China is not the place one would usually associate with dance music, but the Intro 2009 festival featuring techno warrior Chris Liebing, Philipp from M.A.N.D.Y. and sample-happy minimal techno duo Italoboyz had the denizens of Beijing buzzing — until the police shut it down at 10:30pm, that is.
Alas, China’s first electronic festival was canceled abruptly on its first and only day. The reports said: “Due to safety concerns local police called off the festival after witnessing the size of the crowd, the initial deal they had with festival organizers was then reneged which brought the party to an abrupt conclusion.”
It seems censorship and control goes hand in hand inside China’s cultural regime, but it looks like government officials are slowly warming to the idea of techno and dance music. Here’s hoping that China opens its arms even further in 2010.
First Beijing Electronic Festival from wideye shut on Vimeo.
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