DJs have seemed to have a place on the party scene in Shanghai for as long as anyone can remember. From massive nightclubs, to rooftop parties and underground bars, there’s always someone on the turntables playing a variety of hip-hop, techno, vinyl or any other genre you could possibly think of. But who are these mystical people that seem larger than life? How do you become a DJ and what makes someone decide to do it? We’ve sat down with four of Shanghai’s hottest DJs to get the scoop on their accomplishments, main spots and favorite moments.
DJ since '05 | "sock hop" | toured 29 countries
DJ BO has been in the Shanghai DJ scene for many years. He’s DJed in 29 different countries and plays a variety of different genres. His favorite genres to play are “sock hop” and a style he’s dubbed “Border Breaks: International Funky Sounds” where he focuses on tracks he's picked up in the many countries he’s played in.
“I've always been fascinated by DJs, and even in high school for a career day activity got to go to a local pop radio station and sit in. However, it started in earnest in college in Gainesville, Florida, which has a very DIY punk scene where everyone did everything. I had gotten some positive feedback for the playlists I put on in-between bands, and so decided to do an event – minus the bands entirely. Shout out to the purple house, Tim & Terry's for hosting my first solo party, along with their cute bartender, Vyki. She still makes the best grilled cheese.”
“When people ask me about the song I'm spinning – especially if their sucker Shazam app can't pick it up. As much as possible, I want to present things to people that are new to them. There's space for touching things people are familiar with, but the best is turning them on to something new.”
“I appreciate the legacy of Shanghai's nightlife, going back 100 years. I highly recommend the book “I Didn't Make A Million”, a memoir by Whitey Smith, probably Shanghai's first party-time superstar, and just a cool dude overall. I've DJed at places and then recognized the streets outside in Ruan Lingyu movies.”
“I DJ all over: I started this year at 📍HUNT, have been DJing African music parties around town, and spin punk records at 📍C's. At the moment I'm between residencies – but hope to solve that soon!”
DJ for 7 years | reggae | dancehall
Kyle B. has been a DJ in Shanghai for about seven years now and mostly plays around the different underground spots in Shanghai. His favorite genres to play are reggae and dancehall.
“I’ve been a musician since I was a kid, but I only started DJing after I got to Shanghai. We used to joke that one in every four people in the city was a DJ – I was hanging out with a group that had even higher numbers, so I decided to give it a try.”
“The simultaneously simple and difficult task of selecting music. DJs have the ability to completely set or change the mood of any venue they are performing in, but there’s a delicate balance between knowing what the crowd wants to hear and setting a scene that people want to be a part of – whether or not they are familiar with the music. At the end of the day, they are there to see you perform, but at the same time, you’re at their will. When those things line up perfectly, it’s the most exciting thing in the world.”
"This is going to sound cheesy, but the simple fact of being paid to play reggae music for other people is the best. It never gets old, and for a lot of people it would just be a dream. If I had to choose one specific time, it would be a festival I played at in Yunnan with a bunch of big-name EDM DJs. It wasn’t exactly my usual scene, but one of the artists made a post on social media that said ‘opener is absolutely slaying the crowd with a straight reggae set’ – that made me very happy."
“Mostly underground spots around Shanghai. I play regularly with Shanghai Dancehall at places like 📍C’s bar, or with Popasuda at 📍DADA. I also do a radio show that I upload to NetEase Cloud Music and SoundCloud, and have original music released on all streaming platforms.”
DJ for 6 years | Sonar | Clockenflap
Cocoonics got her DJ career started in Hong Kong before making her way to Shanghai. She’s been DJing for nearly six years. She doesn’t narrow her style down to one specific genre, but instead says she lets the feelings of the music guide her playing.
“It wasn't until I was 20 years old that I bought my first sampler, the SP404, to make beats. I had the opportunity to organize an event at my university, so I decided to give myself a chance to perform. Even then, I still wasn't thinking about DJing. Instead, I imported songs I liked and beats I made into the sampler and did a 40-minute set. A friend helped me record it, and I posted it online. Later on, Hong Kong Community Radio reached out to me on social media and invited me to do a live streaming set. Perhaps my involvement in the local cultural scene as a journalist, despite being only a student, helped me establish connections that led to this opportunity. The video quickly gained popularity, and a few weeks later, I received an invitation from Sonar Hong Kong. Following my performance at Sonar 2018, the director approached me backstage and asked if I would like to play at Clockenflap, a popular Hong Kong music festival, in the same year. This whole journey still feels like a miracle to me.”
“The trance moment when I am inside the music. It's like meditation, and you can't even feel your body and breath. That's the best experience I’ve ever had, and this kind of situation could happen around once a month. It's a blessing to me, totally.”
“I’ve burst into tears so many times after playing at Elevator, out of being so moved by love and excitement.”
“My favorite set is always the next one.”
"I play at a variety of venues around town, but most regularly at popular clubs 📍Heim and 📍Elevator."
DJ for as long as he can remember | a long list of genres
DJ Iku-Iku is the resident DJ at popular club Roxie’s. He’s been a DJ for as long as he can remember. Iku-Iku plays a variety of different genres including hip hop, soul, funk, house, reggae and a long list of others.
“I always wanted to know what it would sound like if I took the drum and bassline from one song and the vocals from another song but drastically slow down the tempo to see what new sounds I could discover and create. It seemed to me the best path to take was to find out as a DJ.”
“The biggest part has to be about playing music and mixing because that’s how we all started. Mixing on the fly always brings me a rush from behind the deck, especially when I’m in the zone and in total control of the dancefloor dynamics, reading the crowd, mashing up tracks, changing the flows, making mistakes but still being able to recover. I can feel the adrenaline burning in those moments. But if we spare the obvious, for me being a DJ, the best thing is to connect with people through music.”
“I really think the first thing is to try and understand yourself and the roots of your music. I tell my DJ students to always start by thinking if they have a life soundtrack, what would be the songs on it – it doesn’t have to be danceable at all but the songs that are closest to their hearts. That way you can honestly start analyzing what elements really move you, rather than what’s cool at the moment. When you start going out to the DJ scene, with so many things going on in different parts of town, it can really make you lose sight of what you’re really made of.”
“When I’m back in Shanghai, most likely I’ll go back to my residency venues 📍Roxie, 📍Riink, perhaps 📍Cyclo. I’ll hang out and play mini-sets with friends that actively organize events at 📍C’s bar. I also DJ for a workout franchise called 📍F45 on Saturday mornings. Otherwise, we move around with events or bookings to different venues like 📍Club Roza, 📍Gin n Juice, etc. I'm currently DJing in Taipei. You can find my music at www.mixcloud.com/DJIkuIku/.”
(All photographs are provided by the interviewees.)
