Stairwell Hangs, R&B Techno and the Best Char Siu With Yeti Out at Art Basel Hong Kong
On the streets of the mega city with the creative think tank as they gear up for a week of parties and no sleep.
For some 15 years, Yeti Out has been redefining party culture, bringing Asia’s underground sounds to a worldwide audience. Today, the music collective has evolved into a fully fledged creative tour de force that serves as a bridge between East and West, transcending nightlife and record releases to steer everything from apparel to zines. Founded by twins Arthur and Tom Bray together with Erisen “Eri” Ali, the project has seamlessly brought together some of the planet’s most prestigious brands with independent artists across disciplines.
With Art Basel touching down in Hong Kong—the de facto home of Yeti Out—we checked in with the Bray brothers as they prepare to throw seven parties in seven days. Exhausting? Possibly, but for Yeti Out, it’s just another week of doing what they love. Here’s how they’re holding up.
Yeti Out has undergone numerous evolutions since launching as a blog years ago. How do you define Yeti Out now? Is it a collective? A record label? A movement?
I would say it’s a transient think tank with different outputs. I often think “magazine” or “label” or “brand” are just placeholders for allowing us to engage in different conversations at any given time. As things evolve, these terms are redefined. They may seem redundant and outdated, but we need them as vocabulary to get our foot in the door.
As culture shifts, we find ourselves engaging with different mediums. Online and offline. Editorial and experience. Commerce and curation.
What do you look for when bringing new people into the Yeti Out fold?
It’s a pretty natural process. We’re fortunate to be able to work with people with similar outlooks. Good people, good energy, good company.
What do you remember about the first time you met Subez or saw her perform? Did you immediately think she would make a strong addition to Yeti Out?
We’ve been friends for longer than she’s been in Yeti Out. We knew each other before she even DJ’d: going out in the city, staying up. She started playing parties with us. We’ve all grown together, she’s family.
It gets hectic. It’s a lot, but we’re welcoming the world to our city. We’ve got to go hard.
Yeti Out
Is there a common thread sonically, artistically or stylistically between all Yeti Out individuals?
Everyone brings something different. Big up Jerry, Akira, Fergus, Victoria, Justine, Buzz, Eri, Tom—all the artists we work with on the label and acts we’re fortunate to collaborate with. We’re learning from our peers every day. It’s never a one-man show.
A while back, you hosted seven parties in seven days for Art Basel Hong Kong. What are your memories of that time?
[Laughs] We’re in the midst of this right now. I’m answering these on my iPhone while walking to sound check for our White Cube gallery afterparty tonight. We’re organizing seven this week! I don’t think much has changed. It gets hectic. It’s a lot, but we’re welcoming the world to our city. We’ve got to go hard. And I’m also sleeping in my own bed this week, not some random Airbnb, so we're good!
It’s a lot of fun and we get to see old friends and make new ones. Best job in the world.
What are some of the best things you’ve seen at Art Basel Hong Kong over the years?
We hosted the official M+ contemporary art museum opening party two years ago with our label mates Delf and Blå Värld from Silk Road Sounds performing.
I’d love to see more art, but to be honest, we’re always out at night. Exhibition-wise, the fair is a lot. Empty Gallery, Blindspot Gallery and WKM Gallery do some rad bits—check them out if you come to HK.
DJing on the Great Wall of China was crazy. Hosting a takeover in Lhasa, Tibet, while spun out on high-altitude sickness—also crazy.
Yeti Out
How do you see the intersection of contemporary art and underground music evolving in Hong Kong, especially during events like Art Basel? Is there still a clear distinction between these different mediums or are they all overlapping to the point where they are inseparable?
I think the former covers a much broader spectrum, within which the latter exists. The performance elements from underground scenes are more prominent at exhibition openings or afterparties. And when brands activate and DJs/producers get booked, there’s an intersection there as well.
What separates Hong Kong’s creative scene from other major Chinese cities like Shanghai?
In every city, you have to figure out how to bring ideas to life and display them in a way that makes sense within the social and geographical context. Hong Kong is more densely populated than Shanghai, so if you frequent the same hangouts, you’re likely to see familiar faces. Shanghai, being the third-largest city in the world, operates on a different scale in terms of industry and scene.
What are some of the most memorable Yeti Out parties you’ve hosted here?
Hong Kong’s first-ever Boiler Room—we hosted it in a former prison. It was 2018, and we brought together a lineup of OGs and friends from different circles. We’re collaborating with Boiler Room for another show this May, which will be exciting.
DJing on the Great Wall of China was crazy. Hosting a takeover in Lhasa, Tibet, while spun out on high-altitude sickness—also crazy. Playing Japanese grime we released on our label in Egypt at a Yeti Cairo party? Damn, the list goes on...
Our annual “Rave in the Concrete Sky” party with Cakeshop Seoul is always a highlight. We started this after-hours in 2016, before brands were activating too much. Now, in 2025, Dior, Bottega Veneta and LV are all throwing parties—it’s a different landscape, and there’s a lot of noise. But we’re stoked to still be doing our annual ritual, bringing friends from across the way together for a little celebration and dance.
Where can we get the best food in Hong Kong?
The original Tim Ho Wan in Sham Shui Po—the pork char siu pineapple bun just hits different.
Nepalese food in the Jordan neighborhood—there’s this local joint I forgot the name of, but it’s at the end of Temple Street, on the left, next to a counterfeit DVD shop. You can’t miss it because, seriously, who still sells counterfeit DVDs?
What’s been your track of the year so far?
Rian Brazil - “Close 2 u.” I don’t really know who this artist is but the track construction is insane. It’s like R&B techno made at 4 AM on the back of a night bus.
Yeti Out is all about community. What’s the most inspiring thing you’ve seen at one of your events?
I think stairwell hangs are important. I watched a documentary about how the smoking ban reconfigured the social settings for raves in the UK and promoters had to rework lineups to ensure people would stay on the dancefloor. I thought that must be difficult, as a promoter myself.
But then I also feel that the stairwell hangs and corridors are magical places, where some of the best nonsense, gibberish or remarkable conversations are shared, and random friendships are made. Some moments stay fixed in that evening, but other things evolve into collaborations. Don’t let them tell you that ideas only come out of rooms with glass walls and Evian bottled water.
Go behind the scenes with Diana Yesenia Alvarado’s Art Basel uniforms and explore a new generation of culture on the streets of Harajuku.