SmartShanghai | MP3 Monday: Shelter Turns Two

MP3 Monday: Shelter Turns Two

By Morgan Short, Nov 30th, 2009 | In Nightlife

This weekend beloved basement club The Shelter turns two years young, and this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, they're throwing three parties to celebrate. These MP3s are from some of the people performing.

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This Thursday is the Karma Koma night, which is their downbeat, IDM, trip hop, and abstract hip hop night. Once a month on Thursdays, this one's one of the only thinking man's dance music nights in town, and for their two-year anniversary they've got some newer faces, and some regulars that have been involved since the beginning.

The main act is producer Downstate from the UK, who just recently relocated to Shanghai. Here is a list of things that Downstate is enriched by: "His better half, Oxygen, Pianos, Music that makes him feel something, his Glockenspiel, Weekends, Pancakes, Cats, Amsterdam, Quiet places, Fucking noisy places, Gigs, Sweaty Clubs, taking photos, maple syrup, horror films, animation, lunch breaks, tea, children's sweets, being awake early, wandering." Here's his MySpace.

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We've had some MP3s from SIG before when he played Karma Koma last June (click here from that). Originally from Qingdao, SIG relocated to Beijing and then just recently to Shanghai. Music is dark, evil-sounding hip hop. Atmospheric and brooding. Here's his MySpace.

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These two guys are joined by French producer LON doing a live set, Drunk Monk, and ChaCha, who will be DJing and singing. Entrance: 20rmb

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On Friday night The Shelter is welcoming a slew of Shanghai-based independent promoters for a full night of music spanning all genres of electronic/dance music. All of these promoters have been a part of the club's massive success in the past two years, and this Friday night show should draw a real eclectic crowd. Each group is getting an hour on the decks. Here's the lineup:

10pm-11pm: Karmakoma (downbeat, trip hop)
11pm-12am: DJ Sickstar (hip hop)
12am-1am: Uprooted Sunshine (live dancehall, reggae)
1am-2am: The Lab (V Nutz and Fortune back to back; hip hop)
2am-3am: Sweatshop (drum n bass)
3am-4am: Void (techno, house)
4am-5am: Sub-Culture (Drunk Monk, Deville w/ MCs; dubstep)

Cover: 50rmb

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The 4am-5am slot on the Friday (the most coveted of all slots) is a bit of a warm-up to the Saturday night party, which sees Sub-Culture hosting one of the first guys doing dubstep in the UK, Distance. With critical love from the late John Peel (in 2004, the last year of his show, Peel put Distance in his top 50 of the year), Distance's debut My Demons (Planet Mu) is often acclaimed as one of the ground-breaking releases for the genre. This is his first time in Shanghai and if you like gut-rattling bass, don't miss out.

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He's joined by RYC (DJ Wash), Deville, Drunk Monk, dji, MC Didje, ChaCha, MC Esia, MC Arminda for a packed Saturday lineup.

Cover: 50rmb

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After this weekend's festivities, The Shelter is closing shop for an overhaul until December 31. Take note, weekend warrior. Congrats to The Shelter!