- Techno has resolutely gone crossover in Moscow and is literally played almost everywhere, although the current nightlife infrastructure makes it difficult to find a niche for a new project. Yet the arrival of Monasterio looks promising, since they offer something fresh and unexplored.
When you enter the obscure chamber of the club, the first impression is of something otherworldly. The soundsystem is Void Incubus, engineered for a space ten times as big as this. Darkness enhances the experience: your eyes rove around without finding a spot to linger on and all your perception becomes focused solely on sound. It takes some time to make out the whereabouts of the DJ—he is well-hidden in a trench with no additional lights, as if dispersed in the gloom.
Unlike most clubs, Monasterio doesn't offer residencies to local DJs. They say their policy is to host as many premieres as possible: six out of nine artists billed for the opening weekend were playing in Moscow for the first time. The lineup included Reno Wurzbacher, ItaloJohnson, Konrad Black and Cesare Vs Disorder, all of whom allowed the music to speak freely, breathe and develop fascinating intonations. The sound was steely, crude and clanking.
The club is planning to stay open for weekends at a time, Friday through Sunday, so it offers lots of amenities: confessional-style tiny rooms with hassocks, a bar with shots for five euro and a restaurant with noodles and pizza (purists have their right to think that food and techno are incompatible, but they actually can be).
The kink in Monasterio's armour is the fact that the club, tucked away in an industrial area, is pretty hard to find. That's probably why at its inauguration the venue was far from full. But looking ahead, there's no doubt it has a lot of potential.