The Syndicate Celebrate 14 Years of Club Bangers on Nov 24
The Syndicate is a reassuring pillar in Beijing's sea of change. Now going on 14 years, the rotating team of DJs has seen members come and go but at its heart, they still have one overarching goal: to provide China with no-pretense nights of unbridled drum 'n' bass and dubstep ecstasy.
Starting out as a Wudaokou-based motley crew back in 2004, the past several years have seen the team coalesce into something more mature on account of consistently fun monthly Syndicate Sessions as well as regular fixtures at the capital's legendary Yen parties.
This Saturday's 14th-anniversary party promises to bring more of the same, landing in their usual Dada haunt and bagging UK drum 'n' bass DJ Kasra, founder of label Critical. He'll be spinning alongside Beijing bass scene stalwart Kay C, up-and-coming Tsunami as well as bass producers Negative 808 and Radiax.
We spoke to resident Syndicate DJ Kay C about what 14 years means to him as well as what clubgoers can expect at this weekend's blowout.
Having formed in 2004, you’re touted as Beijing’s longest-running crews. Could you tell us a little bit about how you got started?
We got started how many music promotion crews do: We were bored with the local scene, there was literally no drum 'n' bass or bass music in Beijing in 2004, so Dan Stephenson, DJ Slide, and DJ Elemental decided to form the Syndicate and play the music they liked out in clubs and bars. Jade Gray (now of Gung Ho Pizza fame) offered the crew a venue for our nights – Lush in Wudaokou – and the rest is history.
It’s no secret that Beijing’s landscape has been changing both on the street and in the clubs. What do you think have been some of the biggest changes – good and bad – over the past couple of years in terms of the Beijing club scene?
I think the changes have been almost all extremely positive. The underground music scene in Beijing used to feel very much like a foreign import, now there is a genuine local scene. It’s grown organically and you can see it on the dancefloors of Dada and Lantern every single weekend.
Can you name three highlights from your parties over the last 14 years?
Wow, hard to choose. Bringing Goldie to Beijing the first time was a seminal moment. We hosted the night at Club Mix. Yep, Club Mix in Gongti – the very same. Second may be our first ever party ‘downtown.’ We were a Wudaokou-based night for the first three years, and we played our first gig in Sanlitun in Cargo on Gongti Xilu. It was a Hospital Records night, and from then on, we were based around Sanlitun and Gulou. Third – well, it’ll be our 14th birthday with Kasra at Dada, won’t it?
How did you choose DJ Kasra to headline the anniversary party? Can you tell us a little more about the supporting DJs?
We actually brought Kasra to Beijing many years ago. He played at a club called China Doll, which has since closed (RIP). His label, Critical, puts out some of the most forward-thinking music in the scene and as a DJ, he draws from an incredibly diverse selection of DnB. In support we have Syndicate stalwart Kay C, he’s been a driving force in the Syndicate and the Beijing bass scene in general for ten years. Tsunami is a young up-and-coming DJ, and Negative 808 and Radiax are two of China’s hottest bass music producers. Not to be missed.
Can we expect any surprises from your big anniversary party?
We hear that Dada boss Michael Ohlsson will get a bit tipsy then believe he has transformed into King of the Strobe Light, jamming it on and off from behind the DJ booth. Oh, hang on, that’s not a surprise, is it?
What’s your dream for Syndicate over the next couple of years?
Syndicate has been a dream for all of us since day one. We’ve managed to do so many things that would have been almost unthinkable before we started it. Bring the biggest names in bass music to Beijing, put on the most memorable stages at the city’s biggest music festivals and been a part of what has become a vibrant, sustainable local underground music scene.
Finally, surfing your FB page I found [the above] picture from a show of yours in Dada in 2015. Will 12-year-olds also be able to attend this year’s party?
Haha. You know how they say that the older you get, the younger people look in clubs? Not saying you’re old or anything, but...
Touché.
Catch Kasra alongside four Syndicate DJs this Saturday, Nov 24. Doors open at 10pm and ticket prices are TBA.
Images courtesy of The Syndicate
