I hadn't been in the MatchBox nightclub five minutes when I ran into Irakly, a promoter known for his work with the Gallery and Garage clubs and the rhythm-'n'-blues band Tete-a-Tete.

Irakly was surprised to see me. "You? What are you doing here?" he asked. "Clubbing, what else?" I replied.

On Fridays, MatchBox hosts soul and hip-hop parties - something of a rarity on the Moscow scene. Besides MatchBox, the only other place to go for soul and hip-hop is Garage.

In our brief chat, Irakly told me that Ratnikov, the former owner of the fashionable gay club Studio, has acquired MatchBox and asked him to promote the club and make it a cool place. Irakly noted that unlike Zeppelin or Gallery, face control at MatchBox will not be overly strict.

I headed down to MatchBox on a recent evening to see hip-hop group Dob Community's presentation of their new album. The smallish club was packed to capacity for this rap-star-studded event.

The usual rap suspects turned up - from Sheff to MC Pavlov, often dubbed "the father of Russian hip-hop" - but it was strange to see people from the Neotstoi Production, Rap Records and Bad B record labels coming together. Everybody knows the labels have a feud going.

Hip-hopper Detsl, otherwise known as Kirill Tolmatsky, spent a subdued evening, contrary to his bad-boy image. He spent the evening chain-smoking while quietly sitting in a corner.

MatchBox occupies two floors. The first houses a small, two-tier dance floor with a stage, and the second features a bar and pool area. The latter is a real paradise for pool-lovers: There are eight tables for American pool in one room and two Russian pyramid tables in the other.

I have to say the bar isn't all that special. The choice of draft beers includes Gosser (90 rubles for a half-liter), Klinskoye (45 rubles) and Tri Medvedya (40 rubles). For 100 rubles you can choose from the club's specialty salad, ClubM, which is something you'd better swallow without tasting, or a Red Bull.

MatchBox's location is a definite plus. If you walk down the short lane that separates MatchBox from Myasnitskaya Ul., it'll take you only a few minutes to get to Moscow's most popular dance club, XIII. Also, there is a cafe, Sholkovy Put (Silk Way), within spitting distance of MatchBox that is being renovated and should open soon.

Frankly, the interior needs some cosmetic repairs and theme decor. Broken jugs with dry branches, which stand in every corner, don't exactly make for a beautiful effect. At the same time, the avant-garde paintings in the poolroom are fine. The checkroom is hardly spacious, as it can service only 20 people or so. And finally, something needs to be done about the front door. Then, maybe MatchBox will become a really trendy place.

In addition to soul and hip-hop events on Fridays, the club hosts house parties on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. All parties start at 10 p.m.

MATCHBOX
10 Krivokoleiny Per., Bldg. 2.
Metro: Chistye Prudy.
Tel: None.
Open 24 hours.
Cover: None.