Privet! Shabanoff Syndicate

It's not often that you get to hear a quality live house performance. Even rarer to find a band like Shabanoff Syndicate. who execute it so well. If you missed there performance at the Seas Club in Exit Odessa, last May check out this link to You Tube.

Shabanoff Syndicate is lead by Igor Shabanov (Composing & Keyboard) Miroslav Pyatnikov (trumpet), Sergey Kvasnevsky(bass), DJ Max Vega (grooveboxes, mixing).

Grand Finale

Club Seas invited TimesNewRoman ( DJ Dogus) to play our closing party at Exit. The music jumped across the globe yet kept a distinctly Turkish Beat. There was Conga's and the bar staff snook out to the dancefloor too.

Here is our Top Ten Tracks from the night so you can re-create the party at home.

1. Balkan Beat Box - Bulgarian Chicks
2. Gipsy.cz - Multin
3. Murat Uncuoglu Ft. Ayben Vs. Husnu Senlendirici - Sina Nari
4. DJ Russ Jones and Felx B - Sing Even If You Got No Bread
5. Fanfare Ciocarlia - 007 (James Bond Theme)
6. Kocani Orkestar - Alim Korkori Ko Bijav
7. Gogol Bordello - J.U.F. Dub8. Besh O DroM - Space Maudi
9. Amsterdam Klezmer Band - Der Terkishe Yale Ve Yove
10. Kultur Shock - Mustafa

Pearl Of Odessa

By Friday news had spread about our parties down at Exit. We crammed the bill with as many acts as possible opening with a sweet techno set from our resident DJ Gary Grey. Wunderbaum's Beer Tourist was at capacity and emotions flowing as the youngest theatre audience I've ever seen jostled for a better view. A perfect audience for our first live performers of the evening
Sergei Klein, Andrei Sechkovski also known as UKR.TELE.KOM. These guys' are known for uncompromising live performances. Their strange name is borrowed from the Ukrainian national telephone company. It makes sense when you listen to the music and realise they are all about communciating disrespectfully of borders. Perhaps even beyond what we would term music. It was surprising then that the audience accepted and enjoyed the strange set. The live element of flute, mouth harp & vocal undoubtedly captured the imagination.

At midnight Boogazz took to the stage. Black Sea Ethno Grooves is there self labled genre. Max Vega took up duties on the turntables adding a modern twist to familiar Balkan melodies. From the opening bars everyone was on there feet. Boogazz whipped our club into a sweaty frenzy. Exquisite accordion playing and infectious brass from the two Neroslavs. We hope to post some pictures soon.

Vj's Muzika Budget followed. This young sound system threw there planned set out the window and played the music they felt rather than what the club owners in Odessa usually demand. And boy were we glad, the floor remained packed until security kicked us all out! It seems our neighbours didn't appreciate the banging tracks at 4am.

First SEAS Club in Odessa is big hit!

After another day of meetings with local musicians and DJs yesterday we have a jam-packed programme of club nights for the rest of the week here in Odessa, including live music sets each evening – an unexpected and very welcome bonus! Local musicians have been so happy to share their talents with us.

Our first club night opened with local volunteer, student Artium (aka DJ Gary Grey) spinning his favourite minimal techno tracks. Artium works as a local DJ in the beach clubs when he’s not studying languages and wants to learn more about promoting, so he’s supporting us all week, particularly on the translation front, and hopefully picking up a bit of promotions experience and advice at the same time.

Dutch theatre company Wunderbaum premiered their new theatre show Beer Tourist in the club to packed crowd. A surreal experience for me – seeing Dutch actors playing Manchester United fans on holiday in the Ukraine and sending up the Brits abroad stereotype. Although at times painfully close to the bone, luckily everyone in the audience seemed to share the humour inherent in the piece and I didn’t have to defend my country for the rest of the evening. Phew!

Next, we were treated to a fantastic live set from Odessan electro-jazz quartet Shabanoff Syndicate, led by Igor Shabanoff. See a clip of the band playing live. A SEAS club first – our volunteer Artium had never seen a live band before and was blown away. Result!

Finally, we persuaded musician Alexey Svidersky, who plays in around 6 bands in Odessa and is an all-round talented and lovely guy, to come and play some of his music on the decks. He’d never DJ-d before but with the help of his friend Mischa, soon got the hang of it. Another SEAS club first! Check out Alexey and Mischa’s NoBudjet clip which Deirdre and I loved!

So, a packed crowd, great music, enthusiastic reception by locals and SEAS visitors alike – the first SEAS club has set the benchmark for the next 20 days. Hurray! If you've time check out our latest flickr slideshow.