Esra Canogullari (8ULENTINA) and Lara Sarkissian (FOOZOOL) founded Club Chai in early 2016 after bonding over the way DJing enabled a sort of fluid, nonlinear storytelling with sound. They named the party, which has since expanded into a record label and an informal promotions platform for allied locals, after the role of tea — a conduit for dialog — in their respective Middle Eastern upbringings, and they similarly envision the dance floor as a site of cultural exchange. The party started in underground venues and grew into clubs, but since Ghost Ship they’ve struggled to find a regular location. Meanwhile, Canogullari and Sarkissian are in-demand overseas and on the East Coast, garnering a rare degree of notoriety and praise for a party from Oakland.
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Club Chai