1. Looking back at two decades, what was the initial vision and plan for Magnetic Soul, and how has that vision evolved over the past 20 years?
When I first came to Hong Kong, there wasn’t really much happening in the way of Drum and Bass parties. Johnathan Chan and James Dixon were doing a monthly night at Yumla, called White Label. It was more of an easy-going, casual DJ bar night. I wanted to pull a few of the handful of Drum and Bass DJs in the city together to do something a bit bigger - like a club night.
Our mission of producing quality Drum and Bass events on a regular basis hasn’t really changed much over the years. We’ve seen people come and people go in the DNB scene, but that hasn’t deterred us from doing what we love.
2. What have been some of the biggest challenges Magnetic Soul has faced in consistently promoting Drum and Bass in Hong Kong for 20 years, and how have you overcome them?
The availability of venues that can host 150-200 people, or more, with a quality sound system, working DJ equipment, and at a convenient location has been the biggest challenge. If we must bring in both DJ equipment and sound system, that’s a sizable cost that eats into any money that we might make on the door from the get-go. Obviously, the costs of hosting an international artist in an expensive city like Hong Kong add up very quickly. It’s mostly been a money losing venture from the start.
We have tried hosting events at venues outside of Central or Sheung Wan, but people are fickle and used to the convenience of LKF/Soho and they don’t like to travel. At least not since Covid when all of the warehouse parties started. The venue XXX ran by Enso and Yao really helped provide a platform for underground bass music and helped people get passed the fear of traveling outside Central/LKF.
3. Can you share some of your most memorable events or standout performances that have defined Magnetic Soul's journey?
We have brought a lot of artist over the days, but some of the ones that stick out have been LTJ Bukem, Goldie at Mavericks, Nu:Tone at Ruums Club, Lenzman and Dan Stezo at JC65 Basement, DJ Fresh at Sammi’s Kitchen, Ed Rush & Optical at Sammi’s Kitchen, Utah Jazz at Backstage Live, Total Science with Riya at Backstage Live, the original Outlook Festival launch party at XXX, Fabio at Heat in Wan Chai, Pendulum at Club Magazine, Dieselboy at Club Magazine, Roni Size and MC Dynamite at Club Sugar, Makoto and Deeizm at Club Flamingo, Randall and Outrage at Club Flamingo, Marcus Intalex and Doc Scott at Club Living, SATL, Danny Wheeler, and Bailey at Mazu, Bryan Gee at Social room and then again on Frank’s rooftop, Makoto, Dr Meaker, SUV, Calculon, Nipper, and Dave Owen at Oma, DJ Storm at Social Room, and the list goes on and on. There are so many that it’s hard to remember them all and there were so many amazing moments that it’s hard to pick any one that stands out.
Hosting Nookie at Basement and his parents came to the night was probably a cool one that stands out. His parents are from Hong Kong, but he grew up in the UK. They were back visiting family, and his parents came with him on the trip. He told us that it was the first time his parents had seen him DJ at an event.
Our regular nights at Yuma back in the day, which have continued with our regular nights at Oma currently, will always be a warm memory. They are always top nights with good crowds.
Playing at Clockenflap has also been a big highlight.
4. How do you feel Magnetic Soul has contributed to the growth and development of the Drum and Bass scene in Hong Kong?
We have consistently produced events, no matter how difficult the environment has been. We have provided a constant stream of international guests for the crowd to experience. We have also given a platform for the younger DJs in the community to get their start. Many of the established Drum and Bass DJs got their start playing at Magnetic Soul events.
5. What are some of the key changes you've observed in the Hong Kong nightlife and music scene over the past two decades, and how has Magnetic Soul adapted?
Drum and Bass is way more accepted these days along with electronic music in general. It’s a lot easier to find a venue that will let you organize an underground bass music event. Since Covid, it seems like there is a 100x increase in the number of DJs, as well as the younger crowd that is interested in Drum and Bass and willing to come to parties.
We have seen the technology evolve in ways that have fundamentally changed the craft of DJing. Affordable digital tools have lowered the barrier to entry for younger DJs, eliminating the need for expensive turntables and hard-to-find imported vinyl. We moved from vinyl to CDs and now to USBs and software. As a DJ, you can walk into a gig with far less gear than before. That shift has expanded access, and alongside it a surge of DJ schools and online tutorials. Social media has reshaped how DJs learn, how scenes form, and how crowds accept the music.
6. You've brought many international artists to Hong Kong. Who are some of the artists you were most excited to host, and why?
Honestly, everyone that we have brought over. They’ve all been good performers and brought something interesting to us. We were probably looking forward the most to LTJ Bukem, Fabio, Makoto, Marcus Intalex, Bailey, Total Science, Utah Jazz, Klute, and probably a load more that we are forgetting.
7. Beyond the music, what do you believe is the "soul" of Magnetic Soul, and what keeps the community engaged after all these years?
Quality event production, quality curated lineups that match our sound and vibe, quality sound systems, and venues (door staff, security, and bar staff) that treat patrons fairly.
We believe that our consistency and level of event production quality keeps the community engaged.
8. What is your process for curating lineups and selecting venues like OMA for your events, especially for significant milestones like this 20-year anniversary? We see you brought back Dave Owen who you had in Hong Kong for your 10th Anniversary.
We prioritize working with venues whose staff are friendly and professional, with quality sound systems and modern DJ equipment. When curating lineups, we aim for each event to feel distinct. We are careful to avoid the same old small rotation of performers. We do this by blending respected senior DJs who may play less frequently, our regular Drum & Bass roster mainstays, and emerging younger talent who may not have had the chance to perform on a big sound system. We’re also committed to always being inclusive with all our lineups and artists.
It is also important for us to provide a platform for VJs to provide visuals on our nights. We have made a significant effort to include VJs along with DJs and MCs as part of the fabric of our nights.
9. What are you most proud of achieving with Magnetic Soul over the last 20 years?
Lasting 20 years of doing events. It’s been a challenging road.
10. What's next for Magnetic Soul? Are there any new directions, initiatives, or goals you're looking to pursue in the coming years? We have seen some recent overseas appearances.
We've been actively partnering with younger promoters on event collaborations to pass on the hard won experience we've accumulated over the years. These collaborations are designed to be two way: we offer guidance on logistics, artist curation, and venue/sound management, while staying open to fresh ideas and new approaches from the next generation. The goal is to nurture emerging talent and strengthen the scene as a whole through mentorship, practical support, and shared creative energy.
We have been in the studio working on our own productions over the past few years. We released some material back in 2019, 2020, and 2021 that was well received. We have quite a lot of follow up material that we are eager to release.
We recently played at Locus Bali – a 4 day Drum and Bass festival and it was spectacular. We would love more of that kind of experience.
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(Photo Source: Magnetic Soul)
