Published
Tue, Apr 26, 2022, 12:05
- "I want to be positive but I feel powerless," said the producer Laughing Ears.
As Shanghai currently experiences China's largest Covid-19 outbreak, weeks of isolation and food shortages are weighing on its electronic music community.
For the past month, the city's 25 million residents have been confined to their homes or residential compounds. With new cases consistently topping 20,000 per day, authorities say the extreme measures are necessary to eliminate all Covid-19 transmission. It's unclear how long this will take.
Businesses such as factories and supermarkets can only open under "closed loop management," a system that requires personnel to live on-site and undergo daily testing. With supply chains squeezed due to disrupted factory production, food shortages are rampant. The government has been sending out rations but several households have complained over quality issues.
The dire situation has made it nearly impossible for artists to focus on music projects. Laughing Ears, a producer affiliated with local label Eating Music, told Resident Advisor that the current mood is a combination of "sadness, anger, frustration, anxiety and numbness."
Like others, Laughing Ears has been stuck in her apartment for the past month. Not only does food hunting and routine Covid-19 testing make it hard for her to concentrate on music production, she's unable to go to her studio to fetch tools because many neighbourhoods face a stay-home order.
"From the bottom of my heart, I'm tired of this situation, I want to be positive but I feel powerless," she said. She finds it helpful to take a break from social media and the news since there's so much negativity online.
"Everyone is focusing on the bad news, feeling sad and disappointed everyday," added Eloise Fan, AKA Everlast Phantom, cofounder of the club night and record label Scandal.
Shanghai is no stranger to strict lockdowns but, unlike 2020, locals say this edition is much more painful due to food scarcity. "The well-being of a human should be based on a full stomach, recently it's been barely satisfied," said Fan. "We need enough food to eat, only then can we let our brains run."
In addition to nightlife, Fan also works in advertising. Balancing the daily duties of work with basic survival has been immensely difficult. "It's too hard to do creative work right now," she said. Shanghai truly "feels like hell."
Yeti Out, a clothing brand and DJ collective that also runs a label called Silk Road Sounds, has been forced to cancel multiple gigs so far. "We've been working remotely for about a month now so there are definitely challenges with not being face to face in the studio with our team and artists," said cofounder Tom Bray.
For now, Shanghai is the epicenter of China's latest Covid-19 outbreak. In early March, other areas such as Changchun and Shenzhen were placed on lockdown but they have since eased restrictions. Now, many fear Beijing could be next after residents in the city's biggest district, Chaoyang, were ordered to take three tests this week.
Despite the general state of pessimism and despair in Shanghai, community action and collective care have been a silver lining. Fan's circle of friends and family are currently sharing food, giving each other anything they can spare.
"There's been a lot of generosity and compassion in my community, with neighbours sharing food and exchanging updates," Bray echoed.
Bray is trying to use the current lockdown to change his perspective and focus on the positives. "I'm learning to welcome new discoveries and possibilities, taking each day at a time," he said. "Shanghai life is fast and hectic usually, so slowing down, detoxing and catching up on things isn't all that bad."
Unlike the rest of the world, China's nightlife has been largely open for the past two years, he added. "It's our turn now, just got to chin up!"