Undercurrents is an ongoing column on 香港六合彩资料网 in which we profile Shanghai-based promoters and music makers living and putting on music events in this city, specifically within the context of the larger cultural, economic, and arts landscape in Shanghai. These are your manufacturers of cultural capital, Shanghai. This is the business of art and music.
DJ, producer, and promoter, Tzu Sing is the mask behind the newer 鈥溾�� parties at . Parlaying his experiences playing with locally-based techno junta, VOID, Stockholm Syndrome is Tzu Sing taking a night out on his own and exploring the sinister elements of dance music.
Tonight at Dada, expect music that hits on power electronics, first wave electro, industrial and its various offshoots, into Detroit techno and various styles of house, into American 鈥渋ndie dance鈥� and more. Assisting on harshing the buzz this Friday is special guest DJ, Zammo, another VOID alum who mixes in classicist new wave with a techno background.
香港六合彩资料网 talked to Tzu Sing about throwing parties that mean something, dammit.
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SmSh: Maybe to start with you could describe what Stockholm Syndrome is all about. What kind of music is it? What goes on? Who, where, what, why.
TS: Essentially, it鈥檚 a party more interested in the darker side of electronic dance music. I don鈥檛 want to keep it in any genre. That鈥檚 not something I鈥檓 too interested in. I like house; I like techno; I like electro; I like EBM; I like industrial -- all sorts of music.
I鈥檝e found that I identify with certain specific emotions and music elements that are being expressed, more so that the genre itself. I鈥檝e found myself in all these genres.
And I鈥檓 drawn to elements that have to do with anger and being pissed off鈥�
SmSh: Wanting to explore 鈥渢he darker elements of dance music鈥�. Where do you see that fitting in with the larger musical landscape in Shanghai? Is that a reaction to what鈥檚 out there? A response to a perceived lack in this city?
TS: Absolutely. It鈥檚 very much, I think, my personality -- pent up rage and aggression, I guess. So it鈥檚 coming from a desire to release energy or express oneself. Also, I think, there鈥檚 a lot of young people in Shanghai that are interested in this kind of music. You can see it on Weibo or wherever -- the kinds of stuff kids are posting. I think they鈥檙e actually quite hungry for some new shit.
Or not even 鈥渘ew鈥� but 鈥渟omething else鈥�, you know. An alternative.
SmSh: So where are you from and what do you do for money in Shanghai?
TS: I was born in Malaysia and I grew up all over -- Taiwan, Singapore, the U.S., China -- and now I鈥檓 back in China, but I've been all over the place. I moved to Shanghai about four years ago, but I鈥檝e been living in an industrial zone for a while. I only just moved back into the city really about three months ago. I鈥檝e just been working -- I started a company out there鈥�
SmSh: What鈥檚 your day job?
TS: I run a cycling components brand.
SmSh: So as someone relatively new to Shanghai, what鈥檚 been your impression of the music and clubbing scene here?
TS: Well, to take a step back a bit, I used to DJ out with a friend back in Chicago and I kind of had to give that up after moving to China because I鈥檝e been working. But I鈥檝e been getting back into it, going to The Shelter and Dada and stuff. I鈥檝e been doing this business stuff for a while now and I guess this music thing has been back in my head the whole time.
Actually, it鈥檚 like the older I get, the more intense it gets, that I have to do something. I love my job and I love doing what I do, but there still this side of me that I can鈥檛 deny鈥�
SmSh: Is it hard to balance these two impulses -- having a professional career and wanting to mess around with music in a club at night?
TS: It鈥檚 definitely hard to balance, yeah. And I also employ people as well so it鈥檚 responsibility. I definitely want to give both my all, you know鈥� so I guess it鈥檚 hard鈥�
SmSh: So this Friday night is the third Stockholm Syndrome. Generally speaking, it鈥檚 a bit of a departure in terms of music from a general night out. 鈥淒ark Wave鈥� and industrial are kind of rarer to find in this city鈥� as is hearing someone play a slow Zola Jesus song at midnight鈥� how are people responding. Are you getting complaints?
TS: No, actually. A few people have come up and said some nice things, actually. And we haven鈥檛 had people requesting that we change the music鈥� I think the crowds in Shanghai are as sick of bullshit music as we are, you know. So many people underestimate the crowds in Shanghai鈥� if you do something different, people will go there with you if you give them a chance鈥�
SmSh: Speaking directly to the promotional side of it, how much energy are you looking at researching an audience? Are you thinking about, 鈥榟ow can I promote this to different groups of people鈥�? Do you have strategies for 鈥榮elling it鈥�? Or is it more, just putting it out there and whatever happens, happens?
TS: I think if you do something honest and true to yourself that鈥檚 the main thing鈥� I think if you keep it honest that sort of resonates with people. This is something I鈥檝e learned from running my own business -- designing products that I believe in. I didn鈥檛 really do much marketing or anything but it did well because there are people out there actively searching for this stuff.
I think that鈥檚 what 鈥渃reation鈥� is -- you have this vision in your head that doesn鈥檛 exist out there, and you work to materialize it. And if other people out there are sharing that vision they鈥檒l seek it out鈥�
SmSh: One of the central concerns in Shanghai with a lot of the music and clubbing promoters in this city is communicating their angle to the seemingly incommensurable audiences of 鈥渆xpats鈥� vs. local Chinese audiences. You know鈥� 鈥榠s this something I can sell to both expats and Chinese鈥�? Is that something you think about?
TS: Absolutely. Well, I lived in Taiwan for a while and still go back often. And the thing about Taiwan is that 鈥渃ool shit鈥� doesn鈥檛 happen all that often I don鈥檛 think. The thing about Shanghai is that it has all these expats who are coming from all these different cities with these advanced music and club cultures鈥� they sort of know this stuff and if they see it on a flyer and it鈥檚 what they like, they鈥檒l turn up. You don鈥檛 have to do so much work. I think Shanghai is the way it is because of this massive expat market鈥� and the crowd reflects this. But I think it鈥檚 changing.
There鈥檚 a lot more young Shanghainese kids out there that now have this thirst for this stuff鈥�
SmSh: For a lot of promoters, it鈥檚 the expats that represent the money that pays for all the stuff -- they鈥檙e the ones that drink and cover the costs of thing -- but it鈥檚 sort of a Pyrrhic victory when they throw a concert and it鈥檚 just a bunch of white people turning up. Everyone seems very much concerned with appealing directly towards the 鈥淐hinese market鈥�, as that represents a long-term vision of making some cash鈥�
TS: Yeah I can see that. In my case, I鈥檓 Chinese by blood. And although I still might not be accepted by Chinese people -- actually that鈥檚 a whole new can of worms 鈥� but I still feel the need to contribute to my own culture. I guess if you want to put it into corporate terms -- 鈥渢argeting the Chinese market鈥� -- yeah, but it鈥檚 more that I want to see a valuable Chinese music culture and want to be a part of it.
There so much bullshit in this city, and if you don鈥檛 do something about it鈥� then things don鈥檛 really change. I think maybe people don鈥檛 realize that sometimes鈥� there鈥檚 so much bullshit, but if you don鈥檛 do something to change it, things will stay the same.
There鈥檚 a way to remedy it鈥�
SmSh: Speaking to what you鈥檙e getting at, do you see Shanghai music and clubs and split into a sort of 鈥榤ainstream vs. underground鈥� divide?
TS: Definitely. This is war. [Laughs.] Well, yeah. I don鈥檛 know. This is the way people should look at it, I think. They should. They should care.
Well, yeah. It鈥檚 fine. Go out, get drunk, whatever the fuck鈥�
SmSh: But it鈥檚 supposed to mean something, dammit!
TS: It supposed to mean something! Right, well... As a kid that's why you choose something to listen to. You were sick of something and wanted the alternative.
SmSh: What sorts of shit did you choose to listen to as a kid?
TS: Oh fuck, now it鈥檚 going to sound bad鈥� [laughs]. Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails -- that was sort of the first album that taught me that noise could be beautiful, you know. Growing up in Taiwan, it was a very different album鈥�
SmSh: To go back to Stockholm Syndrome, who all is involved and what are your plans for the future? Is the trajectory towards bigger, bigger, more, more?
TS: Just me and Drunk Monk. But we have other guests in sometimes鈥� right now it鈥檚 at Dada bar only. This Friday is the third one. I think in the future if we bring in live acts or whoever from overseas we might try to do it in a live venue or a different sort of space. I would like to bring acts in. That would be awesome. Smaller electronic acts... not really interested in doing big parties.
Ultimately, when it gets bigger and bigger, it gets away from you and you have to think about supporting something -- a band or a venue -- that you believe in. I feel fortunate to be in Shanghai at this time where there are actually a few venues run by people who actually give a shit and you can respect them. I think if it gets to some stadium-sized shit, you gotta wonder who is making the money and that鈥檚 kind of lame.
Well , again, you know, the party sort of comes from not being really satisfied with what we, or I, see going on in this city, and the desire to bring a different sort of music to this city. Something that is in my mind, that I don鈥檛 really see happening right now. I don鈥檛 really know where it鈥檚 going to end up. I don鈥檛 have a grand scheme or anything. It would be good to see it grow.
But definitely staying in Shanghai鈥� I can鈥檛 see where else I would be. I don鈥檛 know where else I would go. Kind of a good city for international vagabonds such as myself.
I鈥檝e noticed a lot of the house and techno DJs that I admire and respect in this city, they collect a lot of records... strange electro and disco records that they can't really play out. And with a night like this hopefully the DJs will get a place to play them鈥� that鈥檚 all it is really.
SmSh: What鈥檚 your biggest complaint with Shanghai nightlife?
TS: I would like to see more inspired DJs. People really digging hard for the music they love and putting the effort in to it. Especially, if people are paying to see you, you know.
Don鈥檛 waste people鈥檚 fucking time鈥�
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Stockholm Syndome returns to Dada bar tonight. On decks: Tzu Sing, Drunk Monk, Zammo. No cover charge. Runs 10pm until infinity.
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