Beijing Beats: Traxman at Dada, Taku Hirayama at Zhao Dai, E Energy Electronic Music Party at Tango
Beijing Beats brings you the best in Beijing nightlife each weekend so that you can soothe the woes of a long and stressful week with some out-of-body gyrating and some experiences you'd rather forget come Monday. Check the weekend's full list of nightlife events here.
Thursday, Jul 12
Sinistarr
Detroit DJ and producer Sinistarr is highly regarded for his drum and bass tracks that employ a deft touch of minimalism and restraint to ratchet up the tension before breaking into gorgeous synth and 808 laden releases. Prime example: "I Am Not Invincible", which drives home the sentiment of its title with anxiously skittish bass notes and melancholy synth drones. Then there's "Clear Your Mind", whose spare, moody beat and synth groove make strategic flourishes like modified vocals and keynotes pop far more vibrantly than they would on a more typical track. Discerning clubgoers looking to dance to unique and textured sounds will revel in Sinistarr's set. RMB 50. 10pm. Dada
Friday, Jul 13
Ase Manual
This rising New Jersey producer crafts aggressive and engrossing tracks like the mile a minute tempo of "Aye Ok", the lean and mean "Fluent", and the dancehall-laced, hard-driving "Nobody". Ase Manual's tracks have been hyped by the likes of The Fader and other well-regarded music tastemakers, helping to build him some serious buzz. Ticket price TBD. 10.30pm. Zhao Dai
DJ Solar
A veteran of San Francisco's clubs and raves since the early '90s, DJ Solar has long cemented his reputation as a DJ and producer that crafts tracks and sets where just about anything that can happen. Be it techno, disco, house, or electro sounds teamed with the kinetic energy of a punk or psychedelic rock gig, there'll be plenty of offbeat combinations to break down your preconceived notions of genre and style at this raucously eclectic set. Whet your appetite with a video of his high-energy Boiler Room gig from a few years back here. RMB 80. 10pm. Dada
E Energy Original Electronic Music Party
A stacked roster of electronic artists, including Dirty Class, Anti-General, R7CKY, LeeAlive, and more will take to Tango's slickly designed stage for a night of equally glossy sheened, pop-oriented electronic music. Check out one of Dirty Class' upbeat EDM style mixes here, and hear one of R7CKY's atmospheric, anthemic tracks here. RMB 200, RMB 150 (advance). 9pm. Tango
Dizzysystem Visual Dub Party
A number of seasoned Chinese veteran DJs will provide a breezy reggae soundtrack at snazzy Taikooli North lounge InfraRouge. Dizzy Di, who originally hails from Guangzhou but has been plugged into Beijing's music scene for years, will lay down some funky and reggae-inflected tracks, while the more mellow Wildwata will play soothing dub slow jams (hear some of his work here), alongside half a dozen other well-regarded DJs. RMB 50. 10pm. InfraRouge
Wasabi Sound X TechNOrules
Eric Lee, 2MM aka Sean C, Shen Yue, Sherry, Aida, and Xenia make up the roster at this mash-up of long-running collective Wasabi Sound and upstart female-empowering DJ platform Technorules. For more on what to expect, check out our interview with Technorules co-founder Aida here. RMB 50, RMB 20 (advance). 10pm. Aurora
Saturday, Jul 14
Traxman + Gundam
Chicago footwork, ghetto house, and juke veteran Traxman (pictured at top) will take to Dada's stage on Saturday for a set full of layered instrumentals, crisp production, and soul-stirring vocal samples to get you hopping like a madman. Quintessential examples include the soaring yet also mellow "Trax Love's The Sunshine" and the pulse-pounding house cut "Can't Stop the House". RMB 100, RMB 80 (advance). 10pm. Dada
Albert van Abbe
Dutch DJ Albert van Abbe is widely considered to be a rave veteran. However, some of his best tracks are atmospheric, delicate slow burners that tickle your eardrums and cerebral cortex before reaching dance-worthy climaxes. A recording of his Awakenings Festival set in the Netherlands a few weeks ago is just one prime example of what van Abbe is capable of, or this video where he makes a track "on a giant wall of oscilloscopes, pulse generators and filters from the 1950s and ‘60s along with an ARP 2500." RMB 80, RMB 50 (advance). 10.30pm. Lantern
Taku Hirayama
Hong Kong-based, Japan-born DJ Taku Hirayama builds enveloping atmospheric instrumentals to get lost in, where synths sigh, percussion chimes, and the beats get you moving. It's unique, offbeat stuff from a well-regarded DJ who has been called a "nightclub impresario" by the SCMP. Price TBD. 10.30pm. Zhao Dai
For all this weekend's nightlife action, click here.
