OIL CLUB

OIL CLUB is an underground electronic dance music venue in Shenzhen, operating as a club, label, party organiser and cultural platform. It started with a small roadside party in 2015, then opened as a club in November 2017. Founders Song Yangyang and Sun Huiyuan established it in Futian’s central business district, among office buildings near Tairan Mansion on Tairan 8th Road. OIL keeps its distance from commercial clubs to maintain its independence.

Its programming ranges across drum and bass, techno, house and trance, alongside other forms of club music. OIL has presented artists including Kode9, Mala, D-Bridge and DJ Zinc. Mechatok, Swindle and Kode9 performed at the opening events. The club has presented more than 700 events and nearly 300 artists from China and abroad. Its recurring OIL Soundsystem programme features resident DJs playing all-night sets. The project took shape as local DJs began travelling to other Chinese cities through club-scene exchange programmes.

The founders supported local promoters through The Soy Sauce Project, created to find local event organisers. During the club’s closure in 2020, co-founder Sun Huiyuan launched FAR Radio, an online audio-visual community radio project. OIL has a futuristic interior and a powerful sound system.