Just one week in and 2009 has been largely dull, grey, and wet. Thankfully then, the good people at Split Works have put together a ten day long festival of art and music to warm our cockles - starting today. According to the organisers, Jue Festival is "an excuse to leave your hidey-hole and experience a punk show, an art installation, and everything in between", which sounds pretty good to us. The festival (which is also taking place in Beijing), will showcase some of Shanghai's best creative talent and is hosting a diverse set of artists and performers. more ›

2008 Anno Domini / Year of the Rat will be remembered as a difficult one for China in general. Its effects were felt by all, including those involved in Shanghai's numerous musical scenes. It was a year in which artists, promoters and fans had to deal with even more obstacles and barriers than usual in their quest to generate culture and make the whole metropolis live up to its reputation as one of Asia's most dynamic and happening cities. more ›

At tomorrow's big holiday party at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu, get your photo taken with Santa Claus — or Father Christmas, if you swing that way — between 8:30 and 11:30 pm (Santa likes to hit the bars on Tongren at about midnight). Shanghai-based photographer Stephen Yang will be taking professional portraits (lights and everything) of party guests chilling with Santa in Santa's VIP room (behind the first-floor bar). All party-goers are welcome ... and it doesn't cost you a thing. We'll post the pics on Shanghaiist early next week. more ›

Shanghaiist recently enjoyed a few nonfat egg nogs with DJ El Nomo, who promises to make the Shanghaiist/Cotton's holiday party "the wildest holiday blowout ever held at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu." A tall task indeed. You may recognize El Nomo from such weblogs as Shanghai Bananas. And, of course, he is ranked No. 1 worldwide in the controversial Gothamist DJ Rankings. The following is a transcript of our unfiltered discussion with Asia's very own wizard of wax. more ›

Early weather reports for the weekend are looking quite nice, so it looks like late-December outdoor seating will be a definite possibility at the Shanghaiist/Cotton's holiday party this Saturday at the new Cotton's on Xinhua Lu (pictured). And if the outdoor heaters (and bar) aren't cozy enough for you, head on inside the villa for the real wood-burning fireplaces (and more bars). And DJ El Nomo! more ›

A highly respected African-American DJ and producer, from the most influential city in the history of electronic music, has criticized the ranking system which is used by many clubs in China, particularly Shanghai, when deciding which DJs to bring to the country, as being useless. more ›

Smart Shanghai more ›

Last weekend saw a bumper crop of top DJs hitting Shanghai. DJ Shadow, Above And Beyond, Goldie et al. more ›

Seems like it's that time of year. First, Void celebrated their one-year anniversary last month. Now Phreaktion, fronted by DJ Siesta, turns three. It's just more proof that drum and bass is not only here, but here to stay. So this weekend, they're giving you the presents by featuring Goldie and DJ Krust over two action-packed nights. more ›

In the past year, local techno strongmen Void have proven to be anything but. They've consistently rocked venues like LoGo and The Shelter every month, bringing one techno legend after another (see: Robert Hood, Traxx, etc). So it's only fitting that they celebrate their first birthday with not one, but TWO notable techno artists. more ›

It's getting later in the month, which means it must be time for another Void techno extravaganza at The Shelter. Continuing the "Techno Pioneer" theme from Robert Hood's slamming set in June, this month the boys are flying in Traxx for a nonstop four-hour set of house & techno insanity. more ›

Turntablism, also known as scratching, started as an integral part of hip hop in the 80s and has expanded into numerous other genres. At its basic level, turntablism involves manipulating a record and crossfader to create quick chops, fades, cuts, and stutters in the music. True artists juggle beats back and forth, switching between numerous songs at lightning-fast speed. Not only does it sound amazing, it's also extremely badass to watch a DJ manipulate a record in his own fashion and create an entirely new piece of music on the fly. more ›

Ah, 80's music. No, we don't mean that 80's music. We mean Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy inventing new art forms at dueling nightclubs in Chicago. From their respective perches at The Warehouse and The Music Box, these pioneers of music transformed soul, disco, R&B, and funk into what's now known as house music. more ›

There was nothing at all minimal about Robert Hood's set at The Shelter on Saturday night. After three-plus hours of 145+ BPM techno, the entire dancefloor was sweaty and exhausted. Yet somehow, everybody was cheering for more when Hood left the decks around 4 AM. It was definitely the most aggressive set we have ever heard at The Shelter — and we want more, dammit! more ›

Man, how time flies. When Shanghaiist interviewed Void co-founder (and occasional Shanghaiist contributor) Shanghai_Ultra in February, the first thing he talked (or rather, gushed) about was that he'd just confirmed a certain Robert Hood to play Shanghai in June. In fact, you'll see him mention it in the answer to the second-to-last question. more ›

DJ J Walk from djvibe.com played an amazing set at The Shelter last night. more ›

Phreaktion's Sweatshop events at The Shelter have been going strong for awhile now, and this Saturday 5/31 promises to keep the momentum going. Once again, flithy drum 'n bass is on the menu. Headlining is Canada's J Walk:

J Walk, from Canadian based clubbing website djvibe.com makes his junglistic debut at Sweatshop this month. Having just returned from London, Sweatshop heads are in for a fresh tuneage treat!

Like celebrity chefs and famous fashion houses, the world of big name DJs always seems oddly male-dominated. The Shelter will be doing their best to redress that gender imbalance tonight however, with an all-female line-up on the decks. more ›

Any fan of electronic music in China has heard of Antidote. Headed by DJ Ozone, aka Michael Ohlsson, Antidote is a crew of electronic musicians and DJs based in Shanghai. This Thursday April 17th at The Shelter, they're introducing a new party-as-concept: City Sound Sessions. Michael explains. more ›

Last night, Shanghaiist traipsed out to The Wall. Getting there was a little tricky and required our cab driver to get out and ask directions twice. The address of the club might be Riverside Avenue (Binjiang Dadao), but you can access the place only via Fenghe Lu. It took us a little while to figure that out. If it helps, the venue is directly across the street from the Shanghai International Convention Center. Anyway, it's kind of cool seeing the monstrous Oriental Pearl TV Tower so close when you're in the area. more ›

If we had a jiao for every time someone was flabbergasted at the fact that we live in Pudong then, well, we could probably buy lunch. But cool stuff does happen east of the river. And this Saturday night, Union Music DJs Steve Bamford and Carl Lorimer will prove it by hosting a night of house and breaks at The Wall. Located at U1, 2727 Riverside Avenue (浦东滨江大道2727号 广场地下1层) in Lujiazui, this swank new venue boasts a badass soundsystem, some funky seating, and "the longest bar in Asia." Best of all? No cover. more ›

It's been a while, but this Sunday will see a welcome return for the PAUSE collective, who will be bringing their heady mix of independent art, music, and creative stalls to everyone's favourite ex-Blue Ice hang out, The Shelter. Kicking off at 4pm down on Yong Fu Lu, there will be a bunch of inventive things to get excited about, featuring contributors from across the globe and, of course, the cream of Shanghai's arts scene. more ›

On the left there is Matrix, who along with Futurebound rocked the hell out of Club Bonbon with some crazy drum and bass on Friday. More pictures, including a review of the "Punk from Xi'an" show at the Live Bar, after the jump. more ›

What's up this weekend? Plenty of things, but Shanghaiist plans to attend these two events for sure. Friday night, Phreaktion and DJ Siesta bring you Matrix & Futurebound at Club Bonbon. MC Stride does the vocals. From their site: more ›

This weekend venues are still suffering from the New Year hangover and not many events are happening. You might check out blues band, Studio 188, who will be performing at the Blues Room on Saturday. Or maybe join the firecracker loving crowds throughout the city for a bit of noise. more ›