????Luo Songsong ????songsongluo@126.com ????AT midnight last Saturday, a few police officers halted the city’s most popular Real Deal party near Nanshan Stadium. After just an hour, nearly 400 like-minded people had to move to an underground tunnel near IKEA and continued to enjoy themselves until the sunrise. ????When Magnus Haupt planned the event in 2012 with two other co-founders, he underestimated its appeal and scale, which nowadays attracts people from Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and sometimes unexpectedly, the police. ????Real Deal ????At the first gathering, he was surprised and excited to see more than 100 people shocked and fascinated by the unique ambiance, professional DJ talents and fresh music styles in the open space. ????“I expected that only about 50 people would show up that night because the rave culture wasn’t existent in Shenzhen, or even China, and the local Electronic Dance Music scene wasn’t big enough to make a real impact,” said Magnus. ????Before the event, Magnus had worked in local bars and clubs for about two years, but got tired of the music scene there, which didn’t provide proper electronic dance music or spacious dance floors in the city. ????“It was not about the music itself, but the ‘face,’ ‘show’ and ‘drinking.’ However, what makes Real Deal special is that the event is all about dancing, music, sharing the same passion, getting into the spirit and enjoying the moment,” said Magnus. ????Generally, such parties are held in tunnels, warehouses, beaches and parks with free entrance. The event invites both expats and Chinese to release themselves with moves and cheap drinks. Until now, half of them were the local citizens. ????“As long as I am in China, I intend to show the local people what a real dance music event is supposed to be — not sitting all night, drinking and playing games,” he said. ????As a quality assurance manager at a leading manufacturer of musical software and hardware, he is obliged to supervise the quality of sound and, more importantly, to purify the soul of music. ????He believes that commercial factors will completely change the profile of the event and restrict him from doing what he really likes even though most of his spare time is spent organizing the monthly party. ????Real Deal is a beginning and footprint to reshape the music scene in Shenzhen, and Magnus feels proud to be a part of the organizing team that makes it happen. ????“I am creating music with my own vision, which I hope people will listen to even after 20 or 30 years because music with soul never disappears,” said Magnus, who will release two singles soon. ????His music mainly comes from European Techno, House and Trance, and his live performances are about creating something new by remixing music that contains something special like a good baseline, melody or just a good flow. ????“With hard work and a strong musical background, Magnus and other two founders are the driving force behind Real Deal with the goal of improving the music scene in Shenzhen,” said Adam Littlefield, an architect who has known Magnus for four years. “He is open to the opinions of musical creators, but sticks to the essence of music itself and keeps working hard on each event.” ????Career ????As a child, Magnus began interacting with different music styles, including old jazz, funk, blues and spirituals, collected Hi-Fi equipment and synthesizers, and bought a set of turntables to DJ his own tunes himself at the age of 18. ????“Luckily, I got the hang of DJ techniques quickly and worked with other enthusiasts to create outdoor events like raves in the forest where we dropped Psychedelic Trance (an electronic music style),” he said. ????Afterwards, he moved into clubs, started to attract international visitors and then managed to dig himself into the music scene in Germany and Holland, mainly at big stage events such as Trance Energy and Defqon. ????In addition to remixing music pieces, Magnus also likes to rebuild cars and houses. In late 2005, Magnus opened a construction company in Sweden that later closed because of the global economic crisis and worked as an amateur racecar driver. ????He once imported three Japanese cars and had one rebuilt based on his visions without any professional auto-engineering experiences. Just a week ago, Magnus received his driver’s license here in Shenzhen with his official Chinese name, “騰思睿” (Teng Sirui). ????He likes to refer to everything as art in order to broaden his artistic reach, and sees potential for improvement. “When I see houses, I don’t fixate on the outside, but wonder and visualize what they can become both inside and outside with my hands and designs,” said Magnus. ????Rebirth ????In 2008, Magnus left Sweden and moved to Hong Kong for a year, hoping to clear his mind and reorient his life, but he lost his way even before taking his first step and damaged his health with heavy smoking and drinking after he moved to Shenzhen. ????However, what doesn’t kill a man makes him stronger. ????When he was awakened by his dreams, he decided to say goodbye to the past and move forward again. “Everything that held me down is forever gone. Since then, I was the God of myself.” ????He said that he really appreciates the opportunities that China has given to him, and wants to devote himself to contributing to the Chinese community with his experiences, skills and visions. ????Later this year, he will restart his construction business, and he hopes to invest more time and money in his favorite hobbies of cars and music, from which he derives passion and peace of mind. | 