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I had been living in China for some time, in a town called Yangshuo. Anywhere in the world that has a population of more than 17 people will also have some kind of drinking establishment. Fact. Yangshuo is no exception to this and boasts its share of Chinese clubs and western bars. And on one fine day in 2016, a local watering hole purchased a Traktor Mixtrak Pro. It had been almost 2 years since I had got behind any kind of DJ equipment, so to me this was exciting. Fuelled with free German beer, I ended up playing for 4 hours. Every track I had on my USB with no repeats. During this time, I was approached by a couple from Chengdu who told me that they own a night club. “Do you want to come play?” Not being one to turn down offers from complete strangers, I of course said yes and we exchanged details. A couple months later and I am flying to Chengdu. The 2 hour flight was plenty of time for me to think of all the possible things that could go wrong. What if this is the most elaborate kidnapping attempt and I’m about to be taken hostage by ISIS and ransomed back to my friends and family who have no idea where I’m going or who I’m staying with? All the usual things that go through somebody’s head before an event. I got picked up by the couple I met in Yangshuo and as soon as we pull out of the airport, Mia (the club owner) sparks up a spliff. It was at this exact moment that I decide I am not being kidnapped and everything is in fact going to be okay. Techno music is thumping out of the SUV as we drive to my only request when negotiating the visit: that they take me to The Giant Panda Conservation Centre. The following afternoon I woke up in the penthouse suite on the 17th floor of an apartment complex in Miyun, just outside of Chengdu. I had the floor to myself. I followed the spiral staircase down two floors and waited next to the grand piano for Mia and Yuming to wake up. An unknown space of time later and we are at the pool setting up for the party. Well, they are setting up for the party. I am making the most of my agreed free booze and chatting to a photographer named Dragon. Alcohol is flowing and people are starting to arrive. Hip Hop is booming out of the speakers, only interrupted by the unmistakable sound of whippets hissing as nitrous oxide fills balloons. The pool is located on a hotel rooftop surrounded by other much taller buildings. I noticed that every single person is pierced and tattooed – it looks like the underground has made its way over ground. I never expected a scene like this to exist in China. A nation that promotes obedience, conformity and traditional family values with restrictions on the internet and other sources of information. The people surrounding me were clearly free, independent thinkers. They looked how they wanted to look and behaved in a similar fashion. Maybe that’s why I felt so comfortable. Despite the stereotype that some hold of heavily pierced and tattooed people, every body there was all laughs and smiles. I made my way from group-to-group; being the only foreigner meant everybody wanted to share a drink. As the sun started to come down, it was finally my turn to play. Half way in a drinking buddy from the day grabbed a mic and starting rapping in Chinese. I have no idea what he said; judging by his level of intoxication he probably didn’t either. But it worked. My last track came to an end and the lights were raised. Mia came to me and told me that their night club in town is already filling up: “We need to go there right now and you are playing first.” We arrived at a two-story, open plan club. Music and alcohol continued to compliment each other into the early hours of the morning, until memory and reality slowly faded into darkness.