The Rap of China returns + summery Qingdao rock
+ more Mamer magic
In this issue: hot tunes, summer in the city, China’s biggest rap TV show returns with a controversial figure, “an enduring discussion on the convergence and co-evolution of Eastern and Western music”, and more.
Original pirate material: indie-rockers The Bootlegs make a play for your summer soundtrack
A few issues back I wrote about an independent label in China that had collaborated with a fragrance company to produce a series of paired records and scents. Maybe that made them sound like a purveyor of novelty rather than a serious label, but that’s certainly not the case — they’ve been steadily releasing quality indie-rock records for several years now.
In Mandarin, they’re called Shengjian, a name taken from a type of dumpling but one which they seem confusingly reluctant to use in English. Previously SJ Records, they’ve now renamed themselves FarFar Disc, which seems a shame. Just embrace the dumpling name, it’s good!
Anyway, they’ve done a good job of building up a label sound: lo-fi, easily digestible, and generally uplifting indie-rock. Their roster features the likes of nostalgia-mining Fuzhou rockers The 尺口MP and Xiamen shoegaze-turned-city pop act Kirin Trio. “Casual-rock” outfit Zoo Gazer are another of their signees to keep an eye on — more on them in a forthcoming issue.
Nicely at home on the label are The Bootlegs, a trio who hail from the coastal city of Qingdao and whose pleasant indie-rock is exactly the sort of thing you can imagine having on the stereo while you grab a bag of beer, put your feet up and gaze out to sea.
Their 2019 debut album I Feel Good was… well, a feel good record and they’ve not messed with the formula on their new LP: it’s retro, reverby, dream-pop-influenced good times rock. As if their sound wasn’t summery enough already, there’s a sort of holiday theme to their new album too, with the title a play on the Chinese name for Singapore and songs that include nods to Hollywood and Las Vegas.
There’s no scent included with this one, but the record quickly conjures up laidback summery scenes and nostalgia. An early contender for forming part of your soundtrack to the season.
The Bootlegs’ Xingjiapo is out now.
Gimme sherter: folk maverick Mamer mesmerises with solos on an ancient instrument
Anything that Shenzhen label and record store Old Heaven Books puts out is worth paying attention to, especially as their releases frequently involve Kazakh folk experimentalist Mamer. That’s the case with one of their latest LPs, a collection of compositions played by Mamer on the sherter, “a traditional Kazakh musical instrument hollowed out of a single wooden piece. Its base is covered with leather. It is similar to dombra in shape with no frets, producing a lower and stronger sound.”
As with everything Mamer produces, it’s a fascinating collection of songs. It’s also one of his more accessible releases, with a stripped down sound, intricate musicianship and a stark kind of beauty that demands repeat listens.
The record has its origins in December 2021. Mamer was about to record a new album with Mask (one of his many, many projects) at the gig venue B10, located next door to Old Heaven Books. A small crowd had been invited to watch the performance/recording session and as part of a ‘warm up’, Mamer decided to play the sherter for a little while. Saying he was “looking for the feeling”, he proceeded to play the instrument for around 40 minutes, resulting in what the label thinks is probably the world’s first ever sherter solo album. (The instrument is usually used to offset the dombra in group performances and rarely used on its own.)
For more about Mamer and his background, check out this previous issue of Concrete Avalanche:
Sherter Solo is out now on Old Heaven Books, as a digital release, on CD and as two different vinyl versions.
bié water: 33EMYBW, Hualun, Howie Lee and more join tribute to composer Chou Wen-Chung
Independent Beijing label bié Records are one of my favourite imprints. Their latest release is a compilation dedicated to Chinese-born composer Chou Wen-Chung, who spent much of his life living in the US. In addition to his musical endeavours, Chou founded the Center for US-China Arts Exchange, which was “the first organization to focus on the crucial need to connect professional artists and cultural figures from both countries when the United States and China established diplomatic relations on January 1, 1979, following a hiatus of 30 years.”
The new record features some of China’s most interesting artists: electronic producers 33EMYBW, Howie Lee, Gooooose, Sun Dawei, and Knopha, instrumental band Hualun, experimentalist otay:onii, and classical composer Du Yun. Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist Yoann Pisterman completes the line-up.
The compilation is titled Long May the Water Flow, with a subtitle that introduces the concept: “an enduring conversation on the convergence and co-evolution of Eastern and Western music, sparked by Chou Wen-Chung’s musical philosophies.”
Initially released exclusively on Apple Music in spatial audio through Dolby Atmos, the record carries a strong message in favour of continued cultural conversation between ‘East’ and ‘West’ at a time when dialogue overall is… let’s say a little strained. But it’s also just a high quality group of musicians delivering some fascinating recordings. Be sure to give it a listen.
Long May the Water Flow is out now on Apple Music and iTunes.
Guess who’s back? iQIYI’s Rap of China returns
The Rap of China is back. Yes, despite some disgusting charges against one of its main (former) stars, Kris Wu, the show that brought hip hop to the mainstream in China in 2017 continues to find ways to reinvent itself and still draw a significant audience.
Recent years have seen it morph into more of a contest between former favourites and other familiar names rather than a showcase for unknown rappers or rising stars. The show rebranded (not for the first time) as a ‘rap battle’ last year and earlier this month it returned for a ‘second’ series, featuring previous contestants such as Vava, Aire, KungfuPEN and Chinese American rapper MC Jin alongside hosts GAI and MC Hotdog, plus Higher Brother Psy.P.
I can’t really bring myself to watch much of it to be honest, but from a distance it appears to be just as heavily branded and cringey as much of the original Rap of China and its rock- and folk-oriented follow ups The Big Band (series three of which will be out this summer) and Our Folk Music. I was pretty surprised to see the new series open with a prominent appearance by Xie Di, aka BO$$ X, aka Fat Shady, however.
Xie is a key member of Chengdu’s CDC crew and has a strong following in China, but in the English-speaking world he’s probably best known as the guy who did that ‘Stupid Foreigners’ track (that’s a polite translation, incidentally). His casual foreigner bashing isn’t necessarily a bad fit in the current mainstream media climate, but it’s still a bit of a surprise to see him in the spotlight. Perhaps it’s fitting that he’s sharing the stage with GAI, a rapper who had his own fair share of controversy before taking the nationalist route to rehabilitation.
Anyway, if you want to get an idea of where the mainstream rap scene is at in China in 2023, iQIYI is putting whole episodes of the show up on YouTube with English subtitles and ShowStart is releasing compilation albums featuring the music from each outing.
Back again: ZhiYu Xia references Eminem, Wu-Tang and more in new video
There is, of course, much more to Chinese hip hop than The Rap of China, and much more to Sichuanese hip hop than Xie Di. This music video from ZhiYu Xia — which dropped a few days after the new RoC series began — neatly illustrates both points:
Made with the support of independent Chengdu-based label Mintone Records, this video splices together two tracks from Xia, as the rapper continues on his quest to share what he’s previously described as “magical realist small town teen street stories”.
It’s much more the kind of Chinese hip hop I can get behind, both for its musical value and because Xia appears to be on the more conscious end of the Chinese rap spectrum. Early last year he was one of the few rappers to post on social media expressing support for stand-up comedian Yang Li, who was the subject of a misogynist backlash following her jokes poking fun at the fragile male psyche.
If you like these two tracks and Xia’s penchant for hairdresser imagery, check out Young Fresh Chin II, his new album. Released at the end of April, as the title suggests it’s a follow up to Young Fresh Chin, which came out in 2020.
Young Fresh Chin II is available on Spotify, as well as a bunch of other platforms. Peruse the lot here.
TingTing’s back, tell a friend: a heartfelt performance for Homegrown
Ok, last bit of hip hop-related stuff for this edition. At the start of this year, I wrote about rapper TingTing’s wonderfully chill To-Do List album, produced with Sdewdent and Eric Lau after she took a trip to the laidback coastal city of Xiamen. She recently performed the track ‘La Ping’ from that record, a song dedicated to her mum, for Homegrown, a video channel that some have hyperbolically called “China’s answer to Tiny Desk Concerts” (ok yeah, it was me).
Voision Xi provides backing vocals out in the garden and Eating Music boss Cookie Zhang also makes an appearance as part of a video it’s impossible to watch and not smile along to:
Exit music
Leaving you with this outstanding record from Black Kirin. It’s not new, I just haven’t played it in a while and thought I’d share. It consists of a full live set performed with “a modern Chinese orchestra” in Nanjing on 1st May 2021. Sweeping black metal meets traditional Chinese instrumentation — even if you think you’re not that into metal, give this a try.
This blog is what I needed. More Chinese music for me. Thanks!
Great read (and listen) as ever! Nothing on the new Cao Dong album though??