to all the readers of this blog, from Michigan to Morocco, I apologize for the lack of updates this past week. i just moved apartments and now I’m traveling to America for two weeks, so updates may come sporadically in the short-term.
Nice track.
Fan Death - Veronica’s Veil
First piece I wrote for SmartShanghai. Peep
There’s really sleazy cats in Shanghai. My friend’s cat got pregnant sixteen times; all different fathers, different colored kittens, etc. This afternoon, I walked into my friend’s compound and immediately the fumes and sounds of a rather violent cat orgy confronted me. Clearly not all members wanted to participate.
Been running around, playing my favorite real life video game - riding a bike in Shanghai. Busy trying to find apartments/fireworks, and writing. I get to interview DJ Vadim tomorrow, as he’s coming to Shanghai on Jan. 30th. One time at a hostel last summer, I was sitting down next to these Russian kids, kinda awkwardly, and finally I said “yo, do you know DJ Vadim?” one Russian kid responded, “Oooooooooooooo shit, how you know?! My name is Vadim too,” and a wild night commenced. I remember him explaining the rules to a game:
Russian kid: We call this ‘drink the vodka.’ First, I pour you a glass, you drink. Then, you turn to the person next to you and pour them a glass, they drink. We do this until bottle is finished.
Shanghainese landlord really pulled some bullshit yesterday, posting an ad on craigslist for a “two-bedroom” apartment in the French Concession. Translation = 10 sqm closet on the second floor of her elderly parent’s home.
I made my non-interest abundantly clear.
Me: Ummm, so this is a quiet place yeah? With your parents living downstairs?
Landlady: Yes, very very quiet.
Me: Ok, because I don’t know if that’s a good fit. I play music really loud all hours of the day. Plus, on weekends I sometimes come home when the sun rises or just before, often with other people, and we’d probably keep the party going here, on the stairs and stuff.
Landlady: Oh. We won’t have anyone like that living here.
After disco became “gay” in America, it just switched names to “house.” This original disco track and subsequent house remix can explain this better than me.
Oliver Cheatham - Get Down Saturday Night
DJ Kom - Git Down Saturday Night
For months I dreamed of introducing Shanghai’s anti-corruption crusader, Pang Laoshi, to the world via this blog. I caught him a few times on rides to Xujiahui, though painfully cameraless. Well, it’s finally here. If you ride Line One, perhaps you’ve encountered the “fat teacher” who lectures for “six hours a day.”
Realized I needed to spend a bunch of small change tonight, so in addition to stocking up on non-toxic water, I tried some new snacks.
One time my Chinese friend brought some duck necks to a party, a turning point in the night. People got smug about their “openness” and “willingness to try new things,” leading the less daring toward feelings of backwardness. I admit they’re not bad; similar to sausage. The bone in the middle stops me from devouring a whole pack.
Next up - Waxberries. Like every other snack in the store, the nice clerk hadn’t tried these. I don’t even bother asking the grumpy one who generally stays perched on a stool in the back, until I arrive and she follows me around, visibly irritated, gawking like I’m going to steal something.
Waxberries embody several qualities I hate in food; messy, weak flavor, and something hard in the middle to surprise/destroy teeth. Luckily,cappuccino Koala Yummies came through in the clutch at fifty cents a box.
I wonder what those middle-aged Chinese women think when a foreigner waltzes in at near midnight, wandering around staring at food and taking pictures from various angles…
“A-Grade” dunk highs. I don’t even know if this model “really” exists. When copies become so good that one can’t tell the difference, is there a difference? Can “real” and “fake” converge and explode into meaninglessness?
My favorite fake sneaker spot, in Hongkou district. I told them to carry more dunk highs last time I went there, and it appears they got a few. According to the laoban (boss), Chinese kids really prefer Air Force 1’s at the moment; not much love for high-tops. They’re fake, but their comfort and quality make me believe they really do “come out a different door” of the factory, as many claim of the best bootlegs here. About $25 US a pair.
Those De La’s do look too bunk to rock.
The hunt for new tracks begins. Came up with a really solid funk tune for today, thanks to G. Davis holdin’ it down in The Mitten. Speaking of music, anyone in Shanghai should come to the warehouse party my friend’s throwing tonight at No. 56, 767 Wanhangdu Lu (Kangding Lu and Wanhangdu Lu). No cover. Playing some “moody disco” and other warehouse-appropriate genres.
On with the rare funk…
George Clinton - Man’s Best Friend
Thanks to all who came out to Baijiu Robot last night. All the right elements came together: baijiu, Italo Disco, dancing, and malfunctioning electronics (software seizure, fickle soundcard) that recovered at the last possible minute.
I love the area around Baoshan Lu metro station on line four. A small shop in the station has the best five kuai ice cream in town, and the exit escalator leads directly into an open market of electronics (often sketchy), street food, broken bricks, and sex toys. I couldn’t find any fireworks.
Even happened upon a good old-fashioned street fight. The fracas erupted after dude crashed his bike into someone on the corner.
Not much to say; I’m up way too late and need to be on the subway in four hours.
I hated this album when I first heard it, and still don’t love most of it, but I do enjoy this song when I’m sprinting to Jing An Temple station in the morning.
The Mae Shi - Pwned
Everyone who played the Antidote/Jue Fest party on Saturday at Shelter just killed it. Hands down, one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Some hard electronic dudes from Beijing, Dead J and ummm….some other Chinese guy wearing all black and sunglasses who looked like he might murder someone with a lawnmower expressionlessly, and everyone else came mad correct.
This video isn’t from Saturday, but it gives some kind of idea to the Funky Fingers set, only with like two hundred people dancing.
And the musics…
Turns out Japanese people like more than just graphic violence, excessively cute cartoon characters, inventions/designs that appear in coffee table books bought by people who live in gentrifying areas, and tentacle porn. some remix j-pop into club bangers for bloggers to consume… mmmmm….j-pop blogcore.
Girl Next Door - Jounetsu No Daishou (Shinichi Osawa Remix)
Dude has a ton of other great tracks. Google blog search that shit -
must stop.. eating…japanese pork cutlet rice bowl…
sometimes I find a track that’s so ill, I don’t even wanna post it. The link between Italo Disco and Detroit Techno. This came out in 1980, in the D.
I will play this on Thursday. Robots will dance to it.
A Number of Names - Shari Vari
Major props to The Walrus for hosting this track..I spent an hour looking for it.
