Nugget of Gold
Words by Kelsie Fitzgerald
When Jen Rao and Dave Carey started nugget records in 2019, they couldn’t have imagined how it would grow and develop over the following two years. From a small idea conceived while travelling to carving out a successful presence in the Chinese cassette tape scene, from the blank template of an empty room to opening a multipurpose space which has become a hub for art, music and socialising. Over the past year I have been lucky enough to befriend both Jen and Dave, and through drunken late night chats and hungover Sunday musings we’ve had plenty of conversations about emigrating and the fresh start that it brings. When I sat down with Jen to speak about starting a new business and all that it entails, I expected to have notes upon notes about opening a ‘café’ and essentially how these things are hard regardless of environment, but especially difficult during these Unprecedented Times™. However, what transpired between us was an insightful talk about how a small idea can organically grow and transcend labels, and how this creative space has allowed a new community to grow in Beijing.
Before I go into detail about Nugget itself, first I want to shed some light onto Jen and how her own life’s experiences have helped her business become what it is today. Jen grew up in Canada and while she’s travelled around Europe and Russia, she moved to Beijing six years ago to learn more about her own culture and heritage. In Beijing, Jen found her place as an artist, finding her own style and documenting the daily life and surroundings of the Beijing hutongs, the places which she fell in love with. Throughout 2017-2018 Jen became involved with the Beijing art community. Unfortunately this coincided with a time of great change in the city known as ‘The Great Brickening’. During this period many of the Beijing hutongs were bricked up and many of the small, independent spaces were boarded up - gone forever. The Brickening was upsetting for many Beijingers but especially for Jen who had found her place amongst the hutongs and its people. Following this Jen was able to commemorate many of the places she loved through art commissions and truly developed her whimsical, colourful, and childlike style. While Jen was immersing herself in the art community of Beijing, she also jumped into the underground music scene. Hutongs were a home to many independent music venues and it’s here where Jen met Dave. Little did they know what would follow over the next few years.
Art by Jen Rao.
The idea of nugget records came during a tour around Germany in 2019. While Beijing had a great underground music scene it was quite heavy, with lots of experimental and harder styles of music. While touring through German cities Jen and Dave discovered passionate people doing cool things with cassettes. At the time, Dave’s band wanted to release music on a cassette but their label said no, so they thought fuck it, let’s do it anyway. I learned from Dave that China already had a fairly strong cassette culture, with indie labels and record shops like ‘Puppy Fat Records’ in the Southern provinces being well established. So they realised that there was a gap in the market in Beijing and took a chance. From a basement studio they shared two releases by ‘Lost Memory Machine’ and ‘thruoutin’, with Jen designing the artwork for both albums. As nugget records became more known in the cassette and music scene in China, people soon started sending their own music to them and having their work pressed into tapes. The tapes that they were releasing were all lo-fi and atmospheric, holding a whimsical quality much like Jen’s own artwork. While they were successfully making their own space within the underground music scene in Beijing, Jen and Dave had dreams of opening their own recording space.
In 2020 much of the world ground to a halt due to COVID and while many places would sadly close, Jen and Dave opened Nugget, a multi-purpose space where everyone can feel welcome and a part of the family. While ‘The Great Brickening’ was a metaphorical closing of a Beijing chapter, Nugget’s opening was the equivalent of a brand-new book. Nestled within the remaining hutongs, Nugget is what Jen describes as “the place we wanted to hang out”. Unlike some of the grimy bars and harsher spots, Nugget is a welcoming place for people who want to explore more of what the underground scene has to offer, without feeling like a fish out of water. Jen has always said that it is more than a café, and she’s dead right. you can’t put Nugget in a box. From music studio, to a live performance space and also a place to have a coffee and get some work done, Nugget can be whatever you need it to be. Since opening its doors the Nugget family has only grown and thrived, with different events held throughout the week. There’s something for everyone. From the artists who come along to the ‘drink and draw’ every Thursday no matter their artistic level, to the Drag Race fans who come along on a Wednesday to have their special themed cocktail and judge the girls to the Mario Kart fans who arrive on a Sunday, ready to release their bananas on their opponents. Of course I can’t forget the live music fans either as Nugget hosts live music events every Friday and Saturday night, showcasing the best, weirdest and most experimental artists from Beijing and beyond. Nugget has truly grown into something special, surpassing the original idea of having a place for live music and selling tapes.
To start something new in a city like Beijing with a population of 23 million sounds terrifying. Jen however, thinks differently. She believes “If you want to do something you can just do it”. When you find your community in Beijing you can do anything, knowing you’ll always have support and help along the way. There were no expectations for Nugget at the start, but it has become something neither Jen or Dave had even considered. Since opening the space they have established themselves in the underground music scene of Beijing, making this style of music and the medium it’s listened through accessible to everyone. While Jen had previously been involved in creating zines, Nugget has enabled her to develop her art even more by pushing the boundaries of art and expression.
The first time I visited Nugget I knew it would become a special place, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought the same. In a place like Beijing with so many different people and cultures it’s incredible to find a place where like-minded people can come together. Having survived lockdowns during these difficult times, it’s clear Nugget can keep growing. The love both Jen and Dave show in their work is outstanding and it’s clearly paying off as Nugget has been mentioned in ‘The Beijinger’ magazine; the Chinese edition of ‘The Wallstreet Journal’ and chosen as an example of cool interiors for ‘Trendshome’, a Mainland Chinese publication of interior design.
I can’t wait to see what comes next for Nugget, and to continue trying out all of Jen’s very own designed cocktails.
If you would like to learn more about nugget records you can find them here:
