DnB Saigon at Night Life Bar: Hosted by Scientific Sound Asia

Event Details

DnB Saigon took place at Night Life Bar, 8/21 Đường 49B, Thảo Điền, Thủ Đức, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, from 10 PM on 25 May 2024 until 3 AM on 26 May 2024. The venue has since closed, but the original location has been retained for archive accuracy.

Following the success of 30 Years of V Recordings Vietnam, Scientific Sound Asia returned with DnB Saigon, a new biweekly event dedicated to Drum and Bass, Jungle and underground bass music. The launch edition brought together Saigon-based selectors for a compact five-hour session focused on strong music, a decent sound system and an informal atmosphere.

The idea behind DnB Saigon was deliberately straightforward, creating a regular home for bass music rather than relying only on occasional touring headliners. Coming immediately after the V Recordings anniversary event, the series gave locally based DJs their own recurring platform while maintaining the momentum around Drum and Bass in Ho Chi Minh City.

DJ Psycho-UK opened from 10 PM until 11 PM, representing Scientific Sound Asia and drawing on an East London background spanning Hip Hop, rave, Jungle and Drum and Bass. His opening hour established the musical direction before the programme moved through increasingly different shades of the genre.

Skitty followed from 11 PM until midnight with a direct connection to British Drum and Bass history through Metalheadz, Renegade Hardware and his own Foundation X imprint. His catalogue and darker musical background brought a heavier underground edge while keeping the set rooted in the wider Jungle tradition.

Throe took over from midnight until 1 AM, representing Redacted Bristol and bringing another UK connection into the night. His selections added darker rhythms and rolling bass pressure, giving the middle section a tougher direction without moving away from the focused Drum and Bass format.

Dobbo followed from 1 AM until 2 AM and represented another part of Scientific Sound Asia's local bass network. His slot kept the momentum moving into the final section before Robson Jr of 4 Paws took over from 2 AM and closed the event.

The line-up therefore worked as a showcase of selectors already active around Saigon rather than a support bill assembled around one international guest. DJ Psycho-UK, Skitty, Throe, Dobbo and Robson Jr each brought different influences while keeping Drum and Bass at the centre.

Night Life Bar suited that resident-led approach because the emphasis was on music rather than large-scale production. Affordable drinks, a decent sound system and the smaller Thảo Điền venue gave the party the relaxed underground character promoted in the original listing.

Entry was set at 50,000 VND, keeping the new biweekly event accessible while establishing a regular format for local listeners. The relatively low entry price also distinguished DnB Saigon from larger international bookings and helped position it as a community night rather than a one-off spectacle.

The event followed the April 2024 V Recordings celebration at The Villa Project, where Bryan Gee, Paul T & Edward Oberon appeared with support from Skitty, DJ Psycho-UK and DJ Scibes. That larger event celebrated three decades of one of Drum and Bass's key labels, while DnB Saigon shifted the focus back towards the DJs sustaining the music locally between major touring dates.

Scientific Sound Asia's wider activity connects these events with its radio station, DJ agency, events programme and music news. The first DnB Saigon at Night Life Bar represents the local side of that work, using a regular event format to keep Jungle and Drum and Bass active in Ho Chi Minh City between larger international bookings.

The venue has since closed, but the night remains part of the Scientific Sound Asia archive as the beginning of a new biweekly Drum and Bass series in Thảo Điền. With five DJs across five hours, cheap entry and a music-first approach, DnB Saigon returned the focus to selectors, bass pressure and the local community around the genre.