D.J. Craze and D.J. Klever, two world renowned turntablists, hit Volar last Thursday night. Turntablists are sort of like musically gifted hackers. Instead of using a record player (called a turntable,) for what it was intended – to playback music, they use it more like an instrument.

The techniques they practice include scratching and beat juggling. The result is that they create music from music.

In their repertoire there’s even a famous scratch that was named after the Transformers. (It resembles the sound that occurs when they change from cars into robots!) The best turntablists can produce fantastic improvisation-filled performances.

However, I’m usually skeptical of turntablists as party d.j.s. Sometimes they get too used to crowds standing around and watching, and don’t understand the dynamics of a dance floor. At times they tend to get too technical and lose the non-d.j.s in the audience.

How did D.J. Klever and Craze hold up? (more…)

Hoo’s in the house?

Texas-based artist Matthew Bonifacio Rodriguez headlines a new show at the nomadic Apostrophe gallery. The exhibition, a group show titled CCTV, is being held in an abandoned office space high above Central.

In addition to traditional materials, Matthew Rodriguez’s art employs out-dated children’s toys, disregarded stuffed animals, found fabrics, and other expired materials.

Looking over his work I started to wonder – is there such a thing as a thrift store aesthetic? (more…)

yes, those are stamps…

A party for Casio G-SHOCK watches? It’s not as unusual as it sounds. In fact, in Hong Kong, mega-events for watch brands are common.

What makes this one different? (more…)

Wow! This is going to be one exciting week!

Thursday night is the latest edition of the monthly Hype Nasty party at Volar. Headlining this time is d.j. duo Craze and Klever performing on four turntables! Both of these guys are masters at scratching and the night should be part performance and part dancefloor madness. (more…)

What if you could do something to help to cure blindness?

Black Night, a special fund-raiser for the ORBIS charity, will take place this Wednesday, June 24th. The angle for the event is somewhat unique. The Black Night is no ordinary event, but one that seeks to temporarily replicate the experience of blindness.

ORBIS seems like a worthy cause. On their website they point out that of the 45 million people around the world who are blind — 80 percent suffer needlessly. That’s a very strong and sad statistic.

The event takes place at Cliq. Experience something new and help prevent blindness in developing countries while you’re at it. “All net contributions will be donated to ORBIS”

For more information about ORBIS have a look at their website.

The Black Night
Wednesday, June 24th
9pm – 1am
Cliq
2/F, On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace (at the intersection of Wyndham and Wellington Street)
Central, Hong Kong

Dress code: Black
$200 HKD advance, $250 at the door
Please email: theblacknight2009@gmail.com for more information

When Hong Kong supermarket chain Wellcome began offering a rewards program tied to a shopper’s Octopus card, things got a little weird. (more…)

The Apostrophe gallery is back with a new urban art exhibition titled CCTV.

The show is based on the controversial topic of using cameras to monitor society and potentially prevent crime. (The theme is very timely as Hong Kong struggles with how to cope with a serial criminal who has thrown corrosive liquid down at shoppers on a busy pedestrian street.)

The exhibition highlights urban art from Italy and America including work by Geometric Bang, Matthew Rodriguez, Claudius Phaedrus, Doodles and DEM.

Texas based artist Matthew Rodriguez will be in town for the exhibition which takes place in an abandoned office space on Wyndham Street.

For a glimpse of Matthew Rodriguez’s work, check out his Flickr account.

The show runs from June 19th until July 3rd.

For more information about the Apostrophe Gallery go here. To RSVP for the opening, email May Wong at: maymwong@gmail.com

CCTV: Urban Art Show
Fom June 19th until July 3rd
Room 2702
40-44 Wyndham Street
Central

Far away from the chic interior of their IFC branch and the rotating shoe installation of Pacific Place, there exists another Lane Crawford.

Tucked away in sleepy Ap Lei Chau you’ll find a less flashy and more subdued place called the Lane Crawford Warehouse. Award winning interior design it’s not, but the Lane Crawford warehouse offers something else – a chance to find major additions to your wardrobe at major discounts! (more…)

Last weekend I was shocked to hear* that there’s an American Apparel store in Shenzhen. Although the Los Angeles-based company has shops in Japan and Korea, they’ve never set foot in Hong Kong.

Curious to get a closer look, I decided to head up to Shenzhen to investigate. But what I thought would be a simple trip turned into an adventure! (more…)

Friday night I stopped by the opening of Partouze, a collaboration show between Taiwanese graffiti artist REACH, and Yasumasa Yonehara (aka Yone,) a Japanese photographer.

The exhibition is making its way around the region, with Shanghai hosting it last month, and Taipei following after Hong Kong.

Knowing little about the artists I was curious to see their work. (more…)