Culture & Cool from Asia's most dynamic city
…onated to the SING charity. For more information about donations and ticketing, you may contact Elsie Leung from the Mandarin Oriental between 11pm and 5pm. Her email address is eleung@mohg.com or you may call 2132-0123. On the night of the 28th, doors open at 7pm and close sharply at 8pm. No one will be admitted after the concert has begun….
…ington Street) Central, Hong Kong Dress code: Black $200 HKD advance, $250 at the door Please email: theblacknight2009@gmail.com for more information…
…icks in at 2:15. Both the beat and instrumental are catchy, and the vocals compliment the instrumental perfectly. The fade out at the end that brings back the ambient noise is also a slick touch. While Mongkok doesn’t usually evoke a feeling of ‘chill’, the sheer musicality of this song makes it a winner. https://soundcloud.com/postmoderndisco/chasing-memories-1 Check out more on Postmoderndisco’s Soundcloud page, or head over to the official Post…
…he Girl On Bike series has been staged in eleven other cities around the world. For more info on INSA’s artwork, read our previous post. If you’re interested in attending the after party at FLY, please send an email to: rsvp.abovesecond@gmail.com The exhibition opening is at Above Second gallery from 7 to 10pm on Thursday, August 18th. Above Second 31 Eastern Street Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong INSA – GLOSS exhibition after party Thursday, August 18th,…
…exhibition, the Above Second gallery has teamed up with the site booooooom.com to bring you “Small Victories,” a show dedicated to these unintended, yet spectacular images. The exhibition is made up of 4×6 photos submitted from around the world. Above Second, on a roll? With a quick succession of events, Above Second has been establishing itself as a venue for interesting concepts. The gallery has so far highlighted slightly off-beat urban art, as…
…es, lollipops, and glow sticks – the scene was basically a caricature of a real rave. In typical Hong Kong fashion, people got the style, but not the message. They understood the accessories, but not the substance. The parties were often crowded, smoky and expensive. (I believe Sasha was around $600 HKD a ticket.) Vendors with a captive audience sold over-priced water and beer. People crashed in the hallways. Now defunct magazine, Absolute, was th…
…_real_estate_property_hong_k.jpg,full,pp_image] Once the new buildings are complete, many of the benefits that made Happy Valley an attractive place to live will continue to erode. The quaint, less crowded sidewalks; shorter lines at the bank, grocery stores, and restaurants, will all become a thing of the past. Happy Valley is already experiencing problems. Current issues such as traffic, will go from bad to worse. Already, during certain times o…
…of Bloc Party’s music, the night also claims to contain songs that influenced the group’s sound. This should feature a diverse variety since the group taps the sounds of multiple genres including Indie Rock and dance music. It will be a real treat to hear Kele Okereke’s selections. Disco Step Child will be opening up! This should make for a crazy night! Recommended! Volar Basement 38-44 D’Aguilar Street Lan Kwai Fong, Central Hong Kong Cover charg…
…etwork is teaming up with the Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy gang to bring Hong Kong a real trend-setter in international club music. Daniel Haaksman is responsible for bringing Brazil’s Baile Funk music out of the favela and onto world dance floors. The results have been spectacular and have changed the sound of contemporary dance music. Also headlining is D.J. Beware, a three time champion turntablist who started in H.K. and has since relocated to Austria….
…o have produced some of their finest acting and most memorable scenes. The combination of these two accomplished talents collaborating together would potentially be box office gold with pan-Asian appeal. A film by the two would play well in regional markets including China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Thailand. Collaborating with G-Dragon brings Wong Kar Wai a new audience as well as strong grassroots support for an upcoming film. For a quick demo…
…gn? Do you miss the instant gratification of purchasing an art book in the real world, instead of the boredom of ordering online, and having to wait for it to be delivered? Basheer Design Books provides all of that in addition to being an excellent place to kill some time in between appointments, or while waiting for friends to grab some food. Should you decide to share the place, your friends will be impressed. [photopress:Basheer_design_books_fi…
…the job they sought out international talent. The new speakers, made by a company called D&B Audiotechnik, feature “rotatable CD horns, dipolar driver arrangements and toroidal wave shaping devices integrated using line array principles…” Sounds pretty hardcore to me! 😉 For years the club has brought the world’s top d.j.s to Hong Kong. Now they can boast a sound system on a similar level. Recommended! D.J. Spinna Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 Drag…
…has a string of mixes online – that were once recorded on cassette! As any real DJ knows, there are endless amounts of interesting genres out there and his mixes include multiple sounds blended together elegantly. For a quick sample, have a listen to this mix by Beppe Loda. Interested in learning more about Space and Cosmic Disco? A good place to start is this excellent playlist on YouTube. In addition to the Italian DJ legend, there will be sets…
…of the group seems to have a different personality which creates a lively, freewheeling repartee when they perform. Occasionally during their set they came together as one to maximize the sound. It worked! 24 Herbs songs are a mixture of rapping in Cantonese and English. Music lovers and music makers were in the house including M.C. Yan, D.J. Tommy, Sam Lee, Edison, Hanjin, and Jun Kung. The near capacity crowd was also heavy on movers and shakers…
…le device during the commute. Savvy observers will recognize that this has real-world drawbacks and consequences. The commute is often plagued by people absorbed in their personal digital world, not observing what’s around them, often slowing down access to the trains and less likely to offer their seat to a person in need. Outside of transportation, and individuals walking down the street staring at their phones, another common issue is that peop…
…orld, W Hotels form a circuit that can be tapped to host traveling art exhibits and guest DJs. In the midst of a massive expansion into Asia over the next few years (including new properties in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Singapore, Macau, and Jakarta,) regional tours are a very exciting and real possibility for the hotel chain. With Woobars already up and running in Seoul and Taipei, let’s hope that this is just a taste of the good things to co…
…in the highly coveted title. Equal parts turntable magic, showmanship, and comedy, the complex routines that came out of those competitions are still able to awe crowds several decades later. Brooklyn born DJ Scratch was competing with contemporaries like DJ Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money. DJ Scratch live in Hong Kong! On Saturday, July 30th, DJ Scratch takes over the turntables at PLAY for a night of Hip Hop and a masterclass in turntablist skills. Ch…
…he e.q.s. There were less than ten people there, but they were feeling his vibe and he continued to kick it. That’s a real d.j.!…
…it was infused with more fresh watermelon, similar to an Italian ice. The real standout on the menu was the cold, creamy lychee pudding. My friend and I had never experienced anything like it. [photopress:Xiao_Tian_Gu_dessert_Tai_Hang.jpg,full,pp_image] The flavor and texture complimented one another, and the wooden spoon was a great touch. Though it’s served in a plastic cup, it didn’t take away from the experience. (Serving something in a plast…
…of Mongkok. The range and detail of the weaponry is amazing. These aren’t real guns or plastic guns aimed at kids, but metal replicas for adults who want to play wargames. Many of them are capable of firing pellets. There are places in the New Territories (an area outside of Kowloon that is less densely populated,) where people go war-gaming. Given the number of shops, I’d say that the trend is growing. M.C. Yan, Hong Kong’s godfather M.C. and gr…
…at M1NT on Thursday night. The show included a series of canvases, but the real stars were the tags and pieces he created on the club’s interior. Showing the eye of a true graffiti artist, L1ES attacked key surfaces within the club. M1NT deserves credit for not flinching, and giving him carte-blanche to write on whatever objects he chose, including their precious shark tank pictured above. Walking into the club, I had flashbacks to public school s…
…g films were once considered foreign movies and subject to a strict quota, they now have an easier time due to C.E.P.A. (the ‘Closer Economic Partnership Act’,) to tap China’s audiences. If the Hong Kong industry can come up with compelling stories and solid direction, as it did in the past, and its actors spend time honing their craft, rather than delivering mediocre performances, the future may instead be a bright one….
…string ensemble!) takes place on three screens simultaneously. The score, composed by DJ Spooky and originally performed by the Kronos Quartet, has gotten rave reviews. Aside from these performances, DJ Spooky will also be presiding over a master class and dj demonstration (in English with Cantonese explanation,) on October 14th, that touches on applying dj techniques and philosophies to contemporary art and composition. At the class he will delv…
…s a real voice, and a love of music, and is not a manufactured idol (as is common in H.K.). Having played hundreds of gigs, Janice is a much more seasoned performer than other entertainers her age. Basically – she deserves all the attention and positive reviews that she is getting right now. I’m also excited because I know that this is just the beginning for her. I’m happy that her twin sister Jill is also going to get to perform with her. The two…
…nning outside (at one point later in the night a leaf fell on his record!) Compared to the recent grand events I’ve been attending in China this was small scale. The venues in China are huge and there are many choices of interesting buildings. Hong Kong is limited due to the cost of real estate and lack of big spaces. There are under ten venues that are used in H.K. Anyway, the crowd was enjoying the jazz, soul, and bossa beats in between a fashio…
…orm for people interested in purchasing limited edition items. If you’re a real estate developer sitting on a similar property, placing a temporary shop for an exclusive brand is a brilliant strategy. Essentially it adds value to the space. It’s similar to the provenance of a painting. Hong Kong underground music fans might remember the building as the former site of Amnesia, a small club which hosted occasional Drum N Bass parties and a few cool…
…project by real-life brother and sister duo, Gilbert and Cindy Yeung. The combination boutique and cafe was still in the earliest stages of development, with not much yet on the shelves. Located in the 1881 Heritage development, just opposite the Cultural Centre, Brother and Sister is at the very start of Canton Road. But don’t look for a large sign for Brother & Sister on the ground floor. One first needs to enter via the Emperor Jewellery flags…
…ore likely to make a pilgrimage to the building. The two are not in direct competition. Though Rock Candy has dabbled in clothing, their main focus is on diamond jewelry. Juice, on the other hand is strong with clothing, shoes, and accessories. The two can actually help draw traffic for one another. Shoppers that go to one store are now likely to visit both. For shoppers with little time on their hands, the fact that they can now catch two interes…
…rop. It looked like Grandmaster Flash was playing mostly vinyl records – a real rarity these days, as most touring d.j.s go purely digital. [photopress:Grandmaster_Flash_DJing_HK.jpg,full,pp_image] [photopress:Grand_master_Flash_Scratchi.jpg,full,pp_image] At one point in the night, a surprise police license-check forced a stop to the music and the lights to come on. Flash navigated the inconvenience without losing steam or his cool. [photopress:D…
…a cocky attitude and broken Cantonese,) he’s put out several CDs and has a real passion for music. Check out his recent rehearsal with Race Wong and a brief interview: Michael Wong has not left the building… there’s more! In addition to the concert, there will be a special after-party to celebrate Michael Wong’s birthday! The after-party will take place at The View on the 24th floor of The Sands casino and features several d.j.s as well as the Gla…