The little festival with a big, bassy, electronic heart, Shi Fu Miz kicks off October 26th. Five seasons deep, the biannual, two-day festival is ready to wow the socks off festival-goers. With a never-been-done-before party hosted by Boiler Room on the 27th, Shi Fu Miz is gearing up to become one of the most acclaimed festivals in Hong Kong.

We caught up with its creators (creative agency FuFu and DJ collective La Mamie’s) and asked them to spill the beans on how Shi Fu Miz began and what we can expect in this season.

We’re also exclusively offering the Electric Soul community a sneaky 10% off the ticket price when you enter SFMELECTRICSOUL the checkout. Go forth and take full advantage!

Cheung Chau Island a.k.a. Shi Fu Miz’s festival grounds

ES: Why did you choose to host in HK over France? SFM: Florian is based in Hong Kong and was already wanting to develop something for the region as it is pretty lacking in underground music events and festivals. Also, La Mamie’s already has their own festival in Paris: Macki Music Festival, which launched three years before Shi Fu Miz. We felt we could harness the spirit of Macki, combine it will the vibes of Hong Kong, and stack it full of local and regional talent—and thus, Shi Fu Miz was born.

ES: What was your festival experience like this past summer? Do you prefer the festival circuit to shows?

SFM: Most of our team spent the summer in Europe, checking out the music scene there and bringing some inspiration back to Hong Kong. We went to some great festivals with really unique venues, curated settings, and forward-thinking sounds. We experimented with different kinds of festivals this summer too, including Dekmantel, Horst, and of course the Macki Music Festival. The festival circuit is always a good thing: summertime, open-air, and good vibes.

ES: Is SFM a reflection of festivals you’ve attended or step in a totally different direction?

SFM: We definitely get some great ideas from all the different festivals that we have been to as festivalgoers and artists, but Shi Fu Miz is a totally different and novel experience, very much tailored to Hong Kong. You won’t get this experience elsewhere and you won’t know what makes it standout amongst the rest unless you immerse yourself in it. When you do, you’ll quickly see why we’ve grown so quick. It’s also really refreshing to get out of the concrete jungle and the small clubs that makeup Hong Kong. 

ES: Tell us more about your artist curation process? Where and how do you source artists? 

SFM: The team has a very similar taste in music so it’s pretty easy. We always look to book a healthy mix of famous international electronic artists alongside regional and local acts. For international performers, we don’t want the most famous but want artists with great skills and a serious knowledge of music. Don’t miss Peach, Lean Willikens, and Marcellus Pittman.

ES: Can you touch on your collaboration with Boiler Room, how it came to be, and what significance it holds?

SFM: Boiler Room is the biggest streaming platform in the world for electronic music and it is pushing the music scene by broadcasting big names and lesser-known DJs with huge potential. It helps to grow an emerging market like Hong Kong. Since we’ve been getting a lot more attention from the international community, we wanted to give the amazing artists from around Asia a chance to be in the spotlight. So, for the Boiler Room showcase, we chose artists like Ocean Lam, K-Melo, and Utopia instead of heavyweight headliners.

ES: Having only started a few years ago, SFM looks to have a bright future. How do you envision its evolution?

While maintaining stability in Hong Kong is paramount, we’re looking to expand to different countries in Asia. But for now, those details are on the down-low.