As Dada Turns 5, Founder Michael Ohlsson Looks Back on the Beloved Dance Venue's Undeniable Impact

After half a decade of providing an irresistibly beat-and-bass-drenched haven to dance 'til the (very) wee hours, the masterminds behind Dada Beijing are planning a huge anniversary blowout tomorrow (Aug 18) to celebrate. While details on that fifth-anniversary are being kept hush-hush (though beloved DJ Simbad is rumored to perform), founder Michael Ohlsson promises a woozy evening with DJs that'll leave your hips shaking in no time, not to mention plenty of free booze. Ahead of the big bash, we asked Ohlsson to reflect back on all that the beloved venue has come to represent in its short but wildly successful time in the capital.

Tell us about the origins of Dada in Beijing five years ago – what prompted you to open it, some of the most memorable aspects of setting it up, and some of the highlights of its opening night, etc.
We opened Dada Shanghai eight years ago, and it was going quite well, so we decided to try Beijing. After looking for locations for two years, we were just about to give up when we found the space that became Dada Beijing. It was actually three spaces – a pottery workshop, an internet and gaming space, and a little bar called The Awesomeness Bar, which was never really open. I'd been doing events in Beijing for years before that, so we had a good network and recognition already. So it was fairly easy to create an initial buzz when we opened, but – as we found – very hard to make revenue in Beijing, compared to Shanghai. It still is, and despite appearances, we really struggle to pay our rent here.

What are some of the biggest ways that Dada has grown and evolved since its opening?
It actually took a few years after that initial buzz to become an "institution" in town, where now we have a pretty strong following that just trusts us, and comes out regardless of our bookings. That means we can continue to book music acts that are more interesting, eclectic, groundbreaking, experimental, and so on, which is exactly what we want to do. Also, our audience is 90 percent Chinese now, instead of the 50-50 foreigner mix we had the first year.

Who have been some of the biggest acts or "gets" that you've been most proud to bring to Dada over the years? Please explain why they were such significant gets.    
Oh man, so hard to answer this. We have booked literally hundreds of great acts at this point. Of course, doing acts that are way too big for our little club – like DJ Krush, Daniel Miller, The Bug – and having it actually go well, that's an amazing rush, when you push beyond your expectations and it works out.

What other challenges have you come across?
There was one intense instance when an agent didn't tell us about a performer's disability. So when he arrived at midnight, we were frantically looking for a wheelchair, a sanlunche driver, changing the hotel, and changing all the other plans for his stay. Also, getting him in and out the venue was a challenge. But it all worked and he played a three-hour set, and then signed autographs for an hour after.

What are your future plans for Dada?
Beijing is in a very shaky moment, no? I'd be happy to just stay alive and well at this point. Our team is more active in Shanghai actually, we have several new projects that aren't related to Dada. We are still interested in doing another Dada in a new city, but taking it safe and cautious until the right time and place appear.

I'm very excited about the programming we have set up for the rest of the year. We're going to try some new things. We have a few acts coming from Africa and the Middle East, and some new fresh producers from around Asia. There will be a few big legacy acts of course, but we want to push more new – or at least new to China – stuff so people can experience something different and head-cracking.

Photos: The Beijinger, Medium