Gvozdini / Taras Gvozd'

Moscow's DAR Label is publishing some showcase albums of Slavic progressive- and tech-house. Despite the bold drama of those styles, they're tied to a melancholy reality.

Four house DJs from Moscow, Kiev, Lviv, and Chelyabinsk all have new work on display that's framed in an upbeat spirit. The dancefloor is promoted as a place of rare escapism and calm. Social pressures, however, stubbornly endure.