Mix 003: Rui Ho
From Shanghai-via-Berlin, producer and DJ Rui Ho has established herself within the experimental underground scenes across both Europe and in her native China. Encompassing elements of traditional Chinese melodies to fast and heavy club aesthetics, she has used her music to explore the deeply personal journey of her trans identity and cross-cultural exchange as an immigrant.
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Focused around music’s power to unite, Rui has themed their mix around ‘unification’, selecting high energy and future-forward tracks from rave aesthetics to bouncy techno into a 1hr demonstration of her contemporary take on club sounds, and can be heard alongside a Q&A on the unifying and liberating space of the dance floor.
First off, a huge thank you for donating your time to the TRTD Mix series. Why is The Right To Dance and War Child something you want to lend your support to?
I feel like world peace has always been the cornerstone of all culture and art. Especially in recent years, it has been a very important issue and pretty close to my heart with conflicts happening both in Europe and in Asia, places where I’ve lived all my life.
Throughout history, people have fought for the right to dance for a variety of reasons, from the personal to communal. Why is dancing and, more broadly, dance music such an important part of your life?
In my eyes, dance events are the occasions that really bring everybody together peacefully. It’s not about competition, and it’s the unique occasion that brings people together both physically and spiritually.
Could you tell us why you chose to theme your mix around ‘unification’, how does that tie in to our four core pillars of 'Community, Freedom, Identity, Self-Expression', and how does your mix represent your theme?
I feel like with Covid going on for more than 3 years now, the world has fallen apart in so many ways…unification is the only way the world can grow to become a better place for everyone. A beautiful wish upon the human race I guess.
Are there any particular tracks from the mix you’d like to highlight?
I think the track that highlights the mix's energy would be Dave Nation - Don’t Stop. A UK hardcore/happy hardcore track that has the energy I’m looking for on the dancefloor.
Taking a step back, how has unification been important to your journey in music? Are there communities or moments within dance music culture that have felt unifying to you?
I feel that music is unifying all the time, especially at parties when I’ve played a good DJ set or live set. I think that’s what’s amazing about music, and what makes it unique as an art form, that it brings people together.
If you could go back to any dance floor in history, what would it be and why?
Paradise Garage in New York in the 90s. I feel like that’s really the example for me of what music can do to unify, and empower, and liberate people. Plus I love all of the gorgeous outfits in clubs in New York at the time haha.
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Track list:
LU2K - 109
Ctrls - The Disparates
Deviant Soundsystem - Ticket 33 (Rudders Ridicufunk Remix)
Public Energy - Three O’ Three
DJ R.vxN - Unreleased
Regina Leather - Kimchi Recipe
Jurek Przezdziecki, Praecox - alfa loki
DJ R.vxN - Unreleased
Chippy Nonstop, dj genderfluid - Straight to Hell
Asquith - Wait a Minute
DJ R.vxN - Unreleased
Black Plague, Process 404 - Metallic Dominance
DJ Godfather, Good Money - Hell No
Dave Nation - Don’t Stop
Ida Engelhardt - Cutecore
Nina Kraviz - Skyscraper (AADJA Remix)
Marc Johnson - Hoof (Nik Denton Remix)
DJ Godfather - Like Some Dubstep
AMRTUM - Fake ID Remix
x/o - Red Alert (RUI HO Remix) (Unreleased)
Mate - K HOLE WITH FRANKIE
Crush Converters - Como Nina
Shutta - Pesochni Chelovek
avril23 - what’s good (europa nightdrive mix)