Beijing Beats: Knife Party, Francisco and Intergalactic Gary, Lescop, Xity After Party, Barker & Baumecker

Beijing Beats brings you the best in Beijing nightlife each weekend so that you can soothe the woes of a long a stressful week with some out-of-body gyrating and some experiences you'd rather forget come Monday. Check the weekend's full list of nightlife events here.


Thursday, April 27

Antidote Presents UNKLE’s James Lavelle
Founder of Mo’Wax Records and co-founder of UNKLE, alongside electronic music great DJ Shadow, James Lavelle graces Beijing with his presence this Friday at Dada. Lavelle has worked with some of the world’s most renowned artists including Radiohead, Massive Attack, Beck, The Verve, as well as numerous others, and has been a long-time resident DJ at London's Fabric. This is a once in a lifetime chance to watch this multi-talented British entertainer work his magic. 11pm-late. Price TBA. Dada

Knife Party
Australian EDM duo Knife Party (Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen) head for a set at Sir Teen. They have previously worked with fellow EDM artists Swedish House Mafia and Steve Aoki, among others. Expect them to spin classic techno hits, including their own ‘Internet Friends’ and ‘Centipede.’ 11pm-late. RMB 120. Sir Teen


Friday, April 28

Impact of Voices of the Xity: After Party
The Sound of the Xity music festival, which kicked off on Tuesday, spans six days and includes a whole host of domestic and international talent. The crew are apparently keen to celebrate this fact as they've organized the after party for three days before the entire event has even concluded. Helping you to unwind are DJ Krush, Oligarkh, Shtuby and Bass Guo. 11pm-late. RMB 200, RMB 150 (advance). Modernsky Lab

DJ Jacques (pictured at top)
German-born, Paris-based DJ Jacques touches down in Beijing as part of his 10-city Asian tour. The artist is best known for his forays in musique concrète, utilizing the sounds of daily life and synths to create pounding techno music. Attendees are invited to bring everyday objects to the show to be woven into his mixes. 11pm-late. RMB 80, RMB 50 (advance). Lantern


Saturday, April 29

Bye Bye Disco x Shadowplay Presents Francisco and Intergalactic Gary
Dada brings two out-of-of-this-world and seasoned club DJs – Francisco and the aptly-named Intergalactic Gary – together for one special night. The Italian DJ and producer Francisco de Bellis' sound could be described as a mix of Italo disco, groovy Chicago house, and old school funk. Intergalactic Gary is a fearless mixer who, throughout the years, has been a key figure in The Hague's electronic music scene, representing the "West Coast Sound” (a mix of music that's defined by a passion for Detroit techno, Italo, and electro). 11pm-late. Price TBA. Dada

DJ Simina Grigoriu
Romanian-born, Toronto-raised DJ Simina Grigoriu started her mixing career with her parent’s vinyl collection and freestyle hip-hop, but eventually found her true love, techno, its versatility capturing her imagination and her heart. 11pm-late. RMB 80, RMB 50 (advance). Lantern

Pretty Cold
This Saturday, dance to the digital decay amidst the electron after-images of your misspent youth as 8-Bit proudly welcomes Pretty Cold – Beijing’s premiere exploration of dark and damaged coldwave, minimal synth, and post-punk. DJs Kyle Page, Edna Ether, and Zeïn will examine dissonant themes of dark romanticism, alienation, body horror and the inevitable collapse of post-industrial society. Expect staccato drum machines, frigid synth, and infinite reverb for an atmosphere of lust, shattered hope and beautiful ruin. Free. 11pm-3am. 8-Bit

Sanlitun Vice
Setting: Miami, 1985. Palm trees, bikinis, neon signs of flamingos, gold chains and gators. Let Migas take you back in time to one of the most monumental eras. Sanlitun Vice brings you synth disco jams and laser boogie anthems. DJs Sir-Flex-A lot, Rico Dubs, and Tom Selector are spinning tunes that will make you think you were born into the wrong era. Price TBA. 11pm-4.30am. Migas

Sunday, April 30

Electric City –The French Edition ft. Lescop
After being discovered by the ex-creative director of Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane, Lescop became a new French icon, performing in every major event in Europe. Four years later in 2016, Lescop sttruck again with his brand new album ECHO. Many have dubbed his music as the "new French wave" and compared him to greats such as Taxi Girl, Joy Division, and The XX. 10pm-late. Price TBA. Yugong Yishan

dART Presents Machine Love: Barker & Baumecker
The intriguing collaboration of Sam Barker and Andreas Baumecker has produced mesmerizing results since their debut record Transsektoral hit in 2012. Now the duo continue on their path to rewriting the rulebook by touching upon a spectrum of genres: techno, house, trance, broken beat, IDM, and dub. Baumecker, a key member of the Berghain family, appeared on the German label Kompakt from 2002, whereas Sam Barker is a analogue hardware collector and fan of deep improvisation. The two will surely have Beijing entranced by the time May 1 holiday rolls around. 10pm-late. RMB 80, RMB 50 (advance). Dada

For full nightlife listings for the weekend, check our events section here.

Images courtesy of organizers