From our friends at Sublime Frequencies: “Mystic choral beauty drifting far into the outer cosmos, this other worldly traditional music ensemble creates a contemporary-sounding avant-garde vocal fusion combined with strange instrumental accompaniment. The HANI are linguistically derived from the YI branch of the Tibeto-Burmese and number a million and a Continue Reading
China
Zhaoze (沼澤) – No Answer Blowin’ in the Wind (没有答案风中飘)
If you can imagine 1969-era King Crimson played on Chinese traditional instruments and a more relaxed feel, you would have this new album by the Guangzho-based band Zhaoze. The music is definitely progressive, touching upon art-rock, but so solidly based in traditional Chinese music that one can call this a Continue Reading
Kink Gong – Abdurehim Heyit Xinjiang China
Kink Gong have done stellar work documenting ethnic music from around China. This release covers the work of dotar player Abdurehim Heyit, an artist mired in controversy whose death was falsely reported several years ago.
tamiX – X NEW YEAR
Out of sheer good luck, I came across a Chinese artist recently called tamiX. She has a large body of work, not only with music but in multimedia, and now, print. She has a Patreon site, so if this work suits you, consider supporting her work. From her bio on Continue Reading
若潭 ruò tán – 石 Stone
ruò tán are China’s more organic answer to old post-Industrial/cassette-culture bands like Germany’s Cranioclast. The music is eerie, yet so utterly engaging. Probably the best reference to this music is for those of you who remember not only the aforementioned band but the early works of projects like O Yuki Continue Reading
Kink Gong 2017 – Uyghur In Moyu Southern Xinjiang China
I don’t know much about Kink Gong, though maybe they have some relations with the legendary Sublime Frequencies record label, but I do like that they’re busy releasing some amazing music from neglected parts of the world. This installment comes from Xinjang, in the news for all the wrong reasons, Continue Reading
Dolphy Kick Bebop – Smoke a Haiku Cigarette
As I will be back in Beijing in a few weeks from now, I thought I’d spend Western Easter introducing my friends here to Dolphy Kick Bebop, a band out of Hangzhou, China. The label, Space Fruity Records, is connected with Beijing’s coolest record shop, Fruity Space, and the music Continue Reading
Various Artists – Old Heaven Books: 地方，音乐与实践 Vol.1 Region, Music, and Practice Vol.1
A compilation of new music out of avant-garde China. From the Old Heaven Books Bandcamp site: “A creative collaboration of producer Tu Fei and artist Liu Qingyuan. Event organization by Tu Fei, artwork for promotion and production by Liu Qingyuan. Event programs include talks, screenings, forums, workshops, musicians’ commission creation Continue Reading
李红旗和杨海崧（Li Hongqi and Yang Haisong) – Noise Concerto for Violin and Guitar
This work by Chinese composers Li Hongqi (violin) and Yang Haison (theremin) is a 52-minute piece of droning experimental music. The feeling of the recording reminds me of early Industrial music and it flows rather nicely. Thanks to storerecords out of Beijing for releasing this.
Li Jianhong (李劍鴻 ) & Wen Zhiyong (文智湧) & Deng Boyu (鄧博宇) – 歲寒三友 Les Trois Amis de l’Hiver
I remember the Beijing lockups very well, as I lived in the city during the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. Some residents in Beijing, including the trio of Li Jianhong, Wen Zhiyong and Deng Boyu, made incredibly good use of the time and recorded an album of music combining free Continue Reading