Beyond the Box: Win Tickets to See Carlos Gibbs at White Rabbit on Friday

Carlos Gibbs will bring a small Redbox to Beijing on Friday, May 8th, for a guest appearance at White Rabbit Club. Doors open @ 11pm, entry RMB 60. For a chance to get your name on the door list, leave a comment on this post before 6pm on Friday, telling us why you want to see Gibbs perform. Keep reading below for an interview with the multitalented Gibbs.

Where hooks have aimed and lodged,
provoking feet to move,
eyes to be exposed
and ears to be pleased.

When night falls
or energy waits to rise
something seeds,
evokes a mood,
whether high in the sky,
deep within a cavern,
cube or space,
the beats provided a place for elements to merge:
a gigantic HOUSE breathing en masse.

A crimson Redboxed sun melting slowly, smoothly.

A fiery Redbox rising, propelling, compelling, swaggering!

- Carlos Gibbs
Taken from his introduction at www.redboxproject.com.

Olympian + DJ + producer + photographer + designer = Carlos Gibbs, the man behind the Redbox Project. Developing this labor of love project over the last few years in Tokyo, it was just a natural next step from the Deep House Project that Gibbs began producing in San Francisco. Of course it follows that such a renaissance man would create such a renaissance project. Functioning on an evolutionary number of levels, the principle focus of the Redbox Project lies in the synthesis of art and music, absorbing an amalgamation of creative people worldwide.

Coming over to Beijing with one 23 year old Japanese artist, Yu Hokazono - strictly out of curiosity - the two plan to spend most of their visit in 798 and surrounding art districts. They also plan to hit up the creative pockets nestled around the CBD. If there’s time left, they’ll head out to Songzhuang, too. But it might have to wait for their next jaunt from Tokyo.

This will actually be Gibbs’ second visit to Beijing. In April 2008, he played an intimate underground soiree at the White Rabbit. The gig was so far off the radar, in fact, very few people can say they were there. But, I was. And it was strictly because of the music promised that night:

TECH –BOOTY FUNK

I can honestly report that in the time prior to that night and ever since, it’s been rare to find a DJ in Beijing carrying his particular style of soul in their record bag. It’s a genre of electronic music that’s warm and sharp, fresh and yet familiar, dark and light, all at the same time. It’s the kind of enlightened species of electronica that people have come to expect at White Rabbit since its establishment. Or to sum it up in words by the DJ himself, it’s just pure:

“Spacy disco...electric mahogany funk.”

In further reference to his sound, Gibbs credits Francois K and Steve Bug for being involved in his musical direction. “I always liked deep minimal sounding house music and the driving rhythm of house music,” he explains, “It’s like a pulse… and it’s a similar thinking process for me, going back to my [distance-running] days before. Like, when I was running I could hear my feet synch in time with my heartbeat.”

“It’s amazing to see what this cat can do,” Carlos says referring to Yu, the artist he’s been collaborating with in Tokyo and bring with him on this visit to Beijing. The two met when Gibbs walked into his shop and was amazed by the abstract detail of a clock installation Yu produced. The two now work together on Redbox, where Yu focuses on his Kikastyle brand. “He’s got so much talent and drive! It just makes me want to invest in him and make sure he goes as far as he can go,” Carlos says, sounding very much like a coach out in the field.

Although he’s too busy looking forward to think about the past, Gibbs’ former athletic career carries resonance in his artistic ventures today. There’s no direct relationship or even any hint of a trace to sports in the Redbox Project, but when you talk to Carlos Gibbs about his artistic direction and vision it becomes very apparent how grounded it is in his life experiences and athletic training.

A high endurance DJs willing to go the distance, his set will most definitely take the White Rabbit party and music experience to that next level. So lace up your trainers and get ready dance. On your mark, get set, go!

Carlos Gibbs will bring a small Redbox to Beijing on Friday, May 8th, for a guest appearance at White Rabbit Club. Doors open @ 11pm, entry RMB 60. For a chance to get your name on the doorlist, leave a comment on this post before 6pm on Friday telling us why you want to see Gibbs perform.