Sheung Wan nightclub Mihn (宀) Club, best known for being a safe space to rave in Hong Kong, has launched its very own record label. Its first release, split EP MIHN001 from Mihn (宀) music director Sunsiare and Klasse Wrecks co-founder Mr Ho, dropped on Bandcamp on December 4. The label has no plans to confine itself to one sound, and an array of future releases from local artists and frequent guest DJs like Yadin Moha, Misty Penguin, and Xiaolin, is already in the pipeline.
Mihn (宀) Club’s location on Des Voeux Road Central also plays host to a gallery for emerging local artists and a rental fitness studio. The label is its second venture not tied to a physical venue after online shop Mihn (宀) Life launched earlier this year.
“We have this rich group of artists, especially local residents, that has been growing and improving and wanting to start releasing their own work,” says the Mihn (宀) team. “It made a lot of sense for us to work toward the label.”
Mihn (宀) label
Don’t mistake Mihn (宀)’s multi-platform nature for a fragmented identity. While the label hopes to be a platform for all genres, Mihn (宀) has a strong sonic essence and MIHN001 is all about imparting that: the club’s breakbeat, trance, and acid DNA run strong in this EP.
The visual identity for the first series of releases, designed by Taiwanese artist Jill Chien, is anchored by Chinese radicals deconstructed and reassembled for ultimate openness to interpretation, though MIHN001’s cover displays one character whose form is hard to mistake: ‘基.’ The word itself has many meanings, but an essential one is ‘base,’ or ‘foundation.’ The split EP aims to be exactly that, with tracks that Sunsiare and frequent DJ-in-residence Mr Ho developed in the club’s unique physical space. While it’s currently closed amidst the fourth wave of cases in Hong Kong, these are songs you might have heard an early version of if you’d stepped into Mihn (宀) Club back on a night in October. “It’s starting with the base of what Mihn (宀) is,” says the team.
Mr Ho at Mihn (宀)
Naturally, these are DJ-friendly long jams at their core, but with fluttering percussive loops and plenty of bright, warm synths, MIHN001 is listenable enough to be your day-to-day soundtrack. Mr Ho’s up-tempo ‘Exxxperience’ is a stand-out candidate for your playlist, with a hypnotic vocal sample and damp, percolating tones layered over a wafting beat.
MIHN001 cover
Until the club re-opens, you can catch them on Bandcamp, and purchase the individual tracks ($20) or the whole EP (from $60). It’s a bargain for a night of good music in Hong Kong. Kate Lowe
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