German group Digitalism are playing at Volar on Thursday night in celebration of the club’s fifth anniversary. The duo are known for creating catchy songs with dirty, warm synthesizers and distorted melodies.

One of the major artists on the Kitsune record label, Digitalism’s songs often build into dramatic climaxes that cause dance floor eruptions! (more…)

Reebok celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Reebok Pump with the release of sneakers designed by several exclusive boutiques from around the world.

In Hong Kong, Juice, the retail shop operated by the CLOT crew was selected to create their own signature sneaker. The result is what may be the best shoe out of the entire Reebok Pump 20th anniversary line. (more…)

What’s wrong with this picture?

I don’t know, I like Combos as much as the next person, but they’re not exactly the first thing that pops into my mind when I think of Christmas delicacies! I had to laugh and take a quick snapshot when I spotted them sitting alongside the Christmas offerings in the basement level of Times Square (just outside of City Super.) They even had pepperoni pizza flavor!

A mega-event titled the Hong Kong Electronic Music Festival happens tonight at Sugar. Basically, Hong Kong’s top electronic music crews are banding together to kick off one huge party. Headliners include the legendary Roni Size with M.C. Dynamite, and Dee Montero.

The two-room extravaganza includes over twenty performers playing dance music genres such as Drum N Bass, Electro, House and Techno! For fans of Electronic music, this an event not to be missed!

Check out the full list of performers! (more…)

Sadly, several of the interesting single-building boutiques tucked neatly away at the end of On Lan Street are being forced to move out. Walking on nearby Ice House Street the other day, I was shocked to see new Comme des Garcons, Martin Margiela, and Neighborhood stores under construction.

What happened? (more…)

Last week while walking through Yau Ma Tei, I discovered I Love Cake, a new shop that’s sort of like a mad scientist’s laboratory for baking!

Located in the middle of Shanghai Street’s restaurant supply area, it’s filled with interesting cake-making tools, accessories, and embellishments. (more…)

D.J. Premier, the legendary producer behind many of East Coast Hip Hop’s most beloved beats, is back again this Wednesday the 18th. One half of the iconic group Gang Starr, Premier has produced hot tracks for everyone from underground groups to Pop acts. He’s worked with Nas, KRS One, Jeru the Damaja, Notorious B.I.G., Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West, to name just a few. (more…)

Joel Madden (left), Benji Madden (right)

Over a two day period, Hong Kong hosted back-to-back d.j. sets by twin brothers, Joel and Benji Madden. Joel d.j.ed at Roxie on Thursday night, and Benji followed up with a set at Volar on Friday.

Both brothers are members of the band Good Charlotte and are frequent gossip column protagonists. I was curious how they would stack up against each other on the wheels of steel!

To be honest, it wasn’t exactly a fair competition. (more…)

The upcoming “Beat in Vision” show at The Fringe Club on Saturday night promises a little something for everyone. At the top of the bill is Critical, an accomplished M.C. from Sweden who is active in the European Hip Hop scene. Second in line is The Justice League comprised of MastaMic and Big Sammy, two promising talents in Hong Kong’s Hip Hop underground. D.J. Tinho, the 2007 Hong Kong DMC champion will also be lending his support.

As if that wasn’t enough, the flier also mentions the inclusion of Ninemo, an indie Electro-Rock band, and Feel of All, a Hong Kong Punk band. That’s an awful lot of music for a $100 HKD cover charge that includes one beer! (more…)

Wokai takes a contemporary approach to the task of helping to pull people out of poverty. By implementing modern methods, they are revolutionizing how you can assist China’s poor.

Often the first question that comes to mind when considering contributing to a charity is – where does my money go? Despite the array of worthy causes, it’s hard to know whether your money will actually go to helping people or get lost somewhere along the way. If your goal is to actually reach individuals and help people, Wokai promises a more transparent, direct approach.

Joining Wokai’s site, you get to see exactly how your money is being spent, and who is benefiting from it. Wokai’s direct-to-individual approach allows you to track your donation much like you would an investment.

Wokai practices distributed lending, which means that numerous people can allocate portions of their donation to different individuals. The average loan is merely several hundred U.S. dollars.

There’s a Chinese proverb that says: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

That’s sort of what differentiates Wokai from a charity. It isn’t giving people money, it’s making tiny loans available to enable them to gain a foothold. Your contribution is the small boost that allows them to purchase the fishing pole! (more…)