I stopped by the YSL fashion show at the convention center last night. I arrived late and the show had already started. Luckily, I was standing near the front and was able to snap some photos. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had several friends in the show, including Kristin, who was the final model to walk.

Here are a few photos and a video of the finale. (more…)

For years I’ve joked around with one of my d.j. friends (pictured above) that he plays “Trip Hop“. The reason it’s funny is because it was a term used only very briefly in the nineties, before another, even more vague term, “Electronica,” was coined. When people use the term Trip Hop, it dates them. It was sort of a blanket term used for anything caught between the worlds of Hip Hop and Techno in a particular time period. (more…)

Blood Brothers, a film starring two of my favorites, Daniel Wu and Hsu Chi, opens tomorrow in Hong Kong cinemas. The film is produced by John Woo, which marks his first return to Hong Kong / Chinese cinema in a long, long time (fifteen years?) Blood Brothers is a period piece gangster picture set in Shanghai during the decadent 1930’s. But if Woo is the producer, who’s the director? (more…)

Just around the corner from Times Square shopping center in Causeway Bay is one of Hong Kong’s few indie music shops. If you’re interested in discovering something beyond what’s out there in the commercial music market, White Noise Records is the place to go. But beware - if you have diverse taste in music, White Noise is a dangerous place to browse! It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll find something cool and new.

The shop features a large selection of cds as well as a solid collection of off-beat music even on vinyl! On a recent trip l saw several must-have items including old Soul and Funk collections on 45, in addition to new issues of hard to find underground music magazines. White Noise is also a good place to acquire information about upcoming events in Hong Kong’s art and music scene.

For a peek inside the shop and advice on how to find the slightly hidden entrance, continue here. (more…)

I was busy all day on Friday and my evening was shaping up to be even more hectic. My first stop for the night was the kick-off event for Sonatrope, a new film festival featuring mostly Punk Rock and Hip Hop related movies. Arriving at the venue a little before nine, there was a torrent of people pouring into the building. Reaching the 14th floor and paying my $40, the space was already packed. With few seats, most of the crowd was sitting on the floor, literally rubbing up against one another. It was a fitting start to an underground film fest! Though it was uncomfortable, the crowd was enthusiastic and didn’t complain.

The night featured a screening of the opening film, Squatterpunk, followed by several live musical performances. I had to attend other events, but fortunately I was able to catch this unique and poignant film. Read on for a review! (more…)

Thursday night another member of the Ed Banger crew descended on Hong Kong’s club Volar. The producer / d.j. Vicarious Bliss, a label-mate of Justice, Uffie, and Busy P, played a mixture of Electro, Rock, and even some New Order, (which was fitting, since they were an early proponent of the mixture of these two musical styles). The packed club-side of Volar was moving despite a severe rainstorm earlier in the night and a few moments of technical difficulties. (more…)

On my way home from Halo and Volar, I walked by Dragon-i at around 5:00 am, and to my surprise, the club was still open. I had forgotten that Saturday night featured the legendary dancers from Body & Soul, a top New York club night hosted by heavyweight d.j.s, Francois K., Danny Krivit, and Joaquin “Joe” Claussell. I decided to go in for a look. (more…)

I had my afternoon all planned out. There was a screening of Transformers at 4:30 and I was excited to watch it at my favorite movie theater in Causeway Bay. I decided I’d invite a friend… I called their number and the phone just hung, no dial tone, no ring, nothing. Next I tried another friend, same thing. Weird. Maybe they turned off their phones? Then I tried another friend, same thing. Did I forget to pay my bill?

In the chance that there was some incident going on, I figured I’d check the Internet. (more…)

When I arrived at the Galleri Magazine event at Kee Club on Wednesday, the place was already impressively packed. Located on Wellington Street, Kee Club is a two-story private membership club occupying the sixth and seventh floors above the famous restaurant Yung Kee (hence the name ‘Kee’ Club.) It’s also across the street from the more infamous Tsui Wah - a late night eatery that’s a favorite with Lan Kwai Fong’s inebriated throngs. (more…)

Trapped in the midst of Hong Kong’s unrelenting summertime humidity, pretty much the last thing on my mind was going skiing. But while hiding out in air-conditioned comfort, I received an intriguing invitation from my friend Ed to check out Slope Infinity, Hong Kong’s indoor ski and snowboard training facility. (more…)