Mixmag Asia Radio 168: Yu Yang bridges Asia & Europe in sound

Across Asia, some of the most important figures in club culture aren’t always the ones on the line-up; they’re the ones behind it, quietly shaping scenes, building communities, and pushing things forward.

Yu Yang is one of them, balancing work behind the scenes with a growing presence in the spotlight.

Coming up in China through The M Agency and Beijing’s Haze, she played a key role in bringing artists like Justice, Boys Noize and Paul Kalkbrenner into the region.

She brought this experience to Shanghai, co-founding the notorious ALTER., bringing yet more avant-garde and exciting artists to the city, quickly becoming one of Shanghai’s most celebrated series’, creating a space distinctly Chinese, with global excitement sprinkled in.

But her sound and perspective stretch far wider, shaped by years spent moving through Europe and London before landing back in Asia. Her genre-fluid approach leans on emotion, intuition, and groove, shaping sets that feel playful yet deeply considered, always “guided by feeling rather than formula”.

Listen to what Yu Yang has to say about China, the future of Asia’s scene, ALTER., and the intersection between Asian and British music.

Where are you based, and if you’re not from there, how did you get there?

I am half based in London and half in Bali after being in Shanghai for 10 years in music. Hmm, how did I get there? Good question. Guess I followed the flow of life, chasing forever summer and forever music…and fun.


The events you host have become renowned around the region. Tell us a bit more about ALTER.!

ALTER. was inspired by all the daytime parties I went to when living in New York in all non-club locations: boats, rooftops, backyards, warehouses, museums, etc. Shanghai, or China, hardly had anything like that at the time, so we were in the right place at the right time, bringing cutting-edge selectors into all iconic locations throughout Shanghai, or China, combining with visual art and curated F&B, and got to develop a loyal community.


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How does the Shanghai scene differ from the rest of Asia?

I find that Shanghai’s scene is incredibly closely tied to economic cycles, partly because of the high cost of running clubs in the city. When the economy is strong, venues tend to expand quickly; when it slows down, closures happen just as fast. This volatility has made the scene leaner and, in some ways, set back its development after COVID-19. On top of that, strict regulations also shape how the scene evolves. On top of that, strict government regulations aren’t helping.


And how do you think it’s shifted in the last 5 years? And where will the next five years take it?

It’s been a rollercoaster the last five years; typical dramatic China style. 2020-2022 saw an explosion of clubs opening and local DJs took centre stage as China had a booming economy internally and international DJs couldn’t come in because of COVID-19. It was impressive to see how Chinese creatives became the dominant force in the scene over expatS for the first time in opening and running clubs, throwing parties and festivals, and DJing.

2022 was a turning point when China's economy slowed down, then we saw a series of clubs closing and creatives leaving. I don’t think the scene has recovered yet and I don’t know if it will in the near future.

We heard you were working with Klymax Discotheque.

I did in 2024! Thanks for having me, Klymax and Potato Head family. Such a state-of-the-art venue with impeccable design and sound; very impressive not just for Asia but for the world. If you are ever in Bali, go and have a treat for the ears.


Tell us about the mix.

The idea of the mix started when I was in London back in September, after a pretty massive European festival season of hundreds of hours on the dancefloor, going through endless sound and emotional journey with the best selectors on the planet. I wanted to recreate the sound and mind journey I had the privilege to experience through this mix across genres, combining my background in Asia and London.


Read this next: “A local culture created”: How the pandemic connected China’s club scene


You mentioned you wanted to mix Asian and UK producers’ tracks; why is this?

These two regions have shaped my musical understanding, and they also happen to be where I’m based today, making them my natural sources of inspiration. Asia has a rich and diverse music culture (even within electronic music) that much of the world is still unaware of, while the UK played a formative role in educating me through rock, garage, and beyond. I hope to bring greater visibility to music created in Asia, while paying tribute to the UK scene that influenced me deeply.


What do you think about the intersection of these two sounds and scenes?

Interestingly, these two regions are gravitating toward similar sounds right now, with hypnotic techno shaping much of the scene in Japan, and long-form, psychedelic journeys defining parts of the UK scene, particularly around spaces like Houghton and artists such as Craig Richards, Jane Fitz, and Dresden. I wanted to highlight this overlap and translate that shared sensibility, while still keeping the experience playful and accessible.


Your favourite dancefloor in Asia?

The Catch 428 stage at Wonderfruit; the typical hypnotic techno I prefer. I haven’t been, but Rural in Japan and Organik in Taiwan would be my vibe; Heim is home in Shanghai, Mihn in Hong Kong and Savage in Hanoi run by friends are local staples…and my bedroom, too!


Are there any producers and DJs in Asia that have recently caught your attention?

I’ve known Xiaolin for over 10 years, and her last live performance at Draaimolen in the Netherlands was breathtaking. Performing with violin, synth, vocals and emotions, it was dreamy, deep, intense, cold yet warm; feels like a breeze yet stormy in a land of wood or ice. That performance stood perfectly as a piece of art on its own, while being the impeccable intro into one of the best festival days of my life at Draaimolen’s Moon Stage that had a star-studded line-up.

Listen to Yu Yang's mix on Mixmag Asia’s SoundCloud.

Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.

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