With credits at M Agency, Beijing’s Haze Club, and Shanghai’s W Hotel and Lola between them, promoters Yu Yang and Enzo Grasso have embarked on a new joint venture aiming to ‘transmit their passion for quality music’ to partygoers in the city, something they’ve begun by throwing a series of rooftop events in unusual locations featuring the likes of San Soda and Young Marco.
But surely every promoter thinks they’re shaking up the scene? Here, the pair tell us what makes Alter. different.
Doesn't Shanghai have enough parties and promoters? What made you want to start your own event series?
YY Shanghai definitely has lots of promoters in all aspects of music and nightlife and they are doing a great job to keep the city vibrant. I enjoy it but I also miss the diversity of parties from when I was living in Brooklyn: daytime/nighttime; various venues: clubs, bars, basements, lofts, warehouses, rooftops, boats, backyards, even just the empty space between two buildings; and quality music, intimate vibes, a nice crowd and mind-blowing visuals. If what you desire doesn’t exist, why not create your own?
Tell us about the first couple of Alter. parties.
YY We’ve had two events so far and the support and love we’ve received was more than we could have ever expected! We laughed, drank, danced and shared some beautiful moments together with 500 people. Truly special.
What are your requirements when booking acts for Alter.?
YY Our essential requirement is good music from the act, something that will create the warm vibe we want to deliver; it’s mostly in the disco and house music fields. We like acts who push the boundaries of electronic music, no matter whether they are rising or already established.
Is Alter. only for international acts or would you book local/Chinese DJ and producers too? Enzo Alter. is for both for sure. We were lucky to have two amazing international DJs in Young Marco and San Soda for the last two events but local DJs play an equally important role. We aim to build a platform to showcase the talent of artists domestically and internationally.
Yu Yang
So who do you like on the local scene right now?
YY I am a fan
ChaCha and
Swimful has some cool productions too. DJ-wise, China Social Club, together with many great local DJs, are my boys. I am also a fan of
Nova Heart, an electronic band based in Beijing and
Re-TROS, a post punk-transitioning-to-electronic band from Beijing.
And who would be your dream booking for an Alter. show?
YY That’s a good question… I am a fan of the sound of Dekmantel, Robot Heart, Glitterbox, Tiki Disco etc. So I’d love to book DJs from Palm Trax, Job Jobse,
Tom Trago; to Acid Pauli, Thugfucker; to
Horse Meat Disco, Todd Torry; to Eli Escobar etc. Some live acts in the future would be amazing too.
Enzo
TLDR – give us the quick take on Alter.
Enzo Alter.’s concept is around quality music, the community, unique venues, intimate vibes, and the combination of sound, visuals, and art.
