While Beijing rockers have been treated to long summers of multi-day music festivals, the city’s ravers have had no such luck. On August 27, Acupuncture Records puts an end to this injustice with Electric Picnic, two nights of top-notch local electronica held in a wooded area in the shadow of the Great Wall. A part of the Tanglewood Music Festival, Electric Picnic begins after the last band leaves the stage and continues into the dawn.

“It’s a big deal for our electronic scene,” says Patrick Yu, minimal techno DJ and one of the biggest names in Beijing clubbing. “Hopefully this will become a bigger and more regular thing. It’s a chance for everyone to meet up and party together in a new and exciting setting.”

The summer outing for the capital’s electronic music set, Electric Picnic hints at some of the long weekend outdoor events that have solidified DJ communities in other countries and other parts of China. Devoted electronic music festivals like the Dali Electronic Festival in Yunnan and Chaos! in Guangzhou attract DJs from all over China and beyond, strengthening ties between producers, promoters, partygoers and EDM revelers.

Guangzhou-based drum ‘n’ bass DJ and promoter, DJ JCC says, “The Chaos! Festival brought DJs from all over China to Guangzhou, and we also hosted the Pearl River Delta Bassheads Gathering, which has helped to create a close group of people here.”

Miao Wong, Director of Acupuncture Records, eagerly points out that the event is a party for the Beijing community and doesn’t aim to make a mark on the international DJ circuit: “INTRO Festival is an event with a lineup of international DJs, but Electric Picnic is more of a party. It’s more of a natural thing.”

With artists like Patrick Yu, Elvis.T and M.Ross on the bill, the tunes at Electric Picnic will reflect our city and its DJ community. Wong adds that the Beijing sound is a product of its environment: “Beijing is a masculine city, so the music matches its characteristics.” All this means one thing: expect plenty of minimal techno.

Ultimately, however, it’s all about the party and community. Says Wong, “The basic idea is just to rock people up and have a party in the mountains because it’s summertime.”

DETAILS:

What: Electric Picnic at Tanglewood Music Festival, Friday, August 27, 10pm

Where: Tanglewood Music Valley, Yanqing County

When: August 27 to 29

Tel: 6439-8081, Web: festival.modernsky.com/tanglewood10

Tickets: ¥220, available at piao.com.cn and live.damai.cn

Music festivals have been a huge talking point in China this year, check out this post on China Music Radar for a rundown of the good, the bad and the same-y of 2010 so far