Syndicate turns 5 this Friday

Syndicate turns 5 this Friday

At first listen, drum "n" bass is a tough sell. DJs unleash whirlwinds of ultra-high tempo breakbeats forcing clubbers to embrace the madness or take cover. The Syndicate has been helping Beijing embrace this madness for half a decade, a milestone they celebrate with a show on Friday, Feb. 27 at Yugong Yishan.

"We wanted to hear drum 'n' bass, and it wasn"t being played," explains Syndicate founder Dan Stephenson, who launched the capital"s first regular d'n'b night at Lush in '04. "At the time, I was just playing tunes I wanted to hear on a big system." Still, crowds responded, and The Syndicate was born.

"When I came to Beijing, I had the intention of starting up a drum 'n' bass scene," says DJ Blackie, who arrived in 2005. "A friend told me about this guy doing drum 'n' bass nights in Wudaoukou, so I went and was given a 30-minute spot to try out."

Blackie, along with Stephenson, Slide, Elemental, Terra D, D-Rail and Kay C, continued to push Syndicate events, working together to sharpen their sets.

Syndicate events progressed rapidly in '05, when the crew extended their reach playing Yen's Great Wall party.

"It was a sign of what had happened in one year—from playing a bar in Wudaokou to playing one of the biggest parties in China," DJ Slide recalls. "The last hours as the sun came up over the countryside, getting the tunes to match ... It felt like drum 'n' bass in Beijing had arrived."

The Syndicate began booking shows with acts from the two biggest labels in d"n"b, Hospital and Metalheadz, bringing over London Elektricity, Cyantific and the godfather of d"n"b, Goldie.

The Syndicate chose duo Commix to headline their fifth year anniversary party because they represented both Hospital and Metalheadz.