ZHU to Host First-Ever BLACKLIZT Festival in DC

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BLACKLIZT.DC is the first installment of a festival series that ZHU plans to take to a different city every year.

ZHU is pursuing festival promotion, and he’s set his sights on Washington, DC as his first market.

The Los Angeles DJ and producer has announced a two-day festival called BLACKLIZT.DC. Set for December 18-19 at the indoor-outdoor art space BERHTA, it promises at least 11 artists across three stages in a stripped-down setting intended to highlight the music above all else. And if all goes well, he plans to bring it to a different city every year.

“It’s the message of BLACK MIDAS,” said ZHU, referring to his March album. “Putting a focus solely on the music, counterplaying mainstream and high-production events — BLACKLIZT.DC is a return to the dancefloor inspired by early underground warehouse parties with a club feel in its DNA.”

ZHU is one of 11 artists announced on the BLACKLIZT.DC lineup at the time of writing. The others are DANSYN, Fahlberg, HNTR, Joezi, KamJam, Kotiēr, Nico De Andrea, Parellelle, RICHE, and TOBEHONEST.

Stephen Zhu became a household name in dance music thanks to his 2014 hit single, “Faded.” He capitalized on the momentum with the release of his 2016 debut studio-length album, GENERATIONWHY, which helped flesh out his distinct, house and techno-influenced sound signature. He followed it up with RINGOS DESERT in 2018, DREAMLAND 2021, Musical Chairs Mixtape (Vol. 1) in 2022, and GRACE in 2024.

BLACK MIDAS, his sixth album, saw the producer and instrumentalist entertain something of a creative shift. It took clear inspiration from the sort of big room techno released by labels like Drumcode, which ZHU said marked “a return to why I first made music.”

Tickets to ZHU’s BLACKLIZT.DC go on sale Thursday, November 5. Sign up to receive pre-sale updates via Laylo.