The New Russian Underground
Words by Chris Harding
While thinking of the “old” Russia, imagine clusters of concrete monstrosities and children in bare feet and rags kicking a can through snow-driven streets as their fathers trudge to work in factories and fields. Or perhaps flashy oligarchs spooning caviar from nubile bodies.
Think again, because something is rearing its neon head: This is a New Russia, and with it comes the New Russian Underground– a collective of DJs and promoters are running nights where 1500 people squeeze into 800-person capacity venues just to get shit-faced to the sound of typical banging party tunes while still trying to look sexy, all to the sound of acts like Diplo and Filthy Dukes. But this is the New Russian Underground, so of course it wouldn’t be complete without some Russian acts.
At the head of the current Russian club scene acts are Zhiguli, a two-piece DJ act, and Yogo Yogo – think the Klaxons, but with songs that start with lyrics such as “We are Russian, from Siberia, we drink vodka every day!” Along with two embryonic nights called OPA-OPA! and Odyssey, the events are run by a core of four promoters and DJs: Roman Mazurenko, Sergey Poydo, Dima Ustinov, and Igor Kompaniets.
The New Russian Underground’s popularity has grown steadily due to its commitment to transcending and amalgamating genres and creating something new. The four party-goers-in-chief explain, “We are moving into a new direction of space disco, space techno, kraut-rock, art-rock, italo-disco, noir disco and lo-fi,” of which they call this futuristic blend “Kosmos,” which is becoming popular among young hipsters and Ruski-Bit media dolls.
These ecclectic business yet party-minded promoters are the driving force of this new creative movement that embraces many different sounds. OPA-OPA! “keep[s] a good party going” with music from Sepultura, AC/DC, The Whip, and Foals, whereas Odyssey takes on a “truly Ruski-Bit” attitude. While the promoters profess to “hate labels, personally,” they describe ‘Ruski-Bit’ as a term that “characterizes a typical Moscow look and period of society’s transformation from glamorous narrow-mindedness pregnant with the comfort of 00’s, into arbitrariness of individuality-- vulgarized with technology and futurism.” In essence, it’s “a very Moscow thing, and you must live here to fully feel it.” What they mean by a Moscow thing, is that, “Ruski-bit has nothing to do with something ‘Russian’ in general… it’s more a Moscow look, and Moscow is a highly cosmopolitan city with many immigrants.”
Will Webster, a photographer who has been attending the parties organized by Mazurenko to document the rise of this phenomenon, considers it to be “a lot of bright young things who have mentally shaken off lots of the hang-ups about their grim old days and are forging ahead doing various interesting things.” Meanwhile, Mazurenko is enjoying himself, stating, “It’s just pure fun to witness the whole city switching from electro to italo, from italo to nu-disco, from nu-disco to something else.” Moscow is a city in transition, and these “bright young things” wouldn’t have it any other way.
That’s the news from Moscow, but what about Berlin? (Polaroids included)
Posted Mon, April 06, 2009
Comments on The New Russian Underground
I wish we all spoke in mockney Russian (mussian?!). I’d spend all day shouting OPA-OPA! whenever service was too slow. Oh, and Yogo Yogo? I WANT THEM IN MY LIFE NOW PLEASE.
Posted by: Humperdink Richardson | 15/04/2009 at 19:32