New compilation celebrates East and Southeast Asia’s club genres

A new compilation celebrating East and Southeast Asian club culture and the various styles of dance music associated with it is being released later this month.

Titled ‘Redline Legends’, the 12-track record will feature artists based in the region who reinterpret dance music genres, creating “HI-NRG electronic club mutations.” Said genres include Indonesia’s funkot, Vietnam’s vinahouse, Filipino budots and more. Weaved in are the sounds of Kuala Lumpur traffic jams, 5:AM Banh Mi stands in Saigon and other field recordings.

Featured artists include Shelhiel, Prontaxan and Jiafeng.

Of the release, Eastern Margins said: “These sounds are incubated in red-light districts, tourist traps and internet cafes. Often overlooked as too lo-fi or crude by international club scenes, these genres have had space and time to mutate into distinct forms, pulling their DNA from everywhere. Redline Legends is our mission to celebrate these sounds - to showcase them in their pure emotional glory.”

The compilation will be released on August 26 via London-based collective and label Eastern Margins.

Eastern Margins also showcases creative talent within East and South East Asia and its diaspora through radio and live events.

Later this month, they are throwing an event in collaboration with independent catering crew Spoons to provide coronavirus relief for queer and trans communities in Indonesia. The bank holiday fundraiser will feature Eastern Margins residents and a vegan Indonesian spread.