City Nomads Radio: Ouissam, Vietnam

PUBLISHED June 29th, 2020 05:00 am | UPDATED August 18th, 2023 01:05 am

Wherever he goes in Asia, Ouissam Mokretar makes waves. As the mind behind Hong Kong booking agency Cliché Records, this French DJ was at the epicenter of an electronic awakening in the Fragrant Harbour. In 2016, Ouissam hopped over to Hanoi, where he promptly set about building up the local house and techno scene through his stylish club Savage. The yearly electronic music festival he curates, Equation, is the acme of his passion for unearthing Asia’s underground talents. We caught up with him on his plans for Equation 2020, the artists that have made it on his radar recently, and how he’s been riding out the COVID-19 storm.

 

Hi Ouissam! How was it like launching Savage in Hanoi, which has a fairly young underground culture?

Full of challenges, but I was mentally ready. Starting from scratch in a new country is never easy – luckily however, Vietnamese people are really open and ready for new things. One of the hardest things to do for me was building our community and finding the right crowd with minimal promotion. We needed to be patient – it took us more than 12 months.

What’s your favourite thing about the Hanoi music scene? Is it different from what you love about the Hong Kong scene?

My favourite thing has to be the people who come from all around that you can meet on the dancefloor. It’s also given me a chance to play the music I really love and BPM (beats per minute) from 70 to 140 pm. It’s hard for me to compare Hong Kong and Vietnam though – they’re just two different worlds.

What do you look for in the DJs whom you work with?

Surprises and eclectic sets.

What was your inspiration behind creating Equation Festival?

The idea was to put together an annual meeting of music lovers, for anyone who wants to discover what the Asian electronic scene has to offer.

Equation Festival couldn’t go ahead as planned last year, and things look bleak this year as well. Are you still keeping the dream alive?

I definitely want to make it happen. The 2020 showcase of Equation will be playing at Savage nightclub, and it’ll be followed by a special after party. But let’s see when we’ll be able to make it happen as a festival again!

Any DJs or musicians who’ve caught your ear recently?

Zwi, our new Resident DJ at Savage; Italy-based DJ and producer Matisa; along with Hibiya Line, the founder of Ho Chi Minh City nightclub The Observatory.

COVID-19 has been a killer for the live music industry, and it looks like social and travel restrictions are here to stay. How’re you planning to adapt?

Indeed, the virus has been putting the whole music world on hold. I was supposed to travel to the United States and Europe for some crazy gigs, and all of them got cancelled. But I am staying positive – Savage just opened last weekend and we’re launching our new record shop. Given the travel restrictions for now, I am just going to focus on the Hanoi scene – and improve my Vietnamese!

COVID-19 aside, what do you think lies ahead for the techno scene in Hanoi?

A bright future. There’ll be more parties, more crews, more DJs, more producers, more venues, more dancers, more fun. Hanoi is at the very, very beginning of its sub-culture history, and I’m really enjoying seeing the community growing.

Describe your mix for us!

Colorful tunes that I usually play for my monthly party, Snug, which I host at Savage Bar.