A techno party held at an art club located in an old factory isn't exactly the kind of event that's aiming for mainstream appeal. However, queues out the door on a recent Saturday night affirmed that, if you’re a dance fan in Ukraine, Cxema party at Closer club is the place to be.
The smaller size of Kyiv’s techno scene gives it a distinct advantage over better-known club cities like Amsterdam, London and Berlin. The relative rarity of big techno parties dramatically improves the chances of booking all the biggest local acts on one night – which is exactly what Cxema (pronounced Skhema) does.
Cxema is a group of party organizers in Kyiv. On May 16, it held one of its parties in Closer club (31 Nyzhnioyurkivska St.).
Closer is the first venue that’s asked me for an ID since I arrived in Kyiv two months ago, so either the lighting was particularly flattering, or the organizers anticipate teens trying to sneak in. One glance at the people inside confirms that it was definitely the second variant – the crowd is very young, very European, and very, very cool. Every other group of revelers is effectively an Instagram photo just waiting to happen.
The interior is grungy, urban and minimalist. Concrete steps lead past locked doors and up to the third floor, where a wire fence cordons off a chill-out area filled with sofas and comfy chairs. Beyond that, a corridor leads along to the bar, DJ booth and dance floor, which at 12:30 a.m. is less than half full. Given that the party will last until daybreak, this isn’t surprising, but coming from the United Kingdom, where most clubs close promptly at 3 a.m., it’s a slightly daunting endurance test.
Luckily, the star-studded lineup and reasonably priced bar deliver, building up an impressive crowd on the dance floor as the night progresses. All facing the DJ booth in wordless homage, the gently swaying dancers create the impression of a particularly low-intensity step class. This isn’t the place to break out your Beyoncé moves, but it is refreshing to see people so immersed in the music.
Most of the club kids were local students, but as a Brit attending with two Germans, we also found a fairly high number of fellow foreigners, some of whom came to Kyiv especially for this event. The international success of headline act the Woo Brothers has clearly helped to put Ukrainian techno on the map, with several other young DJs already prepped to bolster that reputation abroad.
Closer’s next big event is the Strichka Festival, a two-day event that will welcome electronic acts from Romania, America, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. Opening on May 22, full passes are available on the day for Hr 600, with one-day tickets sold at Hr 400.
Closer
www.facebook.com/closerkiev
31 Nyzhnioyurkivska St.
Cxema
www.facebook.com/cxemapage
