"21st Century cavalry" songs + The Big Band is back
+ a brilliant Buddha Machine remix album
Hello and welcome to Concrete Avalanche, a Substack about music from China. Thanks very much for reading.
If you’d like to listen to lots of great music from China for free, all in one place, check out the Concrete Avalanche playlists here.
I have tip jar running on Ko-fi, which you can contribute to here if you’d like:
Alternatively, please consider simply telling a friend or three about this humble Substack — I really appreciate any support in helping this thing grow.
Below: screamo, punchy instrumental rock, China’s big deal rock TV show returns, and “the meditative tool of choice amongst the intercontinental super-hip”.
Bella ciao: Instinkto Industrio are serving up modern day anthems for the people
Drones, robots, and disillusioned humans. These are just some of themes explored on the new album from Instinkto Industrio, a Yunnan-based one-person-band-turned-quartet. Opening track ‘Song of 21st Century Cavalry’ sets the tone for a record that deals with thoroughly modern maladies and mindsets, but comes with a twist: the lyrics are delivered in gravelly tones and backed with rough and ready guitar, accordion, cello and flute parts to give the record a retro flavour.
‘Bella Ciao’ and its Mandarin Chinese interpretation ‘啊朋友再见’ immediately came to my mind when listening to the album. Entitled Blackout of the Century, the record has the atmosphere of a rowdy sing-along in a small dive bar somewhere on the outskirts of a Chinese city.
Band leader bokai nonchalantly describes the nine tracks as “some loose music put together” and “just a summary of this period of time”. They go on to detail how the original studio recordings — which they were dissatisfied with anyway — were damaged by rain, prompting the setting up of a makeshift, DIY studio space. “Sometimes the sound of the huge air compressor working behind the studio can be vaguely heard in some music,” they say.
Industrio indeed.
Blackout of the Century is out now.
A kind of magic: rock trio Little Wizard find new impetus after isolation
It’s now two years since Shaoxing math-ish instrumental trio Little Wizard put out their third full length album. Little Wizard III had come four years after their previous LP, and while it had its moments, after all the anticipation it was a bit of a let down. CONFRONTATION, a new two track EP that arrived somewhat out of the blue last month, is a much stronger offering, however (perhaps benefiting from coming without any real expectations).
Described as “Two New Songs, Two Selves, Seeking Solace Beyond the Realm of Confrontation”, the pair of powerful tracks were “written during the confines of isolation” and see the band “embracing lyrics, vocoders, synthesizers, and other sonic experiments”. When the official intro text says that all this “imbues their sound with a fresh allure”, for once it’s not just new release hyperbole — Little Wizard sound like a band reinvigorated.
CONFRONTATION is out now.
The Big Band 2023 is here
The Big Band, the mainstream TV show that has catapulted a number of ‘underground’ rock acts to fame in China, is back. It’s been almost three years since Re-TROS were crowned winners of season two, but I can’t say its absence has made my heart grow any fonder for it. The forced “zaniness” and the heavy-handed commercialism just make it hard for me to get excited for the show.
Nevertheless, there are some interesting entrants on board for the third season. I wrote about a few of them when rumours first emerged, and some of the others have appeared in previous issues of this very newsletter (Berlin Psycho Nurses, Absolute Purity). It seems like Birdstriking and Nova Heart could do well based on early reactions; apparently Steely Heart bombed.
But if you only check out one act from the third series’ contestants, make it 8 Immortals Restaurant. Not sure how far they’ll go, but they’re a newer band worthy of attention.
If you want to tackle the three hours that comprise the opening episode, you can begin by clicking the video below. I can’t tell you what happens because I haven’t summoned up the energy to watch it, but I’ll probably keep an eye on the series at a distance and keep you updated as it continues (i.e. I’ll see what people are saying about it on social media and pick out any interesting incidents if they arise).
If watching the whole episode sounds exhausting, here’s a five minute-ish whip through:
And if you just want the music, here are most of the actual songs from the first episode (which despite its marathon run-time only featured a handful of the bands). Birdstriking are the easy stand out here:
Kick out the skramz: Bennu is a Heron unleash powerful new EP
Here’s something to get that saccharine taste out of your mouth if you just hit play on the Big Band videos: a new EP from Guangzhou-based band Bennu is a Heron, who describe themselves as an “emoviolence/skramz” act. I don’t really know what that means, but I do know that the four tracks that make up despite the world is so big, but not a corner belongs to me are a blast.
The EP has been released on Sango Records, which calls both Wuhan and Kyoto home and was founded by Xu Bo from Chinese Football, one of the country’s best bands and one who are currently in the midst of a world tour. Catch them if you can.
Another of the label’s most recent releases is the less consistent, but still interesting EP from AmovingmoviE, entitled One day’s journey in Wuhan. Guitar hooks and melodies that sound like they’ve been influenced by the likes of Yo La Tengo come together with various sound snippets from the great city of Wuhan on a patchy, but at times beguiling record.
despite the world is so big, but not a corner belongs to me is out now, as is One day’s journey in Wuhan.
Positive energy: this Buddha Machine remix LP is the only ambient playlist you need this week
Still here? As a thank you for making it this far down, here’s a lovely compilation featuring some key figures from China’s music scene:
Originally released in 2011, this album only just made its way to Bandcamp. It stems from FM3 — Zhang Jian and Christiaan Virant — enlisting “an eclectic mix of China’s best underground rock, folk, electronic and experimental artists, or friends and fellow travellers” from the country’s music scene to remix some of the loops found on their Buddha Machine invention.
Here’s renowned music journalist and radio host Steve Barker on the Buddha Machine:
“From its humble origins, the Buddha launched with a happy synchronicity coinciding with early patronages from Mr. Ambient, Brian Eno, and the wildly enthusiastic Alan Bishop of Seattle's ground-breaking Sublime Frequencies organisation.
“Progress was rapid as the Buddha Machine moved through into more advanced versions, even a hyper-rare edition made of Pu'er tea. It became the meditative tool of choice amongst the intercontinental super-hip and a ceremonial plaything for those in the know.”
The compilation features everyone from punk act Top Floor Circus (here sounding more like experimental folk band Glamorous Pharmacy) and electronic producer-turned-film score composer B6 to avant guitarist Li Jianhong and Chinese rock pioneer Dou Wei. It’s well worth a listen.
HeXieFu is out now.
Some kind of bliss: post-metal band Bliss Illusion have had a rough few months
Shoegaze-influenced black metal act Bliss Illusion and frontman Dryad’s solo project Tassi aren’t having the best Year of the Rabbit so far. Days into the lunar new year, this message arrived:
“One of the worst things that can happen to an artist has happened to Dryad and his solo project Tassi... Northland I-II vinyl albums and Northland III CDs (collector included) produced by Time Tombs Production and Source Atone Records and sent to Dryad and our Chinese partner have been confiscated by Chinese customs and there is a strong risk of being permanently destroyed. In other words, more than a hundred CDs / LPs including the test press.”
Despite these issues, both acts have continued to be generous with giving away their music, regularly offering a bunch of free download codes on Bandcamp Fridays.
Last week, it was the turn of Bliss Illusion to run into some bad luck:
“We had a problem with sending the original files, and we have to create a matrix again, press the test press. It will generate additional costs for us and our label, Time Tombs Production. We're not going to make a pot or anything because it's our mistake but if you want to support us and you had planned to take vinyl or digital now is the right time.”
Gah. These things happen, but it still feels cruel after the problems with customs.
So if you do want to support them, as they say “now is the right time”. Bliss Illusion’s interesting back catalogue is here, Tassi’s is here.
Exit music
Escape to Guangzhou’s Changzhou Island with the new music video from WaChi, a Guangdong band who picked up a bit of traction in 2020 with their single ‘River Flows’. The video is for ‘Excursion’, from their new album of the same name, which I haven’t been able to track down on international platforms yet.
And if you enjoyed them rockin’ the suburbs, here’s another new music video from WaChi, which arrived late last week: