As with most music scenes, electronica tends to suffer from tribalism. In London, for example, playing post-2005 dubstep might get you shanked, and arguments over the authenticity of deep house are now a leading cause of divorce in the southeast. But for some reason, Beijing is different – the techno kids will turn up to a psytrance night, house fans listen to glitch hop, and everyone loves a good old drum ‘n’ bass rave. Simply put, everyone goes to everything.
No crew better represents this sense of openness than Shanshui Records, a label that celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a party at Dada on August 31st. Ostensibly a chiptune (Game Boy music) label, over the past decade they’ve released everything from pumping acid-techno by Hainan’s Guzz to the hauntingly intricate sounds of Shanghai’s Dead J. They’re bringing some big-name Swedish chiptune guy for the anniversary party – but really, this night is all about Sulumi, Shanshui’s founder and one of Beijing’s most respected electronic musicians.
Hip hop might seem a little far from the remit of this column, but since we’re talking about diversity, hip hop is the bastard child of reggae, funk and disco, just like electronica. Nasty Ray, one of Beijing’s best-known hip hop MCs, has recently moved his monthly Natural Flavor parties to Lantern. Ray has a diehard following, and a talent for packing out venues with enthusiastic young Beijing kids, full of nostalgia for New York and California in the early 90s. The music policy reflects this – it’s strictly old-skool, more Biggie and Tupac than Flying Lotus. Natural Flavor is also on August 31st, so check it out before the Shanshui party.
It wouldn’t be Beijing without a truckload of straight-up techno, and that’s what DOT Records have been delivering every month since they launched in May. On August 10th at Lantern, they’ve got Jonas Kopp from Argentina, and considering DOT’s track record, he’s probably pretty good. Not many parties can pack Lantern in the middle of summer, but their last couple were still jumping way past my bedtime.
Finally, a couple of oddities dragging up the city’s musical diversity ranking: Fløøød and Vortglut. They play live, funky, ultra-lo-fi and (sort of) danceable electronica called ‘skweee,’ and they’re linking up with Antidote to bring two of the genre’s pioneers, Savio and Limonious, for a party they’re calling Ping Pong Diplomaskweee at Dada on August 23rd. Trust me – it’ll get weird.
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