India's best clubs: Goa. Choose by GQ India

Don’t be misled by the curiously peaceful environs of Shanti. This is where manager and DJ Alexander Sukhochev hatched one of the earliest plots to nurture an alternative electronic dance music scene. “Seven years ago, if I played any genre other than psychedelic trance, people would turn around and walk away,” he says. Sukhochev found kindred souls in the proprietors of Shanti, a Moscow-based multiarts space. Together they organized club nights across the country, which culminated in Shanti Goa – a property that mirrors the music policy of the mothership in Russia and its forays into art. In keeping with the theme, Shanti’s DJ line-up for the new season will include techno heavyweights from recognized labels like M-nus, Cocoon and Bar 25. Shanti will also continue its tea ceremonies on Tuesdays (don’t expect the Mad Hatter, but it’s quirky all right) with live music, expert calligraphy lessons and mind-games. A refreshing alternative to the formulaic beach shacks in north Goa, Shanti has converted the Ashvem- Mandrem beach road into a retreat for expats, the cream of Mumbai’s crop and locals with a voracious appetite for something different.

Kenneth Lobo
GQ India
31 Oct, 2011


The Shanti Philosophy of Chillout: Tripmastaz, Alex Danilov, and Lay-Far

The Shanti club in Moscow remains one of the capital's most important venues, not only as a watering hole or dancefloor, but also as a small, discerning record label. We've written of Shanti on a few prior occasions, specifically for this reason. Some new releases warrant another visit.
Then, as now, the club claims that "Shanti has perhaps earned the right to consider itself not only Moscow's best techno venue, but also a leading exhibition space. Over and above the regular parties across several dancefloors, Shanti now plays host to all kinds of festivals, fashion displays, installations - and even children's parties."
The club's name comes from the Sanskrit term for peace or tranquility and - not surprisingly - that same emphasis is extended into a general chillout aesthetic. In the venue's early years, it worked actively to establish a suitably calm crowd - on a small scale. The dimensions of a stadium rave, for example, were hardly conducive to reduced levels of stress. And so the primary markers of Shanti's initial efforts were a "small dance area and comfortable sofas."

A core of enthusiastic support soon developed. "A spirit of unity was uppermost, evident not only among club regulars, but also the performers." Certain days were given over to certain styles; as a result, the danger of an obsessive (and ultimately outmoded) dedication to any given format was avoided. Relaxation and eclecticism worked to mutual benefit. Put differently, a dual avoidance of grandeur and goal-driven enterprise remained vital.
Minimalism and multiplicity were the order of the day.
That early, small dancefloor has since been expanded and added to more complex architectural forms - specifically with the intention of mimicking a "labyrinthine" pattern. As the outside world becomes less attentive to individual desire, the need to hide away apparently increases. A club necessarily becomes a cave.

"Shanti: the peace which passeth understanding"

Likewise, the enduring significance of Indian motifs at Shanti points to increased levels of escapism. In fact to speakers of English, the term "shanti" may be most familiar from T.S. Eliot's poem "The Waste Land," where its is interpreted as a "peace which passeth understanding."

Outside the club, logic and corporate pragmatism of course prevail, so relaxation needs to involve a certain degree of willful illogicality - that which also "passeth understanding." Changing musical styles almost every day is a good start - and designing a venue as a labyrinth also helps. After all, in many premodern cultures, labyrinths were built to capture evil spirits and keep them well out of sight...
Among the newest recordings on display from Shanti is material from St Petersburg's Tripmastaz (aka Andrei Gaivoronskii, shown above). He has been working in Russia's clubs since the end of the 1990s and managed to establish meaningful contact with production outfits in both Europe and the US. His work, to a large degree, echoes the worldview of Shanti, in that variegation and escapism operate to similar ends. He describes his catalog as a "blend of house, techno, and some funk grooves. Add to that a dash of acid, electronica, and FX-tweaking."

"...fantastically trippy, yet strong grooves"

The end result is a "deep and sometimes dark mood, producing fantastically trippy, yet strong grooves."
The spirit of relaxation appears to be working very hard against an opposing pressure. A trippy ambience requires much "strength."
Escapism demands a lot of effort - yet finds widespread approval.

And in fact, Gaivoronskii currently has a text on his Facebook page in which the champions of "shanti" adopt an almost militant tone: "Since the days when house [music] was built we've been here. To the frontiers of the music world we came. Pushing back the boundaries, we've sought to make you dance;/ we are your servants, which we ever will remain. We are the soldiers of the underground, protectors of the faith... We do not seek your adoration, your respect is all we seek..."
Despite the slightly clunky grammar, that long quote comes from a well-known Dj Q track, in other words from a '90s kingpin of the Scottish dancefloor. Although his career has long since grown quiet, DJ Q's stubborn opposition to a dull, determined status quo remains. He currently lists his religious affiliation as "The Church of Couldnaegiveaf**k." In the same breath he insists (without being asked) that "all politicians are crooks."
Growing cynicism increases the likelihood of headaches. An alternative is needed to rampant negativity.


Shanti not only showcases its musicians through vinyl releases. The club's page at Soundcloud is also active, in particular with new work from Alex Danilov and (Alexander) Lay-Far, shown above. Here the alternatives to strident rhetoric are immediately appealing. Lay-Far, for example, himself a resident of Moscow, maintains and extends the same eclectic outlook of Shanti. He declares an ever-growing willingness to operate within the - shifting! - confines of jazz, broken beats, fusion, dubstep, deep house, hi-hop, future funk, afrobeat, "and everything else in-beat-ween."
The wordplay in that final phrase refers us to a small, lovingly crafted blog that Lay-Far operates alone. The site's wide-ranging choice of styles eventually snowballs to such an extent that he becomes a champion of transition. In other words, Lay-Far's desire to constantly move away from fixed styles or grimly-defended statements becomes such that he's happiest with the motion between them.

"Music in between jazz and hip-hop. In between techno and soul; funk and house..."

The transition between styles - across their empty spaces - is held most dearly. Lay-Far's blog therefore informs us that it's "dedicated to music in between jazz and hip-hop. In between techno and soul; funk and house. Music with a heart and soul. Music with fantasy and energy."
The appeal of nothing in particular.

The energy and "strength" in Tripmastaz's rhetoric was designed to fight the status quo with a Glaswegian pugnaciousness; Lay-Far invests his effort in transitions and avoidance - in a constant movement away.
And that brings us to the work of Alex Danilov (below), celebrated on FFM late last year and then again, very recently, by Shanti on Soundcloud. During our last visit, Danilov defined his sound as "melancholy. It's full of rich grooves, deep bass-lines, and light, unobtrusive melodies." His vagueness is a useful form of escape from insistent, "useful" specificity.

...rich grooves, deep bass-lines, and light, unobtrusive melodies

And now, several months later, Danilov's presence online is marked not by any new texts, but a rare form of continuity. He continues to show an enthusiasm for themes of absence and escape. Earlier we noted his brief, yet telling statement that even "the stars feel like music [to me]..."
He adopts a fittingly glazed-over demeanor.

That appeal of being elsewhere continues to grow, most obviously in his penchant for owls. Large numbers of images are gathered online at Danilov's sites, just as they were when we first came across this musician's discography. The flock grows.
A solitary bird becomes the marker of a social artist. That alone seems good indication of how Mr. Danilov views his output and the role of Shanti. The club named itself after a state of peace and calm; one of its leading representatives finds a kindred notion in birds that shun company, spend much time alone, and are most active around dawn and dusk.
Owls operate during the times "in between." Whenever specificity and clarity are weakest. This only underscores the emphases seen thus far: the deliberately winding corridors of the club, a flip-flopping between genres, and the celebration of nature's starry "music," audible only in isolation or virtual silence - far from the city.
There resides, therefore, a benefit in the constant variegation and vagueness celebrated by Gaivoronskii, Lay-Far, and Danilov. They're both guarantors of change, surprise, an escape from rationality - and therefore relief from the status quo. Or, as one of Danilov's owls has it...

From march'11
FFM

Better buffet

Prime Star is not the only place in Moscow to get a good sandwich. Shanti
Buffet offers four delicious options and, best of all, they come with crispy fries.

Open from 3 p.m. to midnight right next door Shanti is the Asian- fusion restaurant’s take on acafe. But why Shanti owners decided to call their smaller, more relaxed eatery Shanti Buffet beats me. The cafe doesn’t resemble a buffet at all, not that that is such a bad thing.

The space was initially opened for those customers who loved Shanti’s cuisine but didn’t have the time, money or desire to spend their evenings in the main restaurant. Shanti Buffet is a smaller, more laidback space with faster service and a separate sandwich menu, although all of Shanti’s dishes are available, including the amazing specials from their summer menu like duck breast with a mandarin and frisee salad (630 rubles).

You enter the “Buffet” through a side door and a short staircase that leads you into a dark hall. The walls are a glossy black and are decorated with details that call Japanese laquered trays to mind. Tables line the sides of the hall and along the walls of the restaurant are comfortable grey leather couches that aren’t too low to eat from.

We took a seat close to the small bar and our attentive waitress was quickly at our side to take our drink orders. We started with Spaten Draft (220 rubl es f or 500 ml ), which arrived almost immediately for us to sip while we tried to decide. The Buffet menu offers four 290- ruble sandwiches, which shouldn’t make for such a tough choice but all of the options were enticing. We
chose one of the two vegetarian wraps. The deliciousl y fresh arugul a, sundried tomatoes and Philadelphia cream cheese sandwich came wrapped tightly in what was called “naan” on the menu and served with a side of vibrantly green salad (and when they say salad they mean frisse and arugula, romaine and iceberg, not some scrawny mix of herbs). In fact, the best thing about our meal at Shanti Buffet was the amount and quality of the vegetables we got for our money, but i f you’re in t he mood for something more substantial you can get your sandwich with a side of French fries instead. The blend of ingredients in the wrap was simple but worked out excellently and while the naan bread wasn’t exactly naan, it was delightful.

If I had to complain about something (and you always do) it would be that the mango lassi like juice we ordered (a blend of pineapple juice, lime and small chunks of mango) was too tart. The 260-ruble cocktail wasn’t the most exciting on the menu, which included options like apple, sorrel, lime and parsley (280 rubles for 350 ml), but it still added very little to our meal. The napoleon cake (230 rubles) on the other hand was a perfect compliment to our main dishes. With three layers of puffy philo dough and a filling of light cream and various berries, the dessert was just filling enough so that we left the restaurant completely satisfied.

Shanti Buffet’s menu doesn’t offer much, but what it does offer it makes very, very well. The sandwiches are included on the lunch menu at Shanti and, like everything there, can be ordered for delivery in the area from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Catherine Blanchard
"Element Moskow" july 9-22 / 2009