- The summer of 2010 will be remembered as one of the hottest in memory in St. Petersburg, Russia. Unfortunately, that's meant that the city's dance floors are anything but. August is known as a dead month clubbing-wise, so few were surprised by this. Most of those in the industry take a vacation abroad or simply take a break to recharge. So do audiences. Come September, though, the temperature went down, and the clubs heated up. Kim Ann Foxman's recent gig at Okean is a big reason why. As part of Hercules & Love Affair—a group beloved in the city, with many people going to Moscow to see their recent show there—Foxman's reputation preceded her. As did the venue: The Okean Bar has hosted Frank of Ame at its recent opening as well as Juan Maclean, making it a potential mecca for progressive music lovers in the city.
The Okean is a specially-equipped pontoon, moored in the center of St. Petersburg. It has a 400-person capacity, a bar and a terrace for those who need some fresh air. The group throwing the party, Galaxis, were already plenty familiar with NYC disco: They previously brought out Tim Sweeney and Nick Chacona as well. Guests started to arrive around 11 PM, many on buses that were specially organized by Publika, a bar where a pre-party was held. The audience was, by and large, beautiful: Editors of local fashion mags, music reviewers, mass media characters. But, as it began, the party was hardly full.
It didn't matter much, as it gave a chance for fans to chat with Foxman in a free and easy atmosphere and for Fanick and Chance of Galaxis to warm up the floor, playing tracks like Marco Passarani's "Colliding Bonus Star" and Jimi Polo's "Express Yourself" and skillfully mixing up old school and fresh sounds. At 2 AM, Foxman took to the decks and the party was packed. She began with KiNK's remix of "I Can't Wait," teasing audiences with a track which featured her own voice in the chorus.
She also mixed up classic and rare techno and house, but kept the vibe pretty dark, making the party feel all the more underground. The faint lighting on the dance floor didn't hurt either. Despite the focus on the old school, the crowd danced like they were hearing it for the first time. Eventually, Fanick and Chance joined Kim for a back-to-back-to-back session until 6 AM, proving that fall is finally here in St. Petersburg, and the heat has now moved indoors.