Bloody Beetroots

Volar

Tomorrow, 11pm

With on-stage masks that resemble bug-eyed flies and a hard-hitting sound that melds rock and techno, Italy's Bloody Beetroots are one of the most curious dance acts to have emerged in the past few years.

Featuring producer Bobby Rifo, who bills himself as an 'international indie producer', and DJ Tommy Tea, the Beetroots have cut out a unique career that has deliberately sought to subvert the traditional idea of a DJ act.

Their sole album to date, the download-only Cornelius, was put together in 2008 to mark the release of a film and limited-edition T-shirt.

And instead of promoting themselves in the usual way on the internet and through the press, they managed to gain a lot of publicity by selling one of their tracks for use on a Fifa football computer game and remixing tracks for use in the TV show CSI: Miami.

It's a compelling multi-media package that has been compared to French dance stars Justice and will be on show in Hong Kong for the first time at Volar tomorrow.

Formed in 2006, the Beetroots' aim was to put together an act that combined the edginess of post-punk, the aggression of punk, the beats of techno and the danceability of house, according to an interview Rifo gave to Japan's Bounce magazine this year.

'You hear classical music, electronica, pop, fidget, punk,' Rifo says of the duo's debut EP release in the US last year. The duo (above) had worked together for years before forming the Beetroots: Tea was tour manager for Rifo, who has been a big-name producer in Italy since 1986. With Rifo's grounding in indie rock and Tea's DJ skills, the pair thought it would be a good idea to put together a touring package of DJ and band. The idea developed to the point where the Beetroots effectively became both elements in one.

Then came the toughest decision: what name to adopt. According to Rifo the answer came via the internet. 'An indie project has to be easy to find on Google,' he told Bounce. 'With the name 'Bob Rifo', I had already discovered how an original name can make the most of Google. Learn the system and work out how to screw it.'

With DJ and impresario Steve Aioki noticing their talents, the next stage was to sign to his Dim Mak label. They've since released a string of EPs and worked with the likes of MSTRKRFT and Aioki.

And the masks? They are a combination of Italy's 15th-century theatre troupe Commedia dell'Arte and superhero Spider-Man.

B/F, 38-44 D'Aguliar St, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, free (members), $250 (non-members). Inquiries: 2810 1272