Six Years of Partying with YEN: DJ Mickey Zhang

Yen, organizers of the Yen Fetish Halloween Party voted “Best Party of the Year” in our 2010 Reader Bar & Club Awards, is having its 6th Anniversary Party this Saturday June, 26 at 706 Factory in 798 Art District. Click here to find out how to win free tickets. Featuring a full lineup of Beijing’s best local artists and special guest performers, it is guaranteed to titillate the senses and fulfill all your techno music needs. Mickey Zhang, techno veteran and long time Yen DJ, tells us a little bit about himself and how the idea of Yen came about.

Where does the name “Mickey” come from?

I named myself Mickey when I was 14 years old; I was just starting to learn English and watching Mickey Mouse on television. But this was a name born out of fear and not affection for our furry Disney friend. I have always had a phobia of mice and so decided to name myself after a giant mouse to conquer my fears.

As one of the catalysts of Beijing’s techno music and dance scene, how would you say it has changed and what do you see for the future of techno music?

Techno music in Beijing has undergone many transformations in just the past few years, quickly gathering its own distinct group of followers while simultaneously easing its way into mainstream pop. Although techno doesn’t have the same kind of commercial presence as typical pop songs, the evolution of techno music is picking up speed. In an age of unparalleled technological progress, not just techno but all forms of digital music stand to benefit and grow exponentially.

Rumor has it that you’re moving to Berlin. Is this true and why are you leaving?

Yes, I am planning to leave in August. My decision to move to Berlin was based on several different factors. Despite having great music, Berlin has a very creative atmosphere and is a hotspot for musicians and artists from all around the world to gather and exchange ideas. Of course part of my decision to move is also career related; I will be working on a few albums while I’m there.

What is Yen and how did it get started?

Yen is a production brand under the ownership of a professional planning and production company by the name of O2Culture. Six years ago, I, Dio, and our party organizer Kiko began it as a project in which we hoped to provide a performing platform solely to promote our local artists and DJs.

Yen is known for having some of the best parties in Beijing. Which has been your favorite?

That’s a very difficult question to answer. The truth is I have a soft spot for every party we hold. Yen is my baby, a child that I’ve been raising and nurturing for six years and I am proud of its every achievement and every step and stumble. But of course, over the years our parties have had its highs and lows in terms of commercial success, crowd size, and atmosphere. Probably the most attractive and popular party is the YEN Fetish Halloween Party – crowd numbers reached an all time high last year at 3,500 guests. Why so popular? To put it simply, it’s a place where you can expect to see any kind of person you can imagine, and then also some that you can’t.

Over three thousand people – that’s quite a large crowd. Are you hoping for similar numbers this weekend?

We hope that we can keep the crowd size controlled within that range. Our rapidly expanding group of followers has compelled us to possibly start looking for larger, more suitable places to hold our events. But for now, for the sake of safety, we must enforce a strict cap on the number of people allowed in. Partiers should definitely buy tickets early and arrive early.

Who are the artists performing?

We’ve added a few new performers in addition to the YEN regulars. One is the electronic rock band Pet Conspiracy, a performance that I am personally really looking forward to. We also invited the performing duo Wasted Shanghai Youth who specialize in scratching and mashups which should also be very exciting and definitely worth seeing. And of course there are the DJs who have been supporting and performing at YEN parties for many years now, including Patrick Yu, Yang Bing, Blackie, Dio, and Eddie. These are names that most Beijing clubbers will recognize. With a total of eight acts performing this weekend, the amount of time each DJ has to showcase his music is much shorter, making for an exciting and varied playlist for the night.

Yen 6th Anniversary Party will be this Saturday June, 26 starting at 9pm at the 706 Factory in 798 Art District. Tickets are 150/80 advance.

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