Maachew Bentley

New York City 

Enough fog machines to sin continuously for 48 hours.

5$ for a beer and tequila shot during Happy Hour - ideal for a cheap drink in Chinatown to start your evening.

Ummmmm, if you’re invited there, and looking for some wild memories, just go. I’ll leave the rest up to you.

Another restaurant mainstay with a pretty big club room in the back, with two parties usually going on. Prolly get a free drink if you ask when Elvis Guesthouse II is coming (if you know you know).

Relatively new venue with three rooms, much like the infamous Output sans all the rules. Personal favorite, haven’t really swung a miss since I’ve been going, but do go there on a weekend.

Late night dive bar in Chinatown, where the writers go, hit or miss really just a destination for the late night chill, music played on vinyl only.

Summer vibe for the rave, day time for the outdoor backyard breather.

A plot of land on the cusp of GreenPoint / Williamsburg. The Lot has become a home for every artist and local pit stop passerby. Music is playing live from 12 - midnight in a cargo trailer much like your local NTS or Balamii booth, equipped with hammocks, fire pit and outdoor cafe.

As far as I’m concerned, they have the best programming schedule all year long. From book fairs, to immersive installations, to full day raves every Saturday during the Summer. You can’t really lose going here on an off day or when there’s a line round the block.

Maachew Bentley Trippin in New York

Uèle Lamore

Paris

My little secret here! This library always has crazy sales on beautiful artbooks. I when I mean crazy I mean a book that was 100 euros is now 10 euros. Thanks to this shop my apartment is full of fancy books that make me look really smart.

This venue is actually inside a peniche boat located in one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Paris. I discovered so many indie bands there, such as one of my favourite groups: Kikagaku Moyo. 

This place is both a venue and a bar. It has a really laid-back atmosphere and there is always some kind of exhibition going on at the same time. You can have drinks at the bar, eat something nice and then go see a show all at once. Great during daytime as well to relax!

I'm a big cocktail drinker, and one you talk of cocktail bars, one might imagine this sterile, quiet, super stuck-up spot. Well, first time I went to Blue Bird I thought I had entered a crazy town (in a good way), it has this 70's retro western feel to it. The atmosphere is really exciting and the bartenders are some of the funniest people I know. Go there past 9pm for some action!

Another bookstore located between the Marais and Republique neighbourhoods. They have a big selection of indie magazines, and rare books. Pro tip: you can negotiate the prices depending on what you are buying!

Paris is all about chilling and the Coulee Verte is made just for that. It is an abandoned system of train tracks that circle the city and have been rehabilitated as a walking spot. There are many entrances all over the town to access it, I recommend getting to the tracks by the Bastille entrance and walking all the way to Bercy.

If you ever want to buy an instrument, head to this historical street located in Pigalle where all the shops of vintage and new gear are. From synths to guitar pedals, there is a shop for everything.

A Guide to Parisian Culture with Uèle Lamore

Berlin

It’s a former power plant and they do concerts really well. I’ve been there a few times on invitation from my friends who performed at Atonal Festival as LABOUR.

A well curated exhibition of the Boros collection in a huge bunker that changes every four years – what more do you want? Just make sure to book ahead of time.


It was one of the first places I visited when I came to Berlin. I’ve been to the memorials in Washington, D.C. so many times but nothing compares to the scale of this.

A residency programme and building in Wedding. I really enjoy attending my friends’ open studios, performances and rehearsals there. Just generally good vibes. Now my good friend Isabel Parkes works there, be sure to say hi.

Perfect, colourful place to visit when Berlin gets really grey during the winter.

Christine Sun Kim on Berlin’s Art Spaces

Varnrable

Addis Ababa

A place for organic homemade Ethiopian food and tella, a traditional brew. Tella is brewed in households, usually in the rural areas, and consumed on a daily basis. But tella's legitimate status has been fading away, losing its place to mass produced beer and imported liquor. In Selo everything is homemade, from the injera to the tella. Ingredients are collected from local communities, creating an authentic and sustainable culture around Selo. The energy is inclusive and warm, the food is fresh and tasty, and there is a variation of tellas to try out!

Shifta offers a wide range of delicious Caribbean, vegan and African food. The food I had there was super tasty! It's vibrant and filled with local creatives. A great place to eat, drink and hang out all night, having good conversations or just listening to the music. 

Fendika Cultural Center is the perfect place to take in traditional music, and at the same time enjoy traditional food and drinks in a chilled environment. There are performances every week and the place is filled with soul and good energy. Everything is traditional and relevant. I went there to soak up some local jazz one night and that was a beautiful trip.

This is a club concept, making electronic parties at different locations and with differenct DJs. They are reimagining rave culture in the modern day Addis Ababa. These parties are some of the highlights in the club scene and are happening once a month. 

A traditional restaurant in Addis Ababa where you can experience cultural performances while you eat local food. From around 7.30pm there are musicians, dancers and singers performing traditional acts from different tribes around Ethiopia, while wearing outfits from the different regions. All your senses are being stimulated while being in a beautifully decorated room with traditional design and art. 

The perfect way to get out of the city, and it is only a short car ride away from the centrum. There is a great view over the city and you're able to take a walk in nature. The park itself is how we know most parks to be, but if you wander more up, in the mountain, there are small villages; more raw and beautiful nature. 

An institute of Ethio jazz in its historical location, owned by the legendary Mulatu Astatke. This place features some of the best jazz musicians live in raw sessions. 

Explore Addis Ababa's Cultural Scene with Varnrable

Yuki Matsuda

Tokyo

It's a venue that has one of the best sound systems.

They are open until 3 am and they have the best late night food to take my mind off.

They always have really cool exhibitions and events.

I just love their authentic and very spicy Chinese dishes. Sometimes after doing a gig you just wanna eat spicy food with your mates.

Owned by one of my friends who has a very good taste in music.

It's a second hand book store. They have many great art books.

Tokyo with Yuki Matsuda

Pablo Nouvelle

Zurich

An Italian enclave at the very end of famous Langstrasse. Paninis in every variety. Everything in this store is a 100% Italian. The ingredients, the amazing antipasti and the songs playing from the radio. How can something so simple be so good.

Zürich might be one of the most decent but surely not the biggest place on earth. If you want to get an overview first put on your fast shoes and head up to Käferbärg, which offers a little escape into the woods and a beautiful view over the city, the lake and the incredible alps. Make sure you set out for the trip in the late afternoon to catch the golden evening sun.

Close to my studio, this little restaurant has become my go to place if I want to treat myself for lunch. Honest meals, affordable and made with love.

Escape the city and climb the little mountain overseeing Zurich. Best to bring your bike and enjoy one of the many single trails and downhill tracks down the 400 meters altitude.

A beautiful bath to dip in the lake with a little beach and a tower out in the water to climb and jump from.

Claudio the soul of Sacci Bar will take care of your needs and make sure you won’t leave town without having tasted the best Negroni or natural wines there is.

Fancy a fancy dinner? Go to Kle. You’ll eat exclusively creations you’ve never experienced before. All vegan.

A small concert venue with one of the best bookings of local and international acts.

Jump from the bridge into the cold waters of the Limmat and drift down to Obere Letten. Have a Margarita at the rooftop of Primitivo Bar whilst watching people and go to a concert in the evening at the near by Parkplatz.

Best see and to be seen place on a Sunday afternoon. Visit the lovely Cafe Bonheur or bring your own and sit around the fountain.

Best cinema in town with the latest independent films and the most charming bar to linger around.

Discover Zürich with Pablo Nouvelle

Chase & Status

London

Manchester

Bristol

This one has such pure, magical, rave energy of past era’s. It also has an inclusive dance floor environment, which makes it a great place to solo-rave, if that’s what you’re after.

Great sound system and community culture, where they are always encouraging new promoters and emerging talent. Have never played there ourselves, but have attended as fans.

Home to the famous Warehouse Project. We’ve played there a lot and it’s by far one of the most epic venues in the UK, peaking at 10,000 capacity. It has big rave energy. 

Bristol is one of the best UK locations for bass music. It’s home to many of the iconic labels and producers of the scene and this venue is perfect to experience all the variations. 

We definitely could not leave this one out… Arguably the most legendary club in the UK and we’ve been lucky enough to have played there many times. We also did our RTRN II Fabric Album stream there in 2020 with the late, legendary, Skibadee. A moment that will always be sacred to us.

Our Carnival memories stretch back to the mid 90’s but for the past few years we’ve found ourselves at Shy FX’s ‘Digital Soundboy’ stage. The vibes are always right, we’ve had the fortune to play there several times & not many people put on a party like Shy.


The 6 Best Venues to Rave with Chase and Status 

Marlou Fernanda

Rotterdam

This is where I used to get my hair products when I had long curly hair.

When we’re in the city, we usually pass by to get a Pastechi.

For two years we’ve made it a habit to order pastechi, cheese balls, sate ku batata and other dishes from Curaçao at this specific place for the holidays, especially for New Year's Eve. I know the owners, and normally they’d do the catering whenever my good friend Junelisa had a party, for example. I’ve been waiting for them to open a restaurant ever since. They have the best Caribbean food in town (for me) no doubt!

I used to go to this café/venue/club where they’d have R&B, funk, soul, salsa and bossa-nova nights. I loved seeing so many people from Brazil coming together in Rotterdam to play beautiful samba music. I’d always go here with my big sister – I really miss those days! We used to meet so many people there and I felt like I was learning more about different cultures and different people.

I’m in their extended family program, and for that reason I’ve been able to go behind the scenes and visit their archives. They had so many crazy items that I’ve never seen before. A lot of slavery related items too. Curaçao and Brazil, of course, were a part of this too. I remember feeling so connected to my heritage and actually became angry at what ‘they’ stole from us.

Marlou Fernanda's Guide To Caribbean Spots In Rotterdam

Dani Pujalte

Barcelona

Of all the bars I really like Quimet. They have tapas and conservas. I used to live really close so this was the bar I went to all the time

It's the best party in Barcelona. You'll need to drink but it's definitely the best party in town

This place is really special. When we had the Olympics here they built a pool with a super high trampoline where you can see all of Barcelona. They built a shitty bar there too, it’s not fancy at all but that’s why I like it. It’s good for the views, having a beer with your friends and watching the sunset

I really like this gallery. It's also in Montjuic so stop by when you're there

I really like pizza and Italian food. It’s really good here. It’s a bit expensive, but not super expensive and they have really good wines. It's run by two twin brothers and I really recommend this one I love it. Everything’s super good, the spaghetti and squid ink pasta super good

It's super crowded but they've opened an exhibition on Picasso with photography which is really nice. I've been lucky to have been documenting the installation and stuff so I got a sneak peek. There are loads of cool sculptures too.

I've been going here since I was super young - this is a good club to go to in Barcelona

We’re super lucky in Barcelona to have the sea here, it's super important for me. Whenever I have some free space, I used to go to where the beach is separated by stones because I hate sand. I have my own stone that I sit on, relax and have my legs in the water. I really like this stone. There’s not thousands of tourists so you can be chill alone and naked too

Dani Pujalte takes us Trippin in Barcelona

Lazare Hoche

This is the symbol of my current area - the 9th district of Paris. Originally opened in 1879, the biggest renovation took place in 1926; the magnificent gold Art Deco 'bas-relief' reflects the sun on surrounding streets. This theatre also hosted one of my favorite TV Shows from the 90’s called “double jeu”.

Known more as 'Colonnes de Buren'. A highly controversial art installation created by French artist, Daniel Buren in 1985–1986. It’s found in the inner courtyard (Cour d'Honneur) of the Palais Royal in Paris, France. Unusual sight in the city

The Lebanese restaurant of my aunt - featured in the guide michelin - is a family food display, with generous portions, a warm atmosphere and a lot of personality. Located in a very random and residential area, this place is not the usual tourist trap; it's a secret weapon. It's what we love best - Lebanese gastronomy.

Back in the 9th district of Paris, very few people know that there's a Tunisian food scene here. I’m obviously from Lebanon, but Tunisian food is kind of a non-hidden love affair. Some of them, open since the 70’s, are still going and proud. La Boule Rouge has got it all. A true favorite of all the kemia enthusiasts and couscous nerds. The homemade tuna meshouia is the real deal here. No fancy vibes here or “wanna-be hipsters”, but a very comfortable family feeling as soon as you enter the place.

For record shops, it's pretty much around the center-east side of Paris, where you will find all types of stores, with great selections. My favorite one is this one; Melik, the owner, is one of the finest listeners and selectors of the city.

This is a cultural explosion in Paris. It's thrown on a Thursday night in the infamous Pigalle area. It’s an extension of all your fantasies at once; curated by the mighty DJ Dorion. The vibe is mind blowing, the music selection and people are eclectic, the performers and the show are authentic and fine-tuned.

Legend is the party of DJ Deep in Paris since 1997. It's the purest NYC House vibe you can get in Europe. This shot is the infamous, Kerri Chandler, doing what he does best in Rex in August 2019.

Paris with DJ, Lazare Hoche

Fernando Rosa

São Paulo

Great sound quality and a diverse artistic programming.

A nice option that always brings to the stage great names of music.

Located in the center of São Paulo. The programming presents new names from the jazz scene of the city.

Besides having a beautiful green area, it has a wonderful cultural programming.


A great place to walk around. Car circulation is closed there during the Sundays. A variety of street artists present there, along with fairs and outdoors expositions.

Restaurant with excellent food. For those who enjoy vegan food without giving up on flavor.

Sao Paulo's Best Venues for Live Music with Fernando Rosa

Anomalie

Montreal

One of my favorite small venues in the city. It’s a non-profit organization that has music, dance theatre, exhibitions amongst other tings. I’ve played here several times and I went to several events here and the ambience was always on point

To me, this is the best music venue in the city to see your favorite artist play. Great acoustics, beautiful architecture - I’ve seen so many insane shows here and especially after being to similar sized venues in other cities, this is the one.


I love pubs, and this one is pretty much right next to l’Astral and Métropolis, which means that during jazz fest season (or summer for that matter) this is pretty much the go to spot. It’s technically a tavern - food and drinks are always on point and this is my vibe for a night out

Another great venue with absolutely stunning architecture. In some ways it feels like a smaller metropolis, it’s beautiful and I especially like it’s layout - I’ve seen several memorable shows here too

Located in my Pointe Saint-Charles (my old neighborhood in the south-west, love this area so much), this place is gorgeous. The cocktails and atmosphere are incredible, and the people who own it also own one of the best pizza places in town (in my opinion, fight me)

This is my favorite mid-sized venue in town. I might be biased cause it’s definitely associated with my years studying music in Cegep (something in between high school and college here in Quebec), but I just have so many fond memories of this spot, both playing and seeing shows, that I couldn’t not include it on this list. They also own the smaller but equally awesome Casa Del Popolo across the street.

Anomalie's guide to Nightlife / Music Venues in Montreal

Sama Beydoun 

Beirut

Best hidden spot for a good coffee in the heart of the city. You can grab coffee during the day and catch some live music at night. Ask for Youssef, he'll tell you all about the space or he’ll hit you up with some special recommendations. My favorites are the ginger lemon honey tea or the iced doppio, that you can ask the waiter for, it’s off the menu.

Exquisite brunch or sandwiches with beautiful sunlight if you’re sitting outside. I often pass by for coffee too. If it gets crowded it extends onto the facing staircases, for a drink literally on the streets on Beirut. Ask for Antoine, he’s the sweetest and the funniest, he’s usually there until the afternoon, probably singing along to the music spreading his joie-de-vivre.

For film photographers and printmaking lovers, I develop my films at the Beirut printmaking studio, hidden in an alley in Gemmayzeh. Tarek opened this space to gather artists, photographers and creatives, where they can take different printmaking, developing and darkroom classes. Ask him about the names of the cats. You’re in for a ride.

If you’re looking for a special gift or a souvenir, Plan Bey is the ideal stop. Posters, books, prints and many projects that carry so much of Beirut’s visual identity and spirit. The selection of artists is amongst Lebanon’s finest in the contemporary art scene. If you take the stairs you get to the coffeeshop too, it’s beautiful.

Souk el Tayeb is a farmer’s market that happens every Saturday where you can buy vegetables from the farmers themselves. Fresh, fair, colorful, and so tasty. There’s also stands with delicious recipes and innovative projects reviving or revisiting some culinary Lebanese traditions. You must try Em Ali’s manoushe, you will not regret it.

For an afternoon meeting, an evening date or a late night drink, Molo never fails me. “Molo” is the name of the owner herself, who’s often serving you your food or your “Mexican beer” (light beer with lemon juice and salt, delicious). She can always recommend the latest addition to the menu. It has a great outdoors sitting area in the Badaro neighborhood, where you’ll have plenty of choices for the bar that will follow.

Ballroom Blitz is definitely a must if you’re a nightlife lover and a club hopper. It’s located in an industrial area, where more than one club are located. The 3-room experience offers different styles with their respective selection of fine DJs. You won’t come out before you can’t stand on your feet anymore, still wanting more. A cherished space-space for sure.

When you come out of Ballroom Blitz in the middle of the night completely famished, jump to Jabbour, nearby, to grab one of the best Shawarmas in town. Special tip: Ask the man making you the sandwich to add some grenadine molasse to it. An explosion of taste.

For a proper Lebanese lunch or dinner, locals eat at Mezyan, in the Hamra neighborhood. I can’t even begin to count all the things on the menu that are worth trying: Cashew Halloumi, Eggplant Fatté, Batata Harra, Fattoush, obviously hummus. Oh and a pitcher of Araq of course. Choose a night with live music, it often ends up being a party.

For proper sunset and sea view, get ready to trespass the metal fence from the Corniche (don’t panic, everyone does). Grab a snack, a hot drink as it gets windy and choose where you would like to sit, vue-sur-mer. The blessing of living so close to the Mediterranean Sea.

Explore The Creative Underbelly of Beirut with Sama

Kwaku

You can do different things without having to go far.  In a group of friends there is something for everyone: food, drink, dance. The fusion [combines] barbecue and Chinese cuisine.


The spectrum of genres available is very eclectic, like my own music taste. My grandad founded the first record label in Ghana in 1954. They released all records on vinyl and it’s been in my life since I could remember.


There’s so much to do in London, there is something for everyone whether it be food, activities and music. It being a multi-purpose space with fusion food available shows that it’s a collaboration of interest and different spaces giving this space a cultural identity. I like the architecture and how every room is close by but has a completely different purpose.

I love the layout and vibe of the place. From the cafe to the baths and sauna boxes being outside. Feels more natural and an actual place of community as opposed to a man-made structure simply meant for a business. It feels deeper and personal, and the staff are great. It being in east London is a bonus as it’s my favourite place.


I’m an active person and go the gym five days a week so doing this after a session aids recovery. I feel less stiff before the studio, rehearsals, meetings and shoots. People here share different ways they relax and recover, to aid people’s health and well-being. You get the feeling people here care for one another. A health-based collaboration based on openness, if you will. In the cold baths I’d say [stay for] two to three minutes. In the ice bath I’d say 45-90 seconds.

Seen a lot of my friends perform here who have gone on to do great things. It’s a bit rough around the edges but it’s part of its charm. Homegrown talent showing, nothing to hide behind here and it shows the true essence of musicians on this stage. The playlist in the pub is great too. It’s a place for local and emerging talent to gig, and for the community to have a place to chill and discuss that isn’t home or work.

You can find great vintage Levis, denim and the best jackets. I picked up a khaki bomber jacket and I had to stop myself from getting some cargos to match. [Atika is] vibrant, eclectic and friendly! You’re greeted on the way in and asked straight away if you need any help. Thrifting is a great activity to find pieces that have a story, a lot of them are rare and can’t be found anywhere so it’s discontinued or hard to find which makes your personal style even more unique.


Sustainable fashion is something that should be more prevalent. London is a busy city contributing to a lot of emissions. New clothes don’t always need to be made and places like this with high-quality vintage pieces is important.

4 Cultural Hotspots You Need to Visit in London with Kwaku Asante

Tedman Lee

Hong Kong

Most famous dai pai dong on the island. Good vibes all around, drunk staff, good food, corny but awesome music on blast, all in a wet market...can’t ask for more

Vintage shop with a unique and nostalgic selection of antique from the colonial days of Hong Kong along witVintage shop with a unique and nostalgic selection of antique from the colonial days of Hong Kong along with super rare vintage eyewear and vinyl recordsh super rare vintage eyewear and vinyl records

Go get a bowl of the famous Hong Kong styled cart noodles. There was a long heritage of street vendors during the 1950s in carts until they all got banned by the government due to hygiene regulations. Now they're all in shops

The neighbourhood bar in Prince Edward where all the local creatives hang out at. Go and ask for a cocktail with yuk bing siu

The Private Label is stocked here along with a few other contemporary clothing labels from Hong Kong. Go get a cup of honey americano and look at some local designs

Amazing selection of vinyl records. Be sure to have a few hours to kill and be ready for long conversations

Fusion diner designed by Sou Fujimoto with a dope vinyl music room

Tedman Lee's Hong Kong Spots

Lean Chihiro

If you love Japanese food this is where you want to go to eat REAL Japanese food! The Opéra Garnier building looks really huge and the area is full of more beautiful buildings. It's kinda fancy

The lights at night are really pretty and the Moulin Rouge is impressive. Best thing is you can get food and drinks whenever cause most of the shops are open 24/7

A cat café and their cheesecakes are so yummy! Only for the cat lovers though

Really nice way to spend a lovely sunny afternoon and watch the sunset. Buy wine if you really feeling that tourist lifestyle lol

Definitely one of my favourite place in the city, the view is amazing and the whole place looks so different from the rest of the city. You have to go here if you're in Paris

Arcade game centre, really fun if you love video games like me!

Paris with Rapper Lean Chihiro

Kevin David

Bar da Bete is the best place to warm up before heading to your favorite party.


If you are in the centre, you must go for a beer with a group of 20 friends.

If you are an LGBTQIAP+ person you have an obligation to live in the zig. a gay nightclub in the basement with pop music, darkroom and gay cruising.

Imagine a funk party in Brazil? now imagine an LGBTQIA+ funk party in brazil, where the G, the T and the L dominate everything. That's it, just living to see.


If you are looking for a more cozy place, where you can spend the afternoon with friends and still listen to some music, then lote sp is the place.

As a fan and lover of Hip-Hop culture, I find everything here, ribbed tank tops, jewellery, sneakers, t-shirt prints - the rock gallery is a good option for those who want to spend their evening lookinging and don't have time to adventure so much, as there are several floors with wonderful curatorship. 

I cut my hair for 15 years in the same place with your rodriguez. If you're looking for a ruler cut, this is the place.

My favorite food in São Paulo is here: a dish made of pot roast and carrot cake dessert is what I eat the most.


This is where I find all my fashion and culture magazines.

The Creative Underbelly of Sao Paulo with Kevin David

Chicago

Botanique in Brussels is housed in a former botanical garden with a reputation for supporting and promoting emerging talent. From exhibitions to theatre performances and music festivals, Botanique is an experience you can’t find anywhere else.

Since 1997, the intimate atmosphere of Notting Hill Arts Club has been a heart for London’s music scene, with nights thriving with up and coming talent from across the globe and huge acts giving their first live performances here.

The Sunflower Lounge brings New York to Birmingham with its half punk and half 60s psychedelic interior. A home for unsigned up and coming bands since 2002, it’s the perfect venue to gain firsthand experience of the music scene within the city.

The Ruby Sessions take place every Tuesday in Doyle’s Pub in Dublin. The event stands out within the city as a beacon for new music appreciation, offering an intimate and acoustic environment where emerging artists can showcase their talent. The Ruby Sessions is a great visit as they donate proceeds from the event every week to a selected charity.

In the heart of Bowery, Manhattan, The Bowery Electric is iconic for its music scene. Hosting multiple performance spaces (a main stage and a more intimate setting), the venue hosts an array of artists – from both local and international acts. Also, as a nightlife hub, it’s a great place to have an authentic New York experience.

Cherry Bar is known for its authentic rock ’n’ roll vibe with an unfiltered music experience. Its legacy within Melbourne is well deserved, hosting a diverse range of genres and acts. It's a consistent must-visit venue when in the city.

As one of the oldest dance halls in Europe, Sala Apolo is a gem in the heart of Barcelona, with culture stemming back to the beginning of the 20th century. Sala is unparalleled when it comes to its history.

The Empty Bottle in Chicago sets itself apart as they actively engage with the local music community, collaborating with artists, promoters and other venues to support new and independent music. Highlighting innovative and boundary-pushing music, this venue is such an exciting space to discover and experience new and unique sounds.

Opening its doors in 1991, the Night & Day Cafe is iconic within Manchester and played a pivotal role in the rise of the city's music scene. The venue has hosted influential bands in their early careers and has acted as a launch pad for local emerging artists.

If you’re looking for a venue that showcases a plethora of country, Americana, indie and rock, The Basement in Nashville is rich with emerging talents across different styles and sounds.

10 Music Venues You Should Visit Around the World, Chosen By Dirty Hit

Haw Par Mansion is an abandoned mansion that's got loads of trippy sculptures. I mean, can you imagine becoming so rich that one day you say to yourself, "What if I build a garden here?' and then the garden looks like that? Sometimes I wonder if whoever came up with those sculptures were on any psychedelics whilst making them.

Fuji Building is a place where horny foreigners, expats, escorts and landlords collide. It’s a nice place for those people to hang out, especially since there’s some similar buildings like it around that area. It’s got a trippy interior design to it as well. If anybody's looking for a place to go, this should be one of them.

There's a forbidden village that looks like a forest called Sha Lo Tung. It's in a really remote area in Tai Po. Lots of nature. There's grassland, wetland, abandoned farmland inside. Watch out for the dragonflies and the butterflies though. A land developer had wanted to build a columbaria on the land after buying the ownership from villagers, and there was a lot of controversy around the whole thing.

Foo Tak Building has given us lots of memories. HKCR used to be there, and Twenty Alpha is still in there. We did some performances in those venues before, but there’s also a rooftop that most people can go to most of the time. The rooftop is great for performing and smoking, especially when the weather isn’t so hot. Lots of our friends have been on the rooftop before, whether it’s for watching a show or just chilling there. Just know that the building closes its gates at 8pm.

Champagne Court is a legendary spot in Hong Kong. It has been used on a few TV series, but the thing is it used to provide legal prostitution in the 90s and it got a lot of clout because of that.

Fung Tak Park is another place with some trippy stuff going on. Most of the park’s design is based on the Chinese myth 'Journey to the West,' and they have a whole waterfall inside the park. One of my friends shot their music video there.

There’s some good spots in Ho King Commercial Building. It’s perfect because there’s street food all around that area, obscure shops, cheap electronics and all that. It was known for selling porno DVDs, especially in the 90s. There’s more quiet smoking spots if you take a lift up and go to the stairs. Quite safe, at least for now. Don’t do drugs, there’s lots of cops in that area.

This is the exact spot where we first made ‘Harbor’ on our ‘Synthetic’ EP. It was a really random day. Takeem hit me up and [asked] if we wanna meet. For some reason I just brought my laptop with me, because I'd been making lots of songs at that time in places outside my home studio. I didn’t know we were going to meet up somewhere outdoors on that day, but I still took my laptop out, made a beat, Takeem quickly freestyled and wrote some lyrics. That’s how we first started ‘Harbor’ – in front of the harbor. There had been times where I needed to go out and make some music instead of being stuck at home, and that’s the spot I’d go [to]. Sometimes it’s quiet, other times there’d be people hanging out even at 2am.

8 Weird and Wonderful Spots in Hong Kong With Kelvin T

Eli Escobar

Knockdown Center is this old factory with lots of different nooks and crannies to explore; this huge, amazing place over a pile of abandoned building and piles of rubble. They made it beautiful. There's a club in the basement; it's like a dungeon, you can go down there and there'll be techno but on summer evenings they have the outside going and you can get 2,000 people out there. There's always good stuff every weekend. It has a magical vibe to it because you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. Knockdown Center would be my favourite place for outdoor stuff. I do a party there on Sundays during the summer called Tiki Disco so I'm a bit biased because our party's really special, but it's not only because of that. I like the place in general.

Good Room has been around for a while now. The thought that has gone into that place has been really tremendous. The sound is immaculate and they're constantly improving on the sound system. There's two rooms: one room called the Bad Room and then there's the main room. The bathroom is this dark, smoky, tight, little space that goes crazy. You feel like you can't see anything when you're in there; it's flashing lights and smoke, and they'll have DJs in there. In the main room, there's always DJs. It's a beautiful old club that used to be a Polish queer club. It's got this 80s look to it: beautiful wooden floors and these steel ceilings. The music is consistently excellent. The guy who does the programming, Josh [Houtkin], he's got great taste. There's always spectacular stuff going on, and it’s become, over the years, one of our most beloved spaces.

My favourite new club in Bushwick. You go into Paragon and you feel like you are stepping into an alternative seedy underground section of our culture. It's very diverse and the music is really cutting edge; there's a lot of exciting new talent being booked. It's more the edgy side of things in the basement, and the basement is wild. The turntables are on a pool table. When I was DJing there, people were surrounding me, screaming. The ceilings are low, and it's really smoky and crazy. Then, on the top floor, they've got this old-school-style DJ booth all the way up on top looking down on this beautiful second floor balcony that reminds me of The Limelight from the 90s. They tend to put more straightforward techno up there. Downstairs will be more newer stuff that's emerging from the underground. The person who owns it has a very beloved long-running club in New York called Bossa Nova Civic Club and it feels like the sister club to that place. It's very close by and has a lot of the same crowd.


House of Yes keeps giving me the most creative freedom out of any place I've worked at. They let me play all night, which is becoming more common for me these days. There's a lot of spectacle; aerialists, dancers, all sorts of different shows. You'll be dancing and then all of a sudden, in the middle of the dancefloor, there’ll be a show with two dancers that work for the club. For a long time, it's been the epicentre of creative expression and creative freedom. A real safe space for people to be at. They're consistent and maybe even better than ever now. I've had a monthly night where I can play for six, seven hours and I really love doing that.

If you're looking for a simple, dark basement type of vibe, a good one is Black Flamingo in Williamsburg. It's a beautiful, simple basement; all wood, kind of looks like a sauna. Minimal lighting and really nice sound. There's always good house and disco being played there. It's in the basement of a restaurant. You wouldn't even necessarily know it's there if you were in the restaurant, but at 10pm they open up this little door and then you go down the stairways and it gets dark and smoky. I think you can't even get 100 people in there, so it's very intimate and chill.

I don't think it's been open for two full months yet. SILO is like this brown tin can in this area that used to be old factories. I played there recently all night and what was interesting to me was that the DJ booth was just smack dab in the middle of the dancefloor. I would hesitate to call it a booth. There's the CDJs and the mixer, and you step up on this – not even one foot up – little board and you're DJing in the middle of the dancefloor surrounded by people. At first I was like, this feels claustrophobic. And then I really enjoyed it actually, it was fun. It felt like I was in the party. It was easy to feed off of the crowd’s energy, and there's no other place like that in New York. It feels intimate because you're surrounded by people but then you can't see how many more people are all around. I think they can get 500 or 600 people in there, and the bookings have been stellar also. New York's crazy good right now.

Nowadays is special for a lot of reasons. It's beautiful looking, it feels really neat. We've got this outdoor area that's beautifully lit. It provides a nice area to go take a breather, it's not that wild outside and then inside the sound system is beautiful. They've done an amazing job of creating their own little scene, booking lots of unsung, up-and-coming talent and creating a place for those people to be able to play, and then getting them more opportunities to play at other places. It feels like they've got a unique approach to running a club. They stay open from Saturday to late Sunday night or early Monday morning, so you can always go there. A lot of times on Saturdays, at 5am, when I'm finishing people will be like, 'Where can we go now?' You can always go to Nowadays because they're just going and going.

The Best Clubs in New York Chosen by Eli Escobar

Venna

The most legendary jazz club in London Town, I’ve been lucky to perform in & watched various musicians play. You’ll always learn something new there.

I saw Terrace Martin & Robert Glasper perform there with their group R+R (was a special one for me!) & seen some of my favourites there over the years. Also been there to perform when JVCK JAMES was supporting Ella Mai.

Amazing sax shop by Blackfriars, I can spend hours in there staring at stuff I want. They also have practice rooms you can get for the day and shell a practice.

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