Patrons of the avant-garde unite! trigger is the new space run in part by some of the Shanghai experimental scene’s leading figures, including Junky aka Torturing Nurse. Operating humbly and quietly since the end of October, the space has hosted a whole wide of events - from obscure film screenings to noise-offs and other experimental music gatherings.

The space itself is compact - a tight four-wall storage room that could fit maybe fifty people max. No windows. No bar. Just some top-notch sound equipment, some scattered stools, a merch shelf in the corner, and a heavy-duty soundproof door that means business. Despite feeling a bit like a panic room - if your panic room was stocked with pedals instead of cans of soup - there’s an intimacy to the bare-bones space. Most of this is due to the patience of its performers and audience members - a motley crew of sound explorers whose intrepid spirit never comes off as pretentious or ego-stroking.

For gig-goers who like to venture off the beaten path from time to time, trigger is well worth a visit. And with most of their events taking place during weekend afternoons, it acts as the perfect pregame to further adventures out, or better yet, a palette cleanser after a rowdy Saturday night.