Beijing Beats: Nina Kraviz at Great Wall Festival, Carnage at One Third, MIIIA at Lantern
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.
Thursday, May 17
Dinamarca
This Swedish DJ and producer has an affinity for Latin grooves, hardstyle, and trance. Those elements and more are seamlessly fused for dance-inspiring, unpredictable mix. Treat your ears to some of Dinarmarca' productions ahead of his Dada set here. RMB 60. 10pm. Dada
Friday, May 18
Carnage
Guatemalan/Nicaraguan-American record producer and disc jockey Carnage has played at huge festivals like Tomorrowland and Ultra Music, and now he's making his way to Gongti to grace One Third with his hardstyle and EDM jams. Get a taste of his high-energy vibes here. RMB 200, RMB 160 (advance). 10pm. One Third
Psychedelic Trance Party
Don't just dance the night away on Friday, trip to the synapse-bending vibes of DJ's Bodysnatcher, Gasse, and Ender.sub along with the dazzling visuals of VJ Depth of Field. RMB 60, RMB 40 (advance). 10pm. Aurora
Suzi Analogue
Fans of underground hip-hop will already be familiar with Baltimore producer and DJ Suzi Analogue. She has collaborated with critically acclaimed MCs like Blu, Quelle Chris, and Onra as well as Wu-Tang Clan mastermind RZA. Expect plenty of soulful retro vibes inflected with processed vocal samples and plenty of bass. Before her set, whet your appetite with some of her instrumentals here. RMB 80. 10pm. Dada
Saturday, May 19
Nina Kraviz, Dixon, Recondite, and more
Beloved Russian triple threat Nina Kraviz brings her DJing, production, and singing skills to this weekend's mammoth outdoor electronica Great Wall Festival. Berlin house and techno star Dixon, and Bavarian deep-house inclined producer Recondite round out the foreign talent roster on the first day of this year's fest, sharing the stage with local favorites like Huang Weiwei and Shen Yue. RMB 680 (one-day pass), RMB 980 (two-day VIP pass). 1pm-11pm. Great Wall Festival (Huaibei Great Wall Campsite, Next to Huaibei International Ski Resort)
Natural Flavor Hip-Hop Party Tribute to Notorious B.I.G.
If you're longing to let your tape rock 'til your tape pops, sip on Private Stock, and don your red and black lumberjack with a hat to match, then you're in luck this weekend. That's because Aurora is cranking out one retro Biggie Smalls hit after another, for a night of non-stop '90s nostalgia. RMB 100, RMB 80 (advance). 10pm. Aurora
Pancake Lee and Mario Yu, Pump Su
Aurora's roster uproots from their usual Dirty Bar Street haunt and takes their fun to the rooftops of Taikoo Li North. Yes, Pancake Lee, Mario Yu, and other Aurora regulars will be hit the decks at InfraRouge, which as of late seems to slowly be positioning itself less of a hub for glitz and glamor and more like a techno Migas. Free. 10pm. InfraRouge
techNOrules Presents MIIIA
Shanghai-based DJ and producer MIIIA headlines this latest installment of the Girls Can’t What? party series by the techNOrules collective. This segment of the female-centric party series also features sets by local heroines like Eva Xu, Sun Meng, and Aida for what they promise to be a night of "raw techno with no rules." RMB 50. 11pm. Lantern
Small Stepper
Local underground DJ and producer Fløøød brings his pal and collaborator DZZZ to Dada to release their new EP Qualms. Under the moniker Small Stepper, the duo draws upon dancehall and give that genre a big quirky twist for this new batch of songs. During a recent Q&A, Fløøød described the project as "more cut up and faster, taking in elements of grime and juke, which is something I always liked listening to but hadn’t let myself experiment with before." RMB 50. 10pm. Dada
Sunday, May 20
Chris Liebing, Carl Craig, Ou Yang, Davi Li, and QQ
Day two of the Great Wall Festival features Frankfurt techno vet Chris Liebing, pioneering Detroit techno star Carl Craig, along with beloved local acts like Ou Yang, Davi Li, and QQ. RMB 680 (one-day pass), RMB 980 (two-day VIP pass). 1pm-11pm. Great Wall Festival. 1pm-11pm. Great Wall Festival (Huaibei Great Wall Campsite, Next to Huaibei International Ski Resort)
Photos: techno-livesets.com, courtesy of the promoters
