SHANGHAI NIGHTLIFE
2011-2014

It’s 9am in the club in Shanghai. Construction dust swirls in the air outside, and you’re waiting for the bathroom but there’s three people in the stall, snorting what is probably at least half construction dust. You wonder what kind of visas cocaine dealers are on before giving up and stepping outside.  

You leave the haze of minimal techno and wander out to find a public bathroom or something. Outside is the end-of-days sound of metal saws on concrete at 120db. The temperature is 42C and the humidity makes you feel like a used towel after a swim: heavy and soaked. Some white dude in an alley is crouched in the fetal position, having what is obviously not a great time. Research chemicals. Blue and whites. You recognize it because you’ve kinda been there, after a Diplo concert when someone offered you “powered LSD”, but on your bad trip, you still had to go DJ a high school prom two hours away at a basketball court in Suzhou to pay rent, where a kid walked up and said, “Waka Flocka Flame sucks.” She was wrong. 

(Across town, the self-proclaimed Number One DJ in the city is dropping LMFAO and EDM bangers at a club in a skyscraper. The lobby has a fishtank as long as a school bus, filled with baby sharks. Tables with 100 bottles, champagne showers, Rolls Royces with military plates driving backwards down one-way streets, “started from the bottom” culture and “hustlers” with trust funds throwing bills in the air, business cards with names like “Jason” and a picture of a red Camaro and a mystery number underneath, which you only call from one of those orange payphones at non-chain convenience stores.) 

While you move in slow motion, the elderly seem to fly by you, some of them walking backwards, clapping. Uncles rip by on e-bikes with giant batteries. “AYYYYYYYYYY!” they yell, the volume ascending as they cut you off as they round the corner. Working people line up for soy milk and baozi, paying in cash and coins. We’re still a few years away from mobile payment, and cell phone cameras still ain’t there. Europeans fall out of doors in inconspicuous buildings, wearing sunglasses, smoking cigarettes, stumbling. Cicadas sing. 

Brunch.

Unpromising days and nights quickly spiraled into chaos and sunrise. Pool parties. Rooftop parties. Bloghouse. Methadrome. Tripping in nearby water towns, and seeing a Danish guitarist fall out of a tree in a thunderstorm and break his arm, as 200 people on acid scream and the village head realizes this party has to stop now. Getting 500rmb cash for a Sunday English-tutoring session from a dad who, off half a bottle of Johnnie Walker, asks you – in front of his wife and kid – to go get sex workers, and taking the money straight to your tea dealer, whose apartment is filled with serious looking men with hand tattoos of crescent moons all sitting on the floor eating lamb, bread, and watching Rambo at high volume. Gunshots ring while you smoke out of a wooden bong with wooden matches. You’ve seen people throw up from this bong more than once. You get so high that when you arrive home, you hide behind your couch when someone starts banging on the door for 30 minutes, convinced it’s the police. 

It's the water bill collector. He’s been coming every day this week. 

A high school history teacher cooking crack in his kitchen while his wife and kids watch bootleg DVDs in the next room. Fortunes made and lost. Random crackdowns. The taste of gin and tonic mixed with Zhong Nan Hai cigarettes. Brand events. Clubs with bouncy, sticky light-up dancefloors. Former bomb shelters converted into basements home to record shops, art collectives, and gay saunas. “White gigs”. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Smoking spliffs in massage parlors and ordering McDonalds delivery. Clubs full of people paid to be there. Getting a visa for your blind rescue cat angel. “Youth culture”. 3G cellular service. Writing articles about the constant churn of “new venues”. This week: someone opened an unlicensed Harry Potter themed milkshake restaurant and it sucks. Having several chaotic relationships and only many years later realizing that you’re drawn to chaos, and that’s a big reason why you decided to stay a bit longer.

And then a bit longer. And a bit longer.  

 WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN IN THE EAST

Black and white photo of a person dressed as a werewolf, a hand holding a large pill, and a man wearing sunglasses holding a drink, standing against a graffiti-covered wall.
Black and white photo of people on stage with masks and costumes. A person uses a handheld grinder, creating sparks.
Black and white party scene with a shirtless man showing a tattooed back, a man holding a flower in his mouth, and people raising their fists.
Group of people dancing and having fun at a party, with one person holding a beer bottle and others embracing and laughing in a lively atmosphere.
Black and white photo collage of a party scene with men, including one in a wrestling mask, and people holding money and cigarettes.
Two people wearing white dresses and blonde wigs, smiling. A third person is holding a cup, partially visible in a casual setting.
People at a party with camera and horse head masks
Black and white photo of a lively nightclub scene with a person in a top hat eating a banana, another person bending over in the center, a performer in a tight dress interacting with the crowd, and a person at a table holding a cellphone overhead.
Group of people partying energetically in a club; a man is making a rock and roll hand sign in the foreground. A couple is kissing, and a person is standing in a tub filled with ice, next to a large vodka bottle.
Black and white photo of three people celebrating; one drinking from a can, another holding multiple glasses, and the third cheering. Ice with a leg partially visible on the left.
Black and white photo of people at a lively party, with some holding drinks and posing playfully for the camera.
Black and white photo of four people blowing up balloons. One person on the left is inflating an inflatable doll, while the others are holding and inflating regular balloons. The group appears to be at an indoor event.
Black and white photo of a chaotic party scene with people dancing energetically.
Black and white photo of people at a social gathering, with one person being lifted by others, surrounded by onlookers.
Black and white photo of a party scene with people dancing, a woman lying on the floor, shiny boots, and a large disco ball.
Black and white photo showing a lively concert scene with a musician in a crowd, holding a microphone. Attendees are interacting and capturing the moment on phones. On the right, a performer in a white jacket and sunglasses is holding sparklers, crea
Black and white collage of a concert and a party scene, with people enjoying music, dancing, and wearing costumes.
Black and white photo of people at a party or club. One person leans against a wall, another is laughing energetically, and others gather around a table with drinks.
Black and white photo of people at a lively party. One person is raising their shirt near a reflective surface, while others are interacting in a crowded space next to a wall with graffiti and a fire hydrant sign. A person is holding a drink next to
A black and white photo of a lively street scene at night. A man is eating food on a stick aggressively. Next to him, a woman is holding food in a takeout container. Another woman in a wedding dress and floral headpiece is kissing another person.
A black and white photo featuring a person dressed in a provocative costume with an elephant trunk accessory, and another person wearing a wrestling mask and robe, holding a drink. The scene appears to be a party or event.
Black and white photo of a lively party scene with people kissing and smiling, one person in dramatic makeup, and others in the background interacting.
Black and white image of a lively party with people dancing, embracing, and celebrating. A woman with body art and ropes dances close to a man. Another couple, wearing feather boas, embraces closely. Partygoers hold sparklers, with decorative balloon
Black and white party scene with a shirtless person, fire breathers, bar setting, and sparkler. Text written on the person's back.
Black and white photo of people in a bar, with one person licking a mannequin leg and others handling cash.
A lively black and white party scene with people celebrating and spraying champagne, creating a playful and energetic atmosphere. The crowd is engaged and enthusiastic, covered in foam or liquid, showcasing a festive and wild party vibe.
People partying at a club, spraying champagne, with a festive and joyous atmosphere.
Black and white party scene with people celebrating, one holding a bottle spraying liquid, others dancing and laughing.
Black and white party scene with adults; one person being fed alcohol from a bottle, others in festive outfits; lively and chaotic atmosphere.
Black and white photo of a person with horns smoking, seated at a bar, next to a person in a hoodie leaning on the counter. In the background, people are covered in mud or paint.

The party crashed when paranoia washed over the city. Testing season. Phones cloned at police stations. Friends hid in attics for days. Others disappeared for weeks or months and met worried faces upon their sudden return. Others shaved all their body hair, even the eyebrows. You heard one friend flew to the border, rented a truck, and got out through Kazakhstan. Hip hop suddenly became the most popular music in the country, with rappers grinning on Sprite commercials during the Chinese New Year holiday. 

Objectively, rents climbed, visas got harder, phone cameras sharpened, and social media got stickier. This all happened gradually, but 2017 was a swerve. 

And then, 2020. Many dipped; some went to Southeast Asia and never returned, others went home and got stuck. Some stayed for the next chapters, fueled by algorithms and alcohol. It feels like the worst is over, and opportunity still awaits, but the freedom of that wild time between in the early 2010s could never happen again. 

Black and white image of a performance artist with a sequined outfit, pouring liquid over their head. Text reads, "When The Sun Goes Down In The East 29/08/14 Basement6."
Darkroom with red lighting and photographs on walls.