You think it’s something cute and furry? Well, you thought wrong! Simply put, a Pecha Kucha night is a gathering where creative professionals present their work in a casual environment, following a specific, concise, presentation form. The system was hatched in 2003 by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham for young designers to discuss their work without getting bogged down or boring the audience. The rigid format allows for only twenty slides, each with a time limit of twenty seconds. This gives the speaker roughly six minutes and forty seconds to get their points across. O.K., so what does ‘pecha kucha’ actually mean? (more…)

The grand finale of Le French May is being thrown by the Volar gang. The big bash takes place on May 30th and features nearly all the artists on the Ed Banger label (sans Justice.) In case you’ve been under a rock, these are some of the hottest d.j. / producer / musicians in club music. Segments of the Ed Banger crew have come to Hong Kong before, but this time around it’s seven of their artists! This would be a major deal for any international city and it’s happening right here in Hong Kong! Mark your calendars! (more…)

Six months ago there were rumors that Volar, one of Hong Kong’s top clubs was going to close. Not only did the club not close, it recently won best dance club in two Hong Kong publications. If the past few weeks are any indication, Volar is back as strong as ever. (more…)

Saturday, February 9th, D.J. Rectangle, a Hip Hop battle d.j. and former DMC Champion, known for his party-break records will be playing at Volar.

Doors open at 10 pm, with DJ Gruv playing the opening set.

Free admission for everyone on the guest list before 12 am. After 12 am, there is a $200 cover that includes one drink, for non-members.

For more info on D.J. Rectangle, check out his MySpace page here.

On Thursday, January 31st, Tittsworth, a top American d.j. / producer will be playing at Volar.

This is my pick of the week! I’ve been hearing about this guy for some time. He’s one of the top party rockin’ contemporary d.j.s out there, in the same vein as Diplo. Expect a packed dance floor and a ridiculous variety of music all expertly mixed.

According to what I’ve read:

Doors open at 10 pm and the event goes til 4 am. Before 12 am, complimentary entry for all (one free drink for the ladies). After 12 am, $150 for non-members (includes one free drink).

Here’s DJ Tittsworth’s bio:

From a performance aspect, Tittsworth has continuously dominated decks at a plate-a-minute’s pace. His diverse, high energy sets seamlessly blend club, rock, house, hip-hop, classics and more. He has grossly exceeded promoter expectations from Europe to the mid west. Titts has performed in the heart of London, wrapping lines around the massive Scala with a future booking at the world renowned Fabric. Conversely he continues to break new ground in places like Richmond, where he headlined its first ever (B-more) club party. Personally invited by DJ Craze to play the quarterly Bass Session, Tittsworth performed with Klever and Mixx (original dj from 2 Live Crew). Soon thereafter he was invited to join the Contagious Musiq Roster (featuring A-list talent along the likes of Goldie, Jazzy Jeff, A-trak, etc).

Titts sets have been religiously grouped amongst the best that many (popular tour stop) cities have experienced. In the Nation’s Capital he maintains residencies at some of DC’s most impressive venues including Club 5 (FiveDC.com), Eye Bar and Modern. He is also listed as one of URB’s NEXT 100 (forthcoming, 2007). From heavy-weight industry parties to regular international appearances, Titts continues to provide rarely paralleled sets and club experiences.

Tittsworth has released 6 critically acclaimed club records, selling out within months of release. March 16, 2007 his records listed numbers 1, 3 and 20 in TurntableLab’s top (vinyl) sales. TTL is one of, if not the most prestigious stateside shops for cutting edge dance and hip-hop. His recent EZ-T EP was requested to repress in 90 days! From Fader to XLR8R to The Wire, his production continues to gain high praise. Other releases include:

“Ayres and Titties” on Money Studies. A mega mix CD on one of NY/LA’s most prestigious indies. Also a personal favorite to adult industry star Nadia Styles & praised by URB Magazine.

“TnA Breaks” on Ammo. Comprehensive battle record & remixing tool released by A-trak, Kanye West’s DJ. Out of stock immediately (TTL).
Recently signed to Plant Music for an original album deal, to be internationally distributed and published. Backed by Stretch Armstrong and Dominique (of The Glass).

His productions and mixes receive heavy attention, from Mad Decent to KISS 100 London. Countless celebrities reach out for new Tittsworth tracks, from Gorillaz producers and Z-Trip, to DJ AM and the band Good Charlotte. His “success is the culmination of his numerous appearances on top 10 lists and play lists, as well as critical praise for his releases… so, keep a look out”

For more information, check out his website here, or his MySpace page.

Volar used the occasion of their 3rd anniversary on Thursday night to unveil a new room in the club. Formerly the circular VIP room, the space has been transformed into a cozy area with a new d.j. booth and greatly expanded seating… plus a Merry-Go-Round? (more…)

Friday night, July 27th, Steve Aoki will be d.j.ing at Volar. Is this guy a d.j., a clothing designer, or a record label head? It seems that these days, everyone does all three (I know I do!)

Steve Aoki is in good company. He’s down with many other heavily talented, multi-tasking individuals such as Busy P, a man well known to H.K. as: the founder of Ed Banger Records; the French group Justice’s biggest cheerleader; and the former manager of Daft Punk. Have a look at the the splash page for Steve Aoki’s record label, Dim Mak, and you’ll see an ad for the limited edition Ed Banger X Dim Mak t-shirt. Check out his clothing line. I cracked up laughing just looking at the site. The models are like rejects from Napoleon Dynamite, and some of the drawings, or should I say scrawl-ings, look like they were done by Napoleon types as well. BUT, make no mistake, there’s a certain aesthetic being cultivated here, and compared to all the clean, manicured, carefully computer-crafted designs, a shaky hand drawn image has a certain warm appeal. This off-beat aesthetic may also apply to his music. I’m curious enough to catch his set on Friday!

Last year I was too tired to attend the second annual beach party at Big Wave Bay in Sai Kung, but to quote friends of mine it was “one of the best days of my life,” and “the best party I’ve ever been to”. So with that in mind, I decided to make a little effort to check out the third edition on Sunday.

Three years ago, when the Hong Kong club, Volar was brand new, the owners organized a summer beach party out in Sai Kung’s Big Wave Bay (’Tai Long Wan’ in Cantonese.)

This long, remote beach surrounded by rolling green mountains is known as one of the most beautiful spots in all of Hong Kong. The crowd that first year was a who’s who of Hong Kong’s party scene, in addition to a large contingent of models. Many of the people, up all night from the night before, hit the beach at dawn and continued partying until sunset. With the right mixture of people, an amazing beach, and perfect weather, a new tradition was born!

The anticipation for the third beach party has been building for several months. This year, in addition to the regulars, there was a reported waiting list of over 150 models who wanted to attend!

Despite its beauty, Tai Long Wan is never crowded. The reason? It’s hard to get to. The beach is about a 45 minute boat ride from Sai Kung, the nearest harbor. It’s more than twice that distance to Hong Kong Island. Tai Long Wan beach is cut-off from civilization. There are no snack stands or any structures intruding on the tranquility. Without a boat you need to get there by hiking over a mountain! Waking up too late to catch a ride, and being in the mood for a little adventure, that’s exactly what I did! (more…)