Outtakes
Instant karma
Regardless of whether you've made a pilgrimage to the seminal watering hole in Paris, or paid homage at its sister venues in New York, Beirut, Dubai, Amman and Lisbon, the chances are you've heard the music of Buddha Bar. Famous for its chill-out compilations - perhaps rivalled in their ubiquity only by those of Cafe Del Mar - Buddha Bar has been the soundtrack to any number of bars, restaurants and other trendy spaces for the past eight years.
The ninth Buddha Bar opus was released in April - the fourth to be mixed by Ravin (below). The Mauritian-born DJ will be demonstrating his mastery of the genre tomorrow night at Dragon-i. Expect a varied mixture of lounge-atronica, influenced by Ravin's extensive world travels - and no doubt a more up-tempo vibe than the compilations.
Ravin will be hitting the decks from about 11.30pm and it's HK$200 on the door.
Ready to roll
It's no secret that Hong Kong's cinema scene tends towards the mainstream. As such, credit is due to anyone who strikes a blow for the underground. Enter the Sonatrope Film Festival, which runs from August 17 to 25 and will screen a selection of films related to youth-driven music, from punk to hip hop, electro and riot grrrl.
Asian youth culture is well represented by such films as Post Revolutionary Era, which delves into Beijing's hardcore scene; hip-hop odyssey Scratching the Surface: Japan; and Squatterpunk, a gritty exploration of the punk ethos in the slums of Manila. The programme will also include the Asian premieres of American documentaries Darkbeat: An Electro World Voyage and Deerhoof's Milk Man.
Reggae boy
Get ready for an evening of Caribbean-flavoured grooves on Sunday as DJ Miguel Selekta plays Central venue Club 97. Selekta, who was born in the Caribbean but now divides his time between France and Italy, will be spinning an intoxicating concoction of classic and cutting-edge reggae, ragga, dancehall, reaggaeton, hip hop and R&B.
Formerly of Italian DJ collective Papastuff, Selekta has played to huge crowds in Europe and has just finished touring with Frankie HI-NRG MC, one of the leading lights of the (admittedly little-known) Italian hip-hop scene. He has also collaborated with dub and reggae outfit Africa Unite, rap-rocker Caparezza and rapper Tormento in Italy, as well as French bad boy and head of hip-hop clothing label Com-8 Joey Starr.
Sure to be eclectic, it all starts at 9pm and admission is free.
