There must have been something in the water five years ago in China. 2007 saw the founding of prominent indie label Maybe Mars and electronica promoters STD. In fact, Split Works (our parent organization) was founded at the end of 2006. We were always a little ahead of the curve… Maybe Mars celebrated their 5th birthday in style back in September, and you can see our review of the show here. This weekend, it is STD’s turn. They’ve taken over Lantern in Beijing tonight for a combination Halloween and birthday party (not a bad idea, if you ask us), with appearances by Surkin, co-founder R3, Sulumi and more. Their big party is tomorrow in Shanghai, at some abandoned nightclub, with a show by Queen Sea Big Shark and a slew of local DJs.
From the halcyon days before the global financial crisis to après-moi, le deluge, these three organizations have combined to tour Carsick Cars with Sonic Youth, bring Ludacris to China and promote some of the world’s freshest electronic acts in greater Asia. That is only a tiny sampling of what each company has accomplished in this relatively short time, and only the beginning of long and fruitful futures for all of them. 生日快乐, y’all.
Don’t forget to peep at Split Works’ 5 Year Anniversary programme and retrospective, here.