With Record Store Day celebrated across the world this weekend, we chat with 18 of China's finest indie labels about what label life is like in 2016. And don't forget to grab some of these records at shops like Shanghai's Uptown Records, Beijing's fruityshop and more. (For Part 1, click here).
Increased online streaming regulation? A budding national touring circuit? Glastonbury Festival appearances and DJ Shadow collaborations? For years a paradoxical joke, does the future actually hold hope for China’s indie labels? We surveyed some of the country’s best and they answered a resounding 'yes.' In this three-part series, they share their thoughts and their 2016 plans with us. In this chapter, we chat with labels from Beijing to Guangzhou contributing to China's electronic underground.
Do Hits!
Est. 2011
Follow: dohits.bandcamp.com, WeChat: dohits
What started as an empty recurring showcase at School in 2011 has evolved into a collective peddling their vision of “future music from Beijing.” With a name cribbed from a LCD Soundsystem lyric, co-founder Howie Lee describes the label’s mission as simply “be a rebel, fuck the norm.”
As Lee’s notoriety has grown with headlining shows at South by Southwest and a debut album release on Los Angeles tastemaking label Alpha Pup, so has the reputation of Do Hits!
Noting that they’ve received coverage by Mad Decent and Hypetrack, Lee summarizes China’s music scene “as a Pandora box full of mysteries, nothing is more beautiful than that.”
Already Do Hits! has released a series of compilations bringing together China’s most forward-thinking producers with a new Motherland series on the way covering overseas Chinese producers’ work. Following the Janaury release of ZHI-16’s debut EP, Lee promises releases by Dokedo and Jason Hou will come out later this year.
SVBKVLT
Est: 2013
Follow: svbkvlt.bandcamp.com, SubCulture [WeChat]
As cofounder of The Shelter, Gaz Williams has brought some of the world’s leading underground artists to China. Through his SVBKVLT imprint, he’s attempting to make it a reciprocal exchange.
“The quality of some of the music coming out of China has really stepped up and there is a lot more attention from international artists and media on Chinese artists,” he says. “It’s finally time to really push the music out there.”
Artists like SLV have made the front page of XL8R, and Williams chuckles that Damacha and other label tracks were used at New York Fashion Week. This year has already included Shanghaibased producer Swimful’s debut EP release and the stylish label will present a different side of Beijing-based hip hop producer Soulspeak with April’s KaiLuen release.
“There’s also a remix version of Swimful’s PM2.5 that already has Air Max 97 and Laura Ingalls remixes,” Williams boasts. “We’ll be releasing an EP by Prettybwoy from Tokyo, which will be huge. There will be a Downstate EP and an Osheyack EP in the summer, so it's a pretty tight schedule.”
Guangzhou Underground
Established: 2013
Follow: soundcloud.com/guangzhouunderground, guangzhouunderground.bandcamp.com
Since moving to Guangzhou three years ago, Simon Bishop and friends (DJ Bass Panda and DJ Failed State) have been a galvanizing force in the city’s electronic underground. With a name that pays homage to 90s label Glasgow Underground because “they had a roster that was international, yet the label itself represented a specific location”, Guangzhou Underground routinely throws parties while recently dropping Abstract Now’s 2getha EP.
Bishop notes that the label has a diverse roster from cutting edge bass music by Zenwan to classic 90s style deep house from Alex Agore.
“Whether it’s house or bass music, we like artists who really have their own sound. It’s more an intuitive thing than down to any set guidelines,” Bishop says.
He touts an upcoming label compilation and thanks Zhang Da Zhong for allowing the label to use his artwork to produce visually striking releases, before laying out Guangzhou Underground’s goal for 2016. “The big mission this year is to work with more home-grown talent from here in China.”
Rankadank
Est: 2010
Follow: rankadank.bandcamp.com, Rankadank_Records [WeChat]
Originally started as an avenue for Shanghai based, UK bass producer Conrank to release his music on iTunes, Spotify and Juno, Rankadank has switched its focus to “new artists in China with quality music that we feel fits the label.”
Past releases include debut by Nanjing’s 3asic, who has since started his own Project Sync Records. Conrank admits that “artists who are just trying to find their feet interest me the most.”
While his growing international profile has dipped in to the label’s productivity, Conrank promises that Rankadank is returning with a vengeance.
“To be honest, the next few releases are amazing. I’m so excited and proud of where we are,” he says, touting upcoming releases from SuSuSu, Visudy and Zean.
Groove Bunny
Est: 2013
Follow: groovebunnyrecords.bandcamp.com, @groovebunnyrecords [Instagram]
Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province is the unlikely home to one of the Mainland’s most promising hip hop forces. Spearheaded by Endy Chen, the taste-making blog turned label boasts a roster that stretches from Guangdong to Yanbian.
After spending years working as a business manager, Chen has used his knowledge of the music industry to good use with a heavy Bandcamp presence and limited edition cassette releases.
Musically anchored by Guangzhou producer Pete Chen, who has internalized the soulful lessons imparted by hip hop greats from Pete Rock to Dilla, Groove Bunny has a busy year ahead. Chen touts a 12” single teaming former Beijing staple Wootacc with Cantonese rhymer Chillho, a 7” EP release from Chen, the second EP from young Guangzhou rhymer Kosma and a 7” release from UK producer Eric Lau.
While Chen notes “we’re not going to get rich through music,” he remains thrilled with how attention to the label has helped his musician friends. “I feel very lucky to be able to sell our records in record stories like Uptown Records in Shanghai and fruity shop in Beijing. I’m so grateful to them for showing their love.”
Ran Music
Est. 2015
Followsoundcloud.com/ranmusic, ranmusicbj.bandcamp.com, WeChat: ran-music
Deeply ingrained in Beijing’s indie scene as a producer and mixer, Shen Lijia started Ran Music to fill the void of “indie labels dedicated to promoting electronic music by organizing parties and by getting good quality music out there.”
Noting that profits from their outside mixing services is reinvested into the label, Ran has already released a double-EP by Beijing house savaant Animal Pop, a joint-remix album reimagining garage rockers Luv Plastik and digital singles by JG.
Beijing by way of LA hip hop producer Soulspeak has already released three stellar projects with the label including the debut by his jazz supergroup Flesh Beat Bones. The DJ Wordy cohort will team up with Shanghai based trumpet player Toby Mak for a collaborative disc that Shen says, “really stands out for our aesthetics with awesome trumpet and guitar playing combined with creative sampling.”
It follows the split release single by Hong Kong producer Lantern and Beijing based throutin. Describing the label highs as receiving demos from interested artists wanting to get in on the fun, Shen outlines his vision for a Ran Music artist.
“We prefer electronic music that sounds organic and melodic, especially by artists that create music in a unique way live through creative samples, incorporating live instruments or using analogue hardware.”
Co:motion
Established: 2015
Follow: comotion.bandcamp.com
Started last year by Shanghai underground staples MIIA, Mau Mau, Raz and Raphael Valensi, Co:Motion is part label, part party throwers. They’ve crafted a system “where our artists make stuff that we could play in our DJ sets, as it’s important that the label transposes into parties, tours and back.”
With an eye towards high quality house, techno and disco, Co:Motion has releases by Deep 19, Valensi and MIIA on deck this year. International acts like Magic Touch and Rodion have already contributed remixes fulfilling the label’s goal to get international attention.
“A lot of producers and labels here are keeping things local because they feel no one is listening to them outside of China,” Valensi sighs. “The biggest challenge is to go above that and give China its own voice on an international level.”
Stay tuned for Part III where we look at some of the upstart DIY rocking labels. For Part I, click here.
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