2010 Nov 04 Breaking Beats: DJ Slide presents No Go Die this Saturday
When he’s not blowing up dance floors as part of Beijing drum & bass collective The Syndicate, DJ Slide can be found working away on the next instalment of his No Go Die podcast (www.nogodie.com) series. The podcast becomes a party this Saturday (Nov 6) as Slide hosts the first No Go Die night at Siif bar on Beiluogu Xiang. The British-born DJ promises a mashup of styles like Beijing has never heard before – here’s the full story.
What’s No Go Die?
No Go Die is a break from the norm. The genre is “broken beats,” a deliberately ambiguous term which encompasses everything from chunky reggae and raw afrobeat through to breaks, glitch and the funkier end of dubstep. You’ll even hear individual tracks that bring together all of these at once – that’s the essential No Go Die sound.
Why not just play one style of music?
No Go Die has grown from all the records and influences I’ve picked up over 15 years of playing and collecting music. I want people to go home from No Go Die feeling they’ve heard at least one track that they love and have to hear more of. Also, seamlessly mixing a range of tempos and styles is a hugely exciting challenge as a DJ – that’ll never get old!
Why does Beijing need No Go Die?
The dance scene in Beijing is currently a little stagnant and formulaic. I like a certain percentage of what’s out there, but do I go home inspired by hearing eight hours straight of tech house or minimal? Nope. No Go Die brings a new beat to Beijing and also injects a much-needed spirit of fusion and experimentation that will hopefully bring people together and create plenty of new opportunities in the scene.
What local DJs/acts are you getting on board?
We have an exciting mix of nightlife regulars and less well-known Beijing producers lined up from the December night onwards. Also, watch this space for a live show featuring turntables, drums and cameos from local vocalists in early 2011. That’s going to be very special indeed.
Give us a three-track No Go Die sampler.
“Get A Move On” by Mr. Scruff, “I Can See It In Your Face” by Pretty Lights, and “Nigeria What?” by Debruit. Or you could just grab this month’s podcast.
Sum up No Go Die in three words.
Cheekily danceable rhythms.
What else would you like to see happening on the Beijing scene?
Easy one – breakdancing chimpanzees. But failing that, more punters that are willing to step outside their comfort zone and try something different. There’s a huge variety of excellent musicians in Beijing and we all have a responsibility to get behind new music and ensure the scene keeps moving forward.
DJ Slide presents No Go Die on Saturday, Nov 6 at Siif. Free. 9pm.
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