Beijing Beats: 食品まつり a.k.a foodman at Zhao Dai, Sugar House at Modernista, Pretty Cold at Dada
Beijing Beats brings you the best in Beijing nightlife each weekend so that you can soothe the woes of a long and stressful week with some out-of-body gyrating and some experiences you'd rather forget come Monday. Check the weekend's full list of nightlife events here.
Friday, Feb 22
Huit Etoiles
Things get off to an exciting start this Friday with "Tokyo Disco Crew" Huit Etoiles hitting up Dada courtesy of Italian Dance Wave Asia. Based in Omotesando's VENT club in Tokyo, Huit Etoiles have showcased their wamono (Japanese-made) nu-disco sets at clubs and radio stations around the world. Expect an upbeat crowd and lotsa dancing. RMB 80. 9pm doors. Dada
Prajnasonic presents Atmos 2019
For something a little more left of center, catch a handful of China's top soundscapers at Prajnasonic's first 2019 Atmos series event. 777, Huang Jin, Ruining, and EASYEAST will bring their own brand of warped club tracks to Yue Space's stage using an array of instruments, pedals, and computers. RMB 80, RMB 60 (advance). 9pm. Yue Space
Sunsiaré
Over at Zhao Dai, promoters Suanpan welcome their latest guest, Hong Kong-based DJ and producer Sunsiaré. Resident DJ at the Fragrant Harbor's 宀 club, Sunsiaré's strength lies in his "music selection, technical ability, and taste for exceptional sound quality." He also currently heads Homesick records. RMB 80. 10pm doors. Zhao Dai
Dip Into Darkness
With Lantern currently confined to their small room, Aurora leaps at the opportunity to show clubgoers that they can do techno just as well as their longstanding brethren. On Friday, that means Aurora Dark Room, a "dip" into darkness with seven hours straight of beats alongside industrial laser lights. DJs Mad, Jiajun, Bryan Chen, and Kaive take to the decks. RMB 50. 10pm doors. Aurora
Saturday, Feb 23
The Nightlife Residency presents 食品まつり a.k.a foodman
Another big booking for Zhao Dai, Japan's 食品まつり a.k.a foodman (pictured at top) is heralded for his deft mixing of electronic genres that span juke, footwork, ambient, house, techno, and noise, creating a sound "that defies categorizations – and is one of the few artists that actually fit this description," AKA a treat for anyone who doesn't like their beats over easy. He's joined with longtime Beijing tastemaker Howie Lee and Delhi's Fadescha, among others. Price TBA. 10pm doors. Zhao Dai
Sugar House "Songs to Make Love to" R&B Party
On the other end of the spectrum, Sugar House DJ duo Larry and Dirty Dishes get freaky with a roster stacked with the best R&B love (making) songs. Dance away the weekend to everything from '90s and 2000s R&B classics to modern day favorites. RMB 100, RMB 60 (advance). 9.30pm. Modernista
Pretty Cold!
Things get cold on Saturday at Dada with the latest night from the Pretty Cold collective, who are "dedicated to carving out a space for coldwave, minimal synth, and post-punk in the contemporary Chinese soundscape." What that means for you is jumping up and down to dissonant themes of dark romanticism, alienation, body horror, and the inevitable collapse of post-industrial society – sounds fun! DJs Xuran, Kyle Page, Zein, and Ozone perform. Price TBA. 9pm doors. Dada
Find even more heat on the dancefloor in our Nightlife Events section here.
Photos: hostess.co.jp, courtesy of the promoters
