Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Rave New World II

Oh God, the colors. They are still there when I shut my eyes.

New Rave's origins in Moscow are hazy, but some say that two hipster pilgrims from New York, Brainstorm Management's Zak and Ja'Bagh, brought it over last year, much like the smallpox-infested blankets that killed the Aztecs. They shouldn't take all the blame though, especially since what they were originally responsible for was New Wave parties. This is no mere slight of the tongue, but an entirely different palette. Fliers from the end of 2006 show youth of ambiguous sexuality, sure, but no traces of the neon that would eventually stalk Moscow like a big neon stalking thing.


Where did these people come from, with their flamboyant fashion, asymmetrical hairdos and aggressively bright clothing? I believe in historical materialism: it was the arrival of Topshop's Day-Glo spring collection that sent Moscow down the path to New Rave. At any rate, some point in early 2007, New Wave Fridays at Krizis Zhanra gave way to the Idle Conversation nights at Propaganda. A YouTube video dated March 22 shows a complete New Rave onset.



Lost in Red Square: Novy Ravers YogoYogo

As the New Rave's popularity swelled to a crescendo in summer 2007, the Idle Conversation promoters have themselves became celebrities. This month's issue of Hooligan carries an interview and photo spread with main Idle-logue, 24-year-old Roman Mazurenko, and the rest of his flimsy-sunglasses-wearin' crew.


In August, the In Wave party series emerged as a direct competitor for the young and colorful. The main difference is that they're into that whole minimal — sorry, mnml — microhouse thing. Don't trash the wardrobe just yet! The neon is still there, only now the music feels like you're swimming in pudding. New Rave on ketamine. Leave the ironic facial hair, too. These photos are from In Wave's "Muddy Mustache Naked Mistake" on August 11 at Sixteen Tons.


Sixteen Tons, 6 Presnensky Val Ul., Bldg. 1, Metro: Ulitsa 1905 Goda, Tel. 253-5300

Photos: community.livejournal.com/inwave, community.livejournal.com/i_conversation

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Me Me Me, Yay!

Gods are timeless and immutable, but restaurateur-diety Arkday Novikov symbolically marked a birthday anyway at Galereya, his pet favorite glitterati hotspot, on July 28. Where mortals see birthdays as an opportunity to treat their friends to bathtub vodka and a DIY sandwich bar, He took it all the way "there" with a modern-day Trimalchio's feast. And in true Novikov fashion, branded the fuck out of everything. What's my name!

Novikov or Bust!

Having trouble digesting under the dead shark-like gaze of Novikov? Then use his abounding self-likenesses as an opportunity to do anything you ever wanted to him.

I don't care if Sergei Zverev is becoming Jocelyn Wildenstein, homegirl has a sense of humor.

People did the same thing when WinZavod ran the "Four Seasons of Putin" exhibit earlier this summer. Такого как Путин!


Galereya, 27 Petrovka Ul., Metro: Pushkinskaya, Tel. 937-4544/4504

Photos: Geometria.ru