Launched eight years ago as an intimate one-day gathering of 1,500 local music lovers, Clockenflap has swelled into Hong Kong’s largest outdoor music and arts festival. Taking over West Kowloon from November 25-27 with yet another impressive lineup this year, here are a few of the standout acts.
…Huh!?
In addition to its impressive
international acts, Clockenflap is full of top rockers of the local Hong
Kong music scene. This year’s festival features the triumphant return
of the seminal hometown rockers …Huh?!, who released five acclaimed
albums from 1992 to 1997. They’re coming back together after all these
years for a special one-off festival show.
Sat, Nov 26
Blood Orange
The rise of singer-songwriter-producer
Dev Hynes from teenaged member of dance-punk group Test Icicles to the
mastermind behind arguably the album of the year, Freetown Sound, has
been stunning to behold. A sought-after collaborator for everyone from
Carly Rae Jepsen to The Chemical Brothers, Hyne’s Blood Orange guise has
mastered a synthed-up strain of alternative R&B that has proved
irresistible.
Sat, Nov 26
Cheer Chen
Wearing a T-shirt and jeans, she stands in the spotlight, holding onto her guitar and singing her stories. With a pure and childlike voice, Taiwanese singer-songwriter Cheer Chen enthralls audiences with her serene simplicity. Starting her career in 1996, Chen became an independent singer in 2003, a period when many of her popular songs like ‘Travel is Meaningful’ and ‘After 17’ were composed.
Sat, Nov 26
Crystal Castles
The Toronto group has carved out a reputation of bringing harsh yet beautiful chaos to stages across the world. Praised for their often abrasive experimental electronica, their Clockenflap performance will be the Hong Kong debut of their new singer, Edith Khan. Expect a set full of new material from the highly anticipated fourth album.
Sun, Nov 27
Foals
Winners of a Q Award for Best Live Act in
the UK, the Oxford indie-rock group has amassed a fiercely loyal
following thanks to four critically lauded albums, including last year’s
What Went Down. The long-time underground favorites have become
increasingly difficult to ignore by the mainstream thanks to an
“arena-funk hybrid” that’s completely their own. They make their
long-awaited Hong Kong debut, bringing a bombastic show that has floored
festival crowds from Glastonbury to Coachella.
Sun, Nov 27
George Clinton
The ‘Funkfather’ has been getting booties shaking since the 1970s, when he led the seminal psychedelic funk groups Parliament and Funkadelic. A major inspiration for artists as disparate as Michael Jackson and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Clinton remains the consummate showman. He’ll arrive on the Clockenflap stage captaining the Mothership, ready to relish in his indisputable status as the king of funk.
Fri, Nov 25
London Grammar
With soaring vocals, melancholy guitar and plaintive lyrics, the burgeoning, British trip hop trio London Grammar boasts a blend of ambient, ethereal and classical sound. Their debut album If You Want went platinum in Australia and the UK in 2013, while the single ‘Wasting My Young Years’ reached number two on the French Singles Charts.
Sat, Nov 26
Mad Professor
This Guyana-born dub-reggae
producer has been a legend for decades, best known for his
interpretation of Massive Attack on 1995’s No Protection. A frequent
collaborator of reggae stars like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Sly &
Robbie, Mad Professor remains prolific. His most recent solo disc,
Dubbing With Anansi, was showered with prizes, but while he’s got
numerous classic recordings, it’s live where Mad Professor shines.
Sat, Nov 26
M.I.A
Maya, better known by her stage name M.I.A, is an instinctive rapper. Born in London, she moved to Jaffna in Sri Lanka with her family, where she grew up learning to sing and “dodge bullets.” A singer-songwriter, M.I.A’s composition often combine alternative, dance, hip hop and world music. Her debut album Arular and second album Kala both received critical acclaims, after which nominations for the Grammy Awards followed. M.I.A was named by Rolling Stone as one of the most defining artists of the 2000s decade.
Sat, Nov 26
Sigur Rós
For more than two decades, the Icelandic post-rock group have ruled the genre with a mix of ambient and symphonic sounds. Notorious for singing in the made-up language of Hopelandic, the now-trio returns to Hong Kong for the first time since their sell-out 2013 show.
Fri, Nov 25
The Chemical Brothers
Trailblazers of the 90s electronica boom, the British duo of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are party professionals, armed with anthems from ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’ to ‘Do It Again.’ Veterans at rocking mega festivals, their Clockenflap set will be their exclusive Asian festival performance of the year.
Sun, Nov 27
Yo La Tengo
Legends of the American indie rock scene, the New Jersey group keeps rocking as they enter their fourth decade. Dubbed “the quintessential critic’s band,” Yo La Tengo’s cult following has grown thanks to an impressive 14-album catalog and live shows known for unconventional covers.
Sun, Nov 27
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