Here at Coconuts HK, our New Year’s resolution is to keep things fresh and interesting, which is why we’ve searched far and wide to bring you a varied but hopefully eye-opening selection of events for this month. Scroll down for our top picks of concerts, DJ sets and parties:
Despite the fact that it feels like Harilela House’s basement enclave only just revealed its latest incarnation, oma is already marking its second anniversary this weekend. The underground haven is celebrating rather appropriately with a DJ “allstars” B2B session, with 20 of Hong Kong’s finest underground spinners slated to battle it out over oma’s much-touted speaker system.
Their just passed New Year’s Eve do saw hardcore partiers staying until 8am, so you better get your game face on – there’s no room for the meek or mild at oma.
When: 10pm Friday Jan. 8 – 6am Saturday Jan. 9
Where: oma, lower basement, 79 Wyndham Street (entrance off Pottinger Street)
Price: Free entry until 12am, HKD200 (including one drink) after
Tickets: On the door
Veteran Japanese musician Keiji Haino is teaming up with saxophonist John Butcher this weekend at The Empty Gallery. Fans of experimental music will no doubt be familiar with Haino’s work, with his progressive sound influencing the likes of Skullflower and Sonic Youth.
Joining him is former physicist and pioneer of the European improvised music scene, John Butcher, who plays with circular breathing, multiphonics, acoustic and other techniques to dismantle expectations of what a saxophone should sound like.
When: Doors open 7pm, Saturday Jan. 9
Where: The Empty Gallery, 19/F Grand Marine Centre, 3 Yue Fung Street, Tin Wan
Price: HKD150 advance, HKD200 on the door
Tickets: Here
While Bundick made a name for himself with R&B and funk inspired chillwave albums, he spoke of being “straight up tired” of the sound back in 2013. His new album, “What For?”, marks a further departure from the genre with a more rock inspired, guitar driven sound that was first explored in 2013’s “Anything in Return”.
Toro y Moi will be supported by ambient/trip-hop duo Arms and Sleepers, as well as local band ni.ne.mo. Immense demand for the event has seen all advance tickets sell out on Ticketflap, as well as brick and mortar vendors. There will be 50 student tickets and 50 regular tickets available on the night, but you’ve got to be quick!
When: 8pm – late, Tuesday Jan. 12
Where: Hidden Agenda, 2A Winful Industrial Building, 15-17 Tai Yip Street, Kwun Tong
Price: HKD320 on the door
Tickets: Limited tickets left, available on the door
When: 8.30pm – TBC, Thursday, Jan. 14
Where: Hidden Agenda, 2A Winful Industrial Building, Tai Yip Street, Kwun Tong
Price: HKD220 advance, HKD260 on the door
Tickets: Here
Ladybeard, a 6 foot tall Australian wrestler, singer and “crossplayer” is returning to Hong Kong to debut his new “idol show”. The gender crossing Aussie was known for cosplaying as a five-year-old girl and singing metal versions of Cantopop songs when he lived in Hong Kong, but has since developed his act into a fully fledged show.
Ladybeard has been credited with the creation of “kawaii-core”, a cross between kawaii and hardcore, which kind of sounds like the modern Asian answer to 90’s kinderwhore that nobody asked for. For fans of Babymetal, cosplay, and all things kawaii.
When: Doors open 2.30pm, Saturday, Jan. 16
Where: Focal Fair, 28/F, Park Avenue Tower, 5 Moreton Avenue, Causeway Bay
Price: HKD250 advance
Tickets: Here
When: Doors open 7.30pm, Saturday, Jan. 16
Where: Hidden Agenda, 2A Winful Industrial Building, 15-17 Tai Yip Street, Kwun Tong
Price: HKD250 advance, 280 on the door
Tickets: Here
Don’t worry EDM fans, we haven’t forgotten about you. Lan Kwai Fong’s Bungalow is due to play host to some of EDM’s brightest rising stars on the 20th.
Canadian brothers DVBBS (most famous for their hit with Borgeous, “Tsunami”) will be headlining the evening with their brand of “big room house”. Supporting them is Shaun Frank, a DJ/producer whose collaborations have seen him work with the likes of Oliver Heldens, KSHMR and Borgeous. Frank and DVBBS collaborator Delaney Jane will be joining them to provide smooth vocals for the night, which is bound to please.
When: 11pm – late, Wednesday, Jan. 20
Where: Bungalow, G/F, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central
Price: HKD350 advance, HKD450 on the door
Tickets: Here
Four-piece instrumental rock band LITE are apparently “approaching Asia”, despite being Japanese. The band is known for their “thrilling and emotional compositions”, which, alongside explosive live performances and a never-ending tour schedule, has earned them deserved acclaim.
Widely regarded as one of Japan’s most exciting bands of the decade, LITE’s trademark sound incorporates progressive riffs and complex rhythms. For fans of BATTLES and mouse on the keys.
When: Doors open 8pm, Friday, Jan. 22
Where: Hang Out, 1/F Youth Outreach Jockey Club Building, 2 Holy Cross Path, Sai Wan Ho
Price: HKD260 advance, HKD270 online, HKD320 on the door
Tickets: Here, or at White Noise Records, 1/F, 720 Shanghai Street, Prince Edward, Kowloon
Five-time Grammy Award winning jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall is set to play Hong Kong at the end of the month as part of her world tour.
To date, Krall has apparently sold more albums than any other female jazz artist in the last 30 years, and has recently released her twelfth studio album, which features Krall’s take on a collection of songs spanning the last five decades, as well as a new song by Paul McCartney titled “If I Take You Home Tonight”.
When: 8pm – TBC, Sunday, Jan. 24
Where: Asia-World Expo Hall 10
Price: HKD480 and up
Tickets: Here
Japanese electronic composer Soichi Terada may not be a household name, but his cheery “chiptune” tunes are definitely some of the most fun sounding takes on the well-trod drum and bass genre.
Terada, who has contributed to various video games, most notably Ape Escape, blends the nostalgia of chiptune seamlessly with house, drum and bass, and jungle to create a supremely dance-worthy sound.
When: 8pm – late, Friday, Jan. 29
Where: Mahalo Tiki Lounge, 29/F QRE Plaza, 202 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
Price: HKD50 until the 11th, HKD150 (including one drink) advance, HKD300 (including two drinks) on the door
Tickets: Here
