Shanghai Star DJ Lina K Leads Female Series TechNOrules at Lantern, Apr 6

One of the primo producers, DJs, beatmakers, and a bonafide performer, the Maldives-hailing turntablist Lina K's sets are widely known for being, as one promoter puts it, "full of energy and inspiration and ... mesmerizing the crowd." That energy has helped put her Techno Train events on the map, having now rolled through Shanghai over the past three years, becoming a popular platform for local and international touring DJs alike.

For Beijing clubgoers who have yet to experience her kinetic onstage persona, Lina K will offer the capital a treat on Friday with her headlining gig at Lantern.

"I was a dancer in the past and music gives me goosebumps so I am pretty energetic when I am playing and I am not shy to describe my emotions when the kick hits you," Lina tells the Beijinger with a laugh about her amped performing style. "So I guess people can feel it."

She's also not phased by any naysayers at those live sets, saying: "Some think I am pretending to get attention! But I don’t need attention, I just want people to dance when I am playing." If there's even the slightest doubt about her commitment behind the boards, Lina is ready to dispel it. "Funny story: A long time ago, I was so excited that I hit my head of mixer while I was dancing! After that accident, I started to keep myself a bit calmer."

In fact, Lina works up such a sweat laying out her distinctive techno cuts alongside her frenzied dancing that she confesses, "I don't really wear makeup when I go play. Rarely." It's a practical, assertive, and of the moment disposition that serves the night's theme well.

Lantern has dubbed the lineup "Girls Can't What?", the female-heavy bill that features beloved Beijing DJs like Eva Xu, Juliana Lima, and Aida. A part of the club's ongoing TechNOrules party series, the promoters describe it as a project that aims to "promote female talents ... underground heroines."

Lina is eager to be on the bill with her fellow local female DJs, saying: "It’s not my first time sharing a stage with Aida and Juliana but it is the first time I'll be on the bill with Eva. And more importantly, it’s also the first time we will play all together in one lineup, which should be very interesting since all of us play so differently. I think TechNOrules is a great concept, and I am very excited about the night actually, and the Lantern crowd is great with a deep understanding of music."

When described by her promoters as "one of the main figures of Shanghai underground music scene," Lina K says such accolades "make me very shy because, from my point of view, I haven’t yet done something really, really big to justify being described like that! Plus I still need to learn a hell of a lot of things, and it’s always gonna be that way."

That humility and lack of complacency won't just endear her to fans – instead of using it as a flattering shtick for interviews, Lina seems to have adopted it as a grounding mindset. "Every day I'm learning, that what it’s all about. I would say also hard work is how I got where am I. I can’t say I have some natural talent or ear for music. No, I need to work in order to deliver a nice set. I need to experiment with tracks and music, and I need hours of practicing. Sometimes, yes, I play by ear, but I am always preparing for my gigs."

Catch Lina K with Eva Xu, Juliana Lima, and Aida at Lantern on Friday, Apr 6. Entry is RMB 50, and the party kicks off at 11pm. For more information, click here.

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Photos courtesy of Lina K, Lantern