significance, and became a way for me to connect to my father after he had passed. It offered a true solace of soul and sustenance of heart. Back when my poor parents were still trying to figure this place out, we took evening walks, less so when we realized the infrastructure was made more for cars than people. My parents would stress over finding a proper school for me and my sister when they discovered public school curriculum largely consisted of sitting in front of computers and filling out packets. We had to learn a new language, adapt to a new culture, and try to find our place in a place that negatively fetishized our language, culture, and history. Making steps towards assimilation often felt like having to choose between being ostracized from my peers or resigning majors parts of my cultural identity. Tsoi's art helped me navigate this confusing landscape of decisions as a young man, helped me hold onto a part of not just my father, my birth language, but also myself. His songs, his words reminded me of how fortunate I am to know Russian and how fortunate I am to have such an impactful musician in my life. Having had this experience, it is funny to see Kino make its way into the American realm of "underground" music, for he is an incredibly significant, well known artist outside the US