Electric Vibes Are Back in the House With Unicat Attack Vol.10

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Having first hit the capital back in October 2021, Unicat Attack are now set to hit double digits with their tenth edition in the series coming to FLOSO this Saturday (Mar 11). Created by Dann Gaymer in collaboration with MusicDish*China and Daftpop Sounds, they’ve been bringing their unique nights of electronic music featuring live performances, DJ sets and, of course, the mythical unicat, to various venues around the capital over the past 18 months. 

Ahead of Saturday’s show we got together with Gaymer to talk more about the origins of Unicat Attack, what we can expect from the next show and what he has planned for Unicat Attack’s future. 

Q

Firstly, congratulations on the tenth edition of Unicat Attack! To start things off, how did you first become involved in the Beijing music scene?

A

Thanks ever so much! I got involved in Beijing’s melting pot of music and art when I first played here in 2013 at XP (RIP) at the Dianmen crossroads. I moved here later that year and started organizing events and releasing music in a DIY fashion out of necessity; sometimes if you don’t do it, no one else will! I was very lucky in that when I arrived in the city I already had friends who were organizing gigs and putting out music, so I was able to work with them and hit the ground running. From then onwards it’s been a nonstop rollercoaster of gigs, parties, markets, bands, tapes, vinyl, zines, and so many awesome times.

Unicat Attack is retuning to its roots at FLOSO where Vol.1 took place

Q

Where did the idea for the Unicat Attack series come from and why did you decide to create it?

A

When I started playing music in China it was because I wanted to make the kind of music I wanted to hear (that was in Changchun of all places), and Unicat Attack was similar in wanting to create the kind of party I wanted to go to. There are some awesome labels and event series in Beijing, but as I became more involved with electronic music I felt I had a little something to add to the conversation. I wanted to create an event that was purposely not too serious and a lot of fun, and every time something fresh: different faces playing at a different place, mixing live electronic performances and eclectic DJ sets. 

Another important feature was a tangible souvenir; the audience comes away with a cassette featuring some of the musicians they just saw perform and the artwork on the cover as a little keepsake of the event. All of that was definitely influenced by 87fei87’s Taxi Tapes at Gulou Dada back in the day, they were the first cats I knew doing tapes back then and they were really pushing the envelope in terms of down and gritty live electronics, but in a club setting. Another fun take away is the draw-your-own unicat posters the audience scribbled on throughout the night, which I’ve been collecting over the past ten editions.

Each Unicat Attack coincides with a tape release, with each one featuring a different artist’s interpretation of the unicat

Everything I’ve just described has been done e by other organizers (I’m sure you can think of a few comparative examples), so with Unicat Attack it’s the combination that adds that special flavor. Organizing all of that is quite a lot of work, and at times pretty stressful -- I also write up all the events, design the posters and tape layouts, and handle the assembly of the tapes. However, I’ve also been really lucky to work with Eric and the team at MusicDish, as they “get” Unicat and have been really awesome at finding locations off the beaten track to throw parties at and helping promote and set up collaborations to do what we do bigger and better (more information can be found here: https://daftpopculture.com/unicat/.)

You can expect to see plenty of unicat ears on proud display

Q

Everyone’s burning question, I’m sure, what’s the story behind the unicorn cats theme?

A

The Unicat’s origin lies in my brand Daftpop’s apparel line designed by myself and my ex-partner. Every release was a different iteration of the Unicat character, the inspiration just being an obsession with cats and mythical creatures in general, but in a bizarre fever dream kind of way à la Adventure Time. It definitely sets the tone: when you have a whole operation themed around something so goofy, people are going to approach the situation with a more lighthearted attitude. So the Unicat became Daftpop’s mascot and when the brand shifted direction and my ex-partner and I separated ways, there was no reason to abandon the Unicat. Instead, it opened up the possibilities even more as I stared to commission a different artist to interpret the character for each event poster and tape release -- plus all of the audience draw-your-own creations. At this point there are hundreds of Unicat interpretations, and that’s the magic: it can be whatever you want it to be, just like a DJ set or track made using a bass synth and a drum machine.

Some previous unicat interpretations from audience members at past shows

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Q

What have been some of your favorite moments from the series so far?

A

Oh, that’s super difficult, so many good times! But here’s a few that spring to mind: our first event at FLOSO has a resonance as I didn’t know if anyone would actually care, so seeing so many people getting down and weird to Noise Arcade and 4 Channels Club and drawing their own Unicats was a pleasure. The time we took over Great Leap 12 and turned it into a club was wild -- it almost destroyed my stage monitors. tamiX at RA in 798 was amazing, live modular techno in a big concrete room was so sick to hear. 

MOONEE rooftop was a wild good time -- Vltra-U dropping some bangers as the sun set over the Drum and Bell Towers was a beautiful sight to behold, a lot of cat meowing went on that night. Our last party at BBB was surreal and awesome, the energy of Abbe Shushu and thruoutin with the audience crowded around throwing shapes was truly magical. 

If previous shows are anything to go by, Satuday is going to be one fun filled night

Q

What can we expect at this tenth edition show, is there anything special planned?

A

Cliche answer alert: every Unicat is special! But seriously, it’ll be an emotional affair bringing it all back there after a rollercoaster 18 months. Expect balloons, party streamers, Loooooongish Cat dropping some new tape mangling jams (and yes, I’m talking about myself in the third person, how pretentious), KOMETH rocking the house with dem live synth jams, and if you ain’t dancing to Darcy’s set, you don’t have a pulse. Finally, for those who don’t know, Bass Ventura is the ultimate graveyard shift DJ, things are going to get wobbly! And yeah there will be a few more surprises along the way! 

Gaymer aka Loooooongish Cat wearing his signature unicat headgear

Q

Can you tell us a bit about this edition’s featured artist Martin Crawford?

A

Martin has been a dear friend of mine for over 20 years, he’s introduced me to so much amazing music and art! He’s an incredibly talented painter, illustrator, and print maker. Most recently he’s been focusing on lino prints themed around the landscape of Snowdonia where he lives now and runs a beautiful B&B with his wife and mother in law. Oh, and his vegan sausages are next level!  A lot of his artwork now focuses on the derelict slate mines around the Welsh mountains and he’s been getting a lot of accolades (including the Royal Academy!) and commissions, which is amazing to see such. Martin has gifted me with a steady stream of illustrations, t shirts, album covers, and stage props for years, so it’s a pleasure to have such a dear friend in the constantly swelling ranks of the Unicat artists! You can see more of Martin’s work here: http://www.artworks2.co.uk/artists/crawford_martin.html.

Every artist has their own special take on the unicat

Q

Each Unicat Attack! Show comes with a cassette tape release, are tapes from previous shows still available and if they are where can people get them?

A

They certainly are, although some editions are running low so you better be quick if you want to nab the whole set. First and foremost I’ll have some tapes with me for sale at FLOSO on Saturday and in celebration of ten editions of Unicat we’ll be selling them very affordably, so this will be an excellent opportunity to complete your set or start a collection. (Wait, you don’t have a cassette player? Well, take a trip over to nugget records and buy one of their pug-themed players to put your cat-themed tape in!) If you’re unable to make it on Saturday you can also pick up Unicat tapes along with other Daftpop releases via my friend Leng Mei’s Weidian store: 独角猫第七击 Unicat Attack Vol.9 磁带 全新#小程序://微店买买/点击购买️/zdCvO8seieYGa6I (open link in WeChat).

Previous Unicat Attack tapes will be available to buy on Saturday

Q

What do you have planned for the future of Unicat Attack?

A

I’m planning on leaving Beijing in the summer to move back to the UK for a new chapter, and I will be bringing Unicat Attack with me, but it’ll definitely be in a different format and set up to make it work in the UK. So the next handful of Unicat’s will be building on the energy we’ve got right now, taking the performances to the next level and making events to remember, hopefully at some exciting new locations. Something else I’d like to do before I depart is an exhibition of Unicat art, both from the posters and tapes and audience generated scribbles, so keep your eyes peeled for that. For now, I can reveal that for Unicat Attack #11 we’ll be returning to MOONEE’s rooftop on the afternoon of Apr 22, it will be a wonderful spring time carnival of the bizarre and awesome. Stay tuned for more via Musicdish’s WeChat channel (ID: musicdishchina), and see you at FLOSO on Saturday!

Unicat Attack Vol.10 will be taking place Mar 11, 10pm at FLOSO. Advanced tickets are RMB 80 and on the door are RMB 100. 

FLOSO

196 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区鼓楼东大街196号

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Images:  courtesy of Dann Gaymer

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