Dawn of a New Era?: The House Opens Tonight

Heard anyone complain lately about the lack of decent places to go clubbing in Beijing? Probably you have. If you’ve just arrived here, or read an expat listings magazine recently, you’ll have heard misty-eyed reminiscences about White Rabbit and Lantern, and wonder what these magical places were like. Forget them. The House opens tonight, and is set to lead us into the future of clubbing in Beijing. Super club Mix has the money, Acupuncture Records the ideas and aesthetic to take Beijing beyond Chivas, green tea and KTV. We spoke to Acupuncture Records head and all-round spiritual leader Miao Wong as she got ready for tonight’s opening party.

Well, first it came as a surprise. I was disappointed and a little upset. But after being in this business in China all this time, I quickly got over it and started making the most out of the remaining nights at Lantern.

Actually we started talking long before Lantern was closed, when the owner of Mix first got the new Worker’s Stadium North Gate location. Lantern had its limitations; that’s why before we knew we’d lose the place we already started looking around for other opportunities. At the beginning, we couldn’t agree on some core issues, like the overall style and clientele – after all, Acupuncture Records and Mix come from two different worlds. But in the end we reached an agreement, and we (Acupuncture) got to rebuild the place according our concept and aesthetics. It’s a bold move for Mix as well, but we’ll prove that it’s all worth it in the end. There’s a Chinese saying, “hao shi duo mo” (好事多磨) – good things never come easily.

We didn’t add anything to the original House – we built a new one from scratch. It’s a completely different concept.

We pushed the wall on one side of the building a few meters farther, so the space is bigger now. The first floor has a gigantic dancefloor, an 11-meter long bar, and – one of the highlights – an 11m by 2m visual projection wall. The second floor is more cozy – a bit posh – with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. This floor is also perfect for private gatherings.

The third floor is the rooftop, which will be open next spring. With a nice on-top-of-Gongti view, extended cocktail and champagne menu, and chillout and lounge music played, this should be a hot rendezvous spot for a more glamorous crowd.

Overall, The House is minimal in design and cutting-edge in sound and visuals. The red-and-concrete color scheme might remind our old friends of Lantern, and it’s fair to say that The House is the new Lantern, upgraded ten levels. I believe The House will be the ultimate venue for electronic music in China, so far.

Techno/minimal/tech-house on the first floor – expect lots of sweaty dancing and arms waving. The music policy on the second floor is broader – house is the focus, but drum & bass, retro dance and other genres will also be heard from time to time. And there’ll be people lining up outside to get in, I hope.

First of all, we already have the Acupuncture Records crowd. Having a club like this at a location like that has never happened in China before – the regulars at the mainstream clubs will at least be curious to check it out. When they do, they’ll step into a different soundscape, a different atmosphere, a different world – a different lifestyle, even. Some of them will feel awakened and be drawn in to become one of us. Some of them might not like it and go back to what they are used to. The important thing is to give them a shot, and have them give us a shot.

We don't have to do anything special, just do what we do and stick to it. It’s like the INTRO festival – not every single person is an electronic music fan, but when we create a setting, a vibe that surrounds them, they get sucked in and some of them transform into another type of partier for a lifetime. It’s an experience.

Yes, but regular guests can always get in for free.

I agree that there are sometimes cheap people, and some people who think they lose face paying a door cover. My opinion is that long-time supporters already have face with us, they deserve to get in for free. Real poor people who like our music but can’t afford paying a door cover shouldn’t be left outside. But other people, they have no reason not to pay. I believe that if you do your work well and be confident, you can be firm with the door policy – people will understand and eventually adjust to that.

The House is Lantern upgraded ten levels. It’s a symbol that the music and subculture Acupuncture Records represents have finally tapped into the heart of traditional nightlife in Beijing. It’s something the scene and we have long looked forward to and worked so hard to achieve. If The House takes Gongti by storm, the entire club scene in China will be reshaped in the following years, mark my words.

The location, the special layout, the different concepts on different floors, the broader clientele it caters to and the cooperation between Acupuncture Records and the Gongti tycoons at Mix.

Passion and great teamwork.

Quite a dramatic year. Great progress made but clearly every step further will be more and more difficult. 2010 made us mature, and now we’re ready to move forward.

ELVIS.T’s second album, to be released in January, and there’ll be more cooperation with other labels and artists. An Acupuncture Records world tour in the summer, and of course INTRO 2011.