What Happens when Unicats Attack? Find Out Saturday
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Breaking news! A rare creature that reportedly has the body of a cat and the horn of a unicorn was recently spotted just outside Beijing. Experts say the beast, which is known as a Unicat, is expected to tear through the capital this weekend for what they've dubbed Unicat Attack! According to Unicat scholar and researcher at the Daftpop Institute, Dann Gaymer, the Unicat can only be placated by a night of electronic music, complete with DJs, live sets, and an official tape release.
As such, Gaymer’s tape label – er, research institute – Daftpop has organized Unicat Attack Vol. 1, this Saturday, Oct 23, at Floso. The event will see electronic artists Noise Arcade and 4 Channels Club team up with DJs Vicunas and Bass Ventura, Pitch Detective. What’s more, the first 30 people to purchase a ticket for the show will also get an exclusive Unicat Attack! Vol. 1 tape, with tracks from Noise Arcade and 4 Channels Club, as well as Fløøød and RationalRomance.Each Unicat Attack! show will double as an exclusive tape release event
We caught up with Gaymer to find out more about the majestic, yet terrifying Unicat, why it so loves electronic music parties, and what its second attack on the capital might look like.
What is Unicat’s origin story?Cryptozoological rumors abound on this one. An ancient deity worshipped by those mysterious civilizations that predate the first settlement of Jericho? A glitch in the matrix which mutated out of a hacked copy of Rollercoaster Tycoon? A nemesis of the Elder gods which transcends time itself? All we know is that the Unicat is with us today and here for a reason.
Chiptune and 8-bit extraordinaire, 4 Channels Club, will be performing at Unicat Attack! Vol. 1
You hit the nail on the head there: Electronic music is a very vague category, sort of like saying “food which includes nutrients,” and that is a blessing because there are so many ways it can be interpreted. The overarching concept is that it’s original music created using electronic means (you could argue that an acoustic guitar recorded in GarageBand on a Macbook is, therefore, electronic music, but more specifically I mean using a DAW or hardware). There is a lot of uncharted territory when you use such tools to create, shape, and arrange sounds, so music that makes an effort to explore is always preferred. Overall then, variety, a taste of the different shapes and form electronic music can take, whether it's upbeat and danceable, thought-provoking, relaxing, confusing, or downright obscure – a taste of all of that on a sleek looking cassette you can walk with at the end of the night.
What can folks expect from a Unicat Attack! gig?
They can expect an evening that'll be a lot of fun but also different from other music events. We purposely combine DJ sets of music that are dance-orientated with live performances, which you can also dance to, but might also introduce some sounds and ideas you might not usually encounter in a "club" setting. I’m a firm opponent of preaching to the choir so rather than strictly dance music for a dance crowd or only avantgarde modular stuff for the guys in black t-shirts with their arms crossed (e.g. me) we’re trying to cross-pollinate a bit with the Unicat Attacks. Oh, and flashing Unicorn horn headbands, literally ordered a box of those last week.
The first installment of the Unicat Attack! tape series debuted last weekend to much fanfare during Cassette Store Day
Are Unicat and Looooooongish Cat friends, mortal enemies, in cahoots, or all of the above?
For the most part mortal enemies – one is all about peace, love, and rainbows, the other is all about doom, deconstructed kick samples, and Sunn O)))) tapes – but they have been known to team up in the face of foes considered mutually destructive, such as King Nekro.
Vicunas promises to provide all the dance beats necessary to keep Unicat placated
We know about Unicat Attack! Vol. 1, but what does the future hold?
Vol. 2 is already locked in – Nov 5 at Clash in Wangjing featuring Gaku, MissyTana, thruoutin, and Rothwell vs. Loooooongish Cat. As it's Nov 5 we’re going with a Guy Fawkes theme so we’ll have V for Vendetta masks as well as unicorn horns for everyone. After that, we already have plans in motion for bigger parties, as well as plans to take the Unicat on the road to some other cities! The Unicat Attack! has only just begun!
Scan the QR code for tickets
READ: Jump Into 22 Art Street, Beijing's Other Arts District
Images courtesy of Daftpop
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