BBC / Ice Cream flagship launch at HALO

So I’m at the opening party for the Billionaire Boys Club / Ice Cream store last night and I’m wondering what music they have planned for the occasion. Within a few minutes, the background music they have on fades, and someone begins to play. Unlike the usual arrangement, where a d.j. spins a track and then slowly or quickly mixes into another song, this person was using a series of sound effects to punctuate the transitions. Due to the absence of any mixing, I figured that it wasn’t an actual d.j. playing, so I decided to investigate a little further.

Walking over to the d.j. booth, I peered over the small wall and it was none other than…

Nigo, the founder of A Bathing Ape and partner with Pharrell Williams in BBC / Ice Cream!

Though not known as a d.j., Nigo has been involved with music for many years and has put out several CDs through various side-projects. His musical selection for the night was a tribute to his partner in the brand, Pharrell Williams (who was at the party,) and The Neptunes production group in general. It’s actually scary how many well known songs the duo of Pharrell and his production partner, Chad Hugo (who was also in attendance,) have created. They have a distinct, recognizable sound. I read that at one point their songs accounted for 43% of the top songs played on U.S. radio. From all the tracks I heard last night, that seems like an understatement!

The party was held at HALO, which was very well branded for the night’s event. The front doors, hallways, entryway and video-wall all featured the bright, classic Billionaire Boys Club iconography and logos.

The event began at 9:00. I arrived at 9:30, and the place was packed by ten.

While I enjoy events with special guests, the fame-frenzy that usually accompanies them is something I don’t care for. People jockey for proximity to the celebrities, which detracts from the vibe. The cooler people are there to celebrate and have fun, but others seem to want to leech off of the visiting celebrity’s fame. What constitutes leeching? It wouldn’t be bad if people were knowledgeable of the person’s career, or fans of their music, but you often find people excited to meet celebrities just because of their fame. This sort of thing happens whenever musicians, actors, or professional athletes come to town.

After an hour or so, people mellowed out and you could finally walk around the club, which is shaped like a horseshoe. I jumped from room-to-room seeing friends and enjoying the music. Nigo’s timing as the musical conductor of the evening was very good. He kept the flow of the party going with an impressive range of Neptunes produced songs.

The party was supposed to finish at midnight, but Nigo and a few friends kept the event going until nearly one. Who was in the house? 24 Herbs, Dan the Automator, Daniel Wu, Sam Lee, Takuya, Poon from CLOT, TK from Silly Thing, and a good swath of Hong Kong’s prime party crew.

Who was that masked man?

The Billionaire Boys Club / Ice Cream Flagship Store

If you haven’t stopped by the new BBC / Ice Cream flagship store yet, it’s definitely worth a visit. It features one of the best designs of any shop to open in Hong Kong recently. It’s several floors with an interesting layout and a sort of 50’s sci-fi decor. My favorite detail are the ice-cream sandwich benches! Check out my previous post about the exterior of the shop here. The address of the BBC / Ice Cream store is 14 On Lan Street in Central.