Michael, Where do Dadas Come From?: The History of Dada with Michael Ohlsson

Ahead of the Beijinger's 2015 Reader Bar & Club Awards, we sat down with Dada boss Michael Ohlsson and chatted about the history of Dada and what his impeccable dive will and will never be. This year Dada has been nominated for seven awards, so if you have any love for this place make sure to cast your vote before May 17 here. 

TBJ: How did Dada begin in Shanghai? Were you involved from the very beginning? 
Michael Ohlsson: Yeah, built it with my bare hands. And a few hired helpers. Well, I guess I was there helping lay the bricks. I'd been friends with my partners for a few years, we worked on some events together, events catering, music events, etc. We chatted up opening a little bar, looked for locations for a couple years until we found the space on [Shanghai's] Xingfu Lu. Then just came up with the name (Dada) a few weeks before soft opening. 

What's the relationship with C's Bar in Shanghai? Did they hire because you were a famous Shanghai party boy? 
I've never been an employee of C's or Dada! I'm a co-founding partner at Dada. The concept and front end are my own bad ideas. C's Bar, the owners are old friends, we've done events there for – yikes! Our 10 year anniversary is on August 8. 

Did you DJ a lot in the beginning? 
Not that much. At the time I was quite busy with other projects also and didn't have time to DJ myself. Only once a month for an hour. 

How do you think things have changed in the past 10 years? Has Ableton and Traktor ruined everything? 
No, actually I have a lot of respect for that software. I just personally prefer playing vinyl. It's what you do/don't do with these new tools that matters. Sure a lot of impatient kids are wanting to be DJs suddenly and the software makes it (too) easy. But it's not the fault of the software if they suck. 

Can you tell us any crazy stories about the early days of Dada? 
2010 during the world expo – crazy times! We were rammed seven nights a week for over six months. We became one of the go-to after work spots of everyone involved with the expo. We had an amazing run of talent come play from around the globe, all paid for, and all these big industry cats and diplomats. 

What was this talent during the world expo? 
My favorite night during the expo was having Nortec Collective come in for a secret gig on a Monday night. They brought their full horn section and just played around the room – the tuba player was standing on top of the bar. About 100 Mexican diplomats, mayors were going bonkers. 

What makes Dada different from other clubs? Would you say the diversity of the music you guys promote is part of your mission or is it just staying in touch with the times so you always stay relevant and make the big bucks? 
At Dada we program a very eclectic variety of music. We'll have a bit of serious music, the occasional cheesy theme party, and everything in between. We also mix up who's playing the music, giving local young talent a chance to start, but also hosting veterans and flying in proper talent from abroad. I think this keeps it fresh and interesting, but also helps build a community, and opens some minds. 

How did you and the partners decide to open up shop in Beijing? 
We started looking for a location back in 2011. It took two years. We were about to give up. One Sunday morning (I'd just gotten to sleep) my partner called and said get out of bed, we are coming to pick you up and we're flying to Beijing, we need to see this space today. On the flight up she said sorry I forgot to tell you I already put a deposit on it, hope you like it. Luckily it was the perfect space for what we wanted to do in Beijing. Just wish it was a tad bigger, eh? 

But you really can't get bigger in Gulou. 
But, hey, we struggled for the first year and half ... Losing money, embarrassingly empty dancefloors ... 

Now, interest is definitely growing though, right? People seem to come every weekend even if they don't know what is going on.
Yeah, the past year has been especially great. Obviously it's nice that people come just cause they like the venue, and hopefully some of them are intently curious about all the different music were doing. But then there's a lot of punters also, who don't know or care what's happening. It's so heartbreaking when we've put in months of work and passion and financial risk into bringing over a fantastic recording artist to play from half way across the world, and you have some drunk asshole who doesn't want to pay RMB 50 at the door. 

I'm going to use this moment to say if anyone ever bothers Emma Sun about paying entry, they will be prosecuted to the full extent of Dada law. Just a few years ago techno clubs in Chaoyang would regularly charge RMB 100-250 entry every weekend. 
I mean really, we should be charging more, but we are in Gulou and we know it. The kids can afford it. It's just an attitude thing. We are a music first operation, that's why we are in Gulou. It's the beating heart of the nation's music scene. Kids know they gotta pay to see a band play, but might not understand why for a DJ party. We are honestly just (trying to) break even on those expenses. 

Are there any goals that you have for the Dada brand, like expansion or ways to improve the space? 
Improve the space? You can't beat perfection! We hired pro security, and are always making tweaks to our soundsystem. But otherwise, yeah we are interested in doing Dada in other cities but only if it really makes sense. We've turned down quite a few offers. It's gotta be a smart move. We thought Beijing was going to be impossible. It's working out so far so that's been encouraging. 

If you are DJing and there are no style restrictions, what are you playing? 
I'm very moody and spontaneous when I DJ. I also go through phases of interest. I never play out what I plan to. Lately I've been into dub techno and droney sounds and abstract hip hop beats and weird electro funk. I'm kinda burned out on all the hyper club banger sounds like Trap music. 

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to open a club in Beijing or China?
It's all about working with the right people, the right partners.

Follow along with all of our 2015 Reader Bar & Club Awards coverage here.

Email: danielkippwhittaker@thebeijinger.com

Photo: Elephant Studio