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| Second Hand Rose at the Modern Sky Music Festival in Central Park / New York City, October 2014 © May S. Young / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 |
Ever heard of Duck Fight Goose, P.K.14, Carsick Cars, Wu Tiao Ren, White+, Hedgehog, Wang Wen or The Gar?
Most probably not - and you are surely not alone. On the global map of highly successful music industries outside national borders, the PR China remains a blind spot (if you choose to neglect the not so small Chinese diaspora).
Most probably not - and you are surely not alone. On the global map of highly successful music industries outside national borders, the PR China remains a blind spot (if you choose to neglect the not so small Chinese diaspora).
Generally, the Chinese mainstream music market has been heavily dominated by Cantopop, Mandopop, K-pop and J-pop since the country opened-up to the outside world at the end of the 1970s, and artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan continue to make the big bucks.
But beyond the enormous mainstream market, a vibrant and very diverse independent music scene has carved out a niche for itself in the last decades. (For an overview of the specifics of the Chinese music business, see this piece.)
But beyond the enormous mainstream market, a vibrant and very diverse independent music scene has carved out a niche for itself in the last decades. (For an overview of the specifics of the Chinese music business, see this piece.)
Without any question, the major power behind the gradual emergence of a flourishing independent music industry was (and still is) the Beijing-based record company Modern Sky (Modeng Tiankong) Entertainment.
Founded in 1997 by the lead singer of the then widely popular Brit pop band Sober (Qingxing), Shen Lihui, the legendary label has been the motor of the so-called 'New Sound Movement (Xinsheng yundong)' that emerged at the end of the 1990s.
Founded in 1997 by the lead singer of the then widely popular Brit pop band Sober (Qingxing), Shen Lihui, the legendary label has been the motor of the so-called 'New Sound Movement (Xinsheng yundong)' that emerged at the end of the 1990s.
The first two waves of Chinese rock music (yaogun yinyue) in the 1980s and 1990s were strongly linked to famous elder statesman and pioneer of Chinese rock, Cui Jian, whose song 'Nothing to My Name (Yi wu suo you)' became the unofficial anthem of the rebellious youth protesting at Tian'anmen in 1989.
Other influential bands at the time included the heavy metal band Tang Dynasty, the glam metal group Black Panther as well as the first all-female rockers Cobra.
Other influential bands at the time included the heavy metal band Tang Dynasty, the glam metal group Black Panther as well as the first all-female rockers Cobra.
The younger generation of artists that featured prominently in the New Sound Movement, however, were an entirely different breed. Musicians such as the punk pop band New Pants (Xin kuzi) or the Flowers (Hua'er) challenged the older guard by adopting whole new musical genres, different attitudes and a distinctly global outlook. In general, they were a lot more hedonistic, began to value technical questions and endorsed an unhinged individualism.
Little by little, Modern Sky Entertainment has been able to build a small empire that has diversified in all fields of creative industries.
Nevertheless, managing the record label still is the main endeavour of Shen Lihui and his crew, in line with efforts to organize ever-bigger open-air music festivals. Typically, the company puts on around 25 festivals in China each year.
In 2013, a large crowd of 260,000 enthusiastic music fans attended the venues in Beijing and Shanghai. And last month, the Modern Sky Music Festival celebrated its debut overseas in New York's Central Park (the Chinese line-up included Re-Tros, Queen Sea Big Shark, Zhang Xuan, Second Hand Rose, Omnipotent Youth Society and Shetou).
In addition to the Modern Sky Music Festival, the firm oversees ca. twelve editions of another highly acclaimed outdoor event, the Strawberry Festival, which is held in various cities, including smaller ones, all over China. (For an extensive interview with mastermind Shen Lihui, see here.)
Nevertheless, managing the record label still is the main endeavour of Shen Lihui and his crew, in line with efforts to organize ever-bigger open-air music festivals. Typically, the company puts on around 25 festivals in China each year.
In 2013, a large crowd of 260,000 enthusiastic music fans attended the venues in Beijing and Shanghai. And last month, the Modern Sky Music Festival celebrated its debut overseas in New York's Central Park (the Chinese line-up included Re-Tros, Queen Sea Big Shark, Zhang Xuan, Second Hand Rose, Omnipotent Youth Society and Shetou).
In addition to the Modern Sky Music Festival, the firm oversees ca. twelve editions of another highly acclaimed outdoor event, the Strawberry Festival, which is held in various cities, including smaller ones, all over China. (For an extensive interview with mastermind Shen Lihui, see here.)
Naturally, Modern Sky is not the only outfit that heavily promotes interesting new sounds at the fringes of the mainstream market.
Another important cornerstone in the sphere of progressive music is the independent record label Maybe Mars that is also based in the Chinese capital. Over the years, Maybe Mars has signed numerous exciting new bands from very different backgrounds and origins that have become household names in Chinese alternative music circles. Overall, Beijing still is the undisputed centre of independent music of all imaginable genres and styles, but other cities are catching up fast.
Another important cornerstone in the sphere of progressive music is the independent record label Maybe Mars that is also based in the Chinese capital. Over the years, Maybe Mars has signed numerous exciting new bands from very different backgrounds and origins that have become household names in Chinese alternative music circles. Overall, Beijing still is the undisputed centre of independent music of all imaginable genres and styles, but other cities are catching up fast.
Reports about China's diverse underground music industry are notoriously rare in Western publications and more often than not written in a rather condescending tone as if Chinese artists were completely disconnected from wider global developments.
To catch a glimpse of the current state of Chinese indie music and to stay informed about the latest trends, I recommend the following sites: China Music Radar, BeijingDaze, ChengduMusic or the Caoker video platform.
To catch a glimpse of the current state of Chinese indie music and to stay informed about the latest trends, I recommend the following sites: China Music Radar, BeijingDaze, ChengduMusic or the Caoker video platform.
If you are interested in more comprehensive, academic discussions of Chinese popular music, its genesis, socio-political and economic contexts, have a look at the books by Nimrod Baranovitch: 'China's New Voices: Popular Music, Ethnicity, Gender, and Politics, 1978-1997' (2003) (Amazon) or Jeroen de Kloet: 'China with a Cut: Globalisation, Urban Youth and Popular Music' (2010) (Amazon), to name just two authors with proven expertise.
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