Casual Engineering Research is a new listening room, cafe and wine bar on the third floor of Chung Nam Building in Wan Chai. Its large speaker system was designed and built in-house for the room, rather than bought as a decorative shortcut. The component details have not been published, though the scale of the installation and the separate listening space show serious intent.
The resident roster includes Casamusica, Jeremy Cheung, Kirby Anderson, MLCH and Zora Chan. Sets move through funk, disco, jazz and house, while the wider programme includes listening sessions and live performances. There is also a record shop, a wine bar, an event room and a terrace.
This is a social room with coffee, natural wine and food, not a silent jazz kissa. The programme stretches into art and wellness events, so check the calendar if you want a dedicated listening session rather than a busier mixed-format night.