Beijing Band Opens Experimental Practice Space and Musical Haven
In late 2018, members of Beijing post-rock group She Never Sings Our Songs (SNSOS) took over management of basement practice space SHAW Music (嚣) near Beijing’s vibrant transport hub, Dongzhimen.
Under their guidance, the practice space, aside from receiving a facelift, now also acts as a mini-showroom for Beijing's Passtore brand guitars and effects pedals. Those looking to tweak or fix their guitars or stomp-boxes can also head over for in-store repairs.
SHAW doubles up as a shop for Beijing brand Passtore guitars
Billed not only as practice space for aspiring musicians – there are three rooms which vary in size, equipment, and price (RMB 100 per hour for the big room, RMB 60 for the smaller two) – the band wants to provide an inclusive venue that prioritizes community, experimentation, and learning.
We caught up with co-owner and SNSOS guitarist, Chen Zeyang, before his show on Mar 1 at DDC to chat about the band’s new lineup and their recent venture of running SHAW Music.
How did you taking over SHAW Music come about?
SNSOS would always practice there and one day when we arrived at the space the former boss told us he was looking to transfer over management to another party. We decided to buy it and start operating it ourselves. It was all sort of a coincidence and we were really lucky.
What new things can people expect out of the newly revamped SHAW Music?
We have made some simple renovations, and as a result, the place has a cleaner and brighter feel. We wanted to make it more comfortable for everyone. In a way, we have made it more professional. Some major attention was put towards aspects like equipment and services, just to name a few. We hope that when customers come by they can feel our professionalism and learn some new skills with us along the way.
The space has three practice rooms in total
Many practice studios provide an environment for bands to polish their sound and have fun making music. You have opted to make the place a shop as well. Can you tell us more about why you made that decision?
SHAW Music’s current boss has his own brand called Passtore, which specializes in manufacturing guitars, effects pedals, instrument cables, and other music products. Equipment maintenance services are also available through Passtore. It is really beneficial to have these kinds of products and services available at a rehearsal room and they go really well with each other in our view. Another new feature to SHAW Music is the addition of a secondhand consignment shop. Costumers can leave gear here on display to be sold. Our goal is to provide a suitable environment to discuss, test, and research equipment.
As well as functioning as a practice room, the space seems perfect to host small events or other activities. Is that something you're looking into in the future?
As I mentioned above, we already have a market for people wanting to sell gear during operating hours. We intend to do some cool activities in the future like practice room gigs or even pop-up markets. One result of running the space is that we have met some phenomenal bands that are looking to do shows. So I think the idea of having "rehearsal room performances" would really suit us. By keeping the audience small it might make for an intimate experience where both the bands and the attendees could feel relaxed.
Down the road, management hope to host small events in the space
Speaking of bands, SNSOS has been around for a number of years now. The group has gone through several lineup changes since its formation in 2014. What does the band's lineup look like currently?
Our previous guitarist, Ren Baosheng, left the band and we now have a new guitarist named Zhu Yifeng. There is also a “secret" keyboard player who will join us in future performances and other songwriting endeavors. We hope these two additions will spark some untouched chemical reactions in creating new material.
I see you all are playing Mar 1 at DDC. What can we expect?
Beijing art-noise group Guiguisuisui often rehearses at the space and one day we were chatting after practice. They invited us to play the Beijing stop on the end of their recent tour and we gladly agreed. Also joining that night at DDC will be American electronic producer, thruoutin. Everyone’s styles are quite different, so the combination should make for quite a unique experience.
Daily 10am-midnight
4/F, Yufei Building, Dongzhimen, Dongcheng District
东城区东直门宇飞大厦地下4层
136 2124 1291
Photos courtesy of SNSOS
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