Recent years have been difficult for traditional stand-in-a-field-style festivals. Those that weren’t canceled were relocated miles outside the city. So music networking site Douban is taking a safer route with its Wetware Festival, which is being held indoors at two local venues – Tango and School Bar. You can check the whole four-day lineup here, but below is our pick of the best artists coming through. And in case you're curious about which festivals to attend in Beijing this summer, check out our full festival guide.
Cold Cave
Cold Cave isn’t a hidden venue for Wetware Festival, but rather a gothwave, synth-pop, Joy Division-inspired one-man act founded by former Give Up the Ghost frontman Wesley Eisold. Considering Cold Cave’s intense yet oddly exultant sound, the live show should be a good’un.
Sun May 21, 10.40-11.40pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Duck Fight Goose
We hardly need to tell you that Shanghai band Duck Fight Goose is ‘a bit out there’ – just look at that band photo. The critically acclaimed quartet plays a wide gamut from indie rock (on debut album Sports) to a more futuristic and electronics-heavy sound, as heard on sophomore album Club Zvkvnft.
Sat May 20, 5-6pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Howie Lee
We’ve been calling Howie Lee the most exciting thing in Chinese electronic music for years. And with the release of 2016 album Mù Chè Shān Chū, he’s lived up to the promise. Sure, he’s a regular at Dada, but let’s see what he can do on the big stage.
Thu May 18, 9-9.40pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Tim Hecker
Musician and ‘sound artist’ Tim Hecker is one of the most important names in ambient music. His live show is, like his recorded work, a mesmerizing wall of sound that takes audiences to deep places. Get ready for some intense swaying.
Sun May 21, 4-5pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
RP Boo
RP Boo is a former footwork dancer who helped create a genre. He’s considered by many to have created the first tunes to be labeled as ‘Chicago Juke.’ But enough with the genres. All you need to know is that he’ll be dropping fast, syncopated beats with as many nods to hip-hop as house.
Sun May 21, 10-11pm; Second Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Cass McCombs Band
The titular Cass McCombs’ bio merely states he is “an American musician, best known for releasing a number of albums since 2002.” This is categorically true, though we’d hasten to add that McCombs spins reflective folk rock melodies with such sincerity that comparisons to Elliott Smith are common.
Thu May 18, 9-9.40pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Stolen
From playing student punk covers to opening for Beijing indie institutions P.K. 14, Chengdu rock band Stolen have come a long way. The band’s debut album Loop was released amid intense buzz in 2015. Combining sinister vocals and frenetic instrumentation, Stolen have a darkly intriguing sound – for rock and electronic dance lovers alike.
Sat May 20, 9.20-10pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Kode9
Kode9 seems to have a fondness for China, having named a track ‘Xingfu Lu’ (after a Shanghai street) and played here multiple times in recent years. If you caught any of those shows, you’ll know to expect back-to-back genre-skipping bass stonkers from the man behind pioneering label Hyperdub.
Sun May 21, 8.20-9.10pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Actress
British electronic musician Darren Cunningham, better known as Actress, arrives in Beijing just weeks after the release of his fifth studio album AZD (pronounced ‘Azid,’ btw). It’s both clubbier and more experimental than his recent work, so get ready to either dance or rock around looking pensive.
Sat May 20, 8.10-9pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Low
True to name, Low specialize in slow tempos and bare arrangements. Known for their outstanding live performances, the indie-rock band have been performing for more than 20 years – which seems crazy until you realize that frontman Alan Sparhawk has two children with wife Mimi Parker, who is Low’s drummer and second vocalist.
Thu May 18, 10-11pm; Main Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Nightmares on Wax
Despite having a name that sounds like a bad sleepover at Madame Tussauds, Nightmares on Wax (the stage name of DJ George Evelyn) makes laid-back hip-hop-inspired instrumentals. Get ready for feel-good vibes, reggae-inspired jams, lazy bass lines and more from Evelyn’s expansive record collection.
May 19, 9.15-10.15pm; Second Stage. Click here to buy tickets.
Thurs-Sun May 18-21, Times vary; RMB239-389. Tango and School Bar, see event listing.
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