Mixmag Asia Radio: Rui Tang discovered dance music in Bangkok and never looked back

Hailing from the highlands of the Tibetan mountains, she ventured out to Thailand nine years ago and was introduced to electronics music in Bangkok. She's now a regular selector on the club and festival circuit across Thailand.

Her penchant for acid-infused dance music, typically in the forms of electro, disco and house, has earned her appearances at Wonderfruit, Kolour Festival, Back 2 The Groove, Unarhan Festival, as well as regular stints at Sing Sing theatre, the Emperor’s Secret, Mustache, 12x12 and Loud BKK.

Rui Tang is easily a name you’ll be seeing on lineups across Asia in the near future.

Tune into Mixmag Asia Radio with Rui Tang below whilst diving into the artist’s new journey into music.

Where are you based and how did you get there?

I’m from a Tibetan and Qiangic ethnic region in Sichuan, China. Now I’m based in Bangkok and have lived in Thailand for 9 years since graduating from university.

What’s your favourite thing about the music scene there?

The diversity.

In five words, what do your DJ sets sound like?

Ethnic, bouncy, acid, trippy, story-telling.

And in three words, how would you describe yourself?

Focused, introverted, self-disciplined.

What recent trends in music have you been paying attention to? Have you caught onto them?

I’ve mostly been paying attention to indie dance, and I love the acid and trippy elements, and the use of ethnic sounds.

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

Ling:chi - from Vietnam, she is young and talented, with good taste in music. She has big potential.

OLLVR - a Brazilian DJ based in Phuket who is also a talented producer and always plays a quality selection of music.

Chalo - a Thai DJ and producer based in Bangkok. It’s rare to find an audio creative playing live-sets like him.

From pre to post pandemic, what has changed & what hasn’t changed about your life in the music world?

Pre-pandemic, I partied and raved more.

Post pandemic, I’ve been DJing more.

And DJing has become my career from just a hobby.

Most importantly, I learnt a lot about myself during the pandemic and became more open-minded.

Tell us about the inspiration behind this mix - what drove your thoughts and emotions, and how did you curate your selection?

I like creating diversity in a set where I can present a mix of different sounds and surprising tunes. I hope this set reflects that!

What equipment did you record this mix on?

XDJ-RX2

Where can we hear you playing next?

At various spots around Bangkok, I’ll be heading to Koh Panghan in April.