Russia's branch of the Red Bull Music Academy has just just chosen ten young musicians to join its "Bass Camp" in Sochi. We take a look at some of the newer names, especially among the house and juke exponents.
Several Russian synth-pop releases this week draw upon the traditions of the 1980s - duplicating the lo-fi sound of that same decade. As a result, Western glitz, low-grade tape, and late Soviet society all merge.
The theme of nostalgia emerges in new recordings from Kiev, Vilnius, and Babruysk (Belarus). Although they initially display a love for UK culture, these musings on the past begin to adopt a locally specific resonance.
A well-respected culture magazine in St. Petersburg has just published a list of the city's most promising electronic projects. We look at four dance-oriented artists on that list and consider their common outlook.
Santi Touch (Vytautas Sarapinas), Bogdan Taran, and Max Lomov operate between the cities of Kaunas, Riga, and London. That list alone is enough to suggest some considerable levels of effort - in the name of entertainment.
New dancefloor material from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Sochi expresses doubts about the social sphere it hopes to charm. At least two new hip-hop and house publications refer directly to anxiety and mental illness.
Three jazz projects connected to Moscow speak of innovation in terms of a new linguistic ability. Novel experiences require a larger vocabulary, especially for those performers who have connections to other cultures.
A number of recordings now available from Kaluga, Moscow, and Novosibirsk all use themes of desire or dreaming in order to evoke "somewhere else." More specifically, they are driven by the appeal of distant times and places.
Non Cadenza are a jazz-funk ensemble from St. Petersburg; Sevara Nazarkhan is an Uzbek chanteuse with success in the Russian crossover market. For all involved, though, the role of tradition remains vital.
My Favourite Pet is a web-based endeavor that's located in St. Petersburg. Its influence, however, continues to grow further afield, due to a snowballing enthusiasm for old-school house music and childhood memories.
