Platon Karataev

Platon Karataev, named after a Leo Tolstoy character, was formed in 2016. The Budapest-based band
released Orange Nights EP in October 2016. Their first single, ‘Elevator’ received huge attention, it
was ranked no. 4 on Spotify’s German viral top50 playlist and it was among the tracks in the UK viral
playlist, too. In 2017 their debut LP, For Her was released in three parts. The album not only received
positive feedback from local critics but also brought along new international followers, which resulted
in Platon Karataev becoming one of the most-streamed Hungarian artists. Since 2017, For Her was
streamed more than 5 million times on Spotify, mostly from the USA, the UK, and Germany. The band
was selected as an INES#talent 2019. Within this programme, out of 3000 applicants, 100 emerging
bands were chosen to perform at various European showcase festivals. Platon Karataev played at
Zandari Festa, Liverpool Sound City, Reeperbahn, and Waves Vienna. In terms of local gigs, the band
played at all major Hungarian festivals in summer 2019 (Sziget, VOLT, etc.) and also played a sold-out
gig at Budapest’s main venue, Akvárium (1300 capacity). The band released their second LP, Atoms in
June 2020, the LP reached 1 million streams in a month. With catharsis as a key element of the album,
this record moved away from For Her’s acoustic sound to broader, heavier instrumentation.