Here are three new homegrown albums from musicians around China on our radar this month.
1. The Twenties by The Twenties
Formed in 2013, The Twenties were active in Beijing’s live scene for several years before settling to record their eponymous, self-released debut. The result of this reasonably long incubator period is that the band sounds confident and in charge, with a fully realized identity. Vocalist Findy Zhao’s voice has an appealing deadpan irony that’s reminiscent of 90s slacker rock, and there are elements of grunge and the fuzziness associated with lo-fi bands, but nonetheless the production feels slick. The opening track ‘Fire Fire’ is our favorite thanks to a catchy chorus that will worm its way into your head and linger for the rest of the day. In fact, it’s this instant catchiness in many of the songs that elevate them from being overly derivative of 90s alt-rock bands – the pop sensibility woven in gives the debut an extra kick, and we’re excited to see where the band goes from here.
2. Seippelabel Vol. 10 by Seippelabel
Beijing’s Seippelabel has been releasing compilation albums a few times a year since early 2015, working with notable China-based electronic acts like Alpine Decline, GUIGUISUISUI, GOOOSE, Nocturnes and Noise Arcade. They also have a solid footing in greater Asia and beyond, with their 10th release showcasing producers from as nearby as Shanghai and as far as Mexico and Australia. With a panoply of genres from footwork to grime to a harsh industrial noise track, not all the songs are successful, but there’s something for every taste. The best tracks defy classification, like 'Surge,' a dramatically symphonic instrumental hip-hop piece by Shanghai-based producer WhatsupNarja, Singapore producer Fauxe's 'Shoutout to Paradise,' a frenetic and ambitious beat overlaid with tribal chanting, and the sultry, almost tender track 'A Weight on Both Shoulders' from Flower Boy. The liner notes explain that the “ultimate goal” of Seippelabel was to put out 10 compilation albums, but hopefully this doesn’t mark the end of their eclectic releases.
3. Elusive Magic by Panic Worm
Elusive Magic is the debut album from Panic Worm, a plucky Wuhan-based five-piece dealing in energetic post-punk. The band half-jokingly imply that they are the offspring of “the once famous Wuhan punk movement” in the late 90s and 2000s, which birthed the likes of SMZB and later AV Okubo. Having recently opened for The Cribs when they passed through Wuhan on tour with Split Works, Panic Worm has indeed taken up the mantle as one of the city’s more notable new punk acts, exploring what they describe as “80s post punk scattered with 90s slacker sensibilities.” The earnest riffs in the lead single ‘Chicken Spit,’ have a sort of sweeping, epic quality heightened by Yu Cheng’s stately vocals. Though rooted in the city’s punk tradition, they’re serving up something fresh.
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