Playlist: Yue Space's Shao Qiang and Susan Wang Share Their Eclectic Favorites

Although numerous Beijing livehouses have struggled – and all too frequently failed – to stay open in recent years, Yue Space has made a noble effort to fill the void for avant-garde musicians, folky singer-songwriters, and everything in between. The Beixinqiao-adjacent venue also boasts a strong collection of vinyl and cassettes. Then there’s the bar, managed by the team behind Fang and El Nido, meaning you can expect great cocktails and a quality beer selection.

Below, Shao Qiang, Yue Space’s manager, and Susan Wang, who handles the venue’s English media relations, detail the playlist that soundtracks their adventures in Beijing’s unstoppable music scene.

What song soothes you through a hangover after a night of booze and live music?
Susan Wang (SW): Actually, I don’t think any music can help me recover from that [laughs]. But if I really had to choose then it would be Radiohead’s OK Computer, especially the song “No Surprises.” It might help to heal me while I’m in my dark apartment, even though it’s probably already light outside.

Shao Qiang (SQ): The last time I got really hungover was after going to Yah Lab, near Yue Space. I listened to Otomo Yoshihide’s experimental noise music the next day to help me feel better, but it just made me feel even more intoxicated.

What is one of the best songs you’ve heard performed at Yue Space?
SQ: Liu Donghong recently played here. He’s so poetic, like the Leonard Cohen of China, and his song “Everyone,” really touched me.

What new LP’s at Yue Space's record shop are your favorite?
SW: I love The xx’s I See You. I wasn’t into this album at first, until I heard the song “I Dare You.” It has really universal lyrics that helped me realize that we are all the same.

Susan, you spend a lot of time in both Beijing and Guangzhou. What songs best represent each city?
SW: Guangzhou is more relaxed than Beijing. People there are used to taking a nap after lunch, so I think dub and reggae music feel so right there.

I’ve been listening to a band called 3Step (三跺脚) recently. They blend dub and reggae into Yunnan traditional music. I like their song “Zhujiang Beer,” named after a local Guangzhou beer, even though I don’t like drinking it because it tastes awful.

I’d choose "带颜色的心," from Birdstriking to be my Beijing song. I really like one lyric in particular: “You were born on the yellow land but they give you a red heart … Mom you said my heart should be blood red.” It’s very powerful – about a young generation singing loud and wanting to change the world.

Photos: Uni You, crypticrock.com