For many in the West, 2016 will be remembered for Trump, Brexit, terrorism in Europe and an absurd number of pop culture deaths, from Bowie to Muhammad Ali. By comparison, China had an unusually quiet year. Nonetheless, there were still a few goings-on in the world's most populous country.
In our 2016 Year in Review series, we recap the best (and worst) of China's year in the worlds of technology, social media, sport, fashion, food, arts and more.
Loved by some, missed by many – here’s our Top 50 Albums of 2016 from Chinese mainland This year marked the return of the father of yaogun, the impressive evolution of a teenage jazz prodigy and a trio of outstanding Blade Runner-inspired discs from Shanghai. For the full 2016 Top 50 Albums List, click here.
For past editions, visit our 2013 Notable Albums list, our 2014 Top 25 Chinese mainland Albums list and our 2015 Top 50 Mainland Records list.
10. Cui Jian: Frozen Light
崔健: 光冻
(Sony)
Genre: Rock
Buy/Stream: QQ Music, 163.com, iTunes
China’s most famous rocker returns from a 10-year hiatus with a groundbreaking new deal with Sony that saw the album released in 119 countries. On Frozen Light, Cui Jian sounds like he’s never left, comfortably showcasing his Springsteenian approach to rock and roll while never shying from the hefty gravitas that had made him a voice of a generation. Guest appearance by rising Monpa singer-songwriter Yunggiema shows that the father of yaogun remains committed to the cause of cultivating rock with Chinese characteristics.
9. Bloodz Boi and 3Bangz: The Noble Life
Bloodz Boi and 三棒子: 贵族生活
(self-released)
Genre: Hip Hop
Buy/Stream: Xiami, 163.com
Follow: Bloodzboi - Douban, Twitter, Soundcloud. 3Bangz - Douban
No VPN? Listen to The Noble Life on Xiami.
Young, cocky and with the talent to match, the two standout Beijing emcees team up for this carefree collection of tracks written and recorded in a week. Fixtures at DADA’s trap nights, the two rappers never sounded more regal, boastfully flowing over luxurious cloud rap supplied by acclaimed producers from home (Do Hit’s ZHI-16) and abroad (PYRMDPLZA). A celebration of The Noble Life, it’s proof that this budding generation of rappers has the goods to back up the flash.
8. Soulspeak vs TTechmak: Love in the Land of Robots
(Ran)
Genre: Electronic
Buy/Stream: Bandcamp, Xiami, QQ Music, 163.com, iTunes
Follow: Soulspeak - Douban
Beijing beats meet Shanghai jazz as producer Soulspeak teams with trumpeter Toby Mak on this conceptual disc. While the future may evoke menace or nostalgia in some, Love in the Land of Robots is a funk-filled romp where sizzling horn lines meet Los Angeles boom bap. It’s a joyous exploration of two worlds. Even more impressive for a record so coherent, the two musicians were in the same room only once during the disc’s years-long recording. For more, check out our interviews with Soulspeak and Toby Mak.
7. Wang Wen: Sweet Home, Go
惘闻: 岁月鸿沟
(New Noise)
Genre: Post-rock
Buy/Stream: Bandcamp, Xiami, QQ Music, 163.com, iTunes
Follow: Douban, Facebook
Empowered by a triumphant 15th anniversary tour that took them across China and to festival appearances in Europe, the Dalian post-rock standouts are at the heights of their power on their ninth studio disc. Recorded in an abandoned factory in their hometown with Toman’s Wouter and Lode serving as producers, Sweet Home, Go subtly reboots their sound, reinterpreting six songs written over the past three years with new sounds from trumpet to sound-designed hiss. It’s the group’s darkest, yet also its lightest album to date – highlighting a group eager to explore the extremes of its grandiose sound. For more, check out our feature on Wang Wen.
6. Duck Fight Goose: Club Zvkvnft
鸭打鹅: 未来俱乐部
(D Force)
Genre: Electronic rock
Buy/Stream: Bandcamp, Xiami, QQ Music, 163.com, iTunes
Follow: Douban, Facebook
On their sophomore disc, the Shanghai electronic rock standouts fulfill their long promise of successfully merging machine and man. Named after a Zurich nightclub and packaged to appear like a video game, Club Zvkvnft follows a “highly advanced cyborg looking for humanity and the ability to groove in the futuristic glittering techno-financial hub of Shanghai.” Full of metallic grooves and dystopian keyboards, Duck Fight Goose also remember to let their humanistic heart shine on futuristic ballads like ‘Horse.’ For more, check out our feature on Duck Fight Goose.
5. Alpine Decline: Life’s A Gasp
Alpine Decline: 生于喘息
(Maybe Mars)
Genre: Indie
Buy/Stream: Bandcamp, Xiami, QQ Music, 163.com, Taobao
Follow: Douban, Facebook
On their seventh album, the Beijing-based Los Angeles transplants have crafted a love/hate letter to their adopted home. After obsessing over tape delay on their recent standout discs, the duo has crafted a furious record driven by feedback-drenched guitars, the psychedelic buzz of the modular synth and a noirish blues heart. P.K. 14 frontman Yang Haisong joins in the carnage on bass and the subsequent national tour was a celebratory and fitting farewell for the group that recently returned to the West. For more, check out our feature on Alpine Decline.
4. Queen Sea Big Shark: To Wild Heart
后海大鲨鱼: 心要野
(Modern Sky)
Genre: Indie
Buy/Stream: QQ Music, 163.com, Modern Sky, iTunes,
Follow: Douban, Facebook
Innovation takes time and that’s especially true for the stylish Beijing quartet that first rose to prominence a decade ago for its demented surf rock. Six years after its sophomore disc made dance punk all the rage, they’re finally back with its follow-up: a psychedelic pop pastiche overflowing with ideas like free jazz horns, exotic sitar lines and sassy hip hop beats. The inclusion of viral hit ‘Bling Bling Bling’ made To Wild Heart instantly essential, but sleek-yet-strange pop gems like ‘Drifting to the Center of the World’ has us instantly eager for chapter four of the group’s adventures. For more, check out our feature on Queen Sea Big Shark.
3. Hanggai: Horse of Colors
杭盖: 花斑马
(Tian Hao Sheng Shi)
Genre: Mongolian Fusion Rock
Buy/Stream: Xiami, QQ Music, 163.com, iTunes
Follow: Douban, Facebook
No terrain is safe from the Mongolian fusion rock pioneers. Already acclaimed around the world, the group conquered CCTV by winning its hit show Sing My Song. On their fifth album, they linked with legendary producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd’s The Wall) and Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine) for their most bombastic disc yet. Hard rock riffs meet the group’s loveliest ballads to date (sometimes within the same song). After touring theaters across China this year, Hanggai is looking to continue the partnership. Plans have already been made for the group to link with Ezrin in Nashville to record their next opus.
2. A Bu: Butterflies Fly in Pairs
阿布: 双飞蝴蝶
(Sennheiser Music)
Genre: Jazz
Buy/Stream: Xiami, QQ Music, 163.com, iTunes
After showing off virtuosic piano chops on his 2015 debut disc produced by Grammy Award winner Jakob Haendel, the 16-year-old wunderkind proves he’s a composer to be reckoned with on its follow-up. Recorded in New York with drummer Ryan J. Lee (Kansas City Symphony) and bassist Tom Kennedy (Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Brecker), the post-bop album incorporates elements from Cantonese folk to Parisian swing. While acclaimed saxophonist Antonio Hart guests on a couple tracks, A Bu’s maturity shines in the disc’s restraint, putting the focus squarely on its smooth grooves.
1. MHP: Folding Traces
马海平: 折叠痕迹
(D Force)
Genre: Techno
Buy/Stream: Xiami, QQ Music, 163.com, iTunes
Follow: Douban, Soundcloud
For years dubbed the “son of Shanghai techno,” Ma Haiping pays tribute to his hometown on his first proper album release in China. Sophisticated techno beats meet live horns and other acoustic instruments (including an appearance from guzheng player and Gorillaz collaborator Wang Meng) to create a moody strain of futuristic high-tech jazz. Soundtracks to sci-fi films from the 80s and 90s serve as an inspiration for a concept disc that explores emotion and memory in the accelerated city. For more, check out our interview with MHP.
For the full 2016 Top 50 Albums List, click here.
For more 2016 Year in Review coverage, click here.
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