Hype

I Love Kiev Weekend

May 25, 2011
Text by Vijai

The crew at Kiev’s trendy Top 10 city magazine are doing a gobsmaking job at nudging Ukraine’s capital into embracing hipster culture. Having organised the Bread&Butter-like Kiev Fashion Days for the second year this spring, they are now behind the eclectic ‘I love Kiev’ festival that kicks off this weekend, May 27-28 during the city days. Inspired perhaps by a glamorous Bloc Party in New York City, or Moscow’s Afisha picnics closer home, the festival is a altculture vulture’s version of paradise. It features graffiti & fixed gear master classes, fashion shows by upcoming designers, a competition for ‘New Sound of Kiev’, afterparties at cool underground clubs, and live acts by hyped artists from Russia and abroad. Best of all, the festival will be held at the Lavra Gallery, which is in the same complex of the Kiev Lavras, which comprise some of the holiest churches in Orthodox Christianity. Hipster vs. monks. Rock, paper, candle. Perfect.
The opening party on Friday will be headlined by Moscow’s DJ/producer Mujuice, whose new album ‘Downshifting’ has received widespread praise. Artyem Troitsky, Russia’s version of BBC’s John Peel has said that by ‘combining two antagonistic elements – romantic-depressive Russian rock and impassive clubbing music’ he opens a new page in the history of Russian pop music. Some have even compared him to Victor Tsoi, the moody frontman of St. Petersburg’s influential Kino band from the early 90s. I hadn’t heard of him before, but having checked out his stuff on SoundCloud am impressed: It sounds like a remixed version of King Crimson tracks, with its own particular brand of Russian romanticism. French DJ collective Masomenos will spin at the event’s closing party Saturday, May 28th at Kiev’s smacky Xlib Club.
Meanwhile, check out Mujuice’s video here

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