DADA Beijing Founder Talks Personal Musical Odyssey and Upcoming Shows

DADA is a well-known sanctuary for music lovers in Beijing. With its intoxicating blend of beats and bass, it's the perfect spot to dance until the wee hours of the morning. The mastermind behind this iconic venue will be touching down in Beijing this week, and on Mar 31, they'll be hosting a Brit Pop Night. Fans of British rock can look forward to a night of classic UK hits that will have them shaking their heads in delight.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael, the owner of DADA, about his musical journey and the upcoming show.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into music?
I started out in college radio when I was 15, in California. There was no college student that wanted to wake up at 5am on Saturday to do a radio show, but for me, it was my dream, and they let me do it. I rode my BMX bike to the university with a milk crate of records on the handlebars. From there I went on to work for record shops, labels, promoters, finally ending up as product manager at Virgin Records, before I quit the industry, moved to Egypt, and went on to other things. It was a lot of fun, I got to meet so many of my music idols, but the pay was crap.

In 2003, I ended up in China and started getting involved in music again, just for fun.

How did you come up with the idea of starting DADA, and what was your vision behind it?
I had managed a few live music venues in Shanghai, and was also touring around China with domestic and international bands and DJs, but it was always hard to find the right venue for a lot of these music acts -- maybe they were too weird for most places -- so eventually we decided to start DADA in Shanghai in 2009, then Beijing 2012, and Kunming 2020. The goal for DADA was to make a place that was casual, fun and a little sarcastic -- but also with good quality drinks, sound system, and music policy. We have a very eclectic line up of music, everything from reggae and rock to techno, disco or drum and bass -- whatever really, but it has to be good, we're strict like that, and fairly uncompromising about booking anything generic and mainstream.

What do you think sets DADA apart from other nightclubs in Beijing?
The crazy variety of music we play -- most nightclubs only stick to one style. We're not afraid to play Dolly Parton originals at peak time on a Saturday night. I think we also have a vibe that's welcoming and unintimidating, where people can mingle, where standing at the bar talking and joining the dance are the same thing. I also think we have pretty good quality drinks for a DJ bar.

Can you share with us any memorable moments or experiences that you've had while DJing at DADA?
Most recently, the night we got to open in 2020, after the first Beijing lockdown. It was so emotional. The crowd cheering at every single song we played, and seeing our security staff -- big tough guys -- in tears of joy along with everyone else.

What kind of music can people expect to hear at your upcoming show in Beijing on Mar 31, and what are you most excited about for the event?
This weekend is going to be fun! Mar 31, we're doing our annual Brit Pop/UK Rock night. It's me and DJ Koxon aka Cavia (former DMC China DJ champion, an excellent hip hop DJ with a soft spot for the Brit Pop).

And on Apr 1, we're doing a silly fake April Fool's line up, with me (Ozone), Demone, and Senders, and a few surprises -- playing all sorts of great dance music from the '60s to brand new, from all over the world.

What are your plans for the future of the nightclub?
We're excited to have international guests coming back very soon! Honestly, we lost so much money over the past three years, so our expansion plans are on hold now, but you never know, we might pop up in other cities -- things move fast here.

What advice would you give to aspiring DJs or music entrepreneurs who are looking to start their own nightclub or music venue?
Start modest, learn before you earn.

How do you select the music genres that are played at DADA, and what is your personal favorite genre?
I've always had very eclectic tastes. There's not any kind of music genre that I don't like, but that said, I'm very picky -- only about five percent of the music that's put out into the world is any good -- whether it's country western or future techno. If I have to pick on a genre, generally speaking I can't get into psy-trance or very sincere heavy metal, athough there's exceptions even with those. Luckily, my personal taste seems to dovetail nicely with the bookings we have at DADA, how convenient!

Can you tell us a little bit about your DJing style and how you keep the energy going throughout the night?
I play as DJ Ozone, it's almost entirely 1980s music. My Ozone alter ego started out playing '80s music on the radio and at school dances, so it's a back to the roots journey for me. Before House and Techno took over at the end of the '80s/early '90s, people didn't all face the DJ on the dancefloor -- don't get me wrong, I love house and techno, but I think sometimes it's fun to stop looking at the DJ and dance and mingle with the people around you at the club. Also, it's refreshing to hear songs again -- the verse, chorus, breakdown, the dramatic intro, the ecstatic vocals -- instead of endless, and perfectly mixed boom boom boom. Since I'm playing mostly 45s, you don't really mix this kind of music, but I do my best to keep a good flow, but also re-set the vibes a few times during the night, so we can hit all the colors of the rainbow along the way.

DADA Beijing
North Gate, Building A, Ritan International Trade Center, Nanyingfang Hutong, Chaoyang district
朝阳区南营房胡同日坛国际贸易中心A座北门B1

READ: Whet Your Whistle With Free Flow, BOGO & More Beijing Drinks Deals

Images: Courtesy of Michael from Dada