Frequent Collaborative: A New Safe Haven for Underground Music in Beijing

Located in a leafy complex just off of Sanlitun Xiwujie and behind the German Embassy, C5 Art Space has been quietly providing a platform to up and coming artists for close to 15 years. Now, it's ready to make a lot more noise, working with Meishuguan Back Street's basement venue Fruityspace, which has acted as a safe haven for some of Beijing’s most offbeat sounds, to host intimate art gallery showcases, and cobbled together with a keen eye for minimalist design and ingenuity that’s feels hip without trying too hard. Aptly, the new venture is called Frequent Collaborative.

Simply put, this ain’t your usual music venue. That's something Zhai Ruixin, the man behind Fruityspace saw when he organized the first Frequent Collaborative showcase a year ago, celebrating the start of his label Space Fruity Records. (Strangely enough, Space Fruity Records got its 15 minutes of fame this past weekend after the record label's merch was spotted being modeled by, of all people, Harry Styles.)

As Josh Frank, one half of the duo Gong Gong Gong recalls of that first gig: “It felt like there was something special happening," capturing, "a new middle ground between guerilla shows in an underpass or in the woods and an actual permanent venue." This weekend, Frequent Collaborative will hold two back-to-back ringers on Friday, Aug 23 and Saturday, Aug 24.

Consisting of a long closed-in outdoor corridor and a snug white-walled indoor "stage" area, there’s a multi-functionary aspect to the venue that gives each and every showcase it’s own personal touch; acting as a gallery by day, the venue metamorphosizes by night into however the bands and organizers see fit. "There’s no fixed stage, no fixed audio equipment… we don’t have to stick to the traditional format – it allows us to be flexible," explains Zhai. So while some shows take advantage of the tall white walls for mindbending visuals, others will utilize the breezy outdoor space to allow the sounds to reverberate through the complex. “Everything can be put together almost randomly, allowing us to do something interesting each time."

Over the past couple months, Zhai and C5 Art Space have been getting more experimental, hosting folks like Shanghai's electronic label Eating Music and Hangzhou's krautrock outfit Dolphy Kick Bebop, outfitting the place to accommodate their particular styles and catering to the theme of the event. This weekend, Zhai and company invite back some of Fruityspace’s most reputable ensembles, including cult favorites The Molds, whose "surf rock on methadone sound" took a breather when their nonchalantly charismatic (and, ahem, downright sexy) frontman Liu Ge moved to Australia earlier this year. Joining them on Friday night will be afro-rock trippers Sleeping Dogs and experimental supergroup Kaoru Abe No Future. Then there's another homecoming on Saturday, as phantom rhythm duo Gong Gong Gong, who’ve been making a splash in the US (including a tour with esteemed cranial punks Parquet Courts), return to Beijing to join guitar noise shaman Li Jianhong.

Ahead of the gig, Josh Frank says, "It feels pretty exciting to have different scenes in Beijing overlap in a way that feels complementary – especially because there's been such a dearth of independent performance spaces in the city. Frequent Collaborative is quite suited to the landscape in Beijing, and makes every show feel like its own unique happening." It's the type of venue that feels secluded, offbeat, and sophisticated all at once, providing Frequent Collaborative a potential that we look forward to Fruityspace and C5 Art Space continuing to adapt in new and unexpected ways.

Head to Frequent Collaborative on Friday, Aug 23 to see The Molds, Sleeping Dogs, and Kaoru Abe No Future or Gong Gong Gong and Li Jianhong on Saturday, Aug 24.

READ: Beijing Wants You to Stay Up Late and Spend Your Money (or See Some Art)

Images courtesy of Zhai Ruixin, Live Beijing Music